Industry

R&D Distribution Hosted Dealers for a DEI Training in Troy, MI

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TROY, MI (10.13.22) – Over 60 people from area 12volt retailers attended R&D Distribution’s DEI training Tuesday night October 11th at the Holiday Inn Express in Troy, Michigan. Justin Gear and Chad Arthur from VOXX/DEI were on hand to present DEI’s latest products, firmware updates and a recently updated Direct Tech website.

The meet and greet opportunity before the training session was an opportunity for dealers to catch up and network.
All eyes are on the screen as Justin Gear makes o point.

Dealers came from as far away as Saginaw and Ann Arbor to listen, learn and ask questions about DEI’s current product offerings. A pre-training “meet and great” allowed dealers to discuss current industry market trends and what possibly to expect for the upcoming holiday selling season.

Justin Gear (L) and Chad Arthur covered DEI’s latest products, firmware updates and the recently updated DEI Direct Tech website.
Justin Gear and Chad Arthur were up front conducting the training DEI Training Session

“It’s always good to see distributors and their manufacturer partners work together to help strengthen the industry” stated Mike Poulson from R&D. From the strong attendance it seems as though the greater Metro Detroit area 12 volt dealers agree.

R&D set a second DEI training Wednesday October 12th at their Kentwood location.

Visit teamprogressive.com for more.

BEI Inc and Mike Beyersdoerfer Celebrate 20th Anniversary

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BATESVILLE, IN (10.13.22) – “October 11th was the 20th anniversary of my company BEI Inc. After 32 years in the workplace as an employee, I decided to live my dream. At that time I began as a consultant, entered the manufacturer rep arena and continued by founding a distribution company. Today I am continuing in the rep arena and consulting,” Mike Beyersdoerfer related from behind the wheel of his Honda Ridgeline in front of a Hampton Inn in Batesville, IN. Beyersdoerfer had just dropped off Ceasar Olaes after a day making MTX Audio sales calls in the area.

It all started for BEI Inc in Wertheim Germany with K&M as Beyersdoerfer met with owner Herr Koenig.

The following are industries in which Beyersdoerfer has worked and has enjoyed….Consumer Electronics, Automotive Aftermarket, Motorcycle, RV, Liquor, and Musical Instruments. All of these industries also align with Beyersdoerfer’s hobbies.

Beyersdoerfer checking out a classic custom RV during a show at the RV Museum in Elkhart IN.

Below is a list some of Beyersdoerfer’s  current companies and clients through the years as a Consultant, Representative and Distributor in no particular order.

After wrapping up Wednesday on the road Beyersdoerfer gives a smiling thumbs up from behind the wheel of his Honda Ridgeline.

K&M Musical Instrument stands in Wertheim Germany (my first client)
Gibson Guitar Nashville, TN
Yamano- Tokyo Japan
Manhattan Oil- Texas,
Harley Davidson Dealers-29 states
Tom Tom- Amsterdam, Nerterlands
Meguiar’s -California
3M- Minnesota
12 Volt dealers in 10 Rocky Mountain and Ohio Valley states
Epsilon California
CRUX-California
Race Sport- Illinois
Vision X- Washington
Diamond & Cerwin Vega- California
Massive -California
MTX -Arizona & Illinois
DEI – Ohio
Big Fat Pastor Spirits- Colorado
THOR RV- Indiana
Colorado Custom Wheels- Colorado and California
Hotchkis – California

“A big thanks to my clients and customers from around the world… and I am still having fun,” Beyersdoerfer concluded.

Tint World Opens New Springfield Store

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PHILADELPHIA, PA (10.12.22) – Tint World Automotive Styling Centers continues its successful expansion with the opening of its new store in Springfield, Pennsylvania, serving Delaware County.

Tint World Springfield, owned by Brad Lloyd, offers a wide range of high-quality automotive aftermarket accessories and services, including window tint, mobile electronics, audio and video equipment, paint protection film, and more. Tint World Springfield also provides the Philadelphia area’s top home and commercial window film products and services.

Brad Lloyd pictured out front with the grand opening ribbon cutting scissors in hand.

“Tint World’s unmatched selection of products from the leading brands and its commitment to outstanding service have made it the premier automotive styling franchise,” Lloyd said. “The company’s proven, predictable franchise model offers franchisees powerful ongoing support and training that set it apart from the rest of the industry and equip owners with the tools they need to deliver incredible value in their service areas.”

Brad Lloyd (L) with staff members Lei Grice-sales and Richie Hess-tint tech ready to make the cash register ring.
The large installation area is ready.

Tint World Springfield, located at 674 Baltimore Pike, #2, Springfield, Pennsylvania 19064, serves all of Springfield and the Media, Drexel Hill, Newtown Square, West Philadelphia, West Chester, Ridley Park, Wayne, Folcroft, Ardmore, and Broomall communities.

To book an appointment, request a quote, or find out more about Tint World Springfield’s products and services, call (610) 214-2083 or visit tintworld.com/locations/pa/springfield-097/

“Brad’s dedication and hard work have paid off and will be the foundation of his future success as a Tint World franchisee,” said Charles J. Bonfiglio, CEO and president of Tint World. “He’s committed himself to Tint World’s franchise systems and processes, so the residents of Springfield and Delaware County can have confidence that he and his team will exceed their expectations for quality and reliability.”

Mothers Polishes Sponsors 2022 SEMA Battle of the Builders

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (10.12.22) – Mothers Polishes has been named the presenting sponsor of the 2022 SEMA Battle of the Builders, the aftermarket industry’s ultimate vehicle competition featuring customizers who have a vehicle on display at the world-renown SEMA Show.

With exhibitors relying on the builds at the annual trade-only event to showcase their hottest parts and accessories, the vehicles at the SEMA Show are carefully curated and represents the best in the industry.

Mothers Polishes has been named presenting sponsor of the 2022 SEMA Battle of the Builders, the aftermarket industry’s ultimate vehicle competition held annually during the SEMA Show.

“It’s not a casual decision that an exhibitor makes when selecting what vehicle to showcase at the SEMA Show,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “The vehicle they ultimately choose and the builder they choose are the best of the best. It really is the Top Gun of the industry.”

Deadline for builders to enter this year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders sponsored by Mothers Polishes is Oct. 14. Top builders will be recognized in four categories as Class Champions – Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck; 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road; Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic; and Young Guns – before one Grand Champion winner is named on the final day of the SEMA Show, Friday, Nov. 4.

The competition will unfold throughout the week, with the Top 40 announced on Tuesday, Nov. 1, and the Top 12 announced on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The decorated dozen will examine and critique each other’s vehicles at the Show on Thursday, Nov. 3, as they become the final judges and select the ultimate winner.

Throughout the entire competition, camera crews will follow the action for a television special that will air on the HISTORY Channel in January 2023. For more information about the SEMA Battle of the Builders, sponsored by Mothers, visit www.semashow.com/botb.

Synergy Maketing Agency Adds Two 12volt Veterans to the Firm’s Staff

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HOUSTON, TX (10.11.22) – Synergy Marketing Agency has announced the addition of two veteran 12volt industry members to the firm’s in the field staff. David Toliver, Synergy Marketing Agency Principal, related “We cover Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. That is geographically large area and the time was right to have more direct representation in the territory for the vendors we represent. Toby Lewis is onboard as the Regional Territory Director in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Elliot Winter is onboard as the Regional Territory for Central and South Texas.”

Toby Lewis Regional Territory Director in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Toby Lewis is a veteran in the mobile electronics industry with over 30 years of experience. His 12volt journey began at Mad Jacks Audio Video in the late 80s. Mad Jack’s Audio Video was a 7-store chain in the San Diego area that specialized in car and home audio and video. Toby’s career led him to Directed Electronics and Kicker Car Audio but most recently managed trade shows for Extron Electronics, a California based commercial AV company. Toby decided to return to Oklahoma where he has been working on classic vehicle restoration projects.

Based in Tulsa OK Toby is excited to join Synergy Marketing and bring some of the best brands in the industry to Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Contact Toby at toby@synergyagency.net.

Elliot Winter Regional Territory Director for Central and South Texas.

Elliot Winter, based out of Austin, has worked in the consumer electronics sphere for over two decades now and has an absolute passion for the industry. As a former manager of Best Buy, Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics, Audio Express, Custom Sounds and various small high end shops he has an extensive product knowledge spreading across multiple brands. Furthermore as a former SQ and SPL competitor plus SQ judge he has first hand experience designing systems for a variety of applications. Over the past two decades he has also been heavily involved in the Custom Car world including extensive knowledge relating to builds on rat rods, hot rods and muscle cars thanks to his personal experience and the mentorship of his father long time Street Rod enthusiast, former American Hot Rod Association president, and more. To date his builds and designs have included multiple magazine publications, best of show winners, and more.

David Toliver with his custom Avalanche demo vehicle.

Past his practical experience Elliot comes to Synergy Marketing with a Master’s in Media Communications with focuses including live sound and recording arts. His experience with live sound and recording gives him unique perspective on how music should sound and how to deliver that experience to customers in addition to the ability to think outside the box when it comes to system design. He is a passionate, creative and driven individual always willing to go above and beyond for his customers. Working with him not only means getting the best price for the gear you need but ensures that you will have a passionate and extremely knowledgeable resource for creative ideas, build designs and more. Contact Elliot at elliot@synergyagency.net.

David Toliver covers Louisiana and Mississippi in his white Chevrolet Avalanche demo vehicle. Contact David at david@synergyagency.net.

Synergy Marketing Agency represents Audiomobile, Dynamat, Gemini Acoustics, Lucas Lighting, Morel, MTX Audio, Musway, Polk Audio. Rhino Box, Rydeen, Reikken, SoundCubed, SQL Audio and Tru Technology.

For more see https://www.synergyagency.net/about-us

Real Performance Marketing Welcomes Joe Stelmack to the RPM Team

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BUFORD, GA (10.11.22) – Real Performance Marketing welcomes Joe Stelmack to the RPM Team. “Joe comes to RPM with an extensive business background and solid rep experience. Also, Joe is both an audiophile and has a Powersports background which makes him a good fit for RPM” Scott Hochmuth stated.

RPM has a solid footing in both the Mobile Electronics and Powersports industries across the Southeastern US. Seven team members cover Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territories..

Joe will be working in central and eastern SC as well as the I-75 corridor from Tifton GA to Naples FL and the I-95 corridor from Savannah GA to Miami FL. Joe can be reached at Joe@realperformancemarketing.net.

RPM represents lines including Wet Sounds, Arc Audio, Audiofrog, Aunex, MB Quart, MTX Audio and Carbine as well as several well-known PowerSports lines in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic areas.

For more see realperformancemarketing.net

SEMA Research: How the Specialty-Equipment Industry Fared in 2022

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DIAMOND BAR, CA (10.10.22) – The “SEMA State of the Industry Spring 2022” study released earlier this year reported positive growth for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, with most companies having grown during the past year. However, 90% of the industry had concerns about supply-chain issues and many companies struggled to fill open positions due to a shortage of qualified candidates to hire.

Find out if these concerns remain and how the industry has performed in the past six months in SEMA’s upcoming market research, “SEMA State of the Industry Fall 2022.” Available for free download on October 13, the report is part of a series of studies conducted since the pandemic hit in 2020. The studies take a deep dive into how automotive specialty-equipment businesses are doing since COVID-19 hit, how new- and used-vehicles sales are doing and provide an outlook for the industry’s future. Issues such as supply-chain, production shortages and consumer spending are included.

The new Fall 2022 report will be available for download on October 13, and discussed in-depth during the SEMA Show seminar, “State of the Specialty-Equipment Industry: Trends and Directions,” Tuesday, November 1, at 11:00 a.m., in room N254 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. SEMA Showgoers can sign up for the free seminar at www.SEMAShow.com.

All members are invited to download previous “State of the Industry” reports at www.sema.org/research and mark their calendars to visit the site to download the new report on October 13.

BestCarAudio.com Launches Dealer Locator

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LEHIGHTON, PA (10.10.22) – 1sixty8 media, the publisher of BestCarAudio.com, officially launched its dealer locator today. “Our mission at BestCarAudio.com is to educate interested consumers about existing and emerging technologies for their vehicles and then point them to a qualified local retailer to fulfill the need,” said Mitch Schaffer, 1sixty8 media founder and president. “We have been consistently publishing great content for years, and with the formal launch of our locator, we will now be better equipped to meet the second part of our mission.”

BestCarAudio.com sees over 100,000 unique visitors each month and has a social media following of over 33,000 and growing. “With our strong traffic and social media presence, combined with a mailing list of over 10,000 subscribers, we are perfectly positioned to drive interested consumers to quality retailers and installers,” Schaffer said.

As the name implies, BestCarAudio.com will be very selective about which retailers are allowed on the locator. Certain metrics – including but not limited to maintaining exceptional online reviews – must be met to be considered for inclusion. “We want to be true to our name and make sure that we are sending our readers to the best shops in their markets,” Schaffer said.

While the BestCarAudio.com dealer locator has been in place for some time, it listed only qualified clients of the parent company, 1sixty8 media. With the official launch, the dealer locator will now be open to qualified retailers across the U.S. and Canada.

Schaffer said, “We will now accept applications from non-clients, and those who are accepted will be charged a nominal annual fee of $99 for inclusion. A single sale generated from our locator will likely pay for the subscription fee many times over.”

Interested retailers can learn more and submit their application at https://www.bestcaraudio.com/guidelines-for-inclusion-on-the-bestcaraudio-com-dealer-locator/. Schaffer can be reached at 570-656-6900 or mitch@1sixty8.com to answer any questions about the dealer locator or the variety of other services, products and publications available from 1sixty8 media.

Oracle Lighting Features New LED Cargo Light for 2021+ Ford Bronco During 2022 SEMA Show

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METAIRIE, LA (10.07.22) – Oracle Lighting will feature its new LED Cargo Light Module (p/n 5887-001; MSRP: $149.95) for 2021+ Ford Broncos during the 2022 SEMA Show, held in Las Vegas, Nev. from Nov. 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, booth # 20137. The new LED Cargo Light Module is now shipping.

“The Ford Bronco is a great vehicle, but one area for improvement is the factory LED interior lighting in the cargo area,” said Justin Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting director of development. “We have been very impressed with the new Bronco but were totally unimpressed with the LED lighting for the cargo area. The existing lighting doesn’t provide enough usable illumination for storage space. The Bronco is made for adventuring, but this lack of lighting makes accessing cargo at night difficult while on the trail, camping, or tailgating. Because of this, we have developed an integrated cargo light module to easily add a bright LED light to the rear hatch cargo space and, at the same time, lights up the area around the vehicle.”

Oracle Lighting’s Ford Bronco cargo light is designed for hardtop models and uses the vehicle’s existing 12V power source. The design simply replaces the factory wiper motor cover with the new LED module. Installation is simple. Just swap in the new cover using the included parts and plug the adapter into your rear accessory socket. The lights can easily be turned on and off with the flush switch located on the panel.

Additional features and benefits include:
• Installs in factory location
• Replaces factory wiper motor cover
• Mounts using factory hardware
• Illuminated flush On/Off switch
• Dual 5000K white LED cargo light
• Illuminates cargo space and exterior
• Easy plug and play installation
• 1-Year replacement warranty
• Designed and engineered in the USA

Louisiana-based Oracle Lighting has been designing innovative lighting products and technologies for the automotive/12Volt, powersports, motorcycle, and marine markets since 1999. Oracle’s philosophy is this: in today’s world of fly-by-night vendors, we think it is important to partner with businesses that you can trust to be there for you today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

For more information on Oracle Lighting and its full product line, please visit www.oraclelights.com, call (800) 407-5776, or email info@oraclelights.com.

MB Quart Q Speakers Set the Bar for Listening

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LIBERTYVILLE, IL (10.07.22) – MB Quart Q Speakers are German-built and unleash higher quality sound in every aspect and detail of listening. ALL-NEW for 2022, MB Quart Q Speakers stand as the top-of-the-line speaker that MB Quart has to offer. Creating unmeasurable detail in sound and captivating immersive clarity throughout every beat and drop, Q Speakers deliver an experience that sets the bar in every category of listening and playback. Crisp detail, sharper beats, and ultimate playback in every aspect of listening – MB Quart Q Speakers look to redefine Music. Defined.

Brian Sherman, Vice President of Product and Marketing, said, “MB Quart has signified the epitome of world-class speakers, and with the highly anticipated launch of German-built Q Speakers, we are pushing the boundary in performance and sound quality while setting the bar in higher audio playback. I am extremely excited for customers to hear the sophisticated and redefined sound that Q speakers are going to showcase within car audio installations.”

ABOUT Q SPEAKERS

Creating immense clarity and detail in every note, German-built MB Quart Q Speakers bring out more layers of detail hidden away in every genre of music. From deeper treble highs in country to lower booms and pop in Hip-Hop, the bar of sound and listening is raised with richer levels in clearer details. Incredible listening detail demands innovation that meets expectations. Q Speakers are crafted with precision and impeccable detail, giving car audio installs a sleek and clean showcase.

Refueling audio with the next evolution of quality in playback, Q speakers transform audio with clearer detail and richness that places the listener in the center of every song. With 1-inch Military A-Spec Titanium dome tweeters with butyl rubber surrounds in a cast-aluminum housing and cone materials with lightweight mica-filled poly blend creating strength and superior frequency reproduction, every beat and note becomes evolved to new layers of immersion and listening dimensions. Audio sessions will never be the same once music is redefined through the Q level of playback and quality. Get ready to embrace the ultimate standard of MB Quart with Q Speakers.

FEATURES INCLUDE (QSE-216 Q Speakers):

• TWEETERS
1-inch military A spec titanium dome tweeter with butyl rubber surround in a cast-aluminum housing, specially made to dissipate heat for peak performance. Stamped in a 9-step progressive die, which gives the overall form a consistent shape. The phase lens is specifically designed for off-axis performance.

• CONE MATERIAL
Lightweight mica-filled poly blend for strength, superior frequency reproduction, and durability. This means that midbass frequencies remain very musical without the distortions that can be caused by the cone flexing and with the curvilinear design the geometry is specifically engineered for the best midbass response and off-axis performance.

• SURROUND / CONE COUPLING
Natural butyl rubber surround for smooth and durable performance. Flexible piston action UV-protected rubber which will be impervious to temperature swings of very warm and cold.

• VOICE COIL / FORMER ASSEMBLY
1.5-inch high-temperature copper voice on Kapton former. The former is lighter and strong than aluminum – which allows the component to support slightly higher frequency extension and efficiency.

• SPIDER
Woven fiber cotton-poly blend spider stabilizes the cone and voice coil in all musical situations.

• COOLING SYSTEM
Balanced Temperature Technology (BTT) is used throughout every component in this Q Speakers system. The cast aluminum radial sink speaker frame, crossover plate, and tweeter frame remove excess heat for predictable long-term performance.

• TWEETER HARDWARE
Hardware for multiple tweeter mounting solutions is included.

• FRAME
A diecast aluminum basket is designed to be lightweight and extremely rigid. The low-profile form can be easily installed in most factory locations with little or no modification.

• MOTOR
A solid neodymium magnet in a low-carbon steel containment cup is the strongest magnet that can be used and focuses all the energy around the voice coil.

• CONNECTORS
A gold-plated, 4-way connection terminal is oppositely mounted for consistent curvilinear cone performance. Connection types include solder, screw-down, spade, or fork terminal.

• ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Q Series audiophile in-ear studio monitors are included to bring the Q listening experience on the go. 3.5mm connection with adapters for both USB-C and Lightning connection.

“We are very excited for loyal MB Quart enthusiasts who have been with us from the beginning – to hear the rich detail, layered definition, and redefined clean sound integrated into every song. MB Quart engineers have innovated these speakers so that audio playback and quality will have been crafted and tuned perfectly – while remaining undistorted and sharp, producing crystal-clarity details,” concluded Sherman.

Alden Stiefel, President of Maxxsonics, mentioned, “I am anticipating MB Quart Q Speakers to symbolize what MB Quart stands for – Music that is redefined. Q Speakers will transform audio into richer quality playback that is crisp, detailed, and layered with higher quality sound. I am very excited for audio enthusiasts and customers to receive these top-of-the-line Q Speakers into their vehicle installations and to see their reaction when they hear music that’s truly defined.”

Sound demands quality met with precision, clarity, and detail – that is what MB Quart Q Speakers stand for. Through innovation and the evolution of technology, Q Speakers now stand as the beacon for sound quality in every MB Quart audio installation. The standard for music has transformed to higher levels of listening and playback with Q Speakers.

Make sure to contact your sales representative or customer service at 847-540-7700 immediately to secure your order.

See complete Q Speakers details on the MB Quart website at mbquart.com.