IRVINE, CA (05.29.25) – Advanced Marketing, the parent company of Elettromedia USA, American Hard Bag, Velocity and Biketronics brands are proud to announce the promotion of Rob Wempe to President of Mobile Audio for Advanced Marketing companies.
“Rob has been our VP of Sales and Marketing for 15 years. Under his leadership, he has grown the Hertz and Audison brands to amazing growth levels,” said Steve Bolden, owner of Advanced Marking Companies. “Rob’s experience as a retail buyer coupled with his experience with Rockford Corporation (Domestic and International) has been a huge asset to Advanced Marketing.”
Rob Wempe
“Rob is already doing the job as President since he began by not only managing the Sales and Marketing functions within the company since he has also been managing inventory and P&L functions for our Mobile divisions. With the addition of Randy Davis as the new National Sales Manager and Jeff Peters as National Marketing Manager of all AMD brands, It was time to make it official.” Said Phil Bolden, Co-owner of Advanced Marking Companies.
“The future is very bright for all our brands at Advanced Marketing. Hertz is growing at record Levels in 2025. Hertz Marine is all new and has an amazing future at AMD. Audison has the most exciting new products in Forza DSP amplifies and the new VOCE II line of speakers. Our new acquisitions of American Hard Bag, Velocity and Biketronics will assist us in being THE motorcycle one stop shop in our industry.” Said Rob Wempe.
Advanced Marketing is the parent company selling Elettromedia, American Hard Bag, Velocity and Biketronics brands. Advanced Marketing can be reached at 949-251-1851. Rob Wempe can be reached at rob@elettromedia-usa.com or 602-432-1398.
NASHVILLE, TN (05.29.25) – Hertz Marine, the Italian brand known for premium marine sound solutions, introduces CAPRI HBB, a stealth-mounted evolution of its acclaimed CAPRI stereo platform.
The world’s first Hi-Res certified, NMEA 2000 compatible marine source unit with integrated A2B® technology, CAPRI HBB delivers pure digital audio, unmatched flexibility, and streamlined installation for boatbuilders and discerning marine audio enthusiasts.
“With CAPRI HBB, we’re empowering installers and OEMs to deliver seamless system integration, uncompromised sound, and a truly clean helm design,” said Pietro Pantaleone, President of Elettromedia. “It is the perfect fusion of cutting-edge technology and flexible installation.”
Designed for modern vessels where clean dashboards and discreet components are essential, CAPRI HBB gives boatbuilders and installers the freedom to position the source unit out of sight—without compromising performance.
CAPRI HBB shares the audiophile-grade DNA of the original CAPRI, including Hi-Res Audio certification, 24-bit/96 kHz playback, and advanced multi-zone control. It adds compatibility with NMEA 2000® networks for seamless integration with marine displays, and includes A2B® digital transmission technology, allowing system designers to eliminate bulky analog cabling and deliver digital sound directly to amplifiers and zone processors.
Why CAPRI HBB is Built for the Future of Marine Installations
Simplified installation – Transfers high-resolution signal and control data (A2B®) without the need for RCA cables
Noise-free performance – All-audio digital design minimizes EMI interference on board
Scalable system architecture – Builders can expand zones and components without major rewiring
With four fully independent audio zones, each equipped with stereo outputs, subwoofer control, and an 8-band parametric EQ, CAPRI HBB allows users to tailor every area of the vessel for optimal performance. Bluetooth® 5.1 streaming (with LDAC, aptX HD, AAC), USB, DAB+, and AM/FM/WB tuner inputs ensure complete entertainment versatility.
Control options include:
Hertz Marine Control App
HMC HD1 and HMC U1 remote controllers
NMEA 2000® MFD interface
Housed in a rugged, IP67-rated chassis, CAPRI HBB is built to withstand the harshest marine environments and meets the industry’s highest standards for salt fog and UV resistance.
Availability
CAPRI HBB (MSRP: $765) is now available through authorized Hertz Marine distributors and OEM partners worldwide.
To see how CAPRI HBB can transform your next build, visit https://hertz-audio.com/product/capri-hbb/ or contact your Elettromedia representative to schedule a product demo.
TORRANCE, CA (05.28.25) – Pioneer Electronics Inc appoints AJ’s Audio Distributing, LLC’, located in Gadsden AL as the Pioneer Distributor for Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, representing a key milestone in Pioneer’s new go-to-market distribution strategy designed to enhance reach, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
To celebrate, Pioneer Electronics Inc excited offers a grand prize giveaway! Dealers who place a minimum order of $1000 with AJ’s will be entered into a drawing to win one of two DMH-W3000NEX receivers. This is an amazing opportunity to expand your inventory of Pioneer products, build your partnership with AJ’s, and potentially win an exceptional Pioneer in-dash receiver.
One winner will be selected each month from June through August 2025.
AJ’s Audio Distributing is a family-owned distributor that has well over 30 years of experience in this industry. Currently distributing over twenty lines, AJ’s takes pride in offering Pioneer to all its dealers. They value dealers like family and offer weekly specials. Operation out of Gadsden, AL with over 50,000 sq ft of warehouse space.
For inquiries, please contact Jaysam Odeh, Pioneer Team Lead and a 12-year industry veteran, at 256-547-9896 or visit www.ajsaudiodist.com
Pioneer is committed to supporting AJ’s Audio Distributing, LLC in this growth phase, providing the necessary resources, and backing to ensure a seamless and successful transition.
TORRANCE, CA (05.27.25) – TEZspex, the innovative brand dedicated to enhancing Tesla vehicles with premium accessories, is excited to announce its participation in the EV Fest 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, May 31, from 12 PM to 4 PM at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California.
“EV Fest is the perfect opportunity for us to connect with Tesla owners of SoCal and showcase our range of top-tier accessories designed to elevate the driving experience,” said Ruben Torres, National Sales Manager for TEZspex. “Our aim is to provide solutions that enhance comfort, convenience, and performance while keeping the stunning OEM look of Tesla vehicles.”
This year, TEZspex will be featuring a fully upgraded Tesla Model Y at the festival, showcasing an array of accessory innovations set to transform the driving experience. Attendees can explore products like:
8.8” Front Display W/ CarPlay & Android Auto: high-def display for Tesla Model 3 and Model Y with steering column-mount.
Auto door handles (RGB wireless): featuring customizable RGB ambient lighting and smart detection.
Motorized Soft Closing Systems, Soft Closing Frunk and Soft Door Locks: for smooth operation of doors, frunks, and trunks.
Electric Sunshades, Portable refrigerator and Ventilated Seats: designed to maximize comfort during hot summer drives.
Footrest, Rear Seat Folding Table and Rear console 7.0 Control Systems: for comfort and style.
And many more premium accessories aimed at enhancing the Tesla experience!
“At TEZspex, we are passionate about meeting the needs of Tesla enthusiasts,” added Torres. “Every accessory we create is engineered for seamless installation and integration into Tesla vehicles, empowering owners to personalize their rides with ease.”
Join TEZspex at EV Fest 2025 for a chance to connect, explore groundbreaking products, and take your Tesla driving experience to the next level.
SOUTH DAYTONA, FL (05.23.25) – Virtually every consumer that walks into a 12volt retailer’s store is a candidate for a dash cam. Dash cam products offer so many safety and real time accident liability protection opportunities. The category should be showcased in each retailers showroom.
SoundCrafters in South Daytona has taken that to the next level. Store manager, Anthony St Thomas and the team has put together a great Thinkware display that is spotlighted in the showroom. The full-featured Thinkware U3000 dash cam is ready for fast and complete demos.
During a recent road trip, Scott Hochmuth, Real Performance Marketing Principal and ThinkWare rep in the Southeast, made a stop at SoundCrafters. As he was in the store Scott and Anthony snapped this image by the display.
Anthony St Thomas and Scott Hochmuth (R) pictured at the display.
Anthony St Thomas related “Since setting up the ThinkWare display our dash cam sales have gone from a few a month to as many as two or three a day. Our team supplied power to the display board where the U3000 is on display. Now we can easily show customers a quick and easy full demo and spotlight the video quality. In addition now to ThinkWare dash cam can record sales presentations for training purposes as well as showroom surveillance.”
“The display with the ThinkWare U3000 available for live customer demos is terrific….so much better than the salesman saying ‘Our dash cams are in the glass showcase over there and you can read the features on the box. I will let all our dealers know how SoundCrafters’ sales have grown,’” Hochmuth commented.
St Thomas joined SoundCrafters as an installation technician, and now six years later, he is a store manager along with wearing other hats. The SoundCraters team functions as a family and treat every consumer coming in as a family member.
Since Paul Papadeas founded SoundCrafters 46 years ago…. providing the best possible performance, style and sound experience that a 12volt specialty retailer can offer is still at the top of the top of their list.
WASHINGTON, DC (05.23.25) – The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) today is rejoicing in the successful, bipartisan effort to end EV mandates, the result of a monumental, years-long effort to educate voters and lawmakers on the importance of preserving vehicle choice in the U.S. By halting a California-led effort to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles through EV mandates for 40% of the nation’s population, the Senate, and before it the House of Representatives, has shown courage in the face of radical policymakers and exhibited confidence in American innovation and ingenuity borne out of the automotive aftermarket industry.
California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation jeopardized a significant sector of the American economy. A third of the specialty automotive aftermarket is based on ICE technology. Today’s Senate vote to end California’s national EV mandate and ICE vehicle ban protects $100 billion of annual economic impact to the nation’s economy and the more than 330,000 American jobs these policies threatened. With its actions, Congress has safeguarded this important hub of innovation and American engineering prowess, providing stability for millions of American households employed by the aftermarket.
“SEMA thanks the lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who stood up for Americans’ freedom to determine which vehicles are best for them,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “We thank those in the nation’s community of automotive enthusiasts and the aftermarket businesses who engaged in the advocacy process, many for the first time, to remind lawmakers that this is the United States of America, not the United States of California. Congress’ vote gives the nation’s automotive marketplace much-needed stability, which will deliver renewed investment and sufficient resources to aid our industry in doing what we do best: innovating the future of automotive technology.
“This victory would not be possible without the courage and fortitude shown by Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson to look beyond the opposition’s lies and underhanded effort to undermine the will of the people,” Spagnola said. “We look forward to President Donald Trump putting an end to this nightmarish EV mandates policy with his signature and thus fulfill an important promise he made to the American people.”
SEMA STEERS THE CONVERSATION ON EV MANDATES AND ICE VEHICLE BANS
SEMA was, and never will be, anti-EV; rather, it champions a technology-neutral approach that fosters innovation and ingenuity. The association will continue efforts to preserve Americans’ rights to vehicle choice and the automotive aftermarket industry’s ability to design, manufacture, and bring to market products that help solve the emissions challenge.
Beginning in 2023, SEMA led a national effort to educate voters and lawmakers on the damage of EV mandates on families, the working class, and American small businesses. In February, when the effort to overturn the California waiver kicked into high gear, SEMA mobilized an army of advocates to:
Send more than 56,000 letters to lawmakers in the House and Senate
Build a coalition of 335 small businesses for an April letter urging House and Senate leadership to hold votes to put an immediate stop to the implementation of the ACC II regulation
Host aftermarket business leaders and automotive influencers for 56 in-person meetings in Washington, D.C., with lawmakers and their staffs
Dominate the digital media landscape with countless memes and posts on the harms of EV mandates, reaching more than 2 million voters in key states, and running online ads that put pressure on lawmakers and staff around the Capitol
Along the way, states not named California got wise to the harms of EV mandates. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Vermont each backed off pledges to follow California’s emissions policies while North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, and eight other states passed SEMA-supported “ban the ban” legislation to ensure such mandates never take effect again.
This follows a significant financial investment by SEMA to educate voters throughout the 2024 presidential campaign via its Driving Force Action SuperPAC, with ads running the battleground states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
PHOENIX, AZ (05.22.25) – MTX Announces that BEI, Inc. has secured a new distribution partnership with LESCO Distributing, bringing them on board as an official MTX distributor for Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia. Known for their outstanding customer service and strong dealer relationships, LESCO is a valued addition to the MTX distribution network.
“LESCO will be stocking a full range of MTX products, including Mobile Audio, Power Sports, and Marine lines—helping BEI Inc reach more customers with the performance, reliability, and innovation that define the MTX brand” Mike Beyersdoerfer, BEI Inc. Principal stated.
“Having first worked with LESCO in 2012, we know firsthand the strength of their team and the value they bring to the table. We’re looking forward to reuniting and working closely together to launch new products and drive continued MTX growth in these key markets” Beyersdoerfer concluded.
TORRANCE, CA (05.22.25) – Pioneer Electronics Inc appoints AJ’s Audio Distributing, LLC’, located in Gadsden AL as the Pioneer Distributor for Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, representing a key milestone in Pioneer’s new go-to-market distribution strategy designed to enhance reach, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
To celebrate, Pioneer Electronics Inc excited offers a grand prize giveaway! Dealers who place a minimum order of $1000 with AJ’s will be entered into a drawing to win one of two DMH-W3000NEX receivers. This is an amazing opportunity to expand your inventory of Pioneer products, build your partnership with AJ’s, and potentially win an exceptional Pioneer in-dash receiver.
One winner will be selected each month from June through August 2025.
AJ’s Audio Distributing is a family-owned distributor that has well over 30 years of experience in this industry. Currently distributing over twenty lines, AJ’s takes pride in offering Pioneer to all its dealers. They value dealers like family and offer weekly specials. Operation out of Gadsden, AL with over 50,000 sq ft of warehouse space.
For inquiries, please contact Jaysam Odeh, Pioneer Team Lead and a 12-year industry veteran, at 256-547-9896 or visit www.ajsaudiodist.com
Pioneer is committed to supporting AJ’s Audio Distributing, LLC in this growth phase, providing the necessary resources, and backing to ensure a seamless and successful transition.
MONTREAL, QC (05.21.25) – Automotive Data Solutions Inc. (ADS), a leading innovator in OEM integration solutions, proudly announces the initial shipment of its new iDatalink Maestro APX kits, marking a major milestone after a strong wave of pre-orders from its network of authorized dealers and distributors.
The iDatalink Maestro APX kits bring advanced OEM integration to a new category of radios featuring large 10.1-inch floating and OEM-style 8-inch screens, offering streamlined installation and enhanced vehicle coverage while blending in with factory aesthetics. These next-generation solutions are engineered to reduce complexity and maximize performance, making them the go-to integration platform for today’s increasingly sophisticated vehicle systems.
“Maestro APX is more than just a product; it’s a revolutionary solution built for our technology partners and professional installers alike,” said Robert Di Cesare, General Manager of ADS. “ We’ re proud to help solve today’ s complex integration challenges while keeping radio replacement at the forefront of the specialist retailer’s business.”
The iDatalink Maestro APX platform is fully compatible with a range of premium head units from launch partner JVCKenwood, ensuring a seamless integration experience. Supported models include the JVC KW-Z800AW and KW-Z1000AW, as well as the Kenwood DAX8000S, Kenwood eXcelon Reference DAX800XR, and DAX1050XR. These trusted radios, paired with an iDatalink Maestro APX kit, provide users with a superior aftermarket solution for upgrading in-vehicle entertainment and OEM retention.
DIAMOND BAR, CA (05.21.25) – The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has opened nominations for its prestigious SEMA Industry Awards at www.sema.org/awards.
The SEMA Industry Awards are presented to individuals and companies that have made outstanding contributions to the automotive specialty equipment industry during the past year. The program recognizes honorees in six different categories: Channel Partner of the Year, Content Creator of the Year, Gen-III Innovator of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Person of the Year, and the Visionary 8.
“It takes hard work to grow an automotive specialty-equipment business – even more so to grow an entire industry,” said SEMA Manager of Recognition Programs Jose Escobar. “Award nominees should exemplify outstanding professionalism and service that has propelled the industry forward.”
Nominations are open for:
Channel Partner of the Year: Honors a sales channel partner for its outstanding service to the sales, distribution, retail, and/or e-commerce channel(s) of the industry. This includes maintaining proper inventories to service its respective channel and exceeding standards in providing suppliers with input and regular communication to help their products and programs succeed.
Content Creator of the Year: Honors a content creator for their outstanding contributions to the automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.
Gen-III Innovator of the Year: Honors a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger, who is creating innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology, and/or trends.
Manufacturer of the Year: Honors a manufacturing company for its outstanding industry contributions and innovations.
Person of the Year: Honors an individual for their outstanding contributions to SEMA and the broader automotive specialty-equipment market.
Visionary 8: Honors eight emerging leaders on track to drive innovation and positive change in the automotive aftermarket industry. This award showcases up-and-coming talent, honors their accomplishments, and introduces them to their community.
The SEMA Show is where automotive icons and next-gen disruptors converge to celebrate the past, present, and future of the aftermarket industry. The festivities shift into gear on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with the Kickoff Breakfast, where 15 cutting-edge New Product Awards will be unveiled alongside top honors for Channel Partner of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, the highly anticipated Visionary 8 and SEMA’s Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year winner will be announced live at SEMA Central. The momentum will continue the same day at the newly reimagined industry homecoming – SEMA Industry Honors – now staged at the iconic Fontainebleau. This red-carpet-style gathering brings together the industry’s biggest names to spotlight standout achievements, including Content Creator of the Year, Gen-III Innovator of the Year, and the coveted Person of the Year.
Entries for Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year – a SEMA Industry Award that recognizes exceptional quality of engineering on a vehicle build – will open in August. Learn more at www.sema.org/awards.
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