NEW YORK, NY (02.04.22) – 12volt retailers now have the most up to date training information at their fingertips.
This one-page announcement has all the details. 12volt retailer staff members simply scan the QR code and sign up for the training. Once the training has been completed the user will be sent a 90 day free streaming code and also be entered in for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.
Click above to view full PDF
There will be 10 monthly $50 Amazon gift card winners and 1 quarterly $250 Amazon gift card winner.
AVON LAKE, OH (01.28.22) – Reduce under-hood temperatures and the chance of getting burned while working on a hot engine with the new Wastegate Heat Shield (#10142) from Design Engineering, Inc.
Great addition to a DEI Turbo Heat Shield for total turbo system protection, the Wastegate Heat Shield features high-tech composite materials with superior thermal insulating properties to help turbos run as efficiently as possible.
“We incorporated all of our experience building the absolute best Turbo Shield on the market, and applied it to building the best Wastegate Heat Shield,” says Mike Buca of DEI. “Offering a precise fit over the wastegate/BOV, it is without a doubt the strongest, most heat-resistant shield available.” Ideal fit for TurboSmart 40mm – 45mm wastegates – CompGate & HyperGate.
Thermal protection starts with a Titanium LR Technology™ outer layer encasing multiple stainless steel and silica inner layers. Stainless mesh and thread ensure durability even on the hottest engines, while stainless wire and true riveted tie-downs allow for a secure, simple installation.
The DEI Wastegate Heat Shield is lightweight for high-performance applications, controlling extreme heat for improved turbo system efficiency and function.
For more information about the Wastegate Heat Shield and DEI’s complete line of performance heat and sound control products, visit www.DesignEngineering.com.
AVON LAKE, OH (01.12.22) – Help prevent burns and block uncomfortable cabin heat from hot exhaust pipes with new Titanium Knitted Sleeves from Design Engineering, Inc.
Designed to fit 4″ OD tube sizes, the sleeves have a max temperature rating of 1,800°F and a continuous rating of 1,382°F. They are available in 12″ (#10038) and 24″ (#10040) lengths and can be cut to fit.
“Prevent burns and block uncomfortable heat with these new Titanium Knitted Sleeves,” says Mike Buca of DEI. “Designed to protect components from heat damage, they are perfect for larger exhaust pipes, as they can expand up to 1.5 times their normal diameter to install over flanges and sensor threads.”
Featuring a thick basalt material, the lightweight sleeves can easily be trimmed to size and rolled at the ends. Kits include locking ties and tool to secure the sleeves to the pipes.
For more information about Titanium Knitted Sleeves and DEI’s complete line of performance heat and sound control products, visit www.DesignEngineering.com.
LAS VEGAS, NV (11.04.2021) – The best new vehicles for personalization were announced at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev. Voted on by exhibiting manufacturers, the SEMA Awards are presented annually to recognize the top trending vehicle models in five categories:
Car of the Year: Ford Mustang Sport Compact of the Year: Toyota Supra 4×4/SUV of the Year: Ford Bronco Full-size Truck of the Year: Ford F-Series Mid-Size Truck of the Year: Toyota Tacoma
The 2021 SEMA Award Winners: from left, Lisa Materazzo, Group Vice President, Toyota Marketing; Dave Pericak, Engineering Director, Unibody Applications, Ford; Chris Kersting, President and CEO, SEMA; Jackie DiMarco, F-Series Chief Program Manager, Ford; Phil Collaraeno, Executive Director for Global Programs, Ford.
“The SEMA Award celebrates the industry’s unique ability to identify and set trends that influence automotive enthusiast worldwide,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO. “Consumers are able to look to SEMA Award winners for guidance on which vehicles offer the greatest opportunities for customization.”
As the four-day SEMA Show opens, the business-to-business trade show features 1,000 uniquely modified project vehicles. The 2021 SEMA Award winning models are featured throughout the 1.25 million square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center, each uniquely customized to highlight the many aftermarket products and accessories that are available for the vehicles.
Aftermarket manufacturers are investing more in the Ford Mustang, Toyota Supra, Ford F-Series, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Bronco than any other vehicles. Consumers, therefore, can expect to find greater options for accessorizing these vehicles.
To learn more about the SEMA Show, award winners and the products that are available for them, visit www.semashow.com.
METAIRE, LA (10.13.2021) –Oracle Lightinghas been named a finalist for SEMA’s Manufacturer of the Year. Also, for the third year in a row, founder Justin Hartenstein has been named a finalist for the prestigious SEMA Gen-III Innovator of the Year.
The Manufacturer of the Year Award is presented annually to recognize one company that represents the industry’s core values through innovative processes and products, outstanding business practices, workforce excellence, protection of brand equity, and active SEMA participation in the support of the automotive aftermarket.
“We are incredibly proud to be finalists for two industry awards, and it is an honor to be recognized in our first nomination for Manufacturer of the Year,” said Tiffanie Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting Chief Executive Officer. “Our team values the opportunity to be an engaged member of SEMA and to contribute to the continued success of the automotive aftermarket industry. As a company, we thrive on innovation in all aspects and are committed to fostering growth in spite of the challenges our industry has faced. We are excited to represent the values that propel us forward in enriching the aftermarket experience.”
One of just two individual awards that the SEMA organization presents each year, the Gen-III innovator is an honor given to a young innovator who exhibits the same pioneering spirit as the original industry founders. According to SEMA, the Gen-III Innovator of the Year recognizes individuals whose work is changing the way the automotive aftermarket does business. He or she may have been the first to act on a new trend, invented an original product or devised and implemented ideas that better suit the current automotive marketplace.
“It is truly an honor to be named a finalist for an award that recognizes hard work and innovation in such a large and dynamic industry,” said Justin Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting director of development who founded Oracle Lighting in his garage in 1999. “And to top it off, Oracle Lighting has received another prestigious honor as being named a finalist for Manufacturer of the Year. I would like to congratulate our team for making this happen as 2020 and 2021 have been tough on our industry and, despite this challenge, Oracle Lighting has continued to accelerate and grow.”
The SEMA Industry Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry. Winners will be announced and recognized during the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 4 at The SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev.
When the Coronavirus pandemic first began, as for many other manufacturers, demand began to decrease as the economy slowed. Being the innovator that he is, Hartenstein pivoted and redirected his energy into an anti-virus device utilizing UV lighting technology. The result was the A.I.R. Device (Antimicrobial Irradiation Respirator), the world’s first UV face mask. In 2021, Oracle Lighting donated many of these masks to local Louisiana charities to help slow the spread.
In 2021, Oracle Lighting was also ranked as the third fastest growing company in the entire metro New Orleans area, with a three-year growth rate of 56 percent, according to New Orleans CityBusiness magazine.
Besides being a trend-setter, enthusiast, and innovator, Hartenstein is also an advocate for the automotive lighting aftermarket, making him an excellent candidate for this award. He sees the challenges that are taking a toll on the aftermarket lighting industry such as overseas counterfeiting. After months of working with foreign courts, attorneys, private investigators, and other authorities in China, Hartenstein filed and won legal action against an underground counterfeit factory ring in China that has repeatedly violated not only the Intellectual Property of ORACLE Lighting but of a half dozen other SEMA manufacturers.
In 2021, Oracle Lighting won its legal battle against a Chinese-based manufacturer of imitation products after a failed appeal process by the defendant. Hartenstein hopes to use this experience to create a roadmap for other SEMA manufacturers to follow in order to receive relief from the damage caused by illicit counterfeiting in the industry.
SHREVEPORT LA (10.02.21) WTF…Win This Friday. Living Loud Car Audio won the Power Acoustik Prize on the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel on Friday morning, October 1st.
The 12volt Spin-to-Win Wheel was created to bring an element of fun to the 12volt industry. Nine months ago we celebrated the 2nd Anniversary of the weekly 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel.
The 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel rolled for 147th time on Friday morning October 1st. The Wheel landed on the Power Acoustik space. The Living Loud Car Audio slip was drawn from the jar and an Instagram post of the winning slip was posted. A video of the Wheel spin was also posted.
We reached out by phone and talked with Nick Nole at the store in Pelham AL. He had already noticed the Instagram post. Just after that, in a quirk of fate, I talked with Living Loud Car Audio owner Rex Rice at AED in Birmingham where he was picking up an order. They both were so excited to hear a Power Acoustik prize would be heading their way.
Spinning out a winner each Friday, a lucky 12volt retailer can win a cool prize and top brands receive visibility across the marketplace.
12volt brands with a space on the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel include Kicker, NavAtlas, SiriusXM, Silencer, PowerBass, CRUX, DS18, SoundStream, JBL, Kenwood, Power Acoustik, JVC and Magnadyne. 12volt News $100. cash awards have spaces on the 12volt Spin-To-Wheel for a winning 12volt retailer.
Past winners of the 12volt Spin-To-Win include…Stereo & Video Center-Tyler TX, The Outlaw Garage-Franklin TN, Exotic Sounds-West Palm Beach FL, Endless Possibilities-Aurora IL., Go Auto Sound in Union City NJ, Al&Ed’s South Bay CA, No Limitz Car Audio in Upland CA, Neil’s Specialty-Eureka CA, Sturgess Customs-Lexington SC, Audio By Art-San Antonio TX, SMS Car Audio in Marreo LA and Sweet Wheelz in Mississauga Ontario Canada, Cartronics in Biscayne FL, The CarAudio Shop in St Louis MO, Exotic Sounds in West Palm Beach FL, High North Customs in Grand Prairie Alberta Canada and AMS Audio in Bakersfield CA, Team QRT in Abbeyville LA and California Sound in Fontana CA and Jackie Cooper Electronics, Oklahoma City OK, MARS Audio-Orlando FL, All American Audio in Nutley NJ, Proline Car Stereo in Brooklyn NY, Custom Shop Miami, Tunes and Tint in Lakeland FL, Mobile Concepts Inc in Mokena IL, Seismic Auto Sound in Concord CA, Brooklyn Car Audio in Brooklyn NY, Audio Solutions in Florence MS, Enhanced Customs in Largo FL, Rayco Auto Clinic, Audio Design in San Jose CA, Go Bass Mode in Florida, Avenue Sound in Freeport NY, Audio Plus in Riverview FL, Stereo Zone in Whittier CA, In-Phase Car Audio in Omaha NE, AutoLife Group, N&H Electronics, SK Customs, Land & Sea, The Audio One, NC Custom Shop,Tint World Orlando, Ricky Smith’s Audio, VIP Custom Woks, Mobile Audio Concepts, Audio Lad, Sound Sensations, Dave’s Stereo, Stereo Design, Badlands Customs, Custom Audio-Erie PA, Voltz Autosports-Bridgeport CT, Infinity Sound and Security-Kissimmee, Autosport Plus-Canton OH, Stereo City Pros in Carmichael CA, Devine Concepts in Naples FL, The Sound Shop in Indian Trail NC, Extreme Performance Audio in Fresno CA, Audio Depot in Arlington TX, Audio Security in Houston TX, Earmark Car Audio and Marine in Lewisville TX, Audio Jam in Bear DE, Stereo City Ontario, Ontario CA, Audio By Art, San Antonio TX, Code Zero Customs in Tulsa OK, Ken’s Car Tunes in Mobile AL, Soundz Plus in Naperville IL, Markland Designs in Lithonia GA, Electronics Plus in Salinas CA, Xtreme Autosports in Santa Clarita CA, Superior Audio Sounds in San Angelo TX and Model Electronics in Ramsey NJ, Texas Dreamz Customs in Spring TX, Wired Electronics in Linden NJ and Intense Car Audio in OKC, OK, Underground Auto in Sarasota FL, Car Toys Tulsa in Tulsa OK, Real Audio in Erie PA, Go Autosound in Union NJ, DFM Stereo in Ukiah CA, Impact Tint and Audio in Tyler TX, Mobile Sound Systems in Arlington TX, Redline Audio and Performance In Spindale NC, Car Audio Land in San Diego CA, Audio X Custom Car Audio in Florence AL, River Oaks Car Stereo in Houston TX, American Radio Orlando in Sanford FL, Illustrious Customs in Woodbridge VA, Remote Start Pros in Lawrence MA, HiPro Audio in Victoria TX, AudioPlanetNY in Huntington Station NY, Endless Possibilities in Aurora IL, Audio Finesse in Santa Monica, Drive Customs in San Luis Obispo CA, Custom Works, Noblesville IN, AtoZ Detail in West Haven CT, Cars 843 in Charleston SC, CarTunes Atlanta in Atlanta GA, Mobile Concepts in Garwood NJ, Duke’s Car Stereo in Flint MI, Infinity Auto Sound, King Car Audio in Norwalk CT, PopTronics in Baltimore MD, Sanford Sound in Sanford ME, Angelvip2474 in Draper UT, Dynamic Car Audio in Baltimore MD, Hi-Pro Audio in Victoria TX, Car Stereo Max in Houston, Pro Audio Center in Richland MS, Rhodes Off-Roads in Farmington MO, Model Electronics in Ramsey NJ, Class A Sounds in Athens OH. Just Audio Video in North Providence RI, CT_Custom in Philadelphia, Audio Solutions in Florence MS and The Audio Shop RC in Rapid City SD, DG Motorsportz in High Point NC, ST Mobile in Texarkana TX, AR Custom OC in Orange CA, Temecula Mobile Sound in Temecula CA, Unique Auto Sound in Lindenhurst NY, D’s Garage in Corona CA and DS2 Mobile Solutionz in Tomball TX, C G Car Audio in Kissimmee FL, California Audio in West Valley City UT and The Action Audio Store in Wethersfield CT, Eclipse Car Audio in Vancouver WA, Electronics Depot Car Audio in Altamonte Springs FL. Car Audio Garage in Pearland TX, Pinnacle Autosound in Lake City FL, J H Audio in Bowling Green VA, The Car Audio Shop StL in High Ridge MO, Anthonys Car Stereo in North Highlands CA, Flynn Audio in Middleton WI and J’s Alarms in Fresno CA. Congratulations to all.
WTF… Where’s the Fun. On the next spin of the 12volt Spin-To-Win Wheel… on Friday, October 8th.
TEMPE, AZ (09.20.2021) – Rockford Fosgate delivers maximum bass performance with its all-new 1,000-Watt dual 10-inch rear subwoofer solution for select Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX 2017 and newer vehicles. Authorized Rockford Fosgate dealers will offer the X317MAX-RSS kit in October with a MSRP of $1869.99.
Designed as an upgrade for aftermarket Rockford Fosgate Can-Am Stage-3/4/5/6 systems, the rear subwoofer solution adds two additional 10-inch subwoofers to existing Stage 3 through Stage 6 aftermarket kits. The two 10″ subwoofers are loaded in enclosures that mount underneath the rear driver and passenger seats. They are powered by a 1,000 watt, next-generation IPX6 rated M5-1000X1 amplifier that securely mounts inside the rear center tunnel. The amplifier features the Rockford Fosgate PRESET switch for easy set-up, allowing maximum performance without any tuning and connects seamlessly using the included wiring harnesses and hardware.
By using factory mounting locations, the plug-n-play system easily integrates into the vehicle, compliments the factory fit and finish with its texture matched exterior, and is built 100% Element Ready to withstand water, dirt mud, and UV rays of the off-road environment.
X3 owners who want to get a first look at the new X317MAX-RSS should visit the Sand Sport Super Show being held this weekend in Costa Mesa, California where Rockford will debut this new dual subwoofer solution.
AUSTIN, TX (09.13.2021) – The car audio organizations of dB Drag Racing Association (dBDRA), Mobile Electronics Competition Association (MECA), International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) and EMMA US are all partners in producing the Car Audio Championship. Competitors will accrue points throughout the season to gain an invitation to the championship events. Competitors will have options of places to compete, and still be part of one large event.
The main location for SPL portion of the event will take place October 8-9, 2021 at the North Alabama State Fairgrounds in Muscle Shoals, AL. The event will utilize the entire fairgrounds to provide the space needed for all competitors to compete in one location. IASCA and dB Drag Racing will also have West Coast locations to allow for more competitors to be involved. The Sound Quality Finals will take place at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Bentonville, AR on October 23-24, 2021. Bentonville was chosen as it is centrally located for the majority of MECA, IASCA and EMMA SQ competitors.
SPL Finals October 8-9, 2021 – Muscle Shoals, AL SQ Finals October 23-24 – Bentonville, AR
This is a great event for all things aftermarket audio and audio accessories! Competitors and spectators will have the opportunity to check out the cars on display and local audio enthusiasts have several opportunities to enter the competition as well. Competition formats are available for SPL, SQ, Motorcycle Audio, Kids Power Wheels, Show N Shine and Ride the Lite at Night! These entries are open entry and are separate from the invitational portion of the championship event!
STILLWATER, OK (09.08.2021) – KICKER has introduced Falcon Sales and Marketing as its new brand representative group in the U.S. Northwest. Falcon replaces longtime rep firm N&S Marketing, which had disbanded following the retirement of its principal.
“We always want somebody who is going to put KICKER first,” said Western Regional Sales Manager Tracy Focht. “They have the infrastructure we need and were ready to start working with us immediately. We are very excited to have (CEO) Dave (Gates) and his firm on board with KICKER.”
Falcon was chosen not only for its strong infrastructure, but for its founder David Gates. Gates has intimate knowledge of the brand, having been named a four-time KICKER Rep-of-the-Year during his tenure as a rep with N&S Marketing.
“KICKER’s kind of in my blood,” said Gates. “I always felt that KICKER was like family, so returning to a brand I truly love feels like a homecoming.”
The Washington-based firm has a dedicated warehouse with shipping, sales, fulfillment, and technical support.
Falcon will serve retailers across Oregon, Washington, Northern Idaho, and Alaska out of its 5,000 square-foot distribution center in Washougal, Wash.
OXNARD, CA (09.08.2021) – SSV Works has announced that its new Polaris RZR Pro XP4 6.5-inch rear door speaker pods (p/n RZ5-DR65) are now shipping and come available unloaded, or with either SSV Works premium marine speakers or Kicker KM marine speakers.
“Utilizing new and superior technologies, including 3D modeling, we have fully optimized the space around the pod, allowing the RZ5-DR65 pods to fit perfectly every time while matching the original factory color and texture,” explained Trevor Kaplan, SSV Works CEO. “The UV stable and all-weather durable door pods make sure that you never have to worry about the environment you ride in, and being able to choose between our premium speakers or Kicker marine speakers ensures an incredible audio journey.”
The RZ5-DR65 maximizes sound quality, is weather-proof and resistant to extreme environmental conditions, and is designed for quick and seamless integration. It easily installs on the top half of the front doors using factory mounting locations…it even works with factory lower door inserts.
SSV Works’ 6.5-inch, 120-watt (60w RMS) 2-way coaxial premium marine speakers started the revolution and are now upgraded to marine-grade speakers for ultimate reliability and sound quality. They produce excellent volume and clarity making them the best bang for your buck.
Kicker’s 6.5-inch 195 watt (65w RMS) 2-way coaxial KM marine speakers produce spectacular highs and midrange sounds, providing full-range audio specifically for a marine environment.
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