Design Engineering has released Titanium Protect-A-Boots, which are a longer 8” length. DEI’s Titanium Protect-A-Boots provide maximum thermal protection against heat generated from the engine block, exhaust manifold and headers. Excessive heat may cause wires and boots to burn, harden or crack resulting in arcing, misfire or full ignition failure.

Constructed from heat resistant pulverized lava rock material, stranded and woven into a double-wall weave, these durable 8” boot protectors are resistant to chemicals, abrasions and contaminants. With the capability of withstanding direct heat up to 1800°F and radiant heat to 2,500°F, they provide effective protection for any high performance engine. Originally designed for the General Motors LS series of engines, the longer length and no-ring construction provides greater protection for street, race or off-road applications.

This new product from DEI is now available for purchase in either a two-pack (part #010543) or eight-pack (part #010544) set. The 1” I.D. and flexible construction allows for easy installation for straight or angled boots including Corvette C5 (1997-2004) and  C6 (2005-2013) generation models.

For more information on Design Engineering’s new 8” Titanium Protect-A-Boots or other thermal protection products, please visit www.designengineering.com, call 800-264-9472 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Last week, I wrote about some of the ways Obamacare impacts small businesses, specifically five requirements Obamacare places on small businesses and five opportunities Obamacare affords small businesses. As discussed, while small businesses (i.e. companies with fewer than 50 employees) are exempt from many of the most rigorous requirements of the Affordable Care Act -- most notably, the Employer Mandate -- there are still some requirements and even some opportunities that small business owners should be aware of regarding Obamacare.

As an Obamacare attorney, I have observed that the factors a small business has to consider with respect to the Affordable Care Act can change quite dramatically if its workforce grows beyond 50 full-time employees. This can occur over time as a result of the natural growth of the business but can also happen rapidly and unexpectedly as a result of a business transaction.

Here are three tips that any small business owner considering a business transaction should keep in mind to ensure that there are no unexpected Obamacare surprises as a result of the transaction:

1. Count Hours, Not Just Employees

To determine how many full-time employees a business has for purposes of the Affordable Care Act, a business has to count not only its actual full-time employees (those work more than 30 hours per week) but also the number of hours worked by its part-time employees. The number of hours worked by part-time employees is aggregated to calculate a company's full-time equivalents. 

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/av-sinensky/obamacare-small-business_b_4964649.html

Legendary musician Neil Young says he has a new device that makes listening to music on MP3s or even CDs seem like listening underwater -- and a surging Kickstarter campaign suggests music fans are all ears.

So far, the campaign has raised more than $2 million for Pono -- a personal music player designed "to revive the magic that has been squeezed out of digital music," according to a Pono's Kickstarter page.

"Pono is about the music," Young says in a promotional video atop the page. "It's about the people who make the music and the way it sounds to us when we're in the studio making it. It's about you hearing what we hear."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/neil-young-kickstarter-raises-2m-aims-leave-mp3s/story?id=22887853

In line with the successful launch last June of the Pacific NW Consumer Electronics Expo, early commitments have already been received from vendors/partners for the April 8^th and April 10^th events in Seattle and Portland. The event was moved to an earlier, more convenient time of the year based on requests. The dealer response this year has been “through the roof!” according to the Expo organizing committee. They had to secure larger venues to facilitate the 20 percent growth in both vendor and projected dealer participation.

The Expo was created by a group of Pacific Northwest manufacturer’s representative firms committed to giving their vendors an opportunity to meet with dealers who typically do not go to the international or national shows due to financial or time restraints. Many of the dealers now have an opportunity for their whole staff to see what this industry has to offer and to meet with the vendors they do business with. This year, there are fourteen independent representative companies committed to the show.

For more details, please visit www.pnwcee.com, facebook.com/pages/Pacific-Northwest-Consumer-Electronics-Expo and twitter.com/PNWCE_Expo.

Seattle Show                                                            Portland show

Tuesday, April 8th                                                   Thursday, April 10th

10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.                                            10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Hilton Seattle Airport                                               Embassy Suites Washington Square

17620 International Blvd                                        9000SW Washington Square Rd

Seattle, WA 98188                                                   Tigard, OR 97232

JL Audio, known for pushing the boundaries of audio performance in the Mobile, Marine, and Home audio markets has announced a special reward for Signature Dealers in 2014. Signature Dealers demonstrate and stock the broadest selection of JL Audio products, and offer premium standards for installation and customer service.

2014 Signature Dealers will receive a 24” x 24” heavy steel, handcrafted sign hand built by legendary vehicle fabricator Mobsteel in Brighton, Michigan. Each sign features a large contrasting aluminum JL Audio logo against a uniquely patina’d heavy steel plate. Only 500 signs will be created and each will feature a uniquely numbered and engraved billet aluminum tag on the front plate denoting its authenticity. These wall mountable signs come with custom-made billet aluminum mounting posts and the result is a stunning work of art.

Carl Kennedy, Vice President of Sales for JL Audio said, “Our goal was to give Signature Dealers a symbol of JL Audio’s recognition that consumers will see when entering the store. Mobsteel knocked the execution of this project out of the park”. 

Stillwater Designs, manufacturer of KICKER products, recently awarded Gem-Sen as International Distributor-of-the-Year representing the Americas, for its outstanding record in sales and customer service. Stillwater Designs recognizes its best distributors from around the world annually for their hard work and dedication.

“They consistently go above and beyond just supplying product,” said Bart Deal, KICKER Director of International Sales. “They help the Canadian retailers market and promote to better serve the consumer.”

Gem-Sen, located in Concord, Ontario, has been going above and beyond for more than 10 years, creating a better overall experience for the consumer, according to Stillwater Designs.

Stillwater Designs recognizes each member of the Gem-Sen crew (Dave Singh, Melissa Mastrogiacomo, Mike Danbrook and Mike O’Connor) as a shining example of marketing prowess, and KICKER is grateful to Gem-Sen and its continuing dedication to the brand’s slogan and motto, “Livin’ Loud.”  

Consumers needing more information on KICKER or Livin’ Loud may call the Consumer Information Line at 1-800-256-5425 or visit the brand website at www.kicker.com. Follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio.

The Mobile Electronics Retailers Association (MERA), representing more than 1,000 specialist locations nationwide, announced it has acquired In Car Experts (ICE), a Swedesboro, N.J.-based firm that specializes in providing marketing infrastructure and strategic product acquisition services to well-established retail businesses in the in-vehicle technology sector. The acquisition will serve to broaden MERA’s capabilities in providing resources to its members, and to strengthen MERA’s brand within the mobile electronics community.

“The decision to acquire ICE started with a partnership that we announced during CES,” said Chris Cook, president of MERA. “As we discussed the elements of the partnership, we began to see how the benefits our organizations supplied to retailers were complementary. ICE represents the upper echelon of retailers that have demonstrated success on several levels. MERA supplies the proverbial ladder that helps retailers grow to that level of success. At that point, the conversation changed and evolved into the announcement we’re making today.”

As part of the acquisition, ICE will maintain its current operation under the guidance of Jason Denton and Cory Mayo, both of whom have managed the day-to-day operations of the firm for the past few years. Founder and current Executive Director Robert Elliott’s experience and counsel will take on a broader focus with his new position on the MERA Board of Directors. 

“We anticipate that nothing will change for current ICE members and vendor partners during this ownership transition, and for the foreseeable future,” added Cook. “Jason and Cory are accomplished professionals who have met the needs of the membership and are partners in every respect. Our position will be to support them in every way with MERA’s applicable resources, and to help to introduce new products and programs that fit the group.”

One immediate benefit to ICE members is that they automatically become members of MERA as a condition of the acquisition, gaining access to the organization’s sales and marketing support programs, as well as a vastly expanded peer network. In addition, MERA plans to develop a program that coaches its members to meet the requirements of ICE membership.

“We have already identified a number of MERA member businesses we feel are ideal candidates to become part of ICE,” said Cook. “The goal is not to lower the requirements for ICE membership, but rather to build a path by which retailers can raise their performance to a level that makes them eligible.”

ICE was started by former mobile electronics retailer Elliott in 2006. The firm used images of wolves in its initial marketing campaigns to represent the “pack mentality” it felt retailers needed to take to maintain and grow market share and viability in an ever more competitive consumer space. ICE quickly grew, with a selection of retail business that had achieved a certain level of sales success but still needed the benefits offered within an environment of like-minded professionals.

Despite its achievements, ICE made the deliberate decision to maintain a low-key presence in the industry, choosing to focus its efforts internally for the benefit of its membership. The firm currently offers a full suite of programs to develop competitive pricing and marketing advantages for its members.

“ICE was started to provide retailers with proven, enhanced marketing and vendor programs that are only available to retailers when functioning as part of a larger group,” said Elliott. “Over the past eight years, our members have benefitted from better product pricing, marketing support and a close-knit network of successful entrepreneurs sharing best practices. MERA’s acquisition ensures that these benefits will not only continue, but will be expanded and enriched with more resources and new leadership.”

About the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association:

The Mobile Electronics Retailers Association (MERA) strives to grow the mobile electronics industry by supporting its professionals with education, networking opportunities and legislative support. Members include retailers, manufacturers, distributors, manufacturer’s representatives and others who realize professionalism and continuing education are cornerstones for successful business. In addition to numerous member benefits, MERA publishes Mobile Electronics magazine, the premier industry trade resource, and produces KnowledgeFest, the industry’s only trade show and education conference dedicated to mobile electronics professionals. For more information, visit www.merausa.org or call (800) WHY-MERA. 

M.E.S.A., the Mobile Electronics Specialists of America, have announced the launch of four live action TV commercials that are available now for free use by all M.E.S.A. Member retailers.  

M.E.S.A.’s in-house staff created the concept, script, and overall vision for these advertisements, auditioned actors and were a part of the production team as well.

“We know that consumers need to be informed or re-informed about what our retailers can do not only for their vehicles, but for their daily lives as well,” said Erin Costello, M.E.S.A. Marketing Manager. “It was the goal of these TV spots to educate the consumer about what products are available to them in the aftermarket and how those products can go to work for them in a real way.”

Each commercial in the series is category specific and each emphasizes how a product can actually be experienced by an everyday consumer rather than focusing completely on the product itself. The categories covered in the first four ads are: Smartphone Integration, Back-up Camera, Rear Seat Video, and In-Dash Navigation. Each ad features the tagline, “You don’t need a new car for new car technology” and is designed so that Members can customize them with their own logo and featured product. Two more ads are slated for production this Winter in the Remote Start and Window Tint categories which will feature the same actors and style as the rest of the series.

“These TV Commercials have already been extremely well received by our Members and Vendor Partners alike,” said Ryan Gunter, Executive Director of M.E.S.A.  “We are extremely proud that our small team was able to deliver such a quality tool to our Members at no additional cost to them. We look forward to getting to work on the next part of the series!”