This year's Mobile Electronics Industry Awards have been announced during the ceremony at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. The Installer of the Year Award was given to JT Torres of Al & Ed's Autosound in Huntington Beach, Calif. The Retailer of the Year Single Store was awarded to Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security.

Below is the complete list of winners:

Retail Awards

Installer of the Year: Juan Torres

Installer of the Year  RUNNER-UP: Matt Schaeffer

Trusted Tech: Bryan Piper

Retailer of the Year - Single Store: Perfectionist Autosound

Retailer of the Year Single Store RUNNER-UP: Musicar Northwest

Retailer of the Year Store Chain: Stereo King

Retailer of the Year Store Chain RUNNER-UP: Tint World

Career Achievement Award: David “Fishman” Rivera

Rookie of the Year: Tyler Clemence

Most Improved: Auto Trim Design of Amarillo

Best Online Presence: Cartronix

Best Customer Retention Program: Handcrafted Car Audio

Best Store Presentation: Tunes-N-Tint

Vendor Awards

Vendor of the Year: Orca Design & Manufacturing

Expeditor of the Year: American Radio

Distributor of the Year AUTO: DOW Electronics

Representative of the Year: Andy Adkins

Rep Firm of the Year: Marketing Pros

Top Vendor AUTOSOUND & VIDEO: Orca Design & Manufacturing

Top Vendor ACCESSORIES & MATERIALS: Metra Electronics

Top Vendor CONNECTIVITY & INTEGRATION: AAMP of America

Top Vendor SAFETY & RETENTION: Firstech

Theme for annual show and conference in Dallas focuses on keeping up with advancing technology, consumer patterns.

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS., June 27, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) — The Mobile Electronics Association® (MEA) announced the theme for its 2016 KnowledgeFest® trade show and conference, scheduled for August 20-22, 2016 at the Hilton Anatole Resort & Convention Center in Dallas. "SHIFT" will be depicted on all show signs and artwork, signifying a call for industry professionals to take their expertise, drive and professionalism to a higher level.

The KnowledgeFest theme is chosen annually by MEA staff after carefully evaluating changing trends that directly affect the mobile electronics community. This year, the focus has been on evolving safety and driver assistance products and technologies.

"Carmakers are using significant advertising budget to promote safety features on new vehicles, and almost all of the available OEM options have aftermarket counterparts," said Chris Cook, MEA president. "Retailers can take advantage of a new profit center in which consumer value has been stoked high by OEM messaging."

The media is also heavily covering autonomous vehicle technology and how cars will make decisions based on input from vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) networks. The potential changes to the driving experience hold future opportunity for retailers and installation technicians. 

Celebrating its 20th year, KnowledgeFest will employ its own shift as well. The educational component of the conference will undergo a change from individual classes to three-class courses. Each course is intended to enhance the educational experience with graduated lessons from class to class, as well as a broader view of how the chosen curriculum works within the store structure.  Attendees who complete each course will receive wall certificates marking their achievement.

The "SHIFT" theme is visualized by a classic car gear shifter that also includes a button, presumably to employ nitrous oxide, which propels a vehicle faster by increasing the amount of oxygen available for combustion.  

“The shifter and its nitrous button are the perfect representation of how we need to keep up with opportunities that come from evolution in the vehicle space," concluded Cook. "Shifting gives us more headroom to be able to react to changing market conditions. Then we hit the button and put all of our resources into overdrive."

Registration for KnowledgeFest 2016 is currently open, and attendees will be able to select and reserve space in education courses in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit knowledgefest.org.  

About the Mobile Electronics Association®

The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) strives to grow the mobile electronics industry by supporting its retailers, salespeople, technicians and manufacturers with integrated services built around the group’s 1100-plus members, its Mobile Electronics® magazine, KnowledgeFest® tradeshows, Partnership Program, point-of-sale system and data products. Through these offerings, Mobile Electronics delivers education, networking avenues, business and marketing resources, and promotes partnership between retailers and manufacturers to increase sales and profits. For more information, contact MEA at 85 Flagship Dr., Suite F, North Andover, MA 01845, telephone: 800-949-6372, or visit join-mea.com.

9-5-2017 -- Photos taken from the 2017 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards are now available for download. The event took place on Monday, August 14, 2017 from the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas. 

To download photos, click HERE. Photos include all winners, including Installer of the Year Chris Pate, Vendor of the Year K40 Electronics' Peggy Finley and Jason Kranitz, owner of Retailer of the Year (Single Store), Kingpin Car and Marine Audio. 

For a complete list of industry award winners, click HERE.

Safety and Driver Assistance becomes its own category, separate from security

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – April 20, 2016 – The Mobile Electronics Group has made a change to the vendor category of this year’s Mobile Electronics Industry Awards. The Safety and Retention category will now be split into two categories: Vehicle Security and Convenience, and Safety and Driver Assistance. The change enables industry participants to recognize companies that have excelled in providing vehicle and content protection as well as companies that help drivers stay safe and informed on the road.

“Each year we take an in-depth look at the awards makeup to ensure that it is in step with the current trends and practices of the mobile electronics industry,” said Solomon Daniels, program administrator. “Last year we noticed that there were several companies—those that solely produce safety or driver information products—that were not adequately represented. We’re taking steps this year to ensure that they have a proper place in the awards process.”

Prior to this change, safety was a subcategory of vehicle security, stemming from the fact that alarm and remote start manufacturers were also the driving force behind the industry’s first security-related features, such as GPS tracking, roadside assistance, and stolen vehicle recovery.

Today, safety has evolved into products and services that arm the driver with information to improve road awareness, increase efficiency, and minimize mishaps. This includes maneuvering aid cameras, dash cameras, radar detection, and the emerging line of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) products that provide lane departure and crash warnings.

As part of the awards, industry participants will vote for nominated companies in five categories. The company with the highest number of votes will earn the Top Vendor honor in that category and be eligible to win Vendor of the Year. Vendors have until May 6 to nominate their companies for inclusion in the awards process.

Today from 4pm to 5pm Eastern Standard Time, Solomon Daniels, Editor-in-Chief of Mobile Electronics magazine, will field your questions on participating in the 2014 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards on the Facebook Advisory Group. The page is located at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1457574061132022.

If you’re not a member, submit a request on the page and you will be accepted to participate in the discussion.

“This year we’ve had the help of dedicated industry professionals to make the process for our Industry Awards better, yet we know that participants will still have questions,” said Daniels. “The group meeting today is the best time to answer those questions, and the answers will be archived for others who visit later.”

The Top 50/100 nominations opens today. Visit http://bit.ly/MEAwardsOpen for rules, guidelines and submission requirements.

Submit your nomination video at https://www.hightail.com/u/2014IndustryAwards by May 19.

STILLWATER, USA – KICKER® watched some of its 24 authorized installers, retailers and sales professionals from the “Top 50” list earn a spot in this year’s “Top 12 Finalists” for the 2020 Industry Awards, as determined by the Mobile Electronics Association (MEA).

According to the MEA press release, some of the award categories are decided solely on industry votes. The final awards will be announced at the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards celebration during the virtual KnowledgeFest trade show and conference Dec. 4-6.

Winners at this stage also qualify as semifinalists for the top honors of Retailer-of-the-Year, Installer-of-the-Year and Sales Pro-of-the-Year.

The complete list of winners is posted at the official Industry Awards website, meindustryawards.com.

Top 12 KICKER Retailer finalists:

Mobile Toys – College Station, TX

Absolute Electronix – Rockville, MD

Car-Tunes – Greenville, MS

Showtime Audio – Chicago, IL

Top 5 KICKER Sales Professionals finalist:

Jim Skaggs – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Top 12 KICKER Installer finalists:

Justin Kush – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Matt Vowell – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Dean Beyett – Five Star Car Stereo – Clearwater, FL

Dalton Trainer – Car-Tunes, Inc. – Greenville, MS

KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.®, are available for the mobile and home audio aftermarket at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers. Consumers seeking 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. Consumers can follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio, Instagram.com/kickeraudio, or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio, and use the hashtags #kickeraudio and #livinloud.

STILLWATER, USA – KICKER congratulates its recent winners from the 2020 Mobile Electronics Association Industry Awards, announced in December during the virtual KnowledgeFest tradeshow. KICKER long-time authorized dealer Car-Tunes, Inc. (Greenville, Miss.), earned top honor for retailers – 2020 Retailer-of-the-Year, while Justin Kush from Mobile Toys (College Station, Texas) was named the Installer-of-the-Year. Additionally, other KICKER retailers and associates performed well in several categories.

“Kim (Trainer, owner of Car-Tunes) and her team are very motivated, very forward-thinking,” said Lori Boyer, KICKER Southeastern Region Sales Manager. “The standard they hold themselves to is very high on every aspect of their business, whether it’s the customer service, sales or the install side. They are a fantastic shop.”

Car-Tunes has been a KICKER dealer for more than 15 years. The shop and its four employees pride themselves on attention to detail and their ability to communicate with care and genuine interest, both in-store and online. The company also believes in an active training schedule for every employee, with consistent education for leadership, installers and sales.

“We are so humbled and grateful for this honor, words cannot fully express how very much this means to us,” said Trainer. “We try to stay to connected with the industry as a whole. It’s important for all of us to continue to learn from each other. Even after more than 20 years in the industry, sometimes we learn something new that we can apply in our business. It keeps everyone engaged and motivated.”

Kush, from the successful Mobile Toys shop, beat out several talented and well deserving installers to be names the year’s best.

“Justin reflects the definition of what a manufacturer wants out if its retailers – in design, fabrication, and sound,” said Brad Ganz, KICKER Central Region Sales Manager.

“He pushes the limits of imagination to make reality,” said Pete Daley, Marketing Pros (Conroe, Texas) sales representative. “He is a hidden gem in this industry.”

Other KICKER colleagues fared well in the final tally. Mobile Toys earned runner-up in the Retailer category and also won the Customer Choice Award. Dean Beyett of Five Star Car Stereo (Clearwater, Fla.) took runner-up in the Installer category. Top Rep Firm went to Marketing Pros, Inc.

KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.®, are available for the mobile and home audio aftermarket at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers. Consumers seeking 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. Consumers can follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio, Instagram.com/kickeraudio, or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio, and use the hashtags #kickeraudio and #livinloud.

Read the on the digital platform for Mobile Electronics magazine [Click Here]

Want to Win at the Awards? You Will Be the Judge of That!

Tell the industry your story and get ready to rise to the top.

When it comes to your Mobile Electronics Industry Awards, you can count on the process to be fair to everyone in our industry. We at the Mobile Electronics Association consider the integrity of the Industry Awards our highest priority. We know the industry counts on us to manage a fair process that accounts for all aspects of the program. To that end, each year we pick an esteemed panel of judges who review and cast their vote for each of the Top 12 categories. In addition, we have an audit team that oversees and reviews the voting process. These teams are made up of past winners, staff and an outside accounting firm which will audit the results.

The Mobile Electronics Industry Awards comprises a months-long process to recognize and honor those in the industry who best exemplify the professionalism, business ethics, service and expertise we want consumers to think of when they do business with us. Candidate companies and individuals submit video nominations and are narrowed to a list of finalists after a voting and selection process. In certain award categories, finalists submit materials which are then judged by a panel made up of past winners and other trusted industry experts. In other categories, final voting tallies determine the winners. All winners are announced at a special awards ceremony, held on the last day of the Dallas KnowledgeFest tradeshow and conference.

Here is a quick review of the voting rules: Votes for all industry awards are only open to industry participants. You may make one vote for each selection field. Voting takes place online through an approved submission platform. Emailed votes or votes placed in any other way will not be accepted. Each voter must provide contact information and employment information to determine eligibility. For contest accuracy, IP addresses for each vote are captured and compared to deter fraud. Voting by several members of a single location using a single computer/IP address is allowed.

The awards recognize Installer of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Sales Pro of the Year, Trusted Tech Award, Rookie of the Year, Retail Performance Awards and Customer’s Choice Award (this is the only award that allows your customers to vote). The top in each category are announced prior to Awards Night.

Other awards recognize industry professionals and companies: Distributor of the Year, Expeditor of the Year, Rep Firm of the Year, Representative of the Year and the Top Vendor Awards. These are voted upon by the entire industry and finalists are announced prior to Awards Night.

Let’s take a deeper look at the process for picking the Top 50 Installers, Retailers, Sales Professionals and other retailer awards. These are based on nominations from you and your peers. Your votes elevate the best of the best to the next level—the Top 12. Once the Top 12 votes are tallied, we announce the winners and move to the next part of the process. Many of the retailer awards have a phase two and phase three process. For the most part, both require the creation of video presentations which are judged using several criteria.

When it comes to the Retailer of the Year, several things need to be submitted. Remember, the video doesn’t need to be professionally produced, but it must provide the following information: The basics of how long you’ve been in business, number of locations, location type and number of employees. Also include the business philosophy or mission statement. What’s your sales performance over the past three years? What makes your business unique? What’s the greatest challenge you’ve overcome in the past year? Why should your location or chain be part of the Top 50 Retailers? Include a video walkthrough revealing the customer experience from parking lot to point-of-sale and employee areas. Add still shots of any required documents.

The Installer of the Year requires video as well and must answer the following: Name, years of experience and number of years at your current location. What’s your installation specialty, and how do you describe your philosophy as an installer? Name some installation professionals who’ve had influence on you and your career. How do your co-workers describe you? What’s the biggest challenge (personal or professional) you have overcome in the past year? What do you want customers to remember about the installation aspect of your service, and why should you be part of the Top 50 Installers? How does your performance influence team and store culture? Provide a video walkthrough of your work area and tools including still shots of work samples.

There’s a lot that goes into a successful awards process, and it’s worth it. I have spoken with many industry professionals who have submitted and been named Top 50, Top 12 and overall winners. The common theme of the conversation is how it made them better at what they do. I encourage you to take the time to review the awards website. Visit meindustryawards.com. Get started on the next level of your career. You will be glad you did! See you on Awards Night!

Davis Distribution, DOW Electronics, and Go Fast Solutions All Honored

Seattle, Wash., October 15, 2020 – Elite Distributor Alliance (EDA) was thrilled to see three of its members recognized by MEA and its members as the best in the business. Davis Distribution, DOW Electronics, and Go Fast Solutions were named as the finalists for this years Distributor of the Year Award to be presented at Knowledgefest LIVE in Dallas, Texas the first week of December.

EDA believes in partnering with vendors and dealers alike bringing added value, sustainability, and integrity to both.

DAVIS DISTIRBUTION

Davis Distribution adds value to the vendor and their customer in some very special ways.  For example, Davis is committed to protecting their dealers within their assigned trade areas and providing many trainings throughout the year that dealers can access on Davis’s powerful You Tube channel. On the vendor side Davis (and all EDA members) are committed to tracking serial numbers and eliminating all transshipping practices.  Vendors love doing business with Davis – the integrity of the organization instills confidence.

Davis was founded in 1998 by Kevin Taliani, and today with two generations of Taliani’ working day to day Davis serves the needs of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.  Davis operates two distribution centers, with one each in West Virginia and Indiana. 

DOW ELECTRONICS

DOW Electronics, founded in 1959, is currently under its third generation of family leadership and celebrating 37 years of 12-volt distribution. As a four-time Mobile Electronics Distributor of the Year winner, (2014, 2015, 2018 & 2019), Dow continues to stay true to their mantra ‘Customer Focused, Technology Driven’. Creating and expanding on industry leading, dealer centric programs like SmartServices, SmartShip and SmartCourier as well as a fun and informative You Tube channel. These value added services are helping DOW grow a very loyal customer base. Six fully stocked Distribution warehouses provide 1-2 day product delivery across 21 US states and Puerto Rico, while DOW’s 100 + employees ensure that customer satisfaction, product availability and vendor support are at the highest possible levels. Additionally, Dow supports many Industry events, shows and organizations to help maintain, drive and grow a healthy business market for dealers.

GO FAST SOLUTIONS

GoFast was founded in 2016 and entered the 12V arena in August 2019. True to their name, Go Fast has rapidly made a very positive name for themselves in New England.   Now with over twenty employees, Go Fast’s mission is to provide the highest level of sales and service at competitive prices – and their customers love it.

Dave Prinz, president of Go Fast Solutions says, “Being recognized by the 2020 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards as one of the Top 3 Distributors is no small accomplishment for any company, but the thing that makes this recognition special for GoFast Solutions is that this is their first year in the industry.”

While Go Fast is a new name in the industry, its staff brings a wealth of industry experience. The company’s twenty plus emplyees not only are industry professionals, they’re also enthusiasts. Note: Jon Mercado, a sales professional on the Go Fast team is also being recognized as one of the Top Five Sales Reps!

Go Fast operates through a state of the art 30,000 square foot facility in Middletown, Connecticu

ELITE DISTRIBUTOR ALLIANCE

EDA is pleased to see the industry recognize these EDA members. Jim Warren EDA’s Executive Director said, “For Distribution to succeed it’s imperative that you build relationships with your customer by adding value. EDA members are very good at this – helping dealers have product in the right place at the right time, helping them become experts, and providing needed profitability to their business. It’s really inspiring to see these three distributors being recognized for their hard work.”

EDA is a member owned alliance of like-minded distributors committed to the highest standards and serving the 12 volt industry. Find out more at www.elitedistributoralliance.com

Mobile Electronics Association Recognizes the Industry’s Best

Holly Hill, Fla. – August 20, 2018 – Metra Electronics®, the leading manufacturer of aftermarket automotive solutions, received the Mobile Electronics Industry Award for 2018 TOP Vendor- Accessories and Materials given at a ceremony held August 19th at the Mobile Electronics Association KnowledgeFest Tradeshow and Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Given annually, the “Mobile Electronics Industry Awards comprise a months-long process to recognize and honor those in the mobile electronics industry that best exemplify the professionalism, business ethics, service and expertise we want to think of when they do business in our industry,” according to Mobile Electronics Association, the entity responsible for the awards.

“Metra Electronics is known as The Installer’s Choice®. This award is another confirmation of that. We take pride in being on the forefront of product development for aftermarket solutions, focusing on quality at the best value,” said Bill Jones, president and CEO of Metra Electronics. “We have developed kits and accessories for a wide range of vehicle applications, where others may invest the resources into the most popular vehicle applications, Metra has created hundreds of kits for many of the ‘hard to find’ vehicles.”

Metra Electronics won in the Accessories and Materials category for products or technology that improve upon the look, style and/or function of existing vehicle components or standard components that accompany aftermarket products.

At Metra, 12-volt installation and integration is our passion. We strive to continuously offer the highest quality products to meet the fluctuating technological challenges of the automotive world. We actively listen to our customers’ requests and invest resources into developing the highest quality dash kit and harness solutions. We make more dash kits for the most vehicle applications than anyone else in the world. That’s why we’ve been known as “The Installer’s Choice®” for more than 70 years. Our brands include: Axxess®, T-Spec®, The Install Bay®, Heise LED Lighting Systems®, iBeam Vehicle Safety Systems®, Shuriken High Performance Batteries®, Raptor®, Ballistic® and AmmoTenna®.  Metra’s expertise in connectivity solutions is also applied to its division of premium home theater and surveillance products, Metra Home Theater Group®. For ordering information and pricing, visit Metra Electronics online at MetraOnline.com or call 800.221-0932.

5-3-2017 -- The Mobile Electronics Industry Awards 2017 are officially underway with nominations now open. The awards celebrate companies and individuals that best exemplify the highest standards of quality and service excellence. Winners represent the industry at-large to consumers and act as ideal examples to better their peers within the industry.

To begin the nomination process, click the following link and follow the steps: CLICK HERE. 

This awards process begins with the selection of nominees through industry voting. The two main categories of retailers and installers are narrowed down to the "Top 50," then through peer and consumer voting, the list is narrowed to the “Top 12” retailers and installers, and these finalists submit materials to be judged by Mobile Electronics magazine’s editors and select industry judges. The winners are chosen and announced at a special awards ceremony during the Mobile Electronics Group KnowledgeFest event in August.

In addition to those categories, other industry professionals are recognized for their outstanding service. Those categories include Most Improved Retail Chain, Best Customer Retention Program, Expeditor of the Year and new to this year's awards, Salesperson of the Year. 

"It’s been a while coming, but as of this year, the Industry Awards will recognize the in-store individuals who are most responsible for bringing in the revenue and filling up the bay," according to a statement on the official website, meindustryawards.com. "Sales professionals can submit their nomination videos and let indusrty peers and their customers vote for them." 

Additional awards are given for vendors and sales representatives. Vendors and representatives nominate themselves to be included in the industry voting and submit videos and other materials to encourage industry professionals to vote for them. Then the three top vote-getters in each category are considered finalists, with the winner announced at KnowledgeFest.

To learn more about the Industry Awards, visit meindustryawards.com. 

North Andover, MA – July 21, 2020 – The Mobile Electronics Industry Awards for 2020 are officially underway with nominations closing today, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The awards celebrate companies and individuals that best exemplify the highest standards of quality and service excellence. Winners represent the industry at-large to consumers and act as ideal examples to better their peers within the industry.

To sumbit your nomination, click the following link and follow the steps: CLICK HERE. 

This awards process begins with the selection of nominees through industry voting. The three main categories of retailers, sales professionals and installers are narrowed down to the "Top 50 (Top 20 for Sales Pros)," then through peer and consumer voting, the list is narrowed to the “Top 12” retailers, sales professionals and installers, and these finalists submit materials to be judged by a select and trusted panel of industry judges. The winners are chosen and announced at a special awards ceremony during the Mobile Electronics Association's KnowledgeFest event in September.

In addition to those categories, other industry professionals are recognized for their outstanding service. Those categories can be reviewed at https://meindustryawards.com/. 

"It’s been a while coming, but as of this year, the Industry Awards will recognize the in-store individuals who are most responsible for bringing in the revenue and filling up the bay," according to a statement on the official website, meindustryawards.com. "Sales professionals can submit their nomination videos and let indusrty peers and their customers vote for them." 

Additional awards are given for vendors and sales representatives. Vendors and representatives nominate themselves to be included in the industry voting and submit videos and other materials to encourage industry professionals to vote for them. Then the three top vote-getters in each category are considered finalists, with the winner announced at KnowledgeFest.

To learn more about the Industry Awards, visit https://meindustryawards.com/. 

8-22-2016 -- Hundreds gathered in the Imperial Ballroom at Dallas' Hilton Anatole hotel to witness the 2016 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards. This year's winners include Matt Schaeffer for Installer of the Year and Soundscape Car Audio for Single-store Retailer of the Year. See the complete list of winners below:

Retailer of the Year, Single Store - Soundscape Car Audio

Runner Up - Retailer of the Year, Single Store - Kingpin Marine & Car Audio

Retailer of the Year, Store Chain - Foss Audio & Tint

Runner Up - Retailer of the Year, Store Chain - Stereo King Oregon

Installer of the Year - Matt Schaeffer

Runner Up - Installer of the Year - Christerfer Pate

Trusted Tech - Carlos Ramirez

Career Achievement Award - George "Doc Thunder" Reed

Rookie of the Year - Austin Thorne

Expeditor of the Year - Auto Trim Design

Distributor of the Year - AM Distributors

Rep Firm of the Year - Marketing Pros

Sales Representative of the Year - Kris Bulla

Top Vendor, Autosound & Video - Orca Design & Manufacturing

Top Vendor, Accessories & Materials - Mobile Solutions

Top Vendor, Connectivity & Integration - AAMP Global

Top Vendor, Security & Convenience - Firstech

Top Vendor, Safety & Driver Assistance - K40 Electronics

Vendor of the Year - AAMP Global

Most Improved Location or Chain - Cartronix

Best Online Presence - NVS Audio

Best Customer Retention Program - Al & Ed's Autosound

Best Customer Experience - Sound Wave Customs

North Andover, Mass., – December 28, 2021 – The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) announced the finalists for the 2022 Industry Awards earlier today, live on its Facebook page. MEA President, Chris Cook held the Finalists Presentation, in which The Top 12 Retailers, Top 12 Installers, Top 5 Technicians and new Top 5 Sales Professionals and other awards were announced. Also noted were the "Top 3" and "Top 5" awards for finalists in the vendor, vendor tech support, expeditor, sales rep, rep firm and distributor categories, as well as the top 5 Technicians denoting the finalists for the coveted Trusted Tech award. Each "Top" award recipient will receive a signed wall certificate. 

While the final stage of the Industry Awards will be held in Las Vegas during KnowledgeFest, Cook noted that the announcement produced its own set of winners.

"It's important to recognize that making it to the Top 12, Top 5 and Top 3 categories signals a major achievement in this industry," he explained. "It means that these individuals, stores, brands and companies are part of a unique group that represents the best of our industry. We're overdue in recognizing the significance of their efforts, and I am proud to create a special event for that purpose. 

Some of the award categories are decided solely on industry votes. For these, the top vote-getter will be announced at KnowledgeFest as the ultimate winner of the category. For the Top 12 retailers, Top 12 Installers, Top 5 Technicians, Top 5 Rookies, and Top 5 Sales Professionals, each recipient will need to submit additional materials for judging to determine the winner in each category. 

The finalists lists can be viewed at meindustryawards.com by clicking on the Winners tab and selecting '2022' winners. To view the 2022 Industry Awards Finalists Presentation, visit the Mobile Electronics magazine page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MobileElectronics. The final awards will be announced at the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards celebration during the KnowledgeFest trade show and conference in Las Vegas, February 20, 2022. For more information, visit www.meindustryawards.com.