How long have you been in the industry?
15 years.
How many years have you been MECP certified? How long have you been Master certified?
I was originally certified as a first class Installer in approx 1996. I had not been re-certified until this spring when, as now a shop owner, I felt it was time to set the example and get the credentials again. I was certified Advanced in February and Master in April. By the end of the summer all of my employees (5 including me) will be certified. None were at the beginning of '09.
What is the year, make and model of the most difficult car you've ever worked on?
Last fall I did a complete custom system in an 08 Porsche Cayenne GTS. The complete disassembly and re-assembly of this vehicle took longer than any vehicle I had previously worked on. The same customer now bought a Bentley Flying Spur so that may change in the near future...
Give us a rundown of the system installed in your vehicle right now.
I own a stereo shop, am married and have a kid, I wish I had time to work on my own stereo. My closet dose have about 10k worth of gear sitting in it for when I finally do decide to stay up 24 hrs a day and work on car stereos. The only quality music I really get to listen to these days is on my home system.
Name the top five artists in your MP3 player at the moment.
I dont listen to MP3s. I like my music to sound good. I guess I'm old school. I will buy an iPod once the capacity gets big enough to store all my CDs in WAV format (CDs still sound better because of the [lackluster] DAC in the iPod) and/or hi-res, un-compressed files become available for more music. My top five CDs right now: the new Kings of Leon, Death Magnetic, any Alice in Chains or Tool Ablum and Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat for system testing.
What is your favorite tool to use in the installation bay and why?
From an owner standpoint, the cash register. From an installer standpoint, the router.
What's the best advice you have ever gotten in your installation career?
John Flanner of Flanner's Home Entertainment told me when I started there years ago that when something adverse happens during a job, what you do then sets you apart from your competition. I believe he said it is "your time to shine." He was right.
Who inspires you to further your skills and your career in mobile electronics installation?
My sales manager and I have great chemistry. He helps keep me motivated when things get a little dry.
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