On September 11th of 2011 legendary fabricator Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions came to SRQ Custom Autosound to give a full day of intense training.
Even though myself and my staff all have more than a decade of experience, in this industry you never stop learning. I felt it was important for us to take advantage of this opportunity to learn time saving and skill building techniques that would bring all of our installations to the next level. Our advanced facility was a perfect choice for Schmitt’s training, with all of the space and tools he would need.
This event wasn’t just about us, we also opened up the training to other technicians who wanted to attend. In all we had eleven of the top technicians in Florida on hand, and everyone learned something new. The training was covered in the industry magazine: The 12-Volt News. A reprint of that article appears below:
LAKELAND/SARASOTA, FL (09.15.11)- On Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th respectively, Bryan Schmitt and Mobile Solutions conducted installation workshops with Boulevard Customs and SRQ Custom Autosound.
Of late Tempe-based Schmitt has been racking up the frequent flyer miles – most recently in Dallas for Knowledgefest and down under in Australia for the CAM event.
“12volt shops need to know how to price and sell the talents of the installation pros on their staffs. Our workshops show attendees, first hand, how to generate revenue through custom installation. The Mobile Solutions workshops include hands-on projects. Conducting sessions in a retailer’s shop provides a real world experience for everyone. The questions and interaction with those in the sessions is so valuable for all” Schmitt stated to 12voltnews.com.
This one day fabrication training consisted of several key topics that were discussed in detail in addition to live build demonstrations throughout the day. This is a very “hands on” type of training. One of our many focuses for the training is how to be faster and more efficient at doing custom work. This ultimately help our dealers charge more money from the beginning of sale, because they can establish a higher perceived value with their customers before the work begins.
The class consisted of: Several Table saw tricks, Building several router jigs, using Smart Templates, Massive time saving tricks for Fiberglass enclosures and trim panels, Different methods of creating inlays and complex seaming techniques for upholstery along with the latest vinyl wrapping and custom speaker grill assembly techniques.
Saturday’s session at Boulevard Customs in Lakeland was attended by dealers from Fort Charlotte, Benetta Springs, Tampa, Dade City, Kissimmee and Chattanooga, TN. Jon Lackey, Boulevard Customs owner orchestrated the Lakeland event. “Having Bryan conduct a full day session in our bay was terrific. Everyone picked up several things they can use in their shops immediately. The hands-on aspect of Bryan’s demonstrations is so valuable” Lackey told 12voltnews.com. Addictive Audio supplied the pizza for lunch that energized all for the afternoon session.
From Lakeland Schmitt motored down to Sarasota for Sunday’s workshop with SRQ Custom Autosound. Owner Ryan Pepsin commented to12voltnews.com “Bryan delivered an amazing fabrication training. We learned new techniques to build better and more profitably. Our staff members are pumped. A big thanks to John Schneid for breakfast and Elettromedia for lunch. We had dealers from Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton, along with a couple freelance installers, wanting to learn more.”
John Schneid, Dynamic Sales and Marketing, shared with 12voltnews.com “As a manufacturer’s rep principal covering Florida I am always looking to learn and see how brick and mortar dealers can add value to their customer’s experiences. Shop staffs who attended the two Florida sessions Mobile Solutions conducted gained so much. Our industry needs more activities like the Mobile Solutions sessions in Lakeland and Sarasota.”
A big 12voltnews.com hats off to Jon Lackey and Ryan Pepsin for working to make these Mobile Solutions workshops possible.