By JARED BRACCI
Progress Writer, Taken from the Nashua, NH Car Audio special section in the Telegraph
NASHUA – It’s January. It’s balmy outside, and it’s raining again. Raining again, in January! It’s early in the morning and I’m wondering what to wear today? Just the thought of knowing a short sleeve shirt, raincoat, and an umbrella are appropriate doesn’t bode well with my morning mood. Err… and just like that - it gets my tired mind reeling.
What’s happening to our New England seasons? They seem to have become microcosms of seasons within a season. The old joke of, “Just wait fifteen minutes and the weather will change,” has taken on new and harsh relevance - and it really isn’t funny anymore. I begin the day feeling a combination of sadness and guilt. There’s just so much to be concerned about lately, the depleting ozone layer, Katrina and its victims (all of us) and our proud soldiers in Iraq – to mention but a few. One last look out the kitchen window at the soggy field, extending out to the barren forest, and I walk out the door and fire up my car ignition. Vroom, Vroom! “Ah, O… my car even sounds irritable this morning!”
For many of us, the drive to and from work can offer a time of reflection, a brief solace from the outside world and the opportunity to focus on the challenges and pleasures ahead. For me, listening to a favorite CD can usually be the ideal mood enhancer, and today I’m in desperate need for a little reflection. A few hundred yards out of my driveway, I press play on my receiver and immediately feel a sense of release, as the cool and majestic groove of the Miles Davis quintet flows from the speakers. I crank up the volume a little more, and within a few measures the band kicks into a hot groove and my mood begins to brighten.
Today’s morning commute will take me to Boomer McLoud Extreme Car Audio in Nashua. The same guys who sold and installed my cars audio system (a work in progress) and whom I’m honored to have allowed me to write my fourth story for them in as many years. They are now celebrating their fifth birthday and sales are…. well, Booming!
When I enter the building, Ron Mackey, the stores manager, sales representative, and technician, greets me while simultaneously handling a customer phone call. At Boomers, this type of multi-tasking is the norm, so I decided to poke around at the stockpile of new accessories that abound. Speakers, subwoofers, power amps, navigation and security systems, radar detectors, remote car starters, speaker wire, after market speed parts, XM and Sirius satellite radios and now a wall-mounted display of custom rims. Boomer also has a myriad of oddball items that are sure to intrigue almost any car enthusiast. These items had multiplied exponentially since my first visit to Boomers three years ago. And hence, more than ever, I was bearing witness to the stores phenomenal growth. “We have definitely maximized the facilities potential,” explained Sean Strasshofer, one of the young and gifted technicians at Boomers.
After about twenty minutes of roaming around, I knew I wasn’t going to get to speak with Ron for sometime, as he was now explaining to a customer how to operate her newly installed remote starter. Now, several customers were patiently waiting to speak with Ron, while store owner, Jamie Page was in the Boomers sound room explaining to an astonished customer the benefits of installing “waterproof subwoofers” in his Jeep. Feeling the voltage around the store begin to climb, as often happens whenever Jamie goes into one of his high octane and expertly researched product descriptions, I sat down and relaxed on Boomers comfy couch to listen in and learn from his deft salesmanship. This particular customer was a sportsman, who enjoyed fishing and off-roading in the summer months. He preferred to drive with the top down and needed a speaker designed for the marine environment. A little skeptical, he explained to Jamie that he wanted to mount the subwoofers into a wooden enclosure to protect them from water. Jamie shot a big smile, then said, “Actually sir, you don’t have to waste your time and effort, I have actually seen these subwoofers placed underwater in a bathtub and they performed perfectly well.” The man burst out laughing, his face red and slightly contorted in amazement said, “I’ll take ‘em!” Jamie closed the deal by discounting the price and extending the warrantee, because he knew the man would not be able to enjoy them for another several months.
Now it was time to take a stroll out back to the Boomers garage and ask a few questions to Ryan, Norman, Josh and Sean. The three bay garage was buzzing with industrious noise, as each of them was working with a quiet, focused intensity. After all, Boomers customers were expecting their vehicles to be ready after work, so like any efficient workplace, there was a time frame for the majority of jobs to be completed. As I asked questions, none of the technicians ever stopped working. They talked to me about new technologies, such as the Ipod, and how it’s enormous impact in the past few years, has forced companies to fashion their products around Ipod integration. And how Bluetooth technology is the next big thing and is eliminating fiber optics. Or how a new product, which is little black box built by JL Audio called the ‘clean sweep’, will allow you to increase the fidelity of most factory installed radios and MP3 players without having to purchase a new receiver.
“What a day,” I thought as I walked outside to my car, happy and invigorated that I got to spend a few hours with such a great bunch of guys, (i.e. fanatics), who for the third straight year were nominated for Nashua’s Best Small Business Award. Certainly, one expects a business that receives such a nomination to offer superb services and excellent customer service. But Boomers has an intangible quality that defines greatness.
And what might this be? This is a question I’ve contemplated on several occasions over the past four years, and here’s what I’ve arrived at. All of us have a skill. Many of us are even good at several things. If you combine this with a little perseverance, and a sprinkle of luck, we all have the opportunity to be successful. However, this does not necessarily mean we will be happy. It’s a small percentage of us who are lucky enough to know and follow our true passion. I believe it’s hard enough to know what your true passion is, let alone follow it. But if and when you discover it, this happiness, or bliss, can drive you to achieve great things. It’s this unique quality, this unwavering passion that puts Boomer McLoud in the forefront of their profession.
Boomer McLoud is located at 419 Amherst Street, Nashua, NH 03060. Take Exit 7W off Rte. 3. Boomer McCloud is 1.5 miles up on the right, across from Building 19.
Feel free to contact Jamie, or Ron at 603-889-9799. Their fax # is 603-889-9775.
Visit them on the Web at http://www.nh-car-audio.com
Boomer McLoud Xtreme Car Audio – Record sales for year 2002
By
Jared Bracci Progress Writer
Published: March
2003
NASHUA - Let’s face it, music is our only universal language. Music inflicts emotions that all language can only attempt to understand. It’s greatest beauty, is that everyone hears it and can understand it in their own way. If I were to get on a plane and fly to Paris, by the time I landed at the airport and made my way to a cab, I would be turning the pages in my French dictionary with great rapidity in order to converse. But as soon as I hit the door at one of the hot clubs in the cities west end, and heard the fiery rhythm section of a local gypsy jazz band, not only would my dictionary remain in my pocket, and my senses be heightened, but I would be able to relate to the music in whatever way my emotions guided me.
Such was the case when I walked into Boomer McLoud Xtreme Car Audio on Amherst Street in Nashua one evening. I immediately felt alive when I noticed a young couple standing in front of a wall of speakers with their hips turning and toes tapping. Sure, the new Santana single, ‘Game of Love’ sounded great, but wow, the Alpine 980 receiver, combined with the Clarion coaxial speakers and the Kicker subwoofers were down right electrifying! For a brief moment, I was overcome, by the rush of adrenaline pouring through me. After the song ended, I watched a grin form on the young mans face, as if to say to his companion. “So, you want it?”
Actually, there’s a lot you will want to buy in this store. Or, at the very least, to look at and listen to. Boomer McLoud is like no other car audio store in the area. They are in the business to enhance your driving experience with high-end audio components, mobile amplifiers, video and navigation systems, alarm systems, remote starters, suspension work, specialty molds, body kits, exhaust kits, performance rims and complete after-market customization packages. There is also an extensive list of merchandise such as high performance power cable, racing pedals, shift knobs, and strobe lights. “All the brands Boomer chooses are based on three criteria: performance, reliability and customer requests,” explains owner Jamie Page. “When you shop here, you become a part of our family. We make every attempt to be on a first name basis with all our customers.” And that’s a lot of customers, when you consider that Jamie and his staff sold over 1 million dollars in car stereos in 2002 alone! Brands such as Alpine, Sony, Clarion, and Nakamichi were best sellers.
When it comes to installing all these great things you’re hearing in your head, Boomers has assembled a dream team of talent. As Jamie succinctly put it, “We have the ability to install anything, anywhere, anytime. These are some of the best guys in the world I’m working with, and it’s great because we all have our own niche and are learning from each other all the time.” Jamie views his job as two tiered. He handles the audio, video, remote starter, and other electronic sales. Couple this with product development skills that he specialized in with stints at Sony Corporate, Phoenix Gold, and Soundgate. He is joined by Ron Mackey, who handles performance parts such as wheels, tires, turbo chargers, suspension, exhaust systems and all special order products. Ron is in his first year, but is a major reason why Boomers concluded 2002 with record sales. Another recent addition to the Boomers sales staff is Kevin Huffman. Kevin offers extensive product knowledge and an amiable personality.
When it comes to installation, Boomers installation manager, Ryan Leblanc brings nine years experience to the art of installation. He provides custom fabrication, fiberglass work, specialty molds, and other unique applications. Many products Boomers offers need to be specially fit into a customers car. It’s this particular area that Ryan and the installation team will dazzle you.
This team also includes Ian Brandon who has 17 years experience with installations. With an eye for the exotic, Ian specializes in European vehicles such as Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Lotus. He has the unique ability to adapt to the most unwieldy of cars, and last year completed the entire installation on a BMW 325I, that was featured on the February 2002 BMW Sports Magazine.
Josh McIntosh and Sean Strasshauf round out the Boomers team. Josh brings a tasteful aesthetic and artists vision to the design and installation of the custom components. With the exceptional growth Boomers experienced last year, installation hours had to be provided during the evening. To answer this need, master installation guru, Sean Strasshauf came aboard to work third shift. Highly passionate about his craft, Sean has instilled a greater level of convenience to all Boomer customers. For example, if you stopped in the store one afternoon, and decided on purchasing a car stereo with a few other complementary items, such as speakers, subwoofers and a power amp, it is conceivable that you could leave your car overnight and pick it up the next morning on your way into work. And just think, what a blissful commute it would be.
But no matter how good the products and the service are, it is the warranty that will weigh heavily in a customers decision to buy. To help Boomer McLoud stay ahead of the competition, Jamie offers customers a warranty on installation for the life of their vehicle. This in itself displays the level of confidence Jamie’s team has in their work, and is one of the reasons they have raised the standards of what people look for in the car audio industry.
And once you become a customer at Boomer McLoud, no matter what size the purchase, you are always welcome to some of the coolest events in the area. Last summer Jamie sent invitations to all the Boomer customers, inviting everyone to stop by the store to show off some of their electronic goodies and aftermarket custom kits. A complementary buffet was also provided by Margaritas. The afternoon consisted of radio throwing, in which you had to toss a radio (provided to you by Boomers) into a trash can that stood about 10 yards away. The prize: a free radio/cd player. Another event offered everyone the opportunity to try and pulverize a power amp by smashing it into the ground. Six hours later, the winner was given a free power amp by Boomers. Now this is extreme car audio at it’s finest.