| USA. Prospec celebrates 20 years; premiers radios with black box technology & remote controls |
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| Thursday, 06 July 2006 | |
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Company news: Prospec Electronics took its first step into the boating industry with the introduction of SeaWorthy marine audio products in 1986. Twenty years later, the company continues to provide the latest audio technology in a dedicated marine product line under a number of well-known brands. Owner David Sykes combined a lifetime of boating with decades of automotive and marine audio equipment experience to form Prospec Electronics. He started with partner Don Hammond, president of retailer Hammond Electronics of Columbus, Ohio. Early on, Prospec recognized the potential for marine-specific audio equipment, and quickly made inroads into the marine market. Product development is a passion with Sykes. This resulted in many marine industry innovations, including the first one-piece marine speaker in 1986; Seatop, the first protective shield for radios in 1996; and the patented Seashroud installation system and protective cover in 2004. "All these ideas came from years of solving mounting problems in the automotive markets, along with knowing what it takes to make a product survive in the marine environment," explained Sykes. In May 1993, David and Mary Sykes purchased Hammond's interest in the company. They relocated Prospec to Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, and started in a rented 2,500 square foot facility with 6 employees. Today,Prospec occupies more than 15,000 square feet of office, warehouse and service department space and has an experienced staff of 35 employees. In addition to its Seaworthy brand, Prospec helped launch JVC into the market and was responsible for encouraging Infinity and JBL to develop a dedicated marine line. These successful introductions were due to its direct involvement in each company's product design, as well as the marketing and promotion to the industry. The latest technologies and components are built into Prospec's products. Electronic Shock Protection prevents CDs from skipping while a boat is underway. Many of its stereo systems include auxiliary inputs for MP3, satellite radio or DVD. Prospec ensures product integrity through its quality control department. Circuit boards are encapsulated in a unique PUC polymer moisture coating, which can be seen under UV light. It indicates whether any areas of the circuit board are unprotected. In the water test chamber, a continuous spray runs over stereo faces at 2 gallons per minute. The heat chamber duplicates a wet, covered boat, with high humidity and temperatures reaching 150º. A shock chamber vibrates products at high rates to ensure CD mechanisms will stay in place. Prospec's torture tank tests for durability in its pool and spa applications, using high doses of chemicals such as chlorine and bromide. The company continues its tradition of innovation by constantly transforming cutting edge automotive technology into quality marine products. This summer, Prospec is premiering 3 radios, including models with black box technology, and a wireless remote control unit. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 July 2006 ) |
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