Vanworks succeeds by adapting to changing market needs

Vanworks Car Audio, in Gilford, has grown by offering much more than just car audio, upgrading boats and motorcycles as well. From left, technicians Mo Collins, Jessica Rando and Kevin Pratt, and owner Jay Barton. (Adam Drapcho /Laconia Daily Sun)

By ADAM DRAPCHO, LACONIA DAILY SUN

GILFORD — There was a time when aftermarket automotive audio equipment was big business. A couple of decades ago – when people listened to compact disks, and not every car had a CD player – an aftermarket head unit was a nearly ubiquitous upgrade for a used car. And those who wanted to turn heads could add more powerful amplifiers and speakers, so that they could be heard before they could be seen.

"Back when I was in high school, everyone had a $2,000 car with a $4,000 stereo," said Jay Barton, owner of Vanworks Car Audio in Gilford. Barton, now 35, has seen the market change significantly since then. The shift has been driven by higher quality, and more capable, stereos put into cars at the factory. Today, most people are satisfied with their stock audio system, which has removed a lot of volume from the aftermarket audio industry.

So, is it a bad time to be running a small audio shop? Actually, no, says Barton. As the market shrank, the largest players, including chain retailers such as Tweeter, died off. But a small shop can survive on a lot less than a big-box store, and Barton says his business is very healthy – growing, even.

"I have an increasing share in a decreasing market," said Barton.

Barton, the son of an entrepreneur, didn't wait long to go into business for himself. At 19, he founded a boat detailing company, which he grew and then sold. Five years ago, he bought Vanworks, a company that's been around for longer than he's been alive.

As the name suggests, Vanworks, started in the late 1970s, was originally created to service van owners who wanted a custom ride – fuzzy dice, sun roofs and shag carpet interiors. Fortunately, automotive fashion evolved, and Vanworks found itself moving into automotive audio installations. By the time that Barton bought the company, he said, "The business was still viable but it needed to be taken in other directions."

Although most car buyers today are satisfied with their vehicle's stereo, they may wish that it had other features that it does not. And, chances are good that the technicians at Vanworks can add them.

Since the state's law went into effect last year, Vanworks has fitted many older cars with Bluetooth devices that allow drivers to legally use their phones while driving. Barton's shop can also retrofit many other modern features into older cars, or newer cars that didn't come with certain options from the factory. Those features include: back-up cameras, window tinting, blind-spot monitors, heated seats, remote start systems and DVD players for back-seat passengers. And he still is happy to serve the young drivers who want their car to be the loudest in the parking lot.

"We have a really broad demographic. We have the high school kids who are all about that bass, we have the elderly customers that are all about safety features, the guy that just wants creature comforts, and the guy that has a nice car that wants better audio equipment," said Barton.

If it moves, and has a motor, the chances are good that Vanworks can work on it. Older, well-cared-for RVs and speedboats still perform as well as they did 30 years ago but the cassette player has got to go. Motorcyclists want a stereo they can hear at highway speeds, and snowmobilers want to be able to start their machine remotely. He has even had customers inquire about remote start on a snowblower.

Despite all of the new offerings, automotive audio is still a big part of the business. Audio jobs range from inexperienced customers who attempted to install their own upgrade, and it doesn't work, to exotic sports cars and show-quality classics.

"We do everything from mild to wild," said Barton.

Five years since buying the business, Barton said he's doing double the volume that Vanworks was doing in 2011. He has moved to a much larger facility in Gilford, which has allowed his technicians to perform CNC fabrication and wood work. Still, he sees the business has having a natural limit.

"The car and boat business is a niche market, but it's always going to be there. There's not many people that can do what my techs can do," he said. To find further growth, Barton recently bought Sound Resort, in North Conway, which specializes in home and commercial audio-visual installations. That, he sees as an area for significant growth in the Lakes Region – everything from simple jobs, such as hanging a new flat-screen TV on a customer's wall, to large-scale jobs such as sound systems for restaurants or televisions at a sports bar.

"The home and commercial side is what can really grow. That is something that is going to continue to evolve." Barton said. "It's always changing. Business, like in life, it's always moving forward."