President
Over the past 30 years, I’ve founded several successful businesses. I’m passionate about business, creating something from nothing, and helping others improve their operations.
An avid car audio enthusiast, I recognized a niche that was not being filled in my local market. In 1992, I bought the inventory of a defunct retailer and quickly sold and installed most of it in my parents’ garage. On September 6, 1994, at age 23, I opened what would become my obsession for the next 29 years: Schaffer’s Safe & Sound, which is known today as Mobile Edge.
Mobile Edge was named one of the top retailers of its kind in the United States every year from 2008–18. In 2010, we won the Mobile Electronics Retailer of the Year award, the highest honor in the industry. In June 2023, I sold the company to a long-time employee and am happy to say that the business is continuing to thrive.
In 2005, I realized that traditional advertising was not working. I began to use online marketing to promote Mobile Edge. This strategy proved very effective, and the company began to pull customers from other states. In 2010, I phased out all traditional advertising, and the store relies exclusively on online marketing.
I realized that I could duplicate this for other mobile electronics retailers. In 2012, I launched 1sixty8 media. We handle website development and content marketing for some of the best retailers in the 12Volt industry. 1sixty8 media consists of a team of industry veterans who have laser-focused talents that I bring together to produce best-in-class websites filled with epic content.
In January 2018, 1sixty8 media became the exclusive reseller of the Mitchell1 ProDemand software for the mobile enhancement industry. In October 2018, we re-launched BestCarAudio.com as a consumer-facing website educating consumers about the many ways they can enhance their vehicles and directing them to qualified brick and mortar retailers who can fulfill their needs.
I can be reached at mitch@1sixty8.com.