Here is some information on GoFast Solutions, the Connecticut-based distributor, which just purchased the mobile electronics division of MRI,
GoFast Solutions is a racing parts distributor led by David Prinz, who is also a merchandising manager for MRI.
GoFast has been distributing racing parts and safety products, including racing seats, helmets, suits, and head and neck restraints, since 2016.
“I was still working at MRI and built the business nights and weekends,” said Prinz.
“My son started racing back in 2012. I saw a need for a true distributor in this area,” he continued. “We were all buying our parts from California. We started building a business out of that. I was a sales manager at MRI and I asked Bob [Robert Dean, MRI President] if I could focus more on this. He thought it was great,” said Prinz, noting that MRI thought it might one day expand into the racing market if it proved viable.
As we reported this week, MRI, a Northeast car and home audio distributor was sold in March to SnapAV, which specializes in home and commercial audio, and so MRI sold off its car audio division to GoFast.
Prinz expects GoFast will work with the manufacturers that MRI distributed. He is currently obtaining signed contracts from those manufacturers, he said.
MRI carried brands including Advent, Alpine, ArcticStart, Atrend, AudioControl, Brandmotion, Compustar, Crimestopper, CRUX, Diamond, Directed, Dual, Dynaudio, ESCORT, Fortin, FTX, Heise, Hushmat, InstallBay, Jensen, JVC, Kenwood, Kicker, Kleinn, Metra, Parrot, PIAA, PRV Audio, Putco, Race Sport, Rockford Fosgate, Rydeen, SPL Boxes, Shuriken, SiriusXM, VAIS, UltraStart, VisionX, VOXX, Waylens, WeatherTech, and Westin.
GoFast said it hopes to help car audio dealers branch into racing and performance parts. And he hopes to encourage new shops to enter the car audio market, which it believes is underserved in the region. “We feel there’s a lot of untapped potential. We want to help dealers of all sizes get involved. We don’t see as many people as we’d like in the area. We’re here to help encourage that and to bring our existing dealer base some new categories of products in powersports and automotive performance that they couldn’t necessarily get before. So it’s exciting. There’s a lot of new opportunity,” said Prinz.
Prinz has worked in the car audio field on and off since the 90s. He was initially employed at The Sound Company, once a CT-based car audio chain and then moved to a computer distribution company where he gained experience as a distributor. He then ran a Boomer McCloud car audio franchise store in CT and eventually joined MRI in 2004.
GoFast will continue MRI dealer remote start and mobile electronics semi-annual expos. It employs a staff that helps dealers with branding, advertising art and logos.
Prinz may be reached at [email protected]
