Power Accessory and Electronics Upfitting Specialists
Our Automotive Electronics History
Our journey in the automotive accessory market started back in January, 1976 when the owner, John Campbell, was hired by Howard Distributors in Portland, Maine. This was in the middle of the CB boom. Some of us remember that, don't we 'good buddy'. It quickly blossomed into 8-Track players (which were the size of a toaster) and FM converters being installed under dash. Sound systems quickly evolved into in-dash units. The late 70's also included the introduction of the annoying key buzzer. Reminding you that the key was still in the ignition. Howard Distributors made much money disconnecting those buzzers. Installers were very happy to see the buzzer replaced by bells & tones.Alarm systems weren't too far behind... the first systems had no remote controls. They required the drilling of a fender so a key switch could be installed. IR (infra-red) and RF (radio frequency) transmitters were quickly developed saving a lot of installation time.
John installed one of the first, aftermarket on-board computer systems. It gave miles per gallon, distance to empty, gallons of fuel in the tank and controlled the vehicle's speed. To calibrate the system you had to empty the vehicle's gas tank and refill it one gallon at a time, then you had to drive the vehicle exactly one mile. It was a very time consuming process.
Howard Distributors quickly expanded it's offerings to include sunroofs and running boards as well. John was the installation manager for almost 11 years at Howard Distributors. His installation crew consisted of 7 installers when he left Howard Distributors for Orlando, Florida in the fall of 1986.
Shortly after arriving in Florida he got a job at Car Tunes and helped them with their 'Christmas rush'. After leaving Car Tunes John quickly got a job with Audiovox at their Orlando warehouse. After almost 2 years, Audiovox decided to close many warehouses around the nation, Orlando being one of them. John took this as an opportunity to venture out on his own. Hence the creation of Campbell Automotive Technologies.
C.A.T. was started in October, 1988 and has persevered through many market downturns. Our business model has allowed us to stay in business when others have folded.
Serving the Automotive Dealership Business since 1988
In the business since 1976, serving Central Florida Dealerships since 1988
* We Look Good, By Making You Look Good *
* We Look Good, By Making You Look Good *