The crew of Extreme Performance (back row, l to r): Adam Wilson, Daren Munneke, Ian Black, Jesus Ferrer, Justin Marks, Zach Abass, Jeff Johnson, Scott Norris, Mike Baker. Front row: Mathew “Chewy” Kirkhart, Tyler Manion, Jeremy Carlson.
George “Corky” Underwood. I worked side by side with him whenever he was doing something. He was a plumber and HVAC tradesman, but could do anything. He taught me how to use most power tools and to respect them. With this background and my passion for cars, it was a natural fit to want to build things for cars, not just wiring. Once I left Precision Sound, I moved to Manhattan, Kansas to attend Kan- sas State University Technical College (for construction science). While attend- ing school I worked for a local car audio shop, Conde’s Audio and Video. They were more into home audio but dabbled in car stereo. I persuaded them to let me build sound rooms for them and to expand their car audio business. Build- ing displays was new for me, but it was no problem. I called my grandfather, got some ideas went to town. After that, I was offered a full-time install position at Audio Junction in Manhattan, Kansas. I had hit the big league! They have been in business a long time and I knew I could learn a ton there. I worked side-by-side with Mac Thornborough, who has been in the industry for a long time—and I believe he still is—and he had done it all from wiring to fabrication. I learned about fabrication inside vehicles from him.
Then I met Ian Black—who still
is my best friend—who worked at Uni- versity Audio in Lawrence, Kansas. We met at the first KnowledgeFest in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. We share the same passion for fabrication and always bounce ideas back and forth. I moved to Florida in 1997 and, just
out of luck, landed a job at Sounds of Southwest Florida located in Fort Myers. Little did I know there would be a few people working there who would influ- ence me tremendously. First, there was custom installation legend David “Fish- man” Rivera, and second, Zach Abass. Fish was great for his creativity and fab skills; Zach for his passion of sound quality. Once I moved on from there, I pretty much had a grip on fabrication and my own style.
ME: Do you have any other hobbies or interests that benefit from your creativity? Carlson: I enjoy working on my house and just building things in general. I’ve built several entertainment centers for high-end clients and I always try to raise the bar on each one using my creativity. I also enjoy spending time with my daugh- ters—Madelynn and Mia—building things out of Legos and teaching them creativity.
ME: How would you describe your work ethic? Carlson: I just work all the time, and
when I am not at work I am wiring on something. That’s all I know how to do is work. Ask my wife; I don’t sit still very well. I’m always thinking about what I have to build or what I should be doing. I got this trait from my grandfather as well. He never sat still either.
ME: Who are your greatest influences in the industry? Carlson: I mentioned a few already, but there are a lot of people who I have I looked up to for a long time. Mark Fuku- da, Brian Schmidt, Mike Vu, Steve Brown, Chris Yato, Jason Digos, and Gary Bell.
I
am sure I may have forgotten a few, but these are the ones I read about in the car audio magazines or met at shows, and I was always blown away by their talents. Then there are the people who gave me a chance along the way: Matthew Brown, owner of Extreme Performance; Paul Papadeas of Sounds Crafters; and Bill Jones who owns Metra Electronics.
ME: Who are the greatest influences in your personal life? Carlson: Let’s get the main one out of
the way-- my grandfather George Under- wood. He made me the man I am today. He taught me about respect, manners and morals. I can truly say without that
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