Today we’d like to introduce you to John Roberts.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a fascination for tearing things apart and learning how they work as a kid I would take part radio it’s electronics and figure out what internals they had and how they were and then try to put them back together often unsuccessfully lol fast-forward to graduating from high school I didn’t feel like I was ready for college so I decided I was gonna go to the military and was placed into a job in an electronic communication role I received a certification from GTE to replace components circuitry in troubleshoot, communication systems, then left military came home worked four years for summit racing and four years at Matco tools and then got an associates of computer, electronic engineering technology for my TT tech and then move to Charleston South Carolina to take a new position with the time Itt who later became Lincoln Electric installing troubleshooting plasma, cutting tables in the spring of 2015 I had purchased a boat I had no stereo system in it and I had requested that they put one in it. They wanted to charge me $850 for spirit head unit and two speakers. I was like I can do it myself so for $350. I installed the head unit and four speakers, at that point I said to myself, I could do this as a side hustle I got the company name and then started working from there. It was all word-of-mouth and I would just do small project here and there for friends and friend of friends. We’re on that same time I started working for the South Carolina Port Autority as an industrial electrician working on their Cranes and we had a small hiccup with the ILA and taking over a terminal that we had built and there was some questions to whether or not our employment was going to stay status quo. I don’t went ahead and poured more effort into the business that was in , 2024 there is a middle at the end of 2024 at that point I went ahead and got all my advanced certificates and started training and becoming a factory authorized technician with most of vendors and I deal with I am currently the only AVIKUS Neubot authorized technician in Charleston. I’m constantly working on bringing as much technical expertise and knowledge as I can to all of my customers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. Luckily enough for me I love a challenge. I moved down to Charleston from Ohio in 2011. I grew up around Lake Erie. I was never really on the water guy up there but I love the beach. I love the atmosphere and such down here so getting into this business and not knowing anybody in the business, not having the recommendations oralready having a customer base. It’s all been uphill building customers building my reputation building my business building my brand, but it’s starting to get there. I’ve made a ton of connections in this business and I can’t wait to make more.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rodan Electronics . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a mobile Marine electronics installation in troubleshooting business. I do everything from troubleshooting power and lights on the boat to installing power management systems new chart, plotters, setting up chart, plotters, inner communication between chart, platters, and other items basically all the electronics on board a boat to help you navigate communicate and see where you’re going at this time. I do not do engine services but it’s something that I’m looking for in the future of hiring an engine tech so that I could start doing engine services when I started there was probably only about four or five of us in the industry doing mobile most everybody was a shot that you had to take your boat too since then, and after Covid, though there have been a multitude of businesses that have popped up that are doing mobile, electronics or mobile services of some sort
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I’d say it’s the whole core of my business. There have been another time that I’ve reached out to service providers in the area and requested Services was told that I was gonna get a call back or somebody was going to show up and that wouldn’t happen I wouldn’t get callbacks. I’d basically get ghosted. Nobody would show up to do work and you struggle to find somebody that’s actually going to show up and answer your call so one of the things that I wanted to make sure is that I answer every call that I can and if I don’t answer it, I call them back within 2 to 3 hours max you know when you’re down inside of a Belgian boat and you’re trying to get something done, you kinda don’t wanna break away from it right then in there, but you know and then staying in communication with the customer involving the customer in the changes in the updates and the things that you’re doing to their vessel cause in the end, it’s their vessel and they’re the ones that are gonna have to play with it so I don’t forcefully tell them that they need to pick one or the other. I’m not a strict Garmin guy I don’t fully represent Simrad because those are all preferences of the customer whatever the customer wants customer is gonna get put in salt on your boat, how long is this gonna work and talk together and then honesty and pricing you know I don’t out price myself. I’m not trying to be the most expensive person in Charleston but I wanna make sure that I’m doing the best work and that there’s not a question about my honesty
Pricing:
- Initial diagnostic and repair $350
- Hourly $150 per tech
- Package installations per package
Contact Info:
- Website: https://RodanElectronics.com
- Instagram: Rodan_electronics
- Facebook: Rodanelectronics
