installer of the YEAR
Justin Kush brings his skills as an artist to Mobile Toys, where he draws concepts for clients. The concept shown here was for a build in a 1960s Cadillac Eldorado, which combined a modern touch with a classy look
After his first time pursuing the Industry Awards, Justin Kush was named Installer of the Year during December’s KnowledgeFest.Live event. Kush specializes in fabrication at Mobile Toys in College Station, Texas, where he’s now one of three team members who’ve earned the illustrious title. “I’m an artist. I draw a lot and I paint. I went to the Art Institute of Seattle and got a degree in 3D Animation,” he said. “The art side of it, the fabrication, the vision has always been there for me. Being able to explain to a customer what I’m seeing and being able to draw a quick sketch helps out a lot.” Kush has also taken the reins when it comes to creating renderings for clients so they can get an idea of what the end result will look like. He added that the things he learned about video editing while in college also helped him in the process of submitting material for the
34 Mobile Electronics January 2021
awards. He uses Procreate to give clients an idea of what he can do for them. “It’s the closest thing there is to drawing with real pen and paper,” he said, though the program provides tools that, once mastered, can also help someone who isn’t an artist accomplish their goals. The user’s hand doesn’t need to be perfectly steady, for example. “The program will fine-tune your work. You just need to know the techniques to bring out your vision. It’s like fabricating: You have the strategy. You just need to apply it.” Thirsty for Knowledge About 15 years ago, Kush began his career working at Circuit City. “I knew nothing,” he said, adding that he stayed there for about five years. “Anthony Lyons showed me the ropes—Steve Brown’s stuff, the Alpine vehicles and the custom side of the industry. I always liked
building things.” Kush’s automotive interest initially led him into the 12-volt industry, and it took time for him to discover his passion for car audio. Shortly after he left Circuit City, the business closed its doors. After accepting a position at Car Toys, Kush worked there for five years “with guys who had tons of experience,” he added. “In the bay, total, we had over 100 years of experience between all of us—that’s a lot.” After leaving Car Toys, Kush joined the staff at a shop called Epic Customs, where he continued to grow professionally. He applied the knowledge he’d accumulated by working on large custom builds, including big rigs. “We built an entertainment system with four woofers in the bed of these trucks,” he explained. “I did two of those, and then I did a sound quality build in a Toyota 4-Runner, and that was my first DSP.”
