Auto Obsessed at the SEMA 2022 Show and we're at Griot Garage we're just going to meet here
with Nick Griots it's good seeing you again Nick good to see you too Troy appreciate it welcome
Auto Obsessed has been with Griots Garage now 12 years since 2010 we brought Griots Garage into
Canada we have a very special relationship with the Griots Garage at least I think so without a
doubt awesome, awesome manufacturer to deal with we're proud to carry their brand they have an
amazing model Have Fun in Your Garage and that's truly in my opinion that's really what it is yeah
your entire product line is geared to the guys who work in the garage yeah they have the free
time you know my dad really started this business because of out of frustration with the time he had
away from my mom and the four kids he had myself included yeah and so his garage time was precious
and you didn't want to go out and be disappointed by some tool or some process you were trying to
you know create right or complete in that precious time and you know 32 years on we've got a lot of
solutions absolutely you know you experience a lot of different things and yeah you know with
all the brands and products you offer you've got a problem and you have a solution you can sell that
problem exactly or sell that solution yeah exactly so this year no surprise here Griots has brought a
number of products a number of new innovations that you'll be releasing soon yes right so you
know we do all of our in-house development we have a team of Chemists in our plants in Indianapolis
and chemical development is a big focus of ours because we can do it right we aren't buying from
somebody else we're doing it from scratch we're looking at what the marketplace tells us where are
the gaps in our line how can we improve upon the best that's out there and deliver it at a price
and effectiveness that again helps that person to have fun doing what they enjoy which is spending
time around their cars exactly so you've got this in your hand yes so Griots has been doing
polishers I don't even know how long I mean before when we first went on board I think it was version
three already of the 6-inch I think two or three of the of the 6-inch now a couple more iterations
a lot of tool line up now I got a bigger focus on tool and tell me about that one yeah so this we
actually switched our manufacturer a few years ago probably actually it was 2016 okay because we were
at the end of that third generation tools life we started selling a porter cable 7424 in 1992
that's what Richard had brought random orbital and at home polishing yeah to the marketplace
and we had enough volume that hey we could make our own machine so you know 2019 we debuted the
G9 which is our you know standard Bearer the 9mm polisher that can serve pretty much any beginner
and also fit in a Pros shop yeah and since then we've developed six new polishers and this would
be the seven right however this one has been the longest development project of any of the other
tools in particular because we have some unique patents that apply to this tool okay and we had
to navigate the world of lithium-ion power tools right we've got some big names in that space yeah
with some big patents and they carry a slightly bigger stick than us so we don't want to cross
them but this is our BOSS Hybrid Micro Polisher once again it's been in development for four years
we're going to be selling this early 2023 what is unique about this we have a pivoting head with
multiple positions that can really give you access to a lot of hard to reach places now there is a
Micro Polisher market now and we think that we've taken what is out there and improved upon all
of their faults including the power to actually drive pads in both the rotary and random orbital
patterns 1, 2, and 3-inch plates just a quick change system to go from rotary to actually a
13mm orbital with a stainless steel CNC machine counterbalance and then the three backing plates
that can be adapted to either that rotary or that orbital drive right okay so brushless
motor that's all housed in the head of course the ergonomics are a huge Focus for us and then we've
got a really cool feature this LED readout that gives you one an odometer so the overall life of
the tool how long you've used it a job timer so if you're somebody that's making money detailing
and you get a customer arguing about how much time they spent polishing the fins on your Testarossa
yeah guess what you've got the proof to tell them how long you spend on that and then a speed
readout that measures both OPMs and RPMs depending upon the drive system another amazing aspect it's
lithium ion it's extremely lightweight yeah once you feel that yeah and then it's really light
actually 25 to 55 minutes of run time depending on the size of the backing plate and the delivery so
whether orbital or rotary right but we do have an inverter so you can plug a cord in there run
this tool all day right and as you heard it's pretty quiet and then that yeah it's super quiet
really nice that brushless motor right yeah and then also your cord system that
you have on all the BOSS tools goes into this inverter is that correct it does yeah so the
same you can use the same cord one chord one two machines yeah that's awesome that's really
good so just to clarify for me so we've got three sizes we've got 1-inch, 2-inch, 3-inch
random orbital and rotary correct yes right so we just changed the counterbalance to make a rotary
right yep or sorry counter mounts to make it to DA and then non-counter balance to do rotary yeah
so I don't know I guess that's six tools in one it's pretty sweet yep pretty much with the with
the head that moves yep so we've got a couple positions there that's awesome yep and that's a
patented design from us so we're hoping that you know we continue to innovate and be the sharpest
tool in the back right yeah and then this too for me I like tools with cases yep so this with the
case yes and this is still a prototype fiber look yep and it will you know be embossed with Griots
Garage and house all of your accessories including multiple batteries all your plates all right some
pads space for the tool and then of course the lithium ion charger as well which is included in
the base unit very nice yep we got a doing little extension shaft gosh oh it's pretty firm tolerance
there yeah exactly so yeah you can really extend that rotary get into some pretty tight spots
with that right so we're pretty excited about this tool and after a long development cycle
to bring it to Market it's pretty exciting so we'll see that in the 2023 season yep
so as soon as they've got all their checks and balances done we'll have it in the store for you
all right and as I mentioned we've got a lot of liquids to talk about you know if you're a product
developer not developing a product you're out of a job exactly all right so we definitely push the
envelope and our manufacturing team right now is quite busy bringing all of these formulas into
production to the marketplace so we're looking at early to mid December for all the products
we'll talk about okay at least as they come to Market we'll get them to you as soon as we can
right perfect so we'll start with our Ceramic Metal Polish this is an all-in-one concept for
oxidized or dulled Metals you know our BOSS line of abrasives features a very high quality aluminum
oxide some Micron abrasive you're going to see a very similar abrasive package in this paired
with our ceramic intermediate that is present in all of our ceramic products okay so great
durability ease of use by both hand and machine and even though a lot of modern cars don't have
a lot of you know metal right you know when do you need to polish metal when it's older on an
older car so it's great for Chrome Raw Metals and what we've found is that you know a lot
of these metal polishes unless it's a straight Rouge we'll have some polymer aspects some UV
inhibition right now we kind of up the ante with a ceramic polymer package so exceeding
durability to the market bearing standards right so this is uncoated aluminum stainless Chrome yes
right polish and ceramic protection in one yep right perfect we learned a lot from our Ceramic
All-In-One that we debuted last year in terms of marrying the capability the abrasive and the
protection package so this one was a need and a niche in our product line and so we're very
proud to bring that one to Market excellent yeah next up is our Ceramic Tire Dressing
so if you're unaware of the silicone Market the last couple years like we were talking about a lot
of Manufacturers have been shuttered or there are prohibitions on where that silicone can come from
okay people are looking for tire dressings but the price of them have just exploded right so we were
able to take the intermediate that we developed and then what we know about Tire dressings in
general and develop a low silicone Tire dressing that gives a nice rich dark finish not excessively
glossy and then awesome durability right you can spray this directly onto the tire with and apply
with a brush or a foam applicator however you prefer to apply it okay and what do you what
are you guys thinking for or what have you tested for durability what do you so my first durability
test with this was a 2000 mile road trip down to San Francisco and my brand new Bronco which has
mud terrains yeah got in some weather came back rinsed the tires off just to see what was still
there and I had nothing to do all right so we're getting about 12 washes in an objective test okay
so a single wash you know you generally might have to reapply after you use a tire cleaning product
so to withstand that many washes is definitely impressive out of you know something takes you
five minutes to apply right yeah so obviously the durability is going to depend on your region
right yep you're testing and using mostly in Washington on your road trip and then throughout
North America in Canada we usually knock them down a little bit because of all the slush and salt and
calcium chloride and everything else we put on the roads but that's very promising that's very
interesting yeah ease of use and durability are key right I mean absolutely everybody wants nice
looking tires yeah you can tell a car is dirty by your wheel and tire package 100% a car is not done
until those wheels are clean and the rubber is perfectly dressed absolutely y'all have nice clean
shoes right that's right so next we have two Water Spot Remover formulas we have a gel application
okay and a sprayable application the spray really benefits those hard to reach areas where you might
get spots such as you know your trunk runs door jambs or really large surfaces and then the gel
is more of a position vision application and obviously having the preference between the
two really will allow us to reach anybody who has water spot removing needs right can act as a way
in particular with high solids chemical resistant coatings that tend to water spot right you don't
want to polish off the coating yeah these products are really in Vogue in that and we can also use
them on our standard you know a ceramic infused products as well as you find that water spotting
happens right and then polishing glass and polishing paint if you can avoid that with a
simple product that you wipe on a lot of dwell and rinse off it's a great benefit right and we have a
unique acid that is contained within here that is less corrosive from a human harm standpoint okay
so you can actually use these products you know I do the stuff around my kids right so I'm very
sensitive that and obviously the US is very strict in terms of what we can place in VOC levels all
those kind of considerations that we are able to do with our own in-house development perfect safe
yet effective products right and just high level than how would we use this here so we've got to
spray and then we've got the gel yep so what would this is something obviously in the car wash stage
yeah I would most likely say wash your car and then the next least invasive method is going to be
clay right if you can take off some of the mineral deposits that the water spots generally you know
come from without compromising and protection that's great if you still see them this would be
your next step right before you know concluding hey I need to go polish my paint to get rid of
some of these deeper edges right the spray can be sprayed directly onto the surface you know minding
any sensitive Rubber and allowed to dwell for approximately a minute and then rinsed off right
you know just you want to use those in obviously low wind environments so it's not getting on
something you don't need to treat because yeah it will compromise a you know standard sealant
or carnauba wax but in the case of Ceramics you're pretty much good to go and you've gotten rid of
a very annoying thing that we all deal with exactly yeah and then the gel as I mentioned
is more Precision right you apply it to a foam applicator treat the area that is afflicted with
the water spots again rinse to neutralize the acid wipe clean right and then reapply your waxes or
sealant Ceramics should be fine yes okay perfect excellent next up we have our 3-in-1 Wheel Tire
Mat Cleaner so most of our wheel cleaners are famous for being pH neutral and effective and
safe on many different wheel types the wheel and tire cleaner combos are more alkaline in
general right everybody wants to claim non-acid base right so we've got a very effective cleaner
that we've benchmarked against what is known as the preeminent standard in that is not just you
know the consumer grade but also the professional realm and in development we focused on a couple
things cling and foam so that you get more chemical action without that product running
off the tire wheel and then that same cling allows for more working time whereas these high alkaline
ones that run off and dry quickly yeah you know sometimes you only have 30 seconds right to get
your work done so a lot of damage yeah and really can compromise sensitive wheel finishes right so
in development we focus on that it's got a nice clinging foam also smells very good okay versus
some of them that will grab your throat and nose yeah really unpleasant and then the utility of
rubber floor mats which in harsh environments much like Edmonton Alberta you know in the winter
time those mats will dull up pretty quickly that's right yeah the ability to bring those
back make your interior look great without that kind of dueling or embedded dirt yeah you know
you do all your wet work at once before you start washing your car right pull your mats out do your
mats wheels and tires hang your mats up so they'll dry by the time you've cleaned the entire car and
then you dress the wheel you dress the rubber afterwards yea one two punch right there okay
yeah and last but not least from the chemical I've got two more chemicals two more chemicals
our Brilliant Finish Snow Foam we have a lot of consumers that don't have access to a pressure
washer okay they primarily use our foaming sprayer right and so really the focus here is give a
superior experience to somebody who's utilizing a car wash soap and really focus on foam production
for pre-washing right so we can minimize the amount of dirt on the car this is going to
be one of our highest output Foams and developed specifically for use foaming sprayer foam cannons
right one of the best smelling products we've ever made okay without a doubt you're going to have to
guess the scent before you leave here okay I can kind of guess a couple by the color but I don't
know we'll see how deep your scent knowledge goes but it's a great smelling product so very excited
about that we have great foaming products this is just another expansion to really give everybody
the benefit of foam and get them the right product for the tools that they are equipped with right so
we got two more yeah we got one more chemical I'm really excited about this is very standard
issue in the professional realm Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner three specific dilution ratios for heavy
degreasing interior use and then light duty cleaning as well okay so at a four to one a
ten to one and a twenty to one okay we pair that with a really easy to decipher dilution bottle so
you know dilution is always kind of a chore unless you have a dilution machine in your shop
yeah exactly and everyone just guesses so this is perfect yeah we've got the increments right on the
bottle all yep and so very nice Citrus scent it's non-ph. neutral so it's going to be more effective
than say just a standard soap that you're applying to a specific purpose right and in particular
we're serving the professional who wants to buy one product have multiple uses okay so our end
consumers will really enjoy this product as well but we were asked by professionals hey
this is what we need and we want you to develop it for us so you're ashamed to not listen to your
customers yeah and I would assume the smell always good always good it's perfect well we
pride ourselves on so the last Innovation that I really want to talk about is our lithium-ion
Cordless Foamer and Sprayer okay so very common to have pump up pressure based foaming and spraying
tools obviously you got to pump them quite a bit that's right yeah so this tool is unique
in that it's not pressure based it's suction based 7.2 amp hour lithium-ion battery about a
55 minute run time okay and we include both the foaming and/or spraying tip okay so you can run
alkaline pH neutral acidic products through it we kind of draw the line at something as
aggressive as like a brake cleaner well of course yeah but for detailing purposes you can imagine a
waterless washing solution post wash Rinse Aid or Drying Aid such as our Ceramic Speed Shine okay
yeah 120 trigger pulls versus pressing the button running around the car right definitely a major
Improvement in terms of how you deliver that and avoid fatigue right so let me again suction base
56 ounce Reservoir so you can carry quite a bit of product and then a waterproof charger for you
know the quick recharging yeah that's really cool yeah excellent really excited for that one and
again that really the biggest difference once you lose the O-rings on those pressure based Pumpers
you know you got a long way to go whereas the suction really lowers the demand on the O-rings
and internals and can give you effective spring and foaming for quite a long time right wow that's
a huge lineup this year yes so the polisher is going to be sometime in 2023 the liquid products
will be as the release so some of them will be at the end of this season and then into early 2023 so
we'll have those on our shelves in store or online autoobsessed.com and thank you Nick once again for
spending some time with me it's always a pleasure I'm just happy to see you in person exactly yeah
it's been great Nick's been in our home City there and you don't want to come now though no we
got six inches of snow today we don't want to be there today but thanks again really appreciate it
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