After 33 years in business, a local car audio installation company has closed its doors permanently.
Founded in 1988, Anything Audio was located at 3906 Washington Road in Augusta. The business’s owner, Richard Hurt, says he decided to close for a combination of reasons. At 63, Hurt figured it was time to retire and enjoy spending time with his first grandchild. “I wanted to retire at 60 and then thought I could hold on until 66,” he states. “I made it halfway.” Hurt say he faced significant supply-chain issues. “Right now, the world has no radios, and that’s a pretty essential part of my business,” Hurt explains. Like many other businesses, he also had trouble finding and retaining employees. “Our industry is very specialized,” meaning not everyone knows how to install a car audio system correctly, Hurt says.
He also faced competition from similar businesses, such as Lawson’s Audio, which opened in September at 4029 Washington Road in Martinez. Hurt has remained busy providing audio services for some of his former customers and getting his former building ready to lease. After owning Anything Audio for so many years, he primarily misses his customers. “I love all my customers,” Hurt states. “I’ve got an incredible following.”
