Another multi-generation company, PCI Race Radios, joins us on the podcast with President Scott Steinberger. Scott is generation #2 with all three of his kids making up generation #3 as they learn the ins and outs of the company. We talk about Weatherman, Baja, and the future of PCI on Episode 126. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app to Conversations with Big Rich – subscribe to find out who drops next week.
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5:48 – I have three kids that are maybe a little spoiled
9:51– PCI has been able to keep stuff in stock
12:04 – we’ve got to carry a year’s worth of product on hand so we don’t ever run out
15:10 – the stars on top of Diablo are incredible, it’s like a light show every night
18:00 – the advent of satellite communications has really filled in a lot of gaps
23:59 – Bill’s like, “think you can put radios in the cars?” – the birth of Weatherman
33:19 – racers are last minute, I’d be up half the night wiring helmets so we’d be ready
42:34 – I really think having a single seat car where when you break down you have to help yourself taught me problem solving
47:26 – he came in as a guy on the tour and now he’s living the life for sure
56:13 – it’s not the car that’s passing you that’s the problem, it’s the car that’s trying to pass him
We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:47.290] – Big Rich Klein
On today’s episode of conversations with big Rich, we have Scott Steinberger. Scott is the president of PCI Race Radios. He is an off road racer. His dad was the original weatherman. Scott has taken that title now. And we’re going to talk about Scott, Bob and PCI Race Radio. So Scott, thank you so much for coming on board and spending some time with us.
[00:02:15.010] – Scott Steinberger
Thanks for having me, Rich.
[00:02:16.870] – Big Rich Klein
So let’s jump in right away. And I know that you were born and raised in Southern California, but want to get a little more specific?
[00:02:28.390] – Scott Steinberger
Cypress, California. People ask, Where Cypress? It’s close to Anaheim and right next to the Los Alamedos race track.
[00:02:35.890] – Big Rich Klein
Excellent. And when you were growing up, was it still pretty rural?
[00:02:43.790] – Scott Steinberger
When I was a kid there was still a lot of strawberries around here, yes.
[00:02:47.540] – Big Rich Klein
And as a kid, did you find your way into those strawberry fields and picking strawberries?
[00:02:56.810] – Scott Steinberger
We kind of ran everywhere and there were a lot of fields and the ones that we ended up being in was the ones they let fallow a few years and they get tall weeds in them and we’d build forts in the tall weeds.
[00:03:09.770] – Big Rich Klein
Nice. And was it a youth of riding bicycles to start off with or were you able to start with, like, motorcycles?
[00:03:22.250] – Scott Steinberger
No, it was bicycles. My father had a thing against motorcycles. He dealt with the SCORE weatherman thing for so long and motorcycles were always getting people hurt, in my opinion.
[00:03:39.910] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, I kind of grew up the same way. My mom lost a couple of friends right. In high school and after high school on motorcycles. And so she forbid it, but I’d hide one. You might say it a friend’s, right?
[00:03:52.860] – Scott Steinberger
Yeah.
[00:03:53.650] – Big Rich Klein
So let’s explore those early years a little deeper. The school that you went to, was it nearby?
[00:04:02.750] – Scott Steinberger
Yeah, I went to Cypress High School.
[00:04:04.520] – Big Rich Klein
Okay.
[00:04:06.890] – Scott Steinberger
My last child is still in it. He’s a junior at Cypress High School. Just started a few days ago.
[00:04:12.800] – Big Rich Klein
Wow, legacy then the whole family.
[00:04:15.500] – Scott Steinberger
Yeah. PCI was in Signal Hill for from 81 to 2017 and then we moved to Cypress So I basically have my business in my town. In fact, one of the old strawberry fields we used to play in is where PCI is at.
[00:04:29.860] – Big Rich Klein
Oh, nice. I knew that. I’d been to the Signal hill. I haven’t been over there to the new store yet. Oh yes, I have, I have it’s the big warehouse. Yeah, that’s right. Okay, so with going to school there and stuff, how were you as a student? Were you studious?
[00:04:53.990] – Scott Steinberger
I got by.
[00:04:54.940] – Big Rich Klein
You got by, that’s right. That’s the most common answer.
[00:04:59.810] – Scott Steinberger
Yeah.
[00:05:02.810] – Big Rich Klein
My grandson is starting 8th grade this next Monday up in Idaho and the fifth, 6th and 7th. He’s not been real motivated and I keep telling him, you got five more years. The next five years is the most important for you to figure out what you want to do and where you want to take it from there. Because he’s got all these grand plans of racing and rock crawling and having this, having that, and I said, if you just screw off, you’re not going to get there. Those things are just not going to show up unless you put work in. Do you try to instill that in your kids?
[00:05:48.810] – Scott Steinberger
I have three kids now working at PCI and they’re doing really well. I would say my kids were a little spoiled, I was spoiled and I think my kids were a little spoiled. And I wish I would have probably instilled education as a more larger factor in their lives than we did and they came straight to work like I did. I did the same thing. I came straight to work. And I think the networking of college is a neat thing and I think it helps you in life. There’s something to be said about getting to work and learning your business and learning to plug holes and take care of what needs to be taken care of. The nice thing about a family business is I got three kids that I’ve had employees move on over the years and your kids, they might move on, but I feel like I’m investing smart.
[00:06:48.410] – Big Rich Klein
Investment in them right in their future and as they take over the business. I agree 100%. Okay. That does make sense for a business especially like yours since it has been such a family business. I know that this is probably jumping way ahead, but as far as PCI is concerned. Have you been approached by any of the, what do you want to call it? Conglomerates guys that have you know, there’s all these businesses that are becoming conglomerates, family run businesses being bought up and hedge funds? Yeah, hedge funds. Have you guys been approached that way?
[00:07:31.930] – Scott Steinberger
I’ve had a few people talk to me. The legacy part of it, I feel like my dad started this and it gave me a great place in life, and I feel like I need to give that to my kids as well. READ MORE
