SLM Rocks NAMM, Honored as “Indy Friendly”
St. Louis Music had its most successful NAMM show ever, which was topped off by a special honor - the company was named one of the top three vendors by the independent Music Store Owners Association, acknowledging how easy it is to do business with SLM and its friendly and professional sales staff. Gordy Wilcher of Owensboro Music, and president of the iMSO, was on hand to personally hand the award to SLM CEO Mark Ragin. “We love you, St. Louis Music!” he declared.
(SLM has also used this occasion to launch its YouTube channel – find the NAMM highlight reel at SLM Rocks NAMM.)
“It is great to get recognized for what we do and how we do it,” says Rich Dumstorff, VP combo products and inside sales. “We do pride ourselves on being easy to work with and friendly, and that attitude comes from the top down – Mark [Ragin] began his career as an independent music instrument retailer. He knows the challenges they face and has the team do everything we can to make their business successful.”
Proving that SLM keeps the dealer front and center, the company gave away more than $1,200 in Starbucks vouchers to dealers who scheduled appointments with them—because if there’s one thing that helps dealers make the most of a NAMM show, it’s caffeine.
Among the biggest buzz of the show was the Alvarez deal: Read the details here, but SLM is now under the comprehensive stewardship of all aspects of the guitar line. “Except for a brief period, Alvarez has been part of the SLM stable since 1969,” explains Chris Meikle, Senior VP. “We’re extremely happy to assume management of the brand once again. Significant investment into product development, design, and distribution is already underway—the future and legacy of Alvarez will be well nurtured under our management.” He adds that the new Alvarez Regency line received high praise from dealers.
There was much excitement in the booth. Percussionists/drummers Billy Cobham and Alex Acuna came to the booth to show support for the Gon Bops line. From Suzuki Violins, Yoshitaka Nishio and Takahashi Suzuki spent time in the booth with SLM VP Jim Eaton. “It was a thrill to have them come, and we’re honored to be able to distribute these great violins,” Eaton said. Also garnering a lot of buzz were the P. Mauriat saxes and the new Austin guitars.
“We signed on many new dealers, and had record-setting sales,” Dumstorff says. “It was a great show.”
