IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: CHAUVET DEALERS OF THE YEAR 2005
March - April 2006
There is a lot more than ringing up sales to being a crowned CHAUVET dealer of the year. Behind every honored dealership, there is a history of hard work, determination to succeed, a drive to excel and an unflinching commitment to the customer. Whether they are family-owned or publicly traded, whether they consist of a store or hundreds of outlets, these operations exemplify excellence across the board This year’s Dealer of the Year award winners, announced at January’s NAMM in California, are:
Mass Merchant of the Year: Guitar Center
Guitar Center’s amazing saga starts in 1959 when Wayne Mitchell bought a small appliance and home organ store in California’s Hollywood. Five years later, he was approached by Joe Banaran, president of the Thomas Organ Company, to sell a new line of guitars and amplifiers called Vox. The Vox Center store was born. By the late sixties, it had become clear that guitar and amps, not organs, would lead the future of musical instrument retailing and so the Vox center was re-christened The Guitar Center. The rest is history: With over 165 stores, Guitar Center has grown to become the nation’s leading retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio equipment and a top supplier of pro-lighting products. www.guitarcenter.com
Mail Order Merchant of the Year: Musician’s Friend
This marks Musician’s Friend third consecutive win in this category. The mail order arm of Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend is the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the US, a long shot away from its early beginnings in a Southern Oregon dairy barn. Products are sold exclusively through the company’s catalog and website. Musician’s Friend call center is located in Medford, Oregon; its distribution center, in Kansas City, Missouri. www.musiciansfriend.com
International Dealer of the Year: Novelties S.A.
For the fifth year in a row, Mexico City-based Novelties S.A claims the top spot as the top CHAUVET dealer outside of the USA. CHAUVET is the only brand of lighting marketed by Novelties. Owner Abraham Levit doesn’t forecast ceding his company’s throne anytime soon: He bets that 2006 should prove to be an even greater success with the introduction of the new Q-series, Scorpion Series and LED product range. www.novelties.com.mx
West Coast Region Dealer of the Year: Hollywood DJ
Born in 1992, Hollywood DJ boasts two retail/warehouse locations in the heart of Los Angeles bursting with pro audio and lighting gear, plus a sizzling mail order/internet operation. From stars to beginning DJs, every lighting aficionado in the area knows to stop by for the scoop on the latest and friendly customer advice www.Hollywooddj.com
Northeast Region Dealer of the Year: Pro Gear Warehouse
Two veterans of the music and distribution industries, David Brown and Kevin Schissler, founded Pro Gear Warehouse in January 2004 with one simple mission statement: “Treat our customers like we would expect to be treated ourselves.” And customers have responded in kind. Pro Gear Warehouse carries a large assortment of quality music gear and lighting products for the professional and amateur musician alike. www.progearwarehouse.com
Central Region Dealer of the Year: Northern Light FX
Northern Light FX - Dealer of the year 2005 Central Region, Kat Carrlson, Albert Chauvet, Phil Lentini, Ben Stowe, Jeff Mitchell, Darcy Abrams, Ken Langass
Located in the far northern town of Bemidji, Minnesota, Northern Light started out in 1994 as a small sound and lighting store and grew to a full-fledged website, catalog, store, tradeshow and installation operation, known of its aggressive pricing and stellar customer service. The company is now a national supplier to retail and wholesale markets, servicing from DJ and bands to smaller stores, clubs, worship, fitness and bowling centers among other venues. It also boasts a worldwide installation division with projects reaching as far away as Japan. www.northernlightfx.com
Southeast Region Dealer of the Year: Effectlighting.com
Owner Robert Noble started selling the CHAUVET line a mere 18 months ago from a small booth in a Tampa area flea market. A website and store followed soon. In record time, Effectlighting.com outsold every other CHAUVET dealer in the state of Florida and joined the elite rank of top CHAUVET dealers in the Southeastern USA. Two of the company’s latest high profile projects are its involvement in the movie True Love for which it provided CHAUVET snow machines and two episodes of ABC’s hit series Extreme Home Makeover for which it provided lighting and special effects. www.effectlighting.com
www.chauvetlighting.com
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