Energized by their return to the main show floor of NAMM (Booth #5952 Hall B) after a two year hiatus, and fueled by the introduction of newbrands, new products, and an aggressivenew year-long series of dealer programs, KMC Music (www.kmcmusic.com) today announced that it is pulling out all of the stops at NAMM 2016 to provide dealers with more business building opportunities than ever before.
Indeed, according to KMC Music President Mark Terry, the company will introduce dozens of new products, many of them from brands that are being unveiled for the first time at the show as part of the KMC family of brands. “NAMM 2016 marks our return to the main show floor and we want our dealers to know that we’re on the floor for a reason — to introduce dozens of new products from dozens of new brands, backed up by a year-long series of dealer programs that are going to help dealers grow their sales all during the new year,” Terry said.
According to KMC Music Vice President of Merchandising Roger Hart, products from at least 18 new manufacturers will be introduced at the show. Major new introductions will be made from Washburn, Warwick, Hagstrom, Oscar Schmidt, Framus, Digitech, Framus and QuikLok. New models from Paiste and Supro are also expected. Manuel Rodriguez Guitars, Aalberg Audio pedals, Rhythm Tech, Hit Man and Aclam will all make their debut as part of the KMC Music family of brands. “Every major instrument and accessory category will be strongly represented at the booth with new products and new programs designed to get our dealers off and running to a fast start in 2016,” Hart emphasized.
Brands and products are only part of the new KMC Music strategy being unveiled at NAMM 2016. Programs and dealer support are equally important, according to Vice President of Sales James Tsaptsinos. “Our goal is to open the show with the very best year-long series of dealer programs that feature discounts of major brand franchise programs, discounts on KMC online orders, and great payment terms that feature extended terms for new and returning accounts,” Tsaptsinos explained. “We will be going to Anaheim prepared to do big business with our dealers, the kind of business that will help them build their revenue throughout the new year.”
In reflecting on the year just ending and the year about to get underway, Mark Terry stressed how much has been accomplished in such a short period of time. “When JAM Industries acquired KMC Music almost one year ago, we faced the daunting task of meeting some very challenging constraints and timelines,” Terry continued. “We tackled the challenges head-on —and accomplished a tremendous amount in a very short time.”
“We strengthened our regional sales management team with three key appointments, added 18 new brands to our portfolio, moved offices, changed phone systems, changed computer hardware and software systems, created a new KMC online ecommerce site, and moved two warehouses,” Terry emphasized. “For our eight acre warehouse and distribution center in Southaven, Mississippi, we hired 60 new employees, installed half a million pounds of racking, laser scanners, 2,500 feet of automated conveyers, unloaded and stocked 20,000 SKU’s and more than 200 shipping containers of product. I am very proud to say that, after facing a few setbacks, this remarkable new facility is now operating at a 97-percent fill rate with 24-hour shipping on received orders. This bodes very well for our dealers in 2016.”
To find out more about what KMC Music can do for them in 2016, dealers are encouraged to make the KMC booth (#5952 Hall B) their very first stop when the show floor opens on January 21, 2016. “If they come to KMC Music first, they may not need to go anywhere else during the show,” Terry promised.