Major expansion of the company’s manufacturer support services kicks off with major new partnership with Michael Kelly Guitars.
Demonstrating its ability to offer manufacturers a broad range of both traditional and new business support services, KMC Music (www.kmcmusic.com) today introduced its KMC Third-Party Logistics Support Program and announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Michael Kelly Guitars (www.michaelkellyguitars.com) to provide the innovative guitar manufacturer with a host of third-party inventory management, logistics, and distribution services.
“This marks another major expansion in the kinds of programs we can offer manufacturers who are challenged daily to meet the demands of an ever changing industry,” emphasized KMC Music President Mark Terry. “One of KMC Music’s key strengths is its eight acre distribution center in South Haven, Mississippi. This automated state-of-the-art center has the ability to provide a wide range of services to manufacturers who want to limit or eliminate their own investment in these areas.”
“Michael Kelly Guitars is a good case in point,” Terry continued. “This forward-looking, rapidly growing manufacturer wants to invest more resources in its consumer and dealer facing sales and marketing programs and less in back-end operations. Our expertise enables them to achieve this goal. They gain the support of a world-class logistical partner without having to make and maintain a long-term investment in this business area.”
According to Michael Kelly Guitars founder and CEO Tracy Hoeft, “The relationship with KMC Music provides us with a strategically positioned logistical support partner that can help us to meet the demands created by our amazing growth. This is a relationship that meets an immediate need that also offers the possibility of an expanded relationship in the future.”
Founded in 1999, Michael Kelly Guitars has always taken a unique path to success. The focus of the company has always been to start with sound and top it off with a bold, boutique-inspired appearance. When Michael Kelly launched, it only offered mandolins and acoustic basses. These two markets had been under served and consumers could not buy a great sounding instrument without breaking the bank. The Michael Kelly Dragonfly collection of both acoustic basses and mandolins quickly became popular and hard to get. Musicians were drawn to their decidedly custom appearance and then fell in love with their sound and performance.
By 2001, Michael Kelly Guitars added its first acoustic guitars and electric guitars. These collections have evolved and are now sold around the world. To this day, Michael Kelly remains focused on its vision statement to be “Built On Sound” and each time the company puts the cherry on top by giving the musician a bold look.