Zeswitz Music is Eastern PA's only 2016 NAMM Top 100 Dealer!
Zeswitz Music has been named a Top 100 Dealer in the world by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). NAMM, a not-for-profit organization comprised of approximately 10,300 member companies located throughout 87 countries, promotes the pleasures and benefits of making music to people of all ages.
The Top 100 Dealer Award is an “honor and a privilege of which we are so proud,” says Zeswitz owner Randy Shayler. Shayler’s purchase of Zeswitz Music, which returned the company to its roots as an independently owned business, was recently chronicled as part of the NY Times article You’ve Bought a Small Business. Now What?
According to the Times, Shayler’s “business has grown significantly” which he attributes to “improving the quality of the instruments, their repairs, and tracking the numbers. ‘I know that 98 percent of repairs go back out in two weeks,’” adding “’I don’t think that was tracked before.’”
CEO Randy Shayler in Zeswitz Music's Reading, PA workshop
Thanks to an MBA from Harvard Business School, tracking metrics is one of Shayler’s many strengths. Focusing on data and continuous improvement has undoubtedly contributed to Zeswitz’s growth in retail, repair, and rental revenue. This year, the company attained the most rapid growth in its recorded history – a 23.9% increase in rentals and a 24.7% increase in retail sales. Despite handling higher volumes, their band instrument reliability—instruments that serve their students without needing to come back for adjustment or repair—increased to 94.4% in the most recent semester. “Not only are we doing more, we’re doing better,” said Shayler.
Dubbed the ‘Retail Oscars’ by Music Inc. Magazine, NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards spotlights the industry’s very best music product retailers. “Zeswitz Music was selected by a discerning panel of judges as one of the very best among music retailers,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO. “This special recognition signifies their commitment to providing an excellent retail experience for their customers, helping people of all ages discover the joys and benefits of making music, and fostering a positive musical experience for their community at large.”
In the month since the Times article ran, Zeswitz Music’s two-week instrument repair turnaround rose to a full 100%, and their one-week turnaround to an 87.5%. “That’s best-in-class performance on a metric that’s very important to our clients’ success. If we do our best to support music educators’ success in their classrooms, our business will take care of itself,” says Shayler.
NAMM clearly agrees.
Zeswitz will be honored on Friday, June 24 at the Top 100 Dealer Awards event held as part of the 2016 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee, and will be in consideration to receive a “Best Of” Award recognizing stand-out achievement in the following categories: Store Turnaround, Customer Service, Store Design, Marketing and Sales Promotion, Online Engagement, Emerging Dealer/Rookie of the Year, and Music Makes a Difference. To learn more about NAMM, visit the organization at www.namm.org.eswitz Music serves schools in Eastern Pennsylvania, NJ, and MD.
Visit their web site at http://www.ZeswitzMusic.com. Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeswitzMusic. Follow them on Twitter: @zeswitzmusic.
