The Woodwind & Brasswind Plans for Growth Despite Weak Economy
South Bend, IN, music equipment marketer plans to boost staff almost 50% in the next 6 months.
South Bend, IN, July 9, 2010—Chris Purkey, Senior Manager of Operations for The Woodwind & Brasswind announced, "We have plans to hire 50 people over the next 6 months. These positions will be primarily sales and customer service staff in our call center, but there will also be a handful of marketing and creative staff."
The Woodwind & Brasswind, an authority in band and orchestral instruments and accessories since 1978, is building on its legacy of success as the music equipment business continues to grow and develop—locally, nationally, and now globally.
The Woodwind & Brasswind recently launched a new international shopping experience by which band and orchestra customers can shop WWBW.com in the currency of their choice and see their complete order total, including shipping fees, duties, and taxes, before checkout. From the U.S. to the U.K, Canada to China, WWBW now offers global shipping to more than 91 countries on 6 continents.
Tim White, VP of Sales and General Manager, who joined The Woodwind & Brasswind in October 2009, assessed the existing professional sales staff to identify needs for additional personnel and support to deal with the continually evolving needs—and locations—of their music-making customers.
"It's a very exciting time for our organization," White said. "We continue to pick up momentum and are now growing exponentially."
To share its success with their local community, The Woodwind & Brasswind recently partnered with radio station WAOR's School of Rock to provide guitar lessons to a local Boys and Girls Club. Other plans include assisting Logan Center with musical activities for South Bend area youth.
The Woodwind & Brasswind recently joined both the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the Elkhart, IN, Chamber of Commerce with plans to expand its presence in the South Bend business community.
"It just makes sense," Stefanie Taylor, Consumer Marketing Manager, said of the affiliation with regional chambers of commerce. "South Bend is our community and we're going to show our support."
Support from The Woodwind & Brasswind extends beyond the local community. The musical instrument sales company is committed to restoring music education in public schools across the United States through a partnership with DonorsChoose.org.
"Donors Choose is a nationally recognized, charitable-giving community," Jenna Grisham, Institutional Marketing Manager, explained. "Educators request instruments and equipment through Donorschoose.org and we share those requests with our customers and staff."
Since the beginning of the partnership in 2007, The Woodwind & Brasswind has provided nearly $1.5 million in musical equipment through donations for school music programs in need.
In addition to supporting under-funded music programs in poverty-stricken schools, The Woodwind & Brasswind is also an official tour-level sponsor of Drum Corps International. DCI, known as Marching Music's Major League, is a touring competition with more than 120 events each year in North America.
With a local presence and over 30 years of experience, The Woodwind & Brasswind is firmly rooted in the South Bend community. From its humble beginnings, when 4 employees ran an 800 square-foot retail store and a small catalog, The Woodwind & Brasswind has grown to more than 110 employees and a 10,000 square-foot Band and Orchestra Superstore.
Today, the superstore boasts hundreds of musical instruments, thousands of music accessories, and digitally-enhanced music practice rooms. An upbeat café provides a place for customers to relax or parents to wait while their children take lessons from the expert staff of music instructors.
For those interested in learning more about current projects available for funding on DonorsChoose.org, please visit DonorsChoose.org/WWBW.
About Woodwind & Brasswind
Woodwind & Brasswind – your band and orchestra authority – offers thousands of products to musicians and music educators all over the world, through online, phone and catalog channels. For almost 40 years, the company has provided expert advice, superior customer service and competitive pricing for all band and orchestra needs.
