RETAILER ASK THE MORE INSIGHTS & ADVICE FROM OUR 2025 RETAILING EXCELLENCE WINNERS
On “Doing the Right Thing:” “Growth can be a challenge for any business, but for us, consis- tency starts with culture. We’ve built a strong foundation around our core value of doing the right thing. That means doing what’s right for our customers, our employees and our manufacturer part- ners. Even as we’ve grown past 2,500 employees, we’ve kept that same hands-on, relationship-driven approach that got us here.” Mike Clem, CEO Sweetwater Fort Wayne, Indiana
On Caring for Customers: “We genuinely think that everyone at our store truly cares about our cus- tomers becoming a better musician. I don’t want it to be that our staff is solely trying to close a sale. We’re try- ing to find the best possible product for the customer and create the best experience for the customer.” EJ Dombrowski, Vice President Jim’s Music Green Bay, Wisconsin
On Efficient Operations: “Every single dollar counts, so we want to be as efficient as we can while still serving the directors, the musicians and the parents at the highest level possible, which is our biggest goal to be able to do this. Then, the growth comes with it.” Jeremy McQueary, President & CEO Paige’s Music Fishers, Indiana
On Collaboration Amongst Staff: “We know collaboration takes time. We try to live it internally with a lot of cross- functional teamwork.” Ryan West, President West Music Coralville, Iowa
62 I MUSIC INC. I DECEMBER 2025
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