Guitar
Center
Leading retailer of
guitars and music equipment.
Headquarters:
5795 Lindero Canyon Road
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Employees: 10,000
CEO: Mike Pratt
Privately held
Website:
http://www.guitarcenter.com
Career
Site
Guitar Center is the leading United States retailer of guitars,
amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and
recording equipment.
The retail store subsidiary presently operates more than 256 Guitar Center stores across the United States. In addition, the Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. The company is also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through its wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalogs and websites, including www.musiciansfriend.com, www.guitarcenter.com, www.wwbw.com and www.music123.com.
Private equity firm Bain Capital Partners acquired the company for approximately $2.1 billion in cash and assumed debt.
History
The Guitar Center story began in 1959 when
Wayne Mitchell purchased a small appliance and home organ store
in Hollywood, CA. By 1961, he'd changed the name of the company
to The Organ Center. In 1964, Joe Banaran, President of the Thomas
Organ Company, approached Wayne in search of an outlet to sell
a new line of guitars and amplifiers, called Vox.
The timing was right, and Wayne saw the
chance to seize a new retail opportunity. He was in the midst
of relocating his original Hollywood Organ Center location to
a new site, and he agreed that rather than closing down the old
store, he would stock it with Vox guitars and amplifiers. Wayne
named the store The Vox Center. By the late sixties, it had become
evident that the future of musical instrument retailing lay in
guitars and amps, not organs, and The Vox Center was re-christened
The Guitar Center.
In 1972, the second Guitar Center opened
its doors in San Francisco. San Francisco was a city amidst an
explosive musical transition, just exiting its heyday as the
60's "flower power" capitol. The old Guitar Center
building had a charm and character that attracted musicians from
all over San Francisco. In 1973, Guitar Center San Diego opened
its doors. This location proved to play a pivotal role in the
growth of the company, as this store was to become the home of
the company's first Central Management Office.
In 1997, Guitar Center went public. Soon
after, they purchased the catalog company, Musician's Friend,
and have seen solid revenue growth with the acquisition.
In 2005, the company's acquisition of Music
& Arts Center brought 62 new stores throughout the US, catering
to a completely new instrument market.
Benefits
Following benefits are for full-time
employees:
Management Opportunities
Guitar Center is rapidly growing and needs good people to move
up the career ladder. Opportunities for advancement in all departments,
operations and store management are increasing as the company
expands.
Technical Training
Guitar Center prides itself on having the most knowledgeable
sales staff in the industry. Employees are continually provided
opportunities to enhance their product knowledge and achieve
their career goals by way of company-sponsored training classes
and certification as well as manufacturer-sponsored seminars
and clinics.
Medical Insurance
No matter how careful we all try to be, life's full of surprises.
With the high cost of modern health care, medical coverage is
essential. Medical, dental, vision and life insurances are available
to eligible employees for a small fee.
Profit Sharing Plan
As Guitar Center grows, we want to "spread the wealth".
Our employees can share in the success they helped create.
Paid Vacation
It's nice to get some time off for all that hard work. Paid vacation
time increases based on employee's tenure.
Employee Discounts
Need we say more....
Updated February 28, 2014
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