Ben Kraft

Hi everyone! Thanks for the introduction, Dave. I can't believe it's been 25 years since the days of the Alesis QS-series, which is when we first met. I had dark hair back then! So now that you all have had a day or so to chat about this concept, let me give you all a bit of background on Kraft Music. First, of all, we do not have a relationship with the New England Patriots, nor are we a producer of cheese! Kraft Keyboards, as we were known as in the beginning, was started by my dad in the early 80's. He was an enthusiast and gigging musician who opened up a shop here in Milwaukee that specialized in all of the MIDI and digital gear that was coming to market at such a rapid pace during that time. I was a lucky kid who, at 10-15 years of age, was able to ride with Dad to work and skip out of chores by playing with every new keyboard that rolled into the shop. I grew up with this stuff, and it's been a blessing that we've been able to adapt from brick and mortar to the e-commerce world that we're in now while assembling a team to keep our business healthy (we're now in our 36th year). Dave is right - keyboards are a big focus for us. But several years back I changed the name to Kraft Music with the thought that we would branch out to a few more categories. In addition to carrying most keyboard and synth brands, we're very comfortable on the electronic drum side of things, and we've been slowly expanding our guitar and audio departments as well. I'd like to think Kraft Music is a "just right" kind of size. There are currently 34 of us, and we occupy a little more than 70,000 sq ft here in Wisconsin. We've got ample room for lots of inventory, as well as plenty of space for our Sales Advisors (although they are all working from home these days...), room for a nice video studio and training facilities, and plenty of office space for the marketing and admin side that keeps things rolling day to day. So while we're not so small that we're surviving on a daily basis, we're also not too big - I personally know everyone on the team, and they all have a direct line to me. I'm happy to report that we just celebrated two 19-year anniversaries, and there are plenty of 5, 10, and 15 year folks right behind them. As for the mention of other shops and relationships that you might already have - If you've got a good contact somewhere else, I probably know the store and likely know the owner. There's a lot of good people in this business, and it's a small industry. Heck - funny story - my dad actually sold Chuck his Kurzweil K250 before he became a dealer for any of this stuff. As I said to my dad, you gotta be careful who you sell stuff to! Seriously, I have a lot of respect for what many stores and operators are doing out there. But I do encourage you to give us a try when the time is right. We don't have hundreds of sales people like our friends in Indiana, but we do have a focused team of 10 friendly sales advisors who all have plenty of experience with music and people. I'm proud of them, and the range of knowledge and instruments played within that room is impressive. With respect to bundles - yeah, we've been called the "bundle kings" and it's a huge part of what differentiates Kraft Music from others. Our goal with bundles is to truly provide a one-click, quality solution at the most fair price. It's a huge value and convenience to many folks, but we also get that every bundle is not right for everyone. I'll bet most of you in this community already have a studio full of keyboard stands, cables, pedals and other tools, so why would you want another one of any of those, especially if you can't choose your favorite brand? That's where our Sales Advisors come in. They've been given the green light to customize nearly anything and get you what's right for you. I hope that helps you get to know us a bit. As Dave said, we have not been given permission to, nor do we intend to, be the guys standing at the front door of the forum trying to sell things (like the satellite company lurking just inside the doors at Costco...). We're here to support the community and be available for when you need us. No doubt we'd like to earn your business, but "earn" is the operative word. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions! Thanks! Ben Kraft Kraft Music www.kraftmusic.com