With three stores in the hyper-competitive Atlanta market, Doug Ponier had no intention of rolling out a fourth location. That changed when his friends, couple Kevin and Kamilla Sanders, came to him about opening a music store.

“They didn’t want the same struggles I had trying to get all the lines,” said Ponier, who owns Marietta, Ga.-based Ponier Music. “But if they made their store a Ponier Music location, they could get all the lines I had, they’d be covered under warranty and they wouldn’t have to worry about big [manufacturer] buy-ins.”

The Sanders found a roughly 2,000-square-foot storefront in the town of Canton, Ga. They’ll serve as majority owners of the store, and Ponier will stock it. The full-line location will carry combo instruments, offer band and orchestra rentals, and have a music lesson program. At press time, they were scheduled to open in mid-December.

“When [product] sells, I’ll get cost plus half the profit, and then I’ll get a little from their lessons and a little from their rentals,” Ponier said.

The Canton store also received a boon from Dean Guitars. According to Ponier, the store’s sign cost around $800. Dean execs agreed to give Ponier $800 worth of free goods in exchange for having one of its guitars featured on the sign.

“We’ve had the sign up now for two or three weeks, and [Kevin and Kamilla] say people drop by constantly,” Ponier said. “So hopefully, it will be a good location for them.” MI