The guitar wall in GC's new Wilmington, Del., store

JULY 20 I GUITAR CENTER I EXPANSION
GC Opens in No-sales-tax Zone

Guitar Center opened its newest retail location in Wilmington, Del., on June 16. It's the company's fifth store opening this year, and the location features GC Garage, which offers on-site guitar repair services. The 14,525-square-foot store is located at 5141 Brandywine Parkway in a no-sales-tax zone.

To celebrate, GC hosted a grand-opening weekend celebration that featured exclusive savings, gear giveaways and free events. Ike performed on the opening night, and on June 18, Avid hosted a home recording workshop. During Guitar Center Sessions events, customers were able to chat with metal drummer Derek Roddy and guitarist Marcus Henderson.

GC Promotes Two
The company also recently announced two key promotions. Glenn Noyes has been named director of category management for drums and percussion. He joined GC in 2007 and has 24 years of retail experience. In his new role, he'll oversee category management of all drum and percussion products for GC stores. He will also work closely with GC's marketing department to provide input and build targeted promotions to drive sales, as well as foster and maintain vendor relations.

Guitar Center Professional, the company's outside sale division, also appointed Rick Plushner to vice president. He joined the Guitar Center organization in September 2005 as general manager of GC Pro. Over the past six years, GC Pro has grown into a profitable division with 75 employees and four times the sales it had in 2005, according to a statement from the division. Prior to joining GC Pro, Plushner held executive positions with several pro audio manufacturers.