The Candyman Strings & Things Named ‘Dealer of the Year’ at NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards

The Candyman Strings & Things of Santa Fe, NM is the 2014 ‘Dealer of the Year,’ awarded by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) at the fourth annual Top 100 Dealer Awards. At the July 18 awards event held during the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, six additional retailers took home honors for excellence within the music products retail sector. The ‘Dealer of the Year’ and other category winners are chosen from among NAMM’s Top 100 Dealers, named earlier this year.

Distinguished among hundreds of retailers in the musical instrument and products industry around the world, The industry recognized The Candyman Strings & Things for innovative, effective practices, and for setting an outstanding example for its peers. The award was presented to owners Rand and Cindy Cook at a ceremony attended by music product industry leaders. The Candyman Strings & Things also earned the Music Makes a Difference award for promoting music in their community.

“We’re just so very lucky to be in the business we are in,” said Rand Cook. “Every six months we head to a NAMM Show and get lifted up by our peers. There’s just nothing like our industry, and we have a great time doing it.”

Top 100 retailers are judged using a numeric rating by a panel of impartial expert judges selected by, but not otherwise affiliated with NAMM. In addition to dealer of the year, honors were given for best special event, online presentation, exterior presentation, merchandising display, sales and marketing campaigns, and music-education advocacy. 

"We look to the Dealer of the Year and Top 100 Award winners as a source of inspiration for our industry,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. "These are the NAMM members devoted to enriching their communities with music. Their communities benefit, their customers benefit, and we as an industry benefit because they help elevate our standards. We offer these winner retailers our respect and gratitude."

Best Exterior Presentation                      
Carter Vintage Guitars
Nashville, Tenn.

Best Merchandising Display                  
Beacock Music                            
Vancouver, Wash.

Best Marketing and Sales Promotion  
MusicStoreLive.com                
South Burlington, Vt.

Best Online Presentation                      
Sam Ash Music Stores     
Locations Nationwide

SupportMusic Advocacy Award         
Ted Brown Music          
Five Locations

“Music Makes a Difference" Award    
The Candyman Strings & Things   
Santa Fe, N.M.

Best Special Event                                
Middle C Music               
Washington, D.C.

Best Emerging Dealer                           
MusicStoreLive.com  
South Burlington, Vt.

Dealer of the Year                                 
The Candyman Strings & Things  
Santa Fe, N.M.