By Michael Raine
Supplier Spotlight
LAUNCH MUSIC
When the news came out on Jan . 13 , 2021 , that longtime and well-established Canadian MI distributor Efkay Musical Instruments was partnering with Canada ’ s single largest music store – Richmond Hill , ON ’ s Cosmo Music – to form a new company , it was definitely an attention-grabbing move . It was a unique pairing with an interesting mission , as this new entity , Launch Music , established itself as a multi-faceted company offering logistics , distribution , marketing , and other complementary services for Canadian MI dealers .
“ Over the last couple of years , the Cosmo Music executive team evaluated expanding into distribution as a natural extension of the business . The stars lined up quickly when [ Efkay President ] Howard Kalisky made the decision to approach Cosmo with a potential partnership opportunity . Howard was looking for the right partner to continue his legacy and a seamless transition , helping provide clients with exceptional customer service and added value ,” explains Jean- Philippe ( J . P .) Lambert , who is leading Launch Music as its VP of distribution . “ The alliance between the two companies to form Launch Music combines a very interesting array of experiences where each other completes a unique ecosystem in the Canadian MI industry . We aim to develop our existing brands and grow our portfolio , providing our dealer network with the best service possible .”
Lambert was the first new hire for Launch , but his history with Cosmo and Mark Hebert , its president and CEO , goes back a number of years . For the past decade , Lambert worked at Desjardins Group , managing a national sales team and helping enterprises of all sizes implement retail financing solutions . The MI mega store was one of his clients , helping Cosmo to develop and implement its retail financing program .
“ When Mark approached me with an opportunity to become a part of Launch Music and bring my account service , sales , and marketing experience to this new endeavor , I knew it was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity — aligning my business experience with a passion and love for music ,” Lambert attests . “ I have the privilege to work with an amazing , talented , and supportive team . Being surrounded by experts and veterans in the industry has helped with the learning curve and Howard ’ s guidance and knowledge sharing has been especially valuable .”
To Launch Music , Efkay brought a well-established range of distributed brands that includes Orange , Dean Markley , Mooer , Toca , Laney , 2Box , John Pearse , EBS , Singular Sound , Cooperstand , and Groove Juice . As well , the company recently added Islander by Kanile ’ a ukuleles to its distributed lines . As such , the first order of business has been to work with existing dealers to ensure a smooth transition and to identify additional opportunities to help them grow their businesses .
“ I am reaching out to our partners to gain feedback and introduce myself to them . Everyone I have spoken to so far are excited and positive about the future , and our focus is on building long-term relationships ,” says Lambert . “ I see a great fit with the brands and dealers on this aspect and I am delighted to work with them .”
In addition to product distribution , Lambert says the Launch Music team is currently finalizing its long-term service offerings , responding and adapting based on the customer needs . “ However , we are looking at innovative solutions and offerings that involve additional marketing , financing , and white label services ,” he adds .
Seeing as how Launch Music is a sister company of a well-known Canadian MI dealer , Lambert acknowledges that it ’ s natural for other dealers to have questions about that relationship . About this , he says the core values and approach for both Cosmo and Launch Music is to always act and approach to the market with integrity .
“ Cosmo has helped other dealers numerous times before Launch Music was created and will still do so when
LAUNCH MUSIC ’ S JP LAMBERT given the opportunity . With Launch , we will approach the market the same way to help the Canadian MI industry develop ,” Lambert tells CMT . “ In addition , we are committed to providing equal access to products and pricing across the board . Launch Music is not starting from scratch , as it continues to build on the Efkay legacy ; we want to use the combined experience and capabilities we have to the dealer ’ s advantage with good margins and technology .”
As for the foreseeable future for this young company , Lambert says that among their near-term priorities is launching its B2B website , setting up dealer logins , ordering , and inventory availability . Also , plans are in the works for Launch ’ s first in-person activities for when the pandemic subsides .
“ There are always challenges when starting up a new business . There is a lot of work involved to get everything up and running efficiently , and ensuring projects are properly prioritized while meeting client needs . There just aren ’ t enough hours in a day to get through it all !” Lambert says . “ However , the most rewarding aspect for me is to see how agile , adaptive , supportive , and welcoming all of the team , brands , and dealers have been . This is a such a fantastic industry and I am looking forward to the shared successes ahead .”
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 17