By Selina Setrakian
Supplier Spotlight
GOLDEN HAWK IMPORTS
Before 2010 , Gabriel Ferreira had never owned a business or worked for anyone within the music industry , but he had a vision – to bring a more diverse set of options to the Canadian music market . While recording and touring through the U . S . as a drummer , Ferreira came to realize that there was an abundance of musical options at his disposal that were not available back home in Canada . Wanting to provide fellow Canadian musicians a direct experience with new and exciting gear , he founded Golden Hawk Imports , a home for percussion manufacturers seeking more accessibility with Canadian dealers and a place for dealers to discover new products without needing to worry about importing anything themselves .
“ It ’ s true that you can get anything on the internet , but I believe that music stores give you that option of going in and trying that product you ’ ve had your eye on , seeing it , touching it , and most importantly , hearing it ,” explains Ferreira . “ There is no reason a drummer in Nova Scotia shouldn ’ t be able to see and test out the latest offering from a company as easily as a drummer in California can . That ’ s what I strive to achieve for the Canadian drum industry .”
Starting from scratch , Ferreira first began storing the company ’ s inventory alongside barrels of homemade wine in his parent ’ s basement .
“ There were boxes and boxes of Silverfox sticks and high-end tambourines from Grover Pro Percussion stacked alongside the barrels . I am sure that customers buying in those early days were left wondering why things smelled like red wine and , looking back , I think it was a nice complementary feature !” Ferreira explains jokingly .
Naturally , with products unfamiliar to the Canadian market , it took time for the company to build momentum . In these early days , Ferreira divided his time playing drums with his band at night and , by day , was up and about running Golden Hawk . It wasn ’ t long , though , before people took note of the company and things quickly began to change .
“ Over time , the orders became larger , more brands were added , and soon enough , I outgrew the barrel room and Golden Hawk moved into its own building . This really allowed the company to grow , to hire some staff , and to really take things to the next level . We were already known for drum products , but we expanded to distributing keyboards and guitar accessories as well ,” Ferreira explains .
Nevertheless , since its humble beginnings , Golden Hawk Imports has made great strides . Supplying products to over 140 shops in Canada , Ferreira ’ s company continues to grow at a rapid pace , moving into stores in the U . S . and even becoming the distributor for more established companies like Big Fat Snare Drum , Bosphorus Cymbals , and most recently , Snareweight .
Ferreira of course finds the most joy when a dealer happily contacts him to re-order a product that they ’ d taken a chance on . “ Hearing that they ’ ve sold out of their stock and need more , that always makes my day . That said , it ’ s also knowing that I ’ m helping a local dealer keep money in the local economy as opposed to losing it to an online sale from abroad . And combine that with knowing that
Gabriel Ferreira
together we ’ re keeping young people ’ s chances of testing out equipment at their local music store alive ; well , it ’ s about the best feeling there is ,” says Ferreira .
Desiring his dealers ’ satisfaction , Ferreira even implemented a policy to take back a product with few questions asked . However , the policy is practically unnecessary due to the scarce number of returns . “ You can imagine just how happy I am to say that in 12 years , we have had only one instance where a dozen pairs of a new model of drumstick were sent back ,” says Ferreira .
His work , however , is not without challenges . Since Ferreira prides himself on keeping a steady inventory for dealers , it ’ s crucial he focuses on getting the lead times correct on orders with new companies . “ There ’ s a fine balance between how much should be ordered and when . Given that many manufacturers we deal with are small , their turnaround times vary greatly ,” he explains .
Eager to keep the momentum of his success going , even in the face of a global pandemic , Ferreira took the loss of orchestral percussion sales from school shutdowns as an opportune time to search for new brands to carry . The search proved successful as he found three brands that have been added to the Golden Hawk roster and there are plans to add another three in the upcoming months .
As for the future , Ferreira plans to expand Golden Hawk Imports ’ guitar accessory line and continue growing the drum and percussion business , providing both dealers and customers the newest and most innovative products available . Most of all , Ferreira is eager to return to the road with his team when COVID-19 restrictions end .
“ I am really looking forward to meeting our dealers and their customers , representing them and our manufacturers at drum and guitar shows coast to coast , and searching out those new companies who are looking to have a place in the Canadian market ,” says Ferreira .
Selina Setrakian is an Editorial Assistant at Canadian Music Trade .
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 17