Portsmouth New Hampshire, May 13, 2014— Drum Center of Portsmouth in Portsmouth New Hampshire has been named one of the Top 100 musical instrument and product retailers in the world by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). The designation will be formally presented to the Top 100 dealers at Summer NAMM, a trade show held in Nashville, TN this July.  Drum Center of Portsmouth is also being considered to receive the Dealer of the Year award, NAMM’s highest honor for retailers. “DCP is committed to creating an enhanced experience for our global community of drummers through our exceptional service and unique approach to retailing both high end exotic pieces and the bread and butter items that the big boxes have.” said Shane Kinney, Owner, Drum Center of Portsmouth. Drum Center of Portsmouth received the Top 100 designation in recognition of:

• A demonstrated commitment to exceptional customer service
• Proven community advocacy and support for for music education
• An exemplary retail experience worth returning for and recommending to others
• Merchandising and marketing tactics that encourage repeat sales
• Sound planning for future success, employing marketing and training initiatives
• Engaging and effective use of web and social media

Drum Center of Portsmouth could also be awarded in one of eight additional categories: Best Exterior Presentation, Best Merchandising Display, Best Marketing and Sales Promotion, Best Online Presentation, SupportMusic Advocacy, Music Makes a Difference, Best Emerging Dealer “Rookie of the Year,” and Best Special Event. Winners of these categories, as well as Dealer of the Year, will be announced at the July 18 ceremony in Nashville. Businesses vying for Top 100 status were evaluated for innovative methods, resourceful approaches, and effective implementation of retail best practices. A panel of anonymous industry judges scores each entry to determine the Top 100, the individual category winners, and Dealer of the Year. Dubbed the ‘retail Oscars’ by Music Inc. magazine, NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards was created to spotlight the industry’s very best music product retailers. “NAMM is proud to recognize this music store with the coveted Top 100 Dealer Award,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “Drum Center of Portsmouth exemplifies the passion for making music that unites all of us. They are on the front lines in bringing music and music education to their community and are truly the back bone of our industry.”

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About NAMM The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies located in more than 92 countries. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.