DAVENPORT, IOWA (June 15, 2022) — On July 1, 2022, two family-owned music stores with two-hundred years of combined experience will join together, expanding their services to musicians throughout the greater Quad Cities and surrounding areas.
Their combined resources will provide greater access to top-quality products, accessories, print music, lessons, and instrument repair. Customers will continue to work with the same great people they have come to count on in the past. With the combined talent from both companies, customers will continue to receive extraordinary service they are accustomed to.
Both Quad Cities locations will continue to operate — Griggs Music, 3849 Brady Street, Davenport, Iowa, and the West Music location, 4305 44th Ave, Moline, Illinois. Both locations will be prepared to service customer’s past and current needs.
“After an incredible 47-year career with Griggs Music, it’s time to move on to a new chapter of my life. It has been my honor and privilege to have spent my entire career with one company and to have been CEO for the last 24 years”, says Steve Judge, CEO, Griggs Music. Judge continued, “West Music has a similar rich tradition and culture and my respect for their organization has only grown over the years. I have interacted with three generations of owners at of both Griggs Music and West Music and feel our merger will result in an even stronger organization committed to its staff and our music families. I look forward to working with West Music to ensure we continue the tradition of being the best locally owned instrumental music store.”
Robin Walenta, West Music CEO, shares Judge’s sentiment. “I have known Steve Judge my entire professional career. We grew up in the music business together. I have a great deal of respect for him and the entire Griggs Music team and am very excited to work closely with them to expand our reach in creating more life-long music makers in the area. What a great business we are in, enriching peoples’ lives through the joy of making music.”
About Griggs Music
Griggs Music, established in 1903 by Arthur P Griggs, has over a century of experience in the Davenport community. Griggs Music’s history goes back well over a century and includes all of the ups and downs of the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, two world wars, vast changes in technology and musical tastes, and much more. Throughout all of this, however, the Griggs name has remained synonymous with music and excellence in musical-instrument sales in Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois.
About West Music
Established in 1941, West Music Company’s continued growth and success has, as its foundation, a rich history of providing quality service and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to Play now, Play for life.
West Music has several regional locations in eastern Iowa and western Illinois providing instrument and print-music sales, repair, lessons, and music-therapy services. The company also serves customers nationally, and even internationally, though its multiple e-commerce websites and catalog departments.
