Article: The new St. Louis Music: since acquiring St. Louis Music late last year, Mark Ragin has brought back a veteran sales force, instilled a new "customer-centric" attitude, and returned the distributor to its successful roots. So far the company has posted positive results, despite a tough market.(COMPANY PROFILE)

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In the process of acquiring St. Louis Music late last year, Mark Ragin spent countless hours negotiating the value of inventory, computer systems, and miscellaneous other assets. Yet within days of completing the purchase he realized he had overlooked perhaps the company's single most valuable asset: eight decades plus of accrued customer goodwill. "I was amazed by the number of calls and messages of support we received from retailers all over the country," he says. Ragin thought he knew all there was to know about the often problematic relationship between retailer and supplier, but 30 years of industry experience at both retail and ...

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