History of Piano & Organ Distributors
In 1945, Edwin R. Poole, a Band Director in Red Springs, North Carolina, founded E.R. Poole Music Company in Raleigh at Cameron Village as a band instrument retail business. E.R. Poole's nephew, W. C. (Bill) Boyce, Jr., joined the business in 1959 while attending college in Raleigh. After his graduation in 1962, Boyce and Poole formed an E.R. Poole Music store in Durham, North Carolina.
In 1969, Mr. Boyce purchased the Durham business from E.R. Poole, that was operating in the Northgate Shopping Center and continued operating under the E.R. Poole Music Company name. However, in 1970, the business was changed to Bill Boyce Music Center, and a second store was opened in the Holly Hill Mall in Burlington, North Carolina. During the 1970's, Bill Boyce Music Centers operated stores in Fayetteville, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. All locations were general music stores selling guitars, amps, band instruments and accessories, sheet music, pianos and organs.
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Bill Boyce (back row, second from left) was elected as a director for National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) in 1974. |
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Bill Boyce in 1974 |
In 1972, Mr. Boyce was able to purchase three acres of commercial property on Highway 70, halfway between Raleigh and Durham, and erected a 12,000 sq. ft. warehouse building to use as a distribution center. However, sales from this location proved very successful, so a retail outlet was opened within this distribution complex. Presently, this complex has expanded to three buildings and has over 30,000 sq. ft. dedicated to keyboard marketing.
In 1978, due to high interest rates and recessionary times, all but three North Carolina piano stores were closed. (The Burlington, Greensboro, and Raleigh-Durham piano stores remained open). During the 1980's, these three locations were able to stage a comeback and focus solely on keyboards, eliminating all other categories of products as well as doing away with all floor plan financing.
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Cliff Boyce, President |
In early 1980, Bill's son, Cliff, came into the business full time after serving his teen years “helping out at the store.” In 1993, Bill retired from day-to-day activity with Piano & Organ Distributors of North Carolina with Cliff Boyce handling the day-to-day operation “ with better success than his father.” Although Bill Boyce has stayed involved with the piano business, he also ventured out, more aggressively, into the real estate world and soon owned and managed over 300 rental units in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary.
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Bill Boyce (left), CEO and President of Piano Distributors, is presented the YAMAHA DEALER of the YEAR AWARD by Yamaha Southeast Regional Manager, Chris Anderson |
In 1997, W.C. Boyce, Jr. moved from Raleigh to Sanibel, Florida to retire. However, due to a “lapse in thinking,” Bill returned to the piano business in 2001. Within a very short time, the “new” operation, known as Piano Distributors of Florida, has grown to locations in Sarasota, Clearwater, Brandon, Tampa, Palmetto, Naples, and Orlando to serve the musical communities of Central Florida. In July, 2006, Piano Distributors expanded their operation to the St. Louis, Missouri area with one of the Midwest’s largest piano showrooms. In late 2010, two Atlanta piano stores were opened.
In 2003, Piano Distributors was awarded Yamaha Dealer of the Year. Yamaha is the No. 1 manufacturer of musical instruments in the world.
In 2008, Bill Boyce was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Keyboard Insights Group (KIG). The award was made in recognition of a career of outstanding achievements, significant contributions to KIG, and advancement of the standards of keyboard retailing.