American Way Marketing
American Way Marketing is a privately held Elkhart, Indiana wholesale distributor and light manufacturer of musical instrument accessories, serving school music dealers and music retailers across North America and Europe with over 100 distributed brands and five owned labels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersElkhart, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What American Way Marketing does
American Way Marketing is a wholesale distributor and light manufacturer of musical instrument accessories, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana — the Band Instrument Capital of the World. The company distributes more than 100 accessory brands across woodwind, brasswind, orchestral strings, guitar, percussion, general accessories, and classroom categories to school music dealers, brick-and-mortar music retailers, and music e-commerce retailers under an account-based B2B model. Pricing and ordering are gated behind a dealer portal requiring business credentials, and the company explicitly does not approve Amazon or marketplace-only resellers, preserving channel integrity.
The company's owned brand portfolio includes Superslick (care kits, swabs, lubricants, AlphaSynth synthetic formulas), Faxx (mouthpieces, mutes, lyres, flip folders), Luthiers Choice (rosin, bows, shoulder rests), Spacefiller (synthetic brass and woodwind lubricants, acquired 2021), and Herco (traditional maintenance products, acquired 2024 from Dunlop Manufacturing). Manufacturing capability spans in-house lubricant formulation and bottling, care kit assembly, and a 2024 in-house screen-printing operation that supports custom private labeling. The 23,500 sq ft Elkhart facility was most recently expanded by 7,200 sq ft in 2023.
Revenue is generated through wholesale accessory distribution, in-house brand manufacturing, and private-label/custom packaging services, with distribution reaching the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, and Italy. The company is privately held by a closely-held partnership — Tim Ricci (President & CEO), Kathy Donahoe (CFO and Managing Partner), Susan Laffoon (Vice President), and Jakob von Wolff (Partner) — with no external institutional or venture capital backing disclosed.
American Way Marketing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Way Marketing
- Legal name
- American Way Marketing LLC
- Website
- https://americanwaymktg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- American Way Marketing is a privately held Elkhart, Indiana wholesale distributor and light manufacturer of musical instrument accessories, serving school music dealers and music retailers across North America and Europe with over 100 distributed brands and five owned labels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Way Marketing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Musical Instrument Accessories Wholesale Distribution
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (4591)
- SIC
- Musical Instruments (3931), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar) (MPAIAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE), Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAEAI)
Keywords
Where American Way Marketing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elkhart
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Way Marketing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Wholesale Accessory Distribution: Distribution of over 100 musical instrument accessory brands to authorized school music dealers and retailers. Products include care kits, swabs, lubricants, mouthpieces, strings, cases, and general accessories for band and orchestra instruments.
- Private Labeling Services: Custom packaging and private labeling for Superslick, Faxx, and Luthiers Choice products. Includes custom header cards, inserts, screen-printed imprints, and branded rosin. Provides better inventory control and margins for dealers.
- In-house Brand Manufacturing: Manufacturing of Superslick brand products including care kits, lubricants, and maintenance products. Assembly and bottling of Spacefiller synthetic lubricants. Herco brand products now manufactured in-house.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale dealer pricing through account access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
American Way Marketing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Way Marketing is a B2B wholesale distributor that supplies musical instrument accessories to authorized school music dealers, music retailers, and music e-commerce retailers. The company distributes over 100 accessory brands and manufactures its own portfolio of branded products (Superslick, Faxx, Luthiers Choice, Spacefiller, Herco) covering care kits, lubricants, swabs, mouthpieces, mutes, straps, rosin, lyres, and related band/orchestra small goods. It also offers free in-house custom packaging and private labeling services for its dealer network.
Product overview
American Way Marketing is a musical instrument accessory distributor serving school music dealers, offering over 100 accessory brands. The company's product portfolio includes five proprietary sub-brands: Superslick (maintenance products like valve oils, swabs, care kits), Faxx (mouthpieces, mutes, straps, lyres), Luthiers Choice (string accessories like rosin, bows, shoulder rests), Spacefiller (synthetic lubricants), and Herco (maintenance tools and oils). Products span eight major categories: Woodwind, Brasswind, Orchestral Strings, Guitar & Pro Audio, Percussion, General Accessories, and Classroom Accessories. The company also provides private labeling and custom packaging services for dealers, and operates an in-house screen-print shop in Elkhart, Indiana.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Superslick: Quality band and orchestral accessories and maintenance products. Time-tested effective, non-hazardous, safe for classroom use products to help clean and maintain musical instruments. Made in the USA.
- Faxx
- Luthiers Choice
- Spacefiller
- Herco
Products and services
- Superslick Owned brand of band and orchestral accessories and maintenance products, including care kits, cleaning products, swabs, valve oils, tuning slide grease, and lubricants; time-tested, non-hazardous products made in the USA, targeting school music dealers and music retailers.
- Faxx Owned brand of band and orchestral accessories including mouthpieces, mutes, straps, lyres, and flip folders, offering reliable, safe, and effective products for musicians and school music programs.
- Luthiers Choice Owned full-line brand of string accessories including rosin, bows, chin rests, shoulder rests, humidifiers, endpin holders, and mutes for violin, viola, cello, and bass.
- Spacefiller Synthetic Lubricants Owned brand of synthetic lubricants for brass instruments, including Pad Life, Ultimate I Piston & Rotor Valve Lubricant, and Ultimate TS Tuning Slide Lubricant; non-toxic, odorless, and residue-free.
- Herco Maintenance Products Owned line of traditional maintenance and care products for musical instruments, including pegs, tailpiece hangers, bore oil, key oil, slide oil, valve oil, swabs, maintenance kits, brushes, polish cloths, and string products.
- Private Labeling and Custom Packaging Service Custom private labeling and packaging service for dealers, including custom header cards, bagged items, clamshells, branded rosin, care kits, and in-house design at no additional cost; enables exclusive store-branded products and better inventory control.
- Faxx SMARTLYRE Marching Smart Lyre Smartphone lyre accessory for marching bands that enables hands-free reading of drill and music, with an adjustable mount supporting a wide range of smartphones.
- Faxx Flex Ligatures (with BG France) Synthetic-fabric ligatures for woodwind instruments co-branded with BG France; designed for advancing students, rental fleets, and school music programs, and offered with mouthpiece caps.
Companies that use American Way Marketing
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
American Way Marketing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
American Way Marketing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- Dunlop ManufacturingmajorAmerican Way Marketing acquired the Herco line of traditional instrument maintenance products from Dunlop Manufacturing in September 2024. Herco is known for durable and reliable maintenance accessories. Note: Herco Picks line remains with Dunlop.
- BG FranceminorFaxx partnered with BG France to co-brand their popular Flex Ligatures with BG France's high-quality materials and craftsmanship. The ligatures are made from synthetic fabric, perfect for advancing students, rental fleets, or school music programs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Way Marketing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dunlop Manufacturing: Manufacturer of musical accessories (picks, strings, pedals, care products). Comparable as both a former owner of the Herco brand (sold to AWM in 2024) and a competing supplier of instrument maintenance accessories in the same B2B channel.
- Sweetwater: Large US online retailer of musical instruments, pro audio, and accessories. Comparable as a channel that competes for the same B2B and prosumer accessory dollars and as a potential direct-sourcing threat to wholesale distributors.
- Jupiter Band Instruments: Manufacturer and distributor of band instruments and accessories based in the music industry cluster. Comparable as a US-based music products company serving school music programs with a multi-brand portfolio.
- Conn-Selmer: Leading US manufacturer and distributor of band and orchestral instruments, accessories, and educational music products. Comparable as a vertically integrated supplier serving school music dealers with branded accessories and educational offerings.
Regional players
- Thomann: Europe's largest online musical instrument and accessory retailer. Comparable as a major international player in the same accessory categories AWM distributes, serving overlapping European dealers in countries like Germany, France, and Italy.
- Music & Arts: Large US specialty retailer focused on band and orchestra instruments, rentals, and accessories for schools. Comparable as a downstream customer and competitor in the school music accessory supply chain; notably, AWM CEO Tim Ricci previously spent nearly 20 years at Music & Arts.
Direct peers
- Hal Leonard: Major distributor and publisher of printed music, educational materials, and band/orchestra accessories. Comparable because it serves the same school music dealer channel with accessories, method books, and consumable supplies.
- Alfred Music: Publisher and distributor of educational music materials, method books, and instrument accessories. Comparable as a B2B supplier to school music dealers with overlapping accessory and consumable categories.
- Shar Music: Specialty distributor of string instruments and accessories (rosin, strings, shoulder rests, chin rests). Comparable because its Luthiers Choice category overlaps directly with Shar Music's core string accessory offering.
- West Music: Family-owned retailer and distributor specializing in school music, band, and orchestra instruments and accessories. Comparable as a closely-held dealer/distributor of music accessories serving K-12 music programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Way Marketing social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Way Marketing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Way Marketing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
American Way Marketing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
American Way Marketing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Way Marketing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Way Marketing
What does American Way Marketing do?
American Way Marketing is a B2B wholesale distributor that supplies musical instrument accessories to authorized school music dealers, music retailers, and music e-commerce retailers. The company distributes over 100 accessory brands and manufactures its own portfolio of branded products (Superslick, Faxx, Luthiers Choice, Spacefiller, Herco) covering care kits, lubricants, swabs, mouthpieces, mutes, straps, rosin, lyres, and related band/orchestra small goods. It also offers free in-house custom packaging and private labeling services for its dealer network.
Is American Way Marketing a public or private company?
American Way Marketing is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was American Way Marketing founded?
American Way Marketing was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Way Marketing based?
American Way Marketing is headquartered in Elkhart, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Way Marketing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Accessory Distribution is the primary driver. The others are private Labeling Services and in-house Brand Manufacturing.
Who are American Way Marketing's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dunlop Manufacturing, Sweetwater, Jupiter Band Instruments and Conn-Selmer. Regional players are Thomann and Music & Arts. Direct peers are Hal Leonard, Alfred Music, Shar Music and West Music.
Does American Way Marketing have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Way Marketing.
What industry is American Way Marketing in?
American Way Marketing's product category is Musical Instrument Accessories Wholesale Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAJAH, Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar), with a secondary code of CRALAEAE, Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables). Its NAICS code is 45914 and its SIC code is 3931.