West Music closing Ottumwa store

OTTUMWA - West Music Co. has announced plans to close its Ottumwa store at the end of the year.

The Coralville-based retailer purchase a music store at 404 W. Main St. in Ottumwa in 1995 that had previously been owned by Milo Sorden. Robin Walenta, president of West Music, said the decision to close the Ottumwa store was difficult.

'This is a decision we did not take likely,” Walenta said. 'With the shrinking economy in southern Iowa, it became necessary for us to make this decision.

'The school music business remains strong. Our commitment to those accounts remains strong as our educational sales representative will continue the great work he is doing in servicing the southern Iowa communities.”

Walenta said West Music is in the process of searching for local partners to establish satellite locations that will stock every day musical accessories, such as reeds, lubricants and popular method books.

West Music will continue to operate locations in Cedar Falls, Coralville, Decorah, Dubuque, Marion, Moline, Ill., as well as a piano gallery in Urbandale.

Founded in 1941, West Music specializes in pianos, guitars, drums and percussion, band and orchestra instruments, and print music as well as offers music instruction, repair and music therapy services.

The privately owned retailer acquired Kephart's Music Center, with stores in Decorah and Dubuque, earlier this year. The Kephart-West association dates back 60 years to fall 1953 when Russ Kephart met and studied under Pearl West, co-founder of West Music, through an instrument repair program.