Sep 8, 2021

Sullivans acquires Woodstock Chimes

Sullivans has acquired Woodstock Percussion, Inc., which will function as a subsidiary under Sullivan, Inc. After five decades of leadership in the industry, Woodstock Chimes founder Garry Kvistad has chosen Sullivans to lead his company into its next generation.

The GRAMMY award-winning musician and his wife, Diane, started the business in New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley in 1979. Their commitment to precision-tuning and great-sounding wind chimes quickly attracted a large and loyal customer base. As they began to plan for the succession of Woodstock Chimes, the Kvistads searched for a well-established company with a market-leading position and a culture of product and customer service excellence. That search eventually led them to home décor industry leader Sullivans.

“Our legacy with Woodstock Chimes is rooted in musical quality and craftsmanship. The product is very, very important to all of us and Sullivans honors and respects what we have created. We found the perfect partner, as Sullivans is highly respected in the industry and they have the marketing expertise and reach to help take Woodstock Chimes to even greater heights,” says Kvistad who will continue to be an ambassador for the company.

Sullivans was established by the Sullivan family in Sioux Falls, SD, in 1968. Today Sullivans designs and offers on-trend home décor for every style, season and occasion to more than 15,000 retail stores and countless consumers across the country.

“Sullivans’ growth strategy led us to search for opportunities to extend our leadership position in indoor home décor to outdoor and garden decor. The alignment of our companies’ cultures, award-winning product line, unwavering commitment to customer service and a talented, dedicated team at Woodstock Chimes makes this a very appealing addition to the Sullivans’ portfolio,” Tom Russo, CEO for Sullivans, said.

Sullivans’ Director of Marketing shares Tom Russo’s enthusiasm. “We’re excited to combine our leadership in home décor with Woodstock’s excellence in sound quality. We plan to drive a décor-forward approach that that has not historically been seen in the wind chime space, creating even more beautiful and serene spaces in holistic wellness and outdoor environments,” Tawni Buhler added.

Current Woodstock Chimes President, Stacey Bowers, will continue to lead operations as the Kvistads step away. “For decades we’ve focused on our core offerings and the musical elements of our chimes, but you look at a company like Sullivans that is truly very innovative and I can’t help but get excited about the potential for growth and product development. Knowing that they have great product designers and a dedicated product development team, we think it will be a terrific partnership. I think there is a lot we can do to expand our product categories beyond wind chimes and suncatchers which is exciting,” Bowers said.

In addition to the signature wind chimes, Woodstock Chimes also produces Swarovski crystal suncatchers, bells, gongs, and musical instruments.

“The businesses that carry Sullivans products are always looking for unique gift offerings. The Woodstock Chimes lines provide tremendous growth potential in areas like wedding gifts and memorials, and will strengthen our offerings in floristry, garden centers, hardware stores and more,” Lisa Juul, vice president of sales for Sullivans, said.

The entire Woodstock Chimes product line can be found on their website, www.chimes.com and their wholesale site, www.WoodstockChimes.com.

As of Sep. 1, 2021 the acquisition was completed, finalizing the transition of the Woodstock brand to the Sullivans offering. Aramar Capital Group, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Woodstock Chimes in the transaction.

About Sullivans

Sullivans is a leader in the home décor and gift industry offering quality, versatile home décor for every style, season and occasion to retailers and consumers nationwide. Sullivans aims to create emotional connections with customers around the world through inspiring product design, award-winning customer service and focused consumer trend marketing and research. Headquartered in South Dakota, Sullivans also has showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and Sioux Falls; and it offers buyers a free, convenient way to browse and purchase products online.

For more information on Sullivans or to view their wide range of products, visit sullivangift.com or their new consumer website SullivansHomeDecor.com. In addition to its Sullivans brand, Sullivans, Inc. also operates and distributes Woodstock Chimes, The Darren Gygi Home Collection, Vance Kitira Candles, Candle Impressions and Mirage Flameless LED Candles. Combined they bring nearly 150 years of industry product and design experience and the ability to adapt to consumers’ regularly changing needs.

About Woodstock Chimes

Woodstock Chimes offers a unique variety of high quality, affordable musical gifts from around the world. Its designs and sells Woodstock Chimes and distributes a line of award-winning musical instruments and toys called the Woodstock Music Collection. Founder and professional musician Garry Kvistad’s background in music explains the strong commitment to fine tuning and great sound. The entire collection can be found at www.chimes.com.