Greenfield Exclusive Company To Remain Open After Finding Buyer

GREENFIELD, WI — After longtime Wisconsin record store chain The Exclusive Company announced sweeping closures in April, a buyer has emerged to keep the Greenfield location alive.

When employees first heard about the Greenfield location's closure, they rallied to keep their store open. Eventually, the store found a buyer from New Berlin, Jennifer Young. Young told Patch she's keeping the location open as an independent record store called Volta Records.

While the shop won't be employee-owned, as some workers first sought, you can expect to see plenty of familiar faces at Volta. Many of the former Exclusive Co. employees are sticking around to work at the new store, Young said.

"It's probably been a lifetime in the making," Young told Patch. "I used to go to record stores all the time when I was a teenager. And I always loved going to the Exclusive Company, because they had the Metalhaus in the back."

When Young heard about the Greenfield store closing, she said she hoped someone would buy it. In the past, she had discussed plans with her husband to open a business down the line.

"And over the course of about four days, that thought of, 'I hope somebody buys it,' turned into well, 'we're gonna open a store in the future anyway, why not?'"

The shop, located at 5026 South 74th Street, is set to open for the first time under its new name on Saturday.

SEE ALSO: Exclusive Co. Employees In Greenfield Trying To Preserve Record Store

Exclusive Co. announced closures across its region in April. The closures coincided with the death of its 1956 founder, James "Mr. G" Giombetti.

The stores across Wisconsin were staples for many, mainly for their vinyl collections, but they also offered a range of CDs and stereo equipment.

But the company's owners at the time said the stores could not continue without its founder. With the news, though, the company also voiced a desire for locations to remain under independent ownership.

Greenfield Exclusive Co. employees at first tried to buy the store themselves. Initial plans were to find investors, donations and loans to keep the store open. The tentative name was "That Girl Records."

"We know that we can't see this place go," Isabella Charles, one of the employees, wrote in a fundraiser for That Girl Records.

"It has become a home to all of us and the lifelong bonds we've made are sacred to us," Charles wrote. "We know that it holds true to many of our customers as well."

With Young purchasing the store, people who donated to the GoFundMe for That Girl will see refunds.

"We didn't want to just take that money because it was intended for That Girl Records," Young said. "Unfortunately, That Girl records didn't happen, but because of the efforts of that team, we ended up with Volta Records."

But people can donate to Volta Records if they want, Young said.

With the re-opened location, Young said she hopes the recent resurgence of interest in vinyl records continues.

"It's a pretty exciting time to be getting into the record, store industry," Young said. "So I'm definitely hopeful that the legacy that the Exclusive Co. has built for the Greenfield location continues on with Volta Records."

"We want to keep that same local, independent music store vibe going," Young said.