Holze Music
From rich beginnings in 1937 to its turbulent downfall in 2009, Holze Music Co. faced a series of ups and downs throughout its 70-year history. For all those years, Holze Music Co. served the community of Waco, and 9 other locations around Texas in all thing’s music related. From renting out instruments to school children, repairing broken instruments, and even giving music lessons, Holze did it all.
Holze Music Co. was founded by Lewis Holze in 1937 at 1210 Lake Air Dr. Mr. Holze led a simple life with his wife Edith Hander, who he married in 1938. Lewis was a Methodist, a mason, and even a Baylor alumni, playing in the golden wave band during his time in school. After his passing on April 12th, 1980, the business stayed in the family for another decade before it was sold to Rob Gibson in June of 1992.
Under ownership of Rob Gibson, Holze expanded rapidly. By 2003 Holze was doing 5.5 million in sales with locations in Waco, Temple, Killeen, and College station. Holze sales continues increasing after its competitor, Brooks Mays Music went out of business and closed all 26 of its stores in 2006, leaving Holze as the main, trusted music store.
However, Holze was faced with a tragic turn of events in 2008. It came out in early May, that the company owed more than $150,000 in taxes, all 10 stores were forced to close until the back taxes were paid. Continuing the misfortune, GE Commercial Distribution Finance Corporation filed a lawsuit for $931,082 against Holze for missed payments for financial services the company had provided. Despite paying off the tax debt in less than a week, Holze was still struggling to keep itself afloat. By the 20th of May the bank had foreclosed on the flagship store in Waco. In a quote from a lawyer for Holze, “Holze is out of business, and has no employees.”
Because the business was shut down so quickly it left many customers still in possession of instruments worth tens of thousands of dollars, and with no employees and no stores, they had no way to return them. The bank that foreclosed on Holze released a statement from its lawyer, Jeffery Cox, which said that it was Holze Music Co. responsibility to get the instruments back from customers. Holze Co.’s lawyer, Larry Kelly, refuted the statement by Cox and said that because Holze’s assets were seized, they no longer had the records for any of the instruments and it was now up to the bank to figure out how to have all of the instruments returned and customers rental periods end.
To this day, it is still unknown why the Holze brand, making millions of dollars, and multiple locations across the state of Texas, cascaded down so quickly. Gibson has always blamed “cash-flow issues” for the company’s downfall, but never elaborating on what that really meant, or why the issue was never able to be resolved, nor has there ever been an attempt to re-open the business.
Despite its tragic end, the Holze Music Company was a staple to Waco for many years. With its original location just off of Valley Mills, Holze sat right in the heart of Waco. During its 70 years, the Company was able to go from a small instrument repair shop to a relatively large company servicing music enthusiasts all over the state of Texas. Countless members of the Waco community got their first taste of music from an instrument purchased or rented from Holze. So much joy and happiness was brought by this small Waco business, and it will always have a special spot in the hearts of thousands of Wacoans.
The store front of the original Holze Music Co. store just off Valley Mills.
The last logo used by Holze while it was still in business.
A typical day at Holze with a salesman helping a customer chose the perfect instrument.
Local rapper, Jr. Boy, shopping in Holze for the perfect sound equipment.
local man, William Ellis, talks about his wife’s experience with Holze music.
Sources:
Waco, Texas: Business and Industry: Holze Music and Company; Clippings
Waco, Texas, Citizens- last name beginnings with “HN-HZ”
Baylor Institute for Oral History, Interview of William Gardiner Ellis
Google Earth, Holze Music
YouTube, Jr. Boy as Holze Music Store, Part 1
mylogoart.com, Holze Music Logo