A significant Guitar Center Distribution Center located in Kansas City has ceased operations after initially remaining open despite a local stay-at-home order. This order, intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, only permitted “essential” businesses to continue functioning.
Located in the Northland area, the 700,000-square-foot Guitar Center warehouse faced enforcement from Kansas City authorities. Code enforcement personnel, accompanied by the Kansas City Police Department, arrived at the facility to enforce Mayor Quinton Lucas’ directive.
According to Bill Snook, spokesperson for the Kansas City Health Department, the closure was enacted following communication between city officials and a Guitar Center executive. This executive, after being contacted, agreed to bring the distribution center into compliance with the city’s order.
“The business is currently closed and is in compliance” with the mayor’s stay-at-home order, Snook confirmed via email.
The Guitar Center distribution center is a substantial operation, employing approximately three hundred individuals across three shifts. Its primary function is fulfilling online orders for a wide range of musical instruments and related gear.
Guitar Center representatives have not yet released an official statement regarding the distribution center closure.
Prior to the enforcement, the facility, formerly known as Musician’s Friend, had argued that it qualified as an essential business under the city’s guidelines. However, the company did not publicly detail the specifics of how it met the essential business criteria. Guitar Center had also stated that the distribution center was highly automated, maintained rigorous cleaning protocols, and implemented staffing arrangements to ensure the recommended six-foot social distancing among employees, as advised by health experts.
Earlier inquiries from KCUR, made two weeks prior to the closure, prompted Kansas City spokesman Chris Hernandez to suggest that the warehouse’s operations likely did not align with the definition of an essential business. Hernandez directed concerned individuals to contact the city’s 311 line to lodge any complaints.
Kansas City’s stay-at-home order officially commenced after midnight on Tuesday, March 24. The Guitar Center distribution center had continued to operate from the order’s inception until the recent enforcement action.
Snook indicated that the Guitar Center distribution center’s eventual closure followed two prior warnings from the city regarding its non-compliance.
Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.
