Employees at Exclusive Company start fundraiser to keep record store open on Milwaukee’s east side

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Exclusive Company is a record shop that’s been on Milwaukee’s east side for the last 31 years. 

Last year, the longtime owner died, leaving the business to an interim owner who now plans to close the store. When a couple of the store’s managers heard the news, they decided to step in to save it.  

“We couldn't bear to see this space be lost,” said Tanner Musgrove. 

Musgrove and Brian Kirk are the two employees who’ve started a GoFundMe to keep the record shop on Milwaukee’s east side.

“It's been here so long. People know where it is. It's a Milwaukee institution at this point,” said Kirk. 

They’re hoping to raise $120,000 to buy the store and everything inside it. They plan to rename the record shop “Lilliput Records.” 

“It's a lot of music and a lot of memories,” said Kirk, who has managed the business for more than 10 years. 

Whether or not the employees raise the full $120,000, they plan to make Lilliput Records a reality, because they see the importance of a nostalgic record store. 

“It’s much deeper than plugging in, or you know, going on Spotify and listening to music,” said Musgrove. “Being able to physically hold it and turn the record over.” 

As of now, there’s no decided date on when Exclusive Company will close or switch ownership.