Sweetwater Sound facts for kids
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| Corporation | |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
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Key people
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Chuck Surack (founder), President/CEO John Hopkins, COO Jeff Radke, Chief Sales Officer Greg Clark, CFO David Stewart, CMO Doug Wood, Chief Administrative Officer |
| Products | Musical instruments, Recording equipment and accessories |
| Revenue | $805 Million (2019) |
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Number of employees
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1,531 |
Sweetwater is a very large online store in the United States. It sells all kinds of musical instruments and professional sound equipment. The company is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Sweetwater's Story
Sweetwater was started in 1979 by a person named Chuck Surack. He used to be a musician who traveled a lot. He wanted to stop touring, so he created his own company in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
At first, Sweetwater offered music recording services. Chuck had a special recording studio inside his Volkswagen van! He also had a studio at his home.
In 1984, a new kind of keyboard came out called the Kurzweil K250. Chuck became well-known for making new sounds and upgrades for this keyboard. People started asking him for advice about other music products too.
So, Sweetwater grew into a music store. They focused on giving great customer service before and after people bought things. By 1990, Sweetwater had 6 employees and made $6 million in sales each year! The company grew so fast that it moved out of Chuck's home and into its own building. Sweetwater was even named one of America's fastest-growing companies in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Sweetwater launched its website in 1995 to share information. By 1999, you could buy most of their products online. A music magazine called Electronic Musician even said sweetwater.com was one of the best online places for musicians.
Sweetwater also creates its own publications, like the ProGear Directory. They also have a blog called inSync.
In 2009, Sweetwater received a special award called the LEED Platinum Award. This award is for buildings that are built and managed in a way that is good for the environment. Sweetwater was also named "Retailer of the Year" by Music Inc. in 2012 and again in 2020.
Sweetwater's Campus
Sweetwater has a large campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It includes their main offices and a big distribution center where products are stored and shipped.
But that's not all! The campus also has professional recording studios, two places for live music shows, and a music academy where people can learn. There's even a retail store where you can shop in person. Plus, there are many cool things for customers and employees to enjoy.
In 2006, Sweetwater had 220 employees and was still growing. They decided to build a new, bigger campus. The new headquarters included offices, a large warehouse, and a retail store. It also had the Sweetwater Studios recording complex and a theater with 250 seats for performances. This new building earned the LEED Platinum award in 2009 for being environmentally friendly.
In 2018, Sweetwater announced another big expansion. They built a new warehouse that was finished in early 2020. This huge building is 480,000 square feet! It helps them store more products and ship customer orders faster. It also has space for testing products, taking photos of them, and offices. This new warehouse more than doubled Sweetwater's shipping ability.
They also plan to build a new conference center and banquet hall. This building will be able to hold up to 1,000 people. It will be used for training employees and for community events too.
Giving Back to the Community
Sweetwater believes in giving back to the community. This is called philanthropy. Each year, they help more than 600 nonprofit organizations.
Some of the groups they support include Fort Wayne Community Schools, Arts United of Fort Wayne, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra. They also help Easter Seals ARC of Northeast Indiana and the Voices of Unity Youth Choir.
