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Sweetwater Sound
Sweetwater
Company typePrivate
IndustryMusical Instruments, Pro Audio, Lighting
Founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
FounderChuck Surack
HeadquartersFort Wayne, Indiana, US
Key people
[1]
ProductsMusical Instruments, Pro Audio, Lighting, and accessories
Revenue$1.57 Billion (2022)[2]
OwnerProvidence Equity (2021-present)
Number of employees
2,300[3]
Websitewww.sweetwater.com

Sweetwater is an American musical instrument retailer. Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sweetwater is the largest online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio equipment in the United States.[4]

History

[edit]

Chuck Surack established the company in 1979 in Fort Wayne, Indiana so that he could stop being a touring musician.[5] The company originally offered recording services via a remote recording studio in Surack's Volkswagen microbus and a recording studio based out of his home.[6] In 1985, to increase the services the recording studio could offer, Surack bought a Kurzweil K250,[7] and became known for his custom K250 sound library and programming skills as well as his upgrade kits.[8]

Sweetwater became a Kurzweil dealer, but the company's clients were asking for advice regarding other products as well, so Surack expanded Sweetwater to become a retailer of musical instruments and pro audio equipment, with the recording studio continuing as an integral part of the business. In 1990, with six employees and annual sales of $6 million, Sweetwater had outgrown Surack's home and moved into its own commercial building at 5335 Bass Road,[9][10] and Sweetwater's growth over the next several years earned it a place on Inc. magazine's ranking of America's fastest growing companies in 1993, 1994, and 1995.[11][12][13]

In 1995, the company launched Sweetwater.com as an informational site, but by 1999 the site offered most of Sweetwater's inventory for purchase online.[14] Electronic Musician included sweetwater.com as one of nine essential online information resources for a musician.[15] In addition to its website, Sweetwater has several publications, including the ProGear Directory, Worship Sound Pro,[16] [17] and Music Educators Technology Resource.,[18] and a blog, inSync.[19]

In 2006, with 220 employees and continued business growth, Sweetwater commissioned MSKTD & Associates to design and master plan a new 44-acre corporate campus at 5501 US Highway 30 W in Fort Wayne, with corporate offices, a distribution center with warehouse, a retail store, and Sweetwater Studios recording studio complex and 250-seat LARES-equipped performance theater, both designed by Russ Berger Design Group.[20][21] Sweetwater's new facility was certified LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council in April, 2009.[22]

In January 2011, Surack acquired the assets of Pensacola, Florida-based audio/video systems integrator All Pro Sound, eventually merging the company, still based at its Pensacola headquarters and since rebranded as All Pro Integrated Systems, into Sweetwater.[23]

In 2015, Surack purchased Mynett Music Company, a retail music store established in Fort Wayne in 1933, focused on providing music instruments, lessons, and repair services for students and school music programs.[24]

In October 2018, Sweetwater announced another expansion to construct a new warehousing facility.[25] Completed in early 2020, the 480,000-square foot distribution center facilitates product storage and customer order fulfillment, as well as product testing, product photography, offices, staff amenities, and more, while more than doubling the shipping capacity of the Sweetwater's previous warehouse.

In July 2021, Sweetwater opened a new retail store. The 44,000 square foot store more than tripled the size of the previous retail store location it replaced,[26] which also made it possible for Sweetwater to include Mynett Music's products and services within the new Sweetwater store.[27] Later the same year, Sweetwater began selling band and orchestra instruments and accessories.[28]

In August 2021, it was announced that Rhode Island private equity firm Providence Equity had purchased a majority share of Sweetwater, and Surack had stepped down as CEO.[29]

Campus

[edit]

Sweetwater's Fort Wayne campus includes its corporate offices and distribution center, along with Sweetwater Studios recording studios, two performance venues, a music academy, a retail store, and numerous customer and employee amenities.[30][31][32]

Sweetwater Studios

[edit]

Upon completion of Sweetwater's new corporate campus in late 2007, Sweetwater Studios moved into a new 3-room recording facility and performance theater designed by Russ Berger Design Group.[33][34][35] In 2014, Sweetwater Studios upgraded Studio A to a hybrid recording system consisting of 36 channels of Rupert Neve Designs Shelford modules and analog summing master section, combined with Avid S6 control surface, interfaces, and Pro Tools,[36] and over 80 channels of outboard analog processing from API,[37] Solid State Logic, Universal Audio, Focusrite, Shadow Hills, Millennia, A-Designs, Daking, Drawmer, Chandler, Manley Laboratories and Dangerous Music.[38][39] In 2022, Studio B was upgraded to a Dolby Atmos-capable mixing and mastering room.[40]

Sweetwater Studios offers a roster of in-house session musicians, including guitarist Don Carr, drummer and vocalist Nick D'Virgilio, bassist Dave Martin, and keyboardist Phil Naish, and offers recording, mixing, and mastering services, along with education and training for customers and employees.

Notable artists

[edit]

Notable artists who have had projects produced at Sweetwater Studios include:

Philanthropy

[edit]

Sweetwater contributes to more than 600 nonprofit organizations annually,[47][48] including charitable donations to Fort Wayne Community Schools,[49] Arts United of Fort Wayne,[50] the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra,[51] Easter Seals ARC of Northeast Indiana,[52] and the Voices of Unity Youth Choir.[53]

Majic Miracle Music

[edit]

From 2006 to 2013, Sweetwater Studios and local Fort Wayne radio station WAJI Majic 95.1 partnered to record live, acoustic music from nationally recognized artists and bands traveling through Fort Wayne. These recordings and others were compiled to produce "Majic Miracle Music" charity CDs to benefit Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. Artists who recorded at Sweetwater Productions for "Majic Miracle Music" CDs include REO Speedwagon, Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka, Aimee Allen, Jars of Clay, Landon Pigg, Ben Jelen, Josh Kelley, Sara Bareilles, Jon McLaughlin, Gin Blossoms, and Collective Soul.[54]

Reception

[edit]

Music Inc. named Sweetwater "Retailer of the Year" in 2012 and again in 2020.[55][56] In 2023, Sweetwater was included on Newsweek's list of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.[57][58]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sweetwater Names Mike Clem President". Music Inc. Maher Publications. March 2023. p. 18.
  2. ^ "Sweetwater Reports 2022 Sales". Music Inc. Maher Publications. March 2023. p. 19.
  3. ^ Brown, Alex (3 February 2022). "Sweetwater Continues Record Growth". Inside Indiana Business. IBJ Media. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Ranking the 40 Largest Online Retailers". Vol. 166, no. 7. The Music Trades Corporation. Aug 2018.
  5. ^ Kavilanz, Parija (2019-05-20). "40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  6. ^ ProSoundNews, Mar 2008. Web Bonus Chuck Surack Founder and President
  7. ^ Kavilanz, Parija. "40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire". CNN Business. Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  8. ^ Kavilanz, Parija. "40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire". CNN Business. Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  9. ^ Matt Ottinger, Biz Voice Magazine, Mar/Apr 2008 Sweet Sounds of Success: Music World Takes Note of Fort Wayne Company
  10. ^ The Music Trades, Feb 2009, "How Soft Selling Powers Growth at Sweetwater"
  11. ^ Inc.com. 1993 Inc. 500: The Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
  12. ^ Inc.com. 1994 Inc. 500: The Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
  13. ^ Inc.com. 1995 Inc. 500: The Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
  14. ^ Internet Archive. Wayback Machine. Archived results for www.sweetwater.com starting from 1996.
  15. ^ Electronic Musician. Gary Yelton, Jun 2005 Nine Essential Online Resources
  16. ^ Abbie, Stancato (23 July 2013). "Sweetwater Music Caters to Christian Musicians & House of Worship Community!". rockinggodshouse.com. Rocking God's House. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Karen (19 December 2016). "Sounds Like Worship Audio Education". Pro Sound News. Future plc. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  18. ^ "Sweetwater Acquires Assets Of Music Instrument And Equipment Retailer". Electronic Musician. Future plc. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  19. ^ Ferrisi, Dan (21 February 2014). "Sweetwater Defends Proprietary Web Content". The Music & Sound Retailer. Testa Communications. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  20. ^ Modern Steel. Joshua Snyder, Nov 2010 Ecologically Sound
  21. ^ Russ Berger Design Group. Sweetwater
  22. ^ LEED for New Construction Document, Sweetwater Headquarters
  23. ^ Herron, Heather (4 April 2022). "The Sound of Success". businesspeople.com. Michiana Business Publications. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  24. ^ Wissmuller, Christian (8 December 2015). "Sweetwater's Surack Purchases Mynett Music". MMR Magazine.com. Timeless Communications. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  25. ^ "Sweetwater to add 1,000 jobs, new facilities". WANE.com. Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  26. ^ Caggiano, Lauren. "Development: Sweetwater's expanded retail store is the world's largest brick-and-mortar music shop". Input Fort Wayne. Issue Media Group. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Mynett Music moving to Sweetwater campus". WANE.com. Nexstar Media Inc. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  28. ^ "Sweetwater Launches Online Band and Orchestra Store". SBOmagazine.com. School Band & Orchestra. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Sweetwater Has New Majority Owner; Chuck Surack Leaves CEO Post Sweetwater Sound Sold; Surack Steps up". 10 August 2021.
  30. ^ Kavilanz, Parija. "40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire". CNN Business. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  31. ^ Electronic Musician, Jun 2015. Sweetwater Expands and Enhances Music Store
  32. ^ Eggertsen, Chris. "Spotlight: Chuck Surack of Sweetwater Sound Launched an $800M Retail Operation From His Home Studio". Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media LLC. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Sweetwater Sound's $35 million campus finished in Fort Wayne". Indiana Economic Digest. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  34. ^ Auerbach, Brad. "Sweetwater – An Amazing Evolution of a Recording Studio". Entertainment Today. Entertainment Today, Inc. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  35. ^ "Sweetwater". Russ Berger Design Group. Russ Berger Design Group. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  36. ^ "A Hybrid Workflow at Sweetwater Studios". Rupert Neve Designs. Rupert Neve Designs, LLC. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  37. ^ Savage, Adam. "Indiana's Sweetwater Studios upgrades with API". AudioMediaInternational. Future Publishing. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  38. ^ "Sweetwater Studios: A New Production Model With Fort Wayne Roots". Mix Magazine. 39 (1): 14–18, 62. January 2016.
  39. ^ Wells, Frank. "Studio Showcase: Bountiful Options, Abundant Flexibility". Pro Sound News. Future plc. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  40. ^ "Sweetwater's Studio B Reopens for Dolby Atmos Work". Mix. Future plc. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  41. ^ Merlin, David. "Jonatha Brooke: Video Feature and Web-Exclusive Interview". M Music & Musicians. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  42. ^ Wells, Frank. "Studio Showcase: Bountiful Options, Abundant Flexibility". Pro Sound News. Future plc. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  43. ^ Bilawsky, Dan. "Peter Erskine & the Dr. Um Band: On Call (Fuzzy)". Jazz Times. Jazz Times. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  44. ^ "Tails Of Legendary Reverberation: Sweetwater Studios Captures The Essence Of Beth Hart At Royal Albert Hall". TV Technology. Hummingbird Media, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  45. ^ "Russ Taff Talks New Album 'Believe' and Documentary on Turbulent Life". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  46. ^ Mosey, Chris. "Carl Verheyen: Essential Blues". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  47. ^ Wissmuller, Christian. "Chuck Surack of Sweetwater Sound: 2018 Recipient of MMR's Annual Don Johnson Industry Service Award". Musical Merchandise Review. Timeless Communications. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  48. ^ Arsenault, Charlene (9 June 2016). "Chuck Surack: The Founder of Sweetwater Sound Gives Back to the Community that Nurtured Him". Musical Merchandise Review. Timeless Communications. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  49. ^ "Sweetwater Donates $500,000, More To Schools". Pro Sound News. Future plc. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  50. ^ "Sweetwater Founder Supports Local Arts, Music Trades, Oct 2012, p. 54
  51. ^ Embassy Annual Report, 2012, p. 12
  52. ^ "Suracks give $150K endowment to Easter Seals Arc", Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, Jun 2013
  53. ^ Rodriguez, Rosa Salter (17 November 2015). "Voices of Unity begins $1 million fundraising campaign". The Journal Gazette. The Journal Gazette. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  54. ^ Entrepreneur.com Music Trades. CD raises funds for children's hospital: Sweetwater. January 2008.
  55. ^ Alkyer, Frank (December 2012). "Sweet Success" (PDF). Music Inc. 23 (11): 32–33. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  56. ^ Tornow, Sam (December 2020). "The Sweetwater Difference". Music Inc. 31 (11): 20–23. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  57. ^ Mills, Wes (1 Feb 2023). "Seven Hoosier companies honored for diversity". Inside INdiana Business. IBJ Media. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  58. ^ "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023". Newsweek. Newsweek Digital LLC. Jun 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
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