Despite a tough economy, Sweetwater's total 4th quarter sales were up 15% from 3rd quarter sales, and up 12% from 4th quarter sales in 2008, which was a record quarter. December 2009 sales were up 20% over December of 2008, which was also a record month.
Total employment at Sweetwater for the year was also higher by 6%, up from 347 to 367 jobs since January 2009, with many of the 20 new employees moving to Fort Wayne from outside Indiana.
Sweetwater founder and president Chuck Surack remarked, "A year ago, I made what some might have thought a brash statement to my employees; I said, 'I don't plan to participate in the recession'. I said it to challenge the entire company to return to the fundamentals that have made Sweetwater a success. In particular, I wanted to refocus our efforts on the customer, providing added value in everything we do, and awesome customer service. And they really came through. Together, we took control of the situation and the results speak for themselves."
Just a few of the many innovations resulting from Surack's challenge were:
1. Expanding Sweetwater's free warranty on all products from one to two years.
2. Offering an easy 3-payment plan and other financing options.
3. Unveiling a brand new look and focus to Sweetwater's website.
4. Adding new product lines, such as acoustic drums.
5. Adding new brand names, such as QSC, Bose, Mesa Boogie, and Orange amplifiers.
The company also embraced the social networking phenomenon, with highly successful presences on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, as well as producing more than 225 videos, which are posted at Youtube, as well as at www.sweetwater.com.
Surack concluded, "I'm very optimistic about the future. We are growing and will continue to invest in people and to embrace new ideas in order to guarantee that growth continues."
| ©2013 Sweetwater Sound, Inc. All rights reserved. ======================================================================== Sweetwater Sound, Inc., 5501 US Hwy 30 W, Fort Wayne, IN 46818 USA Phone: (800) 222-4700, Website: http://www.sweetwater.com, General Email: info@sweetwater.com Sweetwater began business 34 years ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is the country's most respected dealer in high-technology
equipment for musicians, recording studios, and broadcasters - from microphones and
digital recording systems to electric guitars to electronic keyboards and electronic drums.
Sweetwater customers range from beginners to rock stars. The company's equipment
can be found in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville recording studios, TV and radio
stations all across the country, as well as in tens of thousands of home recording
studios nationwide. Sweetwater is built on a commitment to the highest level of
customer service in the music technology industry.
For further information visit www.sweetwater.com. |