Sweetwater Announces Another Stellar Year of Growth and Campus Expansion

Fort Wayne, IN, February 4, 2015 - Sweetwater, the No. 1 online retailer of music instruments and pro audio gear in the U.S., and the fastest-growing company with a national profile in the industry, announces another record year in total sales and job creation, plus a significant expansion of its campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Since 2010, Sweetwater's total sales have more than doubled. Total sales in 2014 were up 28% over 2013, which was also a record-breaking year. December 2014 sales were up 30% over December 2013. Black Friday and Cyber Monday both shattered all previous records, and the company sold more than 71,500 guitars in 2015, up from just over 50,000 guitars in 2013. Drums and pro-audio were two more of the many product categories that saw growth at an incredible pace.

Sweetwater founder and president Chuck Surack said, "With the uncertainty in some segments of the music products industry, our unique style of business, based on long-term personal relationships, expertise, and unparalleled customer service, is being embraced by our customers and driving our growth. This is all due to our incredible team of Sweetwater employees."
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Employment growth continues at Sweetwater as the company continues to aggressively pursue hiring the best-qualified people in the business.

In May, Sweetwater completed a 132,000 square foot expansion, including room for 500 Sales Engineers, permanent offices for vendors, three new conference halls, and a 54,000 square foot expansion of its distribution center, essentially doubling its size.

In December, the company added 15,000 square feet to double its dining area, including a coffee bar called "The Crescendo Cafe," plus a lounge area and the campus's second performance stage. These amenities are in addition to a gaming area, free DVD and games lending library, fitness center with personal trainer, and a salon providing everything from hair and nail care to massage. The full-menu "Downbeat Diner" features "scratch-prepared" food and an amazing kitchen staff.

The Sweetwater campus will continue to grow in 2015, with the total redesign and expansion of Sweetwater's retail store, plus a major building expansion to house the marketing and merchandising staffs, as well as a new state-of-the-art video studio.

Captions:

Diner: Sweetwater's Downbeat Diner has been doubled in size and capacity.

Stage: A stage and lounge are part of the Downbeat Diner expansion, and will provide a performing space for employees and students of Sweetwater's Academy of Music.

Slide: A slide makes it a breeze for Sales Engineers to move from the sales floor to the main floor. Next to the slide are the logos of Sweetwater's hundreds of vendors.

Warehouse: Sweetwater's distribution center was increased by 54,000 square feet.

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Attachments:

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https://media.sweetwater.com/m/about/press-releases/images/slide.jpg?ha=db821bfd6571b762

https://media.sweetwater.com/m/about/press-releases/images/warehouse-4.jpg?ha=73f898f7339e6ca5