The entrance to the renovated and expanded Sweetwater Music Store.

JAN. 11 I SWEETWATER I FINANCE
Sweetwater Announces Record Year in 2015
Sweetwater has recorded another record year in total sales and job creation, plus additional expansion of its campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Total sales in 2015 were $433.1 million, up 22.3 percent over $354 million in 2014, which was also a record-breaking year. December 2015 sales were just over $50 million, up 21 percent over December 2014. Black Friday and Cyber Monday both shattered all previous records.

The company sold more than 80,000 guitars in 2015. Sweetwater also reported pro-audio, microphones, keyboards, guitar amps and effects, and drums were some of the many product categories that saw significant growth.

"I started Sweetwater 37 years ago with a commitment to helping my friends pursue their dreams," said Chuck Surack, Sweetwater's founder and president. "I'm incredibly proud that last year our amazing employees helped over 265,000 brand-new, first-time customers purchase the gear to help them live out their musical passions. It's gratifying to see how our commitment to doing the right thing and always taking care of every customer continues to help us make thousands of new friends every day."

In all, Sweetwater employees, primarily the sales force, handled more than 3.5 million phone calls.

In June 2015, Sweetwater completed a total redesign and expansion of its music store in Fort Wayne to make it four times the original size.

Sweetwater's campus will continue to grow in 2016, with the completion in February of a 16,000-square-foot building to house the marketing and merchandising staffs, as well as a new state-of-the-art video studio. Further expansion of employee amenity areas, including the health club and salon and spa, will also be completed in 2016.

sweetwater.com