Sweetwater Values The Sweetwater Difference At the heart of Sweetwater's success lies a concept called the Sweetwater Difference. That's not an empty phrase to Sweetwater employees - we live it every day on the job. What is the Sweetwater Difference? It's more than just an attitude: it's an action plan for every task. Perhaps most simply put, it's a commitment to do the right thing for every one of our customers. That's why we pledge to always provide the following:

	Professionalism – When a customer buys from Sweetwater, they have the advantage of an extensive team of professionals to support them now and in the future.
	Integrity – Every customer is treated ethically and with a long-term perspective; we want customers for life.
	People – We hire the best and train them better than any other retailer.
	Added Value – We offer an informative website, a comprehensive Service Department, SweetNotes and InSync newsletters, and more.
	Real-world Experience – We use our in-house studio to test new gear, and our Sales Engineers have hundreds of years of combined practical experience.

Retailer of the Year! Sweetwater was awarded the Music Inc. “Indie Retailer of the Year” honor for 2005. Sweetwater is the region's biggest Federal Express customer Every day we ship as many as 1,000 customer orders. Sweetwater is the nation’s largest independent Pro Tools dealer We’ve been configuring Pro Tools systems since 1989. Sweetwater builds its own line of Creation Station PCs Our audio-optimized computers are fast becoming a studio standard. Sweetwater is “Green!” We enthusiastically recycle paper, packing materials, aluminum, plastic cans and bottles, etc. We participate in the “Cans for Habitat” program supporting Habitat for Humanity.

The Sweetwater Story: Past, Present, Future

You may or may not know that Sweetwater got its start back in 1979 as a 4-track professional recording studio. At that time, Sweetwater founder and owner Chuck Surack was recording albums, as well as composing jingles for area retailers. But he, and the rest of the gang at the studio, had the same problems that musicians around the world have had for decades: where to find the gear they needed at reasonable prices, PLUS dependable advice from people who actually knew what they were talking about.

There seemed to be no music retailers who offered it all. Some had good prices, but didn't carry the items we needed. Others had an impressive selection of products, but they were often overpriced and their sales staff was less than knowledgeable. On top of that, if we happened to buy a product that just wasn't right for our needs, it was painful — or often impossible — to return the item for a refund or credit. Finally, if we had equipment that needed repair, we were often told that it had to be returned to the manufacturer, causing lengthy delays that a professional studio just can't afford.

Chuck thought there had to be a better way of doing business. So he put together a company based upon the kind of sales, service, and product support he had been looking for in a retailer: a company dedicated to building a long term, one-on-one relationship with its customers.

Today, Sweetwater offers products from HUNDREDS of the best names in the music business like Digidesign, Roland, Yamaha, Mackie, Korg, Fender, Gibson, and more. And just about all of the products we offer are in stock in our huge warehouse at all times.

Our Sales Engineers all have real-world studio, gigging and/or MIDI experience, so they're familiar with all the latest hardware and software. They take the time to listen to customers’ specific needs and ask the right questions before recommending the perfect product to fill that need at a down-to-earth price. In the unlikely event a Sweetwater purchase ever needs service, our Technical Support department is factory authorized to do repairs on all the products we sell.

The reason for our phenomenal success is simple: our hundreds of thousands of loyal customers. We built Sweetwater from the ground up to be a great place to do business with, offering a knowledgeable sales staff, affordable prices, and dependable after-the-sale support that's second to none.

Our new headquarters is now complete, and we've built an amazing facility! Sweetwater's new home is outfitted with great employee perks and benefits, complete with an employee fitness center, food court, three Russ Berger-designed studios, state-of-the-art auditorium (also designed by Russ Berger), a racquetball court, video lending library, and game arcade complete with virtual golf. Needless to say, this is an awesome place to work! See photos here.