>>GERRY: WELCOME BACK TO OURSPECIAL SHOW·COMING TO YOU THISWEEK FROM FORT WAYNE.VERA BRADLEY FOUNDED IN FORT
WAYNE IN 1982 BYBARBARA BRADLEY BAEKGARD AND PATMILLER, TWO FRIENDS, TURNEDENTREPRENEURS.
TODAY, THE LUGGAGE AND HANDBAGDESIGN COMPANY HAS MORE THAN 160LOCATIONS AND SOME 3100EMPLOYEES.
>>>IN 1979, HE COMBINED A LOVEOF MUSIC WITH HISENTREPRENEURIAL TALENTS ANDFOUNDED SWEETWATER SOUND·A
4-TRACK RECORDING STUDIO IN THEBACK OF HIS VW BUS.WAS HOW IT ALL BEGAN.TODAY SWEETWATER IS ONE OF THE
MOST RESPECTED NAMES IN THEINDUSTRY AND THE NUMBER ONEONLINE RETAILER OF MUSICINSTRUMENTS AND PRO-AUDIO GEAR
IN THE NATION.FOR MORE ON THIS AMAZINGENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESSSTORY·LET'S TURN TO SWEETWATER
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT CHUCKSURACK.CHUCK, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.>> WELCOME TO FORT WAYNE.
>> THANK YOU.YOUR STORY TRULY IS AN AMAZINGONE.LET'S GO BACK QUICKLY TO 1979 A
VW BUS THAT WAS THE FOUNDINGSPOT FOR SWEETWATER.>> I WAS ON THE ROAD ANDPLAYED SAXOPHONE AND KEYBOARD
AND HAD MY PARENTS HAND ME DOWNBEAT UP VW BUS AND CAME HOME ANDSTARTED A RECORDING STUDIO.I WOULD PULL THE BUS ALONG THE
STREETS OR SCHOOL OR BUS AND RUNCABLE AND RECORDED THEM AND ITREALLY CHANGE MY BUSINESS IN1984 I GOT TO SEE A BRAND-NEW
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT LIVE AND ITWAS THE FIRST SYNTHESIZER THATPLAYED BACK DIGITAL RECORDINGSOF OTHER INSTRUMENTS.
I THOUGHT HOW COOL IS THAT ENDEDMY STUDIO I COULD MAKE OTHERSOUNDS BESIDES THE MUSICIANS SOI BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE EARLY ON
IN REVERSE ENGINEERED ANDFIGURED OUT HOW IT WORKED ANDBECAME FRIENDS WITH OTHER OWNERSAND THEY WERE PEOPLE LIKE STEVIE
WONDER AND KENNY ROGERS ANDDOLLY PARTON AND MY BUSINESSCHANGE FROM BEING A RECORDINGSTUDIO TO ACTUALLY SELLING GEAR
TO MY FRIENDS.>> TALK ABOUT YOUR MODEL ANDHOW YOU HAVE GROWN, YOU'VEREALLY CREATED A SUCCESSFUL
NICHE IN THE BUSINESS.>> WE ARE FORTUNATE OUR MODELIS BASED ON HAVING REALRELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS
AND WE FIT NEATLY BETWEEN AMAZONAND THE TRADITIONAL LOCAL MUSICSTORE IN EACH SALES ENGINEER CANREALLY HELP YOU WITH YOUR
EQUIPMENT AND AS THE MUSICEQUIPMENT IS MORE SOPHISTICATEDAND DIFFICULT YOU NEED THATHANDHOLDING SO WE FIT NEATLY IN
THERE AND WE'VE HAD TREMENDOUSGROWTH BY HAVING ONE-ON-ONERELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR USERS.>> TALK ABOUT THE SWEETWATER
CAMPUS.A SPRAWLING CAMPUS.YOU HAVE GROWN, MOVED IN WITH40,000 SQUARE FEET.
YOU ARE NOW OVER 400,000.>> IT'S AMAZING.2006 WE NEEDED A NEW BUILDING.WE GREW OUT OF OUR SMALL
WAREHOUSE THAT WE HAD AND INTO A40,000 AND STARTED ADDING ONRIGHT AWAY.WE HAVE 160 ACRES ON THE WEST
SIDE OF FORT WAYNE TODAY ANDABOUT 400,000 SQUARE FEET OFSPACE AND WE WILL ADD MORE INTHE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> TALK ABOUT THE FEATURES.>> WE WANTED IT TO BECONDUCIVE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS ANDOUR GUEST, BUT ALSO MAKE IT NICE
FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.MORE THAN HALF OF OUR EMPLOYEESRELOCATED TO FORT WAYNE FROMAROUND THE COUNTRY SO WE NEEDED
THE ENTITIES THEY WHAT A JOY.I HEAR REGULARLY IT'S LIKEGOOGLE.HAVE NOT BEEN THERE MYSELF BUT
EVERYTHING FROM A VIDEO LIBRARYYOU CAN CHECK VIDEOS OUT, WEHAVE AN AMAZING CAFETERIA IT'SLIKE COUNTRY CLUB FOOD.
WE HAVE A SLIDE FROM THE SECONDFLOOR DOWN TO THE FIRST FLOORAND IT GOES ON AND ON.POOL TABLE, PING-PONG TABLE,
THINGS EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS CANUSE AND A NICE ENVIRONMENT TO BEAN AND WE MAKE IT OPEN ANDAVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> YOU CONTINUE TO GROW.YOU ANNOUNCED AN EXPANSION INTWO YEARS AGO.>> 2006 WE HAD 200 EMPLOYEES
AND TODAY JUST UNDER 1300.I AM SO PROUD WE ARE ABLE TOHELP SO MANY PEOPLE AND BE ABLETO GIVE BACK SO MUCH.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY INFORT WAYNE AND SO MUCH GOING ONIN PARTICULAR IN DOWNTOWN.HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR
BUSINESS?>> FIVE YEARS AGO I HAD NOEMPLOYEES LIVING DOWNTOWN ANDTODAY MORE THAN 55 AND MORE WANT
TO.THERE JUST ARE NOT SPACESAVAILABLE.>> YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE
PHILANTHROPISTS AND HAVE GIVENSO MUCH FINANCIALLY, TIMEWISEAND OTHERWISE.YOU ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN A
LOT THAT IS HAPPENING IN FORTWAYNE.WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU ANDYOUR WIFE?
>> WE'VE BEEN INCREDIBLYBLESSED AND WE CAN'T TAKE ITWITH US AND WE KNOW WE WANT TOSET AN EXAMPLE AND BE LEADERS
AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS.WE'VE BEEN HUMBLED TO SEE LOTSOF OTHER GREAT PEOPLE COMINGALONG AT THE SAME WAY.
>> ALL RIGHT, CHUCK SURACK,