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>>GERRY: WELCOME BACK TO OURSPECIAL SHOW·COMING TO YOU THISWEEK FROM FORT WAYNE.VERA BRADLEY FOUNDED IN FORT

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WAYNE IN 1982 BYBARBARA BRADLEY BAEKGARD AND PATMILLER, TWO FRIENDS, TURNEDENTREPRENEURS.

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TODAY, THE LUGGAGE AND HANDBAGDESIGN COMPANY HAS MORE THAN 160LOCATIONS AND SOME 3100EMPLOYEES.

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>>>IN 1979, HE COMBINED A LOVEOF MUSIC WITH HISENTREPRENEURIAL TALENTS ANDFOUNDED SWEETWATER SOUND·A

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4-TRACK RECORDING STUDIO IN THEBACK OF HIS VW BUS.WAS HOW IT ALL BEGAN.TODAY SWEETWATER IS ONE OF THE

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MOST RESPECTED NAMES IN THEINDUSTRY AND THE NUMBER ONEONLINE RETAILER OF MUSICINSTRUMENTS AND PRO-AUDIO GEAR

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IN THE NATION.FOR MORE ON THIS AMAZINGENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESSSTORY·LET'S TURN TO SWEETWATER

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FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT CHUCKSURACK.CHUCK, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.>> WELCOME TO FORT WAYNE.

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>> THANK YOU.YOUR STORY TRULY IS AN AMAZINGONE.LET'S GO BACK QUICKLY TO 1979 A

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VW BUS THAT WAS THE FOUNDINGSPOT FOR SWEETWATER.>> I WAS ON THE ROAD ANDPLAYED SAXOPHONE AND KEYBOARD

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AND HAD MY PARENTS HAND ME DOWNBEAT UP VW BUS AND CAME HOME ANDSTARTED A RECORDING STUDIO.I WOULD PULL THE BUS ALONG THE

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STREETS OR SCHOOL OR BUS AND RUNCABLE AND RECORDED THEM AND ITREALLY CHANGE MY BUSINESS IN1984 I GOT TO SEE A BRAND-NEW

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MUSICAL INSTRUMENT LIVE AND ITWAS THE FIRST SYNTHESIZER THATPLAYED BACK DIGITAL RECORDINGSOF OTHER INSTRUMENTS.

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I THOUGHT HOW COOL IS THAT ENDEDMY STUDIO I COULD MAKE OTHERSOUNDS BESIDES THE MUSICIANS SOI BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE EARLY ON

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IN REVERSE ENGINEERED ANDFIGURED OUT HOW IT WORKED ANDBECAME FRIENDS WITH OTHER OWNERSAND THEY WERE PEOPLE LIKE STEVIE

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WONDER AND KENNY ROGERS ANDDOLLY PARTON AND MY BUSINESSCHANGE FROM BEING A RECORDINGSTUDIO TO ACTUALLY SELLING GEAR

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TO MY FRIENDS.>> TALK ABOUT YOUR MODEL ANDHOW YOU HAVE GROWN, YOU'VEREALLY CREATED A SUCCESSFUL

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NICHE IN THE BUSINESS.>> WE ARE FORTUNATE OUR MODELIS BASED ON HAVING REALRELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS

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AND WE FIT NEATLY BETWEEN AMAZONAND THE TRADITIONAL LOCAL MUSICSTORE IN EACH SALES ENGINEER CANREALLY HELP YOU WITH YOUR

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EQUIPMENT AND AS THE MUSICEQUIPMENT IS MORE SOPHISTICATEDAND DIFFICULT YOU NEED THATHANDHOLDING SO WE FIT NEATLY IN

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THERE AND WE'VE HAD TREMENDOUSGROWTH BY HAVING ONE-ON-ONERELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR USERS.>> TALK ABOUT THE SWEETWATER

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CAMPUS.A SPRAWLING CAMPUS.YOU HAVE GROWN, MOVED IN WITH40,000 SQUARE FEET.

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YOU ARE NOW OVER 400,000.>> IT'S AMAZING.2006 WE NEEDED A NEW BUILDING.WE GREW OUT OF OUR SMALL

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WAREHOUSE THAT WE HAD AND INTO A40,000 AND STARTED ADDING ONRIGHT AWAY.WE HAVE 160 ACRES ON THE WEST

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SIDE OF FORT WAYNE TODAY ANDABOUT 400,000 SQUARE FEET OFSPACE AND WE WILL ADD MORE INTHE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

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>> TALK ABOUT THE FEATURES.>> WE WANTED IT TO BECONDUCIVE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS ANDOUR GUEST, BUT ALSO MAKE IT NICE

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FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.MORE THAN HALF OF OUR EMPLOYEESRELOCATED TO FORT WAYNE FROMAROUND THE COUNTRY SO WE NEEDED

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THE ENTITIES THEY WHAT A JOY.I HEAR REGULARLY IT'S LIKEGOOGLE.HAVE NOT BEEN THERE MYSELF BUT

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EVERYTHING FROM A VIDEO LIBRARYYOU CAN CHECK VIDEOS OUT, WEHAVE AN AMAZING CAFETERIA IT'SLIKE COUNTRY CLUB FOOD.

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WE HAVE A SLIDE FROM THE SECONDFLOOR DOWN TO THE FIRST FLOORAND IT GOES ON AND ON.POOL TABLE, PING-PONG TABLE,

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THINGS EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS CANUSE AND A NICE ENVIRONMENT TO BEAN AND WE MAKE IT OPEN ANDAVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.

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>> YOU CONTINUE TO GROW.YOU ANNOUNCED AN EXPANSION INTWO YEARS AGO.>> 2006 WE HAD 200 EMPLOYEES

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AND TODAY JUST UNDER 1300.I AM SO PROUD WE ARE ABLE TOHELP SO MANY PEOPLE AND BE ABLETO GIVE BACK SO MUCH.

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>> YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY INFORT WAYNE AND SO MUCH GOING ONIN PARTICULAR IN DOWNTOWN.HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR

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BUSINESS?>> FIVE YEARS AGO I HAD NOEMPLOYEES LIVING DOWNTOWN ANDTODAY MORE THAN 55 AND MORE WANT

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TO.THERE JUST ARE NOT SPACESAVAILABLE.>> YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE

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PHILANTHROPISTS AND HAVE GIVENSO MUCH FINANCIALLY, TIMEWISEAND OTHERWISE.YOU ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN A

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LOT THAT IS HAPPENING IN FORTWAYNE.WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU ANDYOUR WIFE?

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>> WE'VE BEEN INCREDIBLYBLESSED AND WE CAN'T TAKE ITWITH US AND WE KNOW WE WANT TOSET AN EXAMPLE AND BE LEADERS

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AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS.WE'VE BEEN HUMBLED TO SEE LOTSOF OTHER GREAT PEOPLE COMINGALONG AT THE SAME WAY.

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>> ALL RIGHT, CHUCK SURACK,