Sweetwater, the number one online retailer for music makers, has released its 2024 Impact Report. Carrying out its mission to always do the right thing, Sweetwater builds upon its decades of efforts, and the 2024 report showcases strides in the categories of People & Employee Wellbeing, Community, and Environmental & Supply Chain Responsibility.
“All that we do centers around building relationships that positively impact the lives of our employees, our customers, our partners, and our communities,” explained Mike Clem, CEO of Sweetwater. “Just as creating great music is an ever-evolving process, we are always striving to expand our impact.”
People & Employee Wellbeing
Sweetwater’s award-winning approach to serving customers begins by caring for the company’s people, and 2024 was another banner year for Sweetwater, which earned national accolades for its workplace, its culture, and its professional development opportunities. Highlights of the company’s 2024 efforts include:
- Earning 10 Comparably Awards, including recognition as Best Company for the areas of Culture, Happiness, and Work-Life Balance; being named on Newsweek’s ranking of Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families; and receiving a 2024 North America Inspiring Workplaces Award — Top 100.
- Increasing employee engagement and participation in professional development programs, including a 13% year-over-year gain in graduates of Sweetwater’s Management Development Program and a 71% increased attendance in its Food for Thought Lunch & Learn series.
- Launching Sweetwater Sessions, a series of CEO-led town halls fostering open dialogue and direct engagement between employees and executive leadership throughout the year.
- Hosting over 30 employee wellbeing and social events, including Sweetwater’s second annual Be Well Expo, Thanksgiving Giveaway, Santa Lunch, and more, fostering nearly 10,000 meaningful connections with Sweetwater employees and their families. The company further enhanced its campus experience with a dedicated six-hole disc golf course designed to promote wellness, connection, and recreation for Sweetwater team members.
Community
Sweetwater’s heart for serving others starts in the company’s own backyard and extends to communities around the world. Through its Amplifying Change philanthropic platform, Sweetwater’s efforts center on caring for the music makers of today and tomorrow. More specifically, in 2024 the company:
- Donated nearly $1 million in philanthropic giving to its nonprofit partners, driving impact on local, regional, and national levels.
- Provided 42 historically under-resourced public schools across the country with innovative tools and a curriculum to explore music creation, recording, and production resources through Save the Music Foundation’s J Dilla Music Technology grants. .
- Presented, in concert with the MusiCares Foundation, Mindful May, an inaugural clinic providing free mental health and wellbeing services to music professionals held at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles.
- Launched Turn Up the Volume, a program that empowers employees to directly influence the company’s philanthropic giving for the year. Employees voted for the following music-focused nonprofits: first place — Save the Music Foundation; second place — Women’s Audio Mission; third place — Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
Environmental & Supply Chain Responsibility
Fueled by Sweetwater’s commitment to serving with heart, the company continuously seeks innovative ways to protect the planet and to build a sustainable future. This includes encouraging and collaborating with partners across the music industry, shipping, manufacturing, and beyond. Sweetwater’s 2024 efforts are manifested through, but not limited to, the following:
- Generated 1.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity across 93,000 feet of solar panels on the roof of Sweetwater’s Fort Wayne Fulfillment Center — enough to power 130 US homes and 250 professional recording studios for a year.
- Expanded its commitment to a circular economy by reducing and reusing materials. For example, through an innovative partnership with D’Addario, Sweetwater’s Guitar Workshop recycled 250,706 strings (weighing 2,159 lbs.) during 2024.
- Accelerated its LED transition, migrating the Fort Wayne campus to 80% LED power, on track to reach its goal of 100% LED power.
To learn more, Sweetwater’s 2024 Impact Report is available on the company’s website at Sweetwater.com/environmental-social-responsibility/.
