Sweetwater expansion expected to bring hundreds to Fort Wayne
By Chris Darby | WANE
After Tuesday's ceremonial groundbreaking, work officially started on Sweetwater Sound's big expansion while preparations were underway to fill 1,000 jobs.
"That's probably more overwhelming than designing a big $76 million building project, because now you are talking about each and every person that applies," Sweetwater Founder and Owner Chuck Surack told WANE 15 News Wednesday.
Surack said the people there are ready for the avalanche of resumes to pour into the company.
He'll be looking for a few hands for the new warehouse, but the majority of jobs are in sales, accounting, marketing related departments. Surack expects three quarters of the hires to be from out of town and people will face a tough hiring process.
"There are lots of people that have the right technical skills, but we want more than that," Surack explained. "We want people who will really it into the culture of Sweetwater and provide the same level of customer service, whether that's to our customers or to fellow employees. You really have to have that attitude to be on a winning team and to work at Sweetwater."
The mass amount of people that will move here or stay here for the jobs, means nothing but good things in the eyes of Greater Fort Wayne. After all, the company will become the fourth largest in Allen County following the hospitals and General Motors.
"It's really difficult to fill a thousand jobs with a 3.5% unemployment rate, so you're going to have to bring in people from around the country," Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. CEO Eric Doden said.
The increase in new incomes feeds a cycle, money going to goods and services here, helping other businesses. There's also the demand for more housing, especially apartments as people new to town look for their long-term homes.
"If we're lucky, they move here, they get married, their kids get into school," Doden added. "Once they get into school, maybe a two or three year commitment in their mind, turns into a 20 year commitment, and of course, that then helps grow our economy."
The people at Greater Fort Wayne tell me they work with relocation specialists who help new employees adjust to the city.
For a list of open jobs at Sweetwater, visit the company's website.
