Chuck Surack Explained

Chuck Surack is an American entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist and musician, best known as the founder of Sweetwater Sound, one of the world's largest retailers of musical instruments and professional audio equipment.^{[1] [2]}

Biography

Early life

Surack was born in Waverly, Ohio, his family later relocating to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Surack was active in the Boy Scouts,^[3] and attended Wayne High School, where he played saxophone in the school's marching band. Following high school, Surack toured with a band as a saxophone player and keyboardist.^[4] In 1979 Surack decided to stop touring, and returned to his hometown of Fort Wayne, where he has continued to work as a musician, playing saxophone and keyboard as part of two bands, Prime Time^[5] and the Sweetwater All Stars.^[6] He also created a mobile 4-track recording studio in his Volkswagen Bus.^[7]

Career

Sweetwater Sound

See main article: Sweetwater Sound. Surack soon established a recording studio in his home and named it Sweetwater Sound. In 1985, he purchased a Kurzweil K250 keyboard for use in the studio and commissioned an engineer to reverse engineer it in order to develop and use sounds of his own design, establishing Surack as an expert within the K250 community. Sweetwater Sound was eventually selling K250 sound libraries and became established as a Kurzweil K250 reseller. Being part of the small professional K250 community allowed Surack to develop relationships and work with artists such as Kenny Rogers and Stevie Wonder. Sweetwater began selling more and more pro audio equipment, and eventually Sweetwater's retail business surpassed its recording studio business.^{[8] [9]} By 2016, Sweetwater had become the largest online retailer of music instruments and equipment in the U.S.^[10] Surack remains Founder and Chairman of Sweetwater Sound, with John Hopkins taking over as CEO in July 2021.^{[11] [12]}

Surack Enterprises

Beginning in 2010, Surack acquired and founded several other businesses, which came to be referred to as the Sweet Family of Companies and later became subsidiaries of Surack Enterprises.

• SweetCars In February 2010, Surack submitted a proposal to convert an abandoned building on Jefferson Boulevard in Fort Wayne into a luxury car dealership to the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, which agreed to transfer the property to Surack in exchange for his financial commitment to improve the property in order to open and operate the dealership.^[13] The car dealership, SweetCars, opened in December 2011.^[14]
• Sweet Aviation In August 2011, Surack acquired the assets of Smith Field Air Services and established Sweet Aviation, a Fort Wayne flight school.^[15]
• Longe Optical In September 2012, Surack purchased the assets of Longe Optical, a Fort Wayne-based retailer of prescription eyewear and prescription sunglasses with 5 storefronts.^[16]
• Sweet Helicopters In 2012, Surack founded Indiana Helicopters, a helicopter charter service based in Goshen, Indiana, and purchased Helimotion, an aerial film production and executive charter service based in Chicago, two years later. In August 2017 Indiana Helicopters merged with Helimotion to form Sweet Helicopters.^{[17] [18] [19]}
• Aviation Specialty Insurance Surack also acquired Aviation Specialty Insurance, a company formerly known as Corporate Aviation Insurance Group (CAIG) that provides general aviation insurance services.^{[20] [21]}
• The Clyde Theatre In 2018, Surack increased his majority ownership stake to assume full ownership of The Clyde Theatre, a Fort Wayne music venue and event center.^[22]
• The Club Room at the Clyde In 2019, he opened The Club Room at the Clyde, a restaurant adjacent to the Clyde Theatre,^[23]
• Crescendo Coffee and More In the summer of 2020, Surack opened Crescendo Coffee and More, a café adjacent to the Club Room at the Clyde.^[24]
• Enstrom Helicopter Corporation In May of 2022, Surack Enterprises acquired the assets of Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, an American helicopter aerospace manufacturer based in Menominee, Michigan.^{[25] [26]}
• The Pearl In 2022, the Suracks announced The Pearl, a 7-story residential, commercial, and entertainment mixed-use development located at 248 W. Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne, with anticipated completion in late summer 2024.^[27]

In 2020, Surack purchased the former headquarters of Pizza Hut of Fort Wayne and improved it to create The Kaizen Center. Originally intended as a corporate event space, the facility now serves as the corporate offices for Surack Enterprises and its two subsidiary organizations: the Sweet Family of Companies and the Surack Family Foundation.^[28]

In May 2024, Surack became a co-owner of the Indianapolis-based Indy Eleven professional soccer team.^[29]

Philanthropy

Surack and his wife Lisa contribute to more than 600 nonprofit organizations annually,^[30] with past charitable donations to the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music,^[31] Arts United of Fort Wayne,^[32] the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra,^[33] Easter Seals ARC of Northeast Indiana,^[34] Taylor University, and the Voices of Unity Youth Choir.^[35] Surack and his wife also established the Chuck and Lisa Surack Endowed Scholarship for Music Technology at the University of Saint Francis.^[36]

In July 2021, Surack and his wife Lisa established the Surack Family Foundation, with the intention of providing grants to nonprofits in the areas of music and arts that they have historically supported, but also mental health, teenage suicide prevention, child and family welfare, and economic development in Northeast Indiana.^[28]

Surack is the past board chair for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, Global Leadership Summit & Beyond Fort Wayne,^[37] and the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo^[38] and previously on the Board of Directors of the NAMM Foundation, and NAMM Board^[39] Current Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Indiana,^[40] and currently serving on the Canterbury School, EasterSeals Arc, Fortitude Fund, and Love Fort Wayne boards.

Personal life

Surack is married to his wife Lisa, with whom he has two stepsons, Tyler and Cameron, and a daughter, Adderly (whose name was influenced by the name of saxophonist Cannonball Adderley).^[41] He has cited his father, Jim, a chemical engineer and airplane pilot, as a major influence.^[42]

Recognition

• 1997 Ernst and Young 1997 Northern Indiana Entrepreneur Of The Year^[43]
• 2008 BCA 10 Award presented by the Business Committee of the Arts, in recognition of corporate support of the arts^[44]
• 2008 Appleseed Award presented by Representative Mark Souder in recognition of the inclusion of numerous environmentally-friendly features at Sweetwater Sound's campus^[45]
• 2009 Governor's Arts Award, presented by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels in recognition of ongoing commitment to and support of the arts.
• 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award awarded by the University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts for integrating electronic music instrument technologies, computers and traditional music practices into a modern art and science^[46]
• 2009 Lugar Energy Patriot awarded by Indiana Senator Dick Lugar in recognition of leadership and initiative in taking action to improve America's energy security and promoting sustainable energy production and use.^[47]
• 2012 Doctorate of Humane Letters from Indiana University
• 2012 Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Saint Francis^[48]
• 2013 Inducted into the Indiana Academy by the Independent Colleges of Indiana for lifetimes of achievement and contribution to the state of Indiana^[49]
• 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Red Cross for humanitarian contributions to the local community^[50]
• 2014 Leaders of Character Award from the Anthony Wayne Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America^[51]
• 2015 Maclyn Parker Swagger Award by Greater Fort Wayne^[52]
• 2015 Red Coat recipient from Mad Anthony Children's Foundation for recognition of accomplishments that help make Fort Wayne and the state of Indiana a better place^[53]
• 2015 Citizen of the Year from the Journal Gazette^[54]
• 2016 Lion Award by the Fort Wayne Urban League for immense community contributions and accolades^[55]
• 2017 Legends of Leadership Award from the editors of Fort Wayne Business Weekly^[56]
• 2018 awarded The Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb^[57]
• 2018 Doctorate of Humane Letters from Taylor University^[58]
• 2018 Inducted into the Indiana Boys and Girls Club Hall Of Fame^[59]
• 2019 Indiana Chamber of Commerce's 2019 Ogletree Deakins Business Leader of the Year^[60]
• 2022 Doctor of Humane Letters from Trine University
• 2022 Visionary Leadership Award - Believe in Dream
• 2023 Bridge of Grace- Catalyst of Hope Award
• 2022, 2023, 2024 IBJ's Indiana 250 - Most Influential Business Leaders In Indiana

See also

• Sweetwater Sound

External links

• Chuck Surack Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection

Notes and References

1. Top 200 Music Products Retailers. The Music Trades. August 2013. 62.
2. Global Retail Snapshot. The Music Trades. May 2013. 67.
3. Alkyer. Frank. Sweet Success. Music Inc.. Maher Publications. December 2012.
4. Harmonic Convergence: Sweetwater's Success Empowers Others. University of Saint Francis Alumni Magazine. Fall 2012.
5. Web site: Summers. Michael. Cookies, Comics, and Chords. fortwaynereader.com. Fort Wayne Reader. Jun 2007.
6. Web site: Blomquist. Jennifer. Sweetwater All Stars. BusinessPeople.com. Business People. 18 May 2017.
7. Web site: 40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire. cnn.com. 20 May 2019. Cable News Network. 18 January 2021.
8. Ottinger. Matt. Sweet Sounds of Success: Music World Takes Note of Fort Wayne Company. BizVoice. March 2008. 50-52.
9. Summers. Michael. Sweetwater's 3rd annual GearFest is paradise for musicians. Fort Wayne Reader. 16 August 2004. 20 April 2022.
10. News: Ranking The World's Top Online Retailers. 7. The Music Trades Corporation. August 2016. 164.
11. Web site: Upfront Q&A: A Conversation with Sweetwater's New CEO, John Hopkins. 13 December 2021. 20 April 2022.
12. Web site: Meet our Executive Team. sweetwater.com. Sweetwater Sound, Inc.. 20 April 2022.
13. News: Slater. Sherry. 26 April 2010. Love Of Cars Revs Up Titans . Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette . 20 April 2022.
14. Web site: Davis. Tammy. Sweet Success. businesspeople.com. Michiana Business Publications. 1 April 2016. 20 April 2022.
15. Web site: Chuck Surack buys flight school. WANE 15. 18 August 2011. 20 April 2022.
16. Web site: Sweetwater Sound founder buys Longe Optical. kpcnews.com. 23 September 2012. 20 April 2022.
17. Bundy. Brent. Sweet Helicopters: From a music business to successful rotary-wing charter. Professional Pilot. March 2019. 20 April 2022.
18. Web site: DHL Chooses Helimotion to Provide Air Delivery to Downtown Chicago from O'Hare Airport. AviationPros.com. 5 May 2015. 20 April 2022.
19. Web site: Fuller. S.L.. Indiana Helicopters, Helimotion Merge into Sweet Helicopters. Rotor & Wing International. 3 August 2017. Access Intelligence, LLC. 30 March 2018.
20. Web site: Epstein. Curt. Corporate Aviation Insurance Group Rebrands. AINonline.com. Aviation International News Publications. 12 November 2015. 18 May 2017.
21. Web site: Entrepreneur Building One of the Largest Helicopter Fleets in the Midwest. VerticalMag.com. MHM Publishing. 2 March 2015. 18 May 2017.
22. Web site: Brown. Alex. Sweetwater Founder Takes Control of 'The Clyde'. insideindianabusiness.com. Inside Indiana Business. 14 June 2019. 20 April 2022.
23. Web site: Tufts . Sierra . Quimby Village breathes new life with The Club Room and Don Hall's relocation . wane.com . 22 March 2019 . Nexstar Media Group, Inc. . 18 January 2021.
24. Web site: Tufts. Sierra. Crescendo Coffee & More stops by Studio 15. wane.com. 29 August 2020. Nexstar Media Group, Inc.. 13 April 2021.
25. Web site: Huber. Mark. Surack Buys Enstrom Helicopter. AIN. May 15, 2022. July 15, 2024.
26. Web site: Surack Enterprises Purchases Enstrom. 17 May 2022. O'Connor. Kate. AVweb. 16 May 2022. https://archive.today/20220517122628/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/surack-enterprises-purchases-enstrom/. 17 May 2022. live.
27. Web site: Suracks to build $50 million mixed-use development in downtown Fort Wayne. WANE. 14 February 2022. July 15, 2024.
28. Web site: Esquivel Long. Lisa. Post-Sweetwater, Chuck Surack moves to next chapter in his career. fwbusiness.com. KPC Media. 5 November 2021. 20 April 2022.
29. Web site: Howell Jr.. James. Billionaire businessman Chuck Surack joins Indy Eleven ownership group, adding to team's battle with city. WRTV. May 8, 2024. July 15, 2024.
30. Web site: Wissmuller. Christian. Chuck Surack of Sweetwater Sound: 2018 Recipient of MMR's Annual Don Johnson Industry Service Award. Musical Merchandise Review. January 29, 2018. Timeless Communications. March 30, 2018.
31. http://music.indiana.edu/events/program.php?eid=57584 Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Events Program
32. http://digitaleditions.sheridan.com/publication/index.php?i=127441&m=&l=&p=54&pre=&ver=swf "Sweetwater Founder Supports Local Arts
33. http://www.fwembassytheatre.org/documents/embassy_2012_AnnualReport_FINAL_LR.pdf Embassy Annual Report
34. http://www.fwbusiness.com/business/latest/businessweekly/article_b13a892e-ceb3-11e2-aa27-0019bb30f31a.html "Suracks give $150K endowment to Easter Seals Arc"
35. News: Rodriguez . Rosa Salter . Voices of Unity begins $1 million fundraising campaign . December 7, 2018 . The Journal Gazette . The Journal Gazette . November 17, 2015.
36. http://issuu.com/usffw/docs/magazine-fall-2012/7 "Harmonic Convergence: Sweetwater's Success Empowers Others"
37. http://glsandbeyond.com/board-of-directors |GLS & Beyond Board of Directors
38. News: Zoo ride comes to an end for Jim Anderson . February 3, 2021 . WANE . November 10, 2020.
39. Web site: NAMM Foundation Announces New Board of Directors . July 21, 2017 . February 3, 2021.
40. url=http://www.bgcfw.org/board |Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne - Our Board
41. Web site: Mitchell. Kevin M.. Sweetwater's Chuck Surack. Front of House Online. April 2009. 20 April 2022.
42. Web site: Blackburn. Bonnie. 20 Questions: Chuck Surack. https://web.archive.org/web/20140730232727/http://fortwaynemonthly.fortwayne.com/?q=article%2Fchuck-surack. 30 July 2014. fortwaynemonthly. Fort Wayne Monthly. August 2013.
43. http://www.sweetwater.com/publications/sweetnotes/sn-latesummer97/page-09.html Sweet Notes
44. http://mixonline.com/mag/name-art/ BCA Top 10 Award
45. http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/BIZ/807300346 "Sweetwater founder gets Appleseed Award"
46. Matt Ottinger, "Fort Wayne Businessman Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award", Indiana Chamber Business Blog, Sep 2009
47. http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_fort_wayne_sweetwater_leader_receives_lugar_award_200906261300_rev1 "Sweetwater Leader Receives Lugar Award"
48. http://www.sf.edu/blasts/alumni_newsletters/june2012/commencement.html "Spring Commencement Held for USF Graduates"
49. http://209.43.126.25/newsitem.asp?ID=58922 "Indiana Academy Inducting Four Leaders"
50. Web site: 14-year-old Lauryn Jones earns Red Cross humanitarian award along with Chuck Surack of Sweetwater. Frost Illustrated. Frost Illustrated. March 30, 2018.
51. http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140204/NEWS/302049990/0/SEARCH "Mike Eikenberry, Chuck Surack to be honored Feb 12th by local Boy Scouts"
52. Web site: Caylor. Bob. Surack honored with Swagger Award at Greater Fort Wayne meeting. News-Sentinel.com. Fort Wayne Newspapers. May 18, 2017.
53. Web site: Crandall. Kayla. Sweetwater Sound's Chuck Surack is Mad Anthony's Red Coat winner 2015. 21alive.com. 21Alive. January 15, 2016. August 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150810173405/http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Sweetwater-Sounds-Chuck-Surack-is-Mad-Anthonys-Red-Coat-winner-320652852.html. August 10, 2015. dead.
54. News: Citizen of the year: Chuck Surack. January 15, 2016. Journal Gazette. December 27, 2015.
55. Web site: The Scene: 2016 Fort Wayne Urban League Gala Extravaganza. BusinessPeople.com. Michiana Business Publications. May 18, 2017.
56. Web site: Ferrisi. Dan. Surack Receives Legends of Leadership Award. MSRetailer.com. March 21, 2017. Testa Communications. May 18, 2017.
57. News: Surack receives Sagamore Award . December 7, 2018 . The Journal Gazette . Journal Gazette . June 15, 2018.
58. Web site: Four-hundred-forty Students set to Graduate during Taylor Commencement . Taylor University . Taylor University . December 7, 2018.
59. Web site: Kuhn . Michael . Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne honor young men at special breakfast . wane.com . September 21, 2018 . Nextstar Broadcasting, Inc. . December 7, 2018.
60. Web site: Chuck Surack of Fort Wayne's Sweetwater Sound named 2019 Ogletree Deakins Business Leader of the Year by Indiana chamber . FWbusiness.com . fwbusiness.com . January 18, 2021.