Jerry Ruzicka
MINNEAPOLIS–Starkey Laboratories, Inc., capped a week full of news-making innovations by announcing yesterday (January 10) that it had changed its name. America’s largest manufacturer of hearing aids and developer of other hearing technology is now Starkey Hearing Technologies.
In announcing the 45-year-old company’s new name, Starkey president Jerry Ruzicka said, “Over the past decade, we have gone from a manufacturing company, to a global technology company with several businesses residing inside our walls. The name change better aligns with both who we are as an organization, as well as our focus on innovation, technology, and the diverse customers we serve.”
The announcement came just days after the conclusion of the first Hearing Innovation Expo, an event sponsored by Starkey that drew some 3000 hearing professionals to Las Vegas. For more on the Expo, see Ray Katz’s coverage on this blog and on Have You Heard?
ABOUT STARKEY
Starkey began as a small earmold laboratory in the Twin Cities. In 1970, William Austin purchased it and quickly transformed it into the leading U.S.-based hearing aid company. Austin remains the principal owner of Starkey Hearing Technologies, though in recent years he has focused primarily on the Starkey Hearing Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm.
Today, Starkey Hearing Technologies is a near billion-dollar, privately held technology organization that operates in 21 countries and conducts business in more than 100 countries. It develops, manufactures, and distributes hearing aids via five brands: AudibelR AudioSync™, NuEar™, MicroTech™, and its original brand, Starkey.
In its announcement, Starkey Hearing Technologies said it would increase its efforts to educate consumers about the importance of hearing care and about recent breakthroughs in technology. Adding “Hearing” to its name, Starkey explained, was done to emphasize the company’s sole focus on hearing care as well as to help consumers more quickly identify the organization as a hearing care company.
The company will also continue to support the Starkey Hearing Foundation. From 2000 to 2010, the foundation fit more than 500,000 hearing aids on people in need in the U.S. and around the world.
