Siemens Files for Divorce (again)
“The Past, Present and Future walked into a bar. It was tense.” time warp in a bar Hearing Economics hit its stride by writing a 21-post series involving Siemens back in the good old HearUSA days of 2011. You’d think that would be enough, but stray remnants kept trickling in, getting buried on the desk, cluttering up…
Read MoreAbandon Ship! Unraveling HearUSA Part 19
Ship’s log for the HearUSA Enterprise,March-May, 2011. March 17, 2011: Siemens moves to exercise its rights as a secured creditor to take over HearUSA in an SEC petition containing the reassuring note that it “plans to continue operating HearUSA’s business, but … make significant changes to make them more profitable…” Comment: It’s about time. March 16-19,…
Read MoreTo Be or Not To Be: Unraveling HearUSA part 18
Last I checked, HearUSA was set to perish on the railroad tracks because it couldn’t or wouldn’t pay its loans to Siemens.{{1}}[[1]]Despite conflicting reports, HearUSA claimed in its 2009 SEC Annual Report that “The Company repaid approximately $8.1 million of Siemens debt from the proceeds of this transaction during 2009, as required under the agreement…
Read MoreThe Giant Stirs: Unraveling HearUSA Part 14
As the end of 2008 approached, HearUSA, Inc., needed to sell assets to make its payables because–according to insiders–“everybody” (i.e., suppliers) was sending letters threatening Chapter 11 proceedings against HearUSA. The stock tanked after October of that year, as the chart shows. Trade payables to Siemens alone amounted to about $10 million. Predictably, HearUSA…
Read MoreRead This and Weep: Unraveling HearUSA, part 13
HearUSA showed a profit in each year from 2001 to 2003 based on the aggregate individual office production and expenses. HearUSA could have started retiring some of its debt. Instead, with HEARx management now firmly holding HearUSA reins, executive compensation{{1}}[[1]]At least $1.29 million for the top four offices in 2003. For that year, Dr. Brown…
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