SHOCKED: FBI, IRS Raid Home of Jerry Ruzicka, Former Starkey President
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA — In another shocking turn of events following the abrupt firings of 4 senior executives at Starkey Hearing Technologies in September, the home of former President Jerry Ruzicka was raided today by the IRS and the FBI. The FBI and IRS raid, which has received prominent television coverage in the Twin Cities, including reporters on the scene…
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The Latest Update on the Starkey Imbroglio
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA — In what may become a flurry of lawsuits, a shot was fired across the bow late last week, as a wrongful termination lawsuit was filed against Starkey Hearing Technologies seeking nearly $11 million in damages following the abrupt dismissal of four senior executives. The lawsuit, filed by former Operations Vice President Keith Guggenberger, alleges breach…
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FIRED: Starkey Fires President and Three Other Top Executives
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA — The fifth largest hearing aid manufacturer in the world, Starkey Hearing Technologies, has terminated the employment of its president and three of the company’s top executives. All four executives were abruptly terminated, say sources, including Jerry Ruzicka-President, Scott Nelson- CFO, Keith Guggenberger- Senior VP of Operations, and Larry Miller- Senior VP of Human Resources. By…
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Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala Raises Over $9 Million
By Brian Taylor, AuD Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with luminaries such as Gene Simmons and Katy Perry helped the Starkey Hearing Foundation raise more than $9 million dollars to fund mission trips to provide hearing services around the globe. The event took place in the Twin Cities on Sunday, July…
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Hearing aid dispenser returns home safely after a harrowing mission to Venezuela
By David H. Kirkwood For the first few days of their mission to Venezuela everything was going smoothly for Arlynn Hefta, a hearing aid specialist from North Dakota, and the three other volunteers from Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Devils’s Lake, ND. This was the 62-year-old Hefta’s eighth mission to Venezuela, so when he and…
Read MoreStarkey owner Bill Austin is a billionaire, says Bloomberg News
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN–It’s official, says Bloomberg News: William F. “Bill” Austin, founder, CEO, and sole owner of Starkey Hearing Technologies, is a billionaire. That statement didn’t surprise people in the hearing industry, who are well aware that Austin’s company has long been by far the largest American hearing aid manufacturer, and ranks among the…
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Nobel Laureate and Oscar winner will be among those honored at Starkey Gala
ST. PAUL, MN—The biggest annual fundraising event in hearing health care will take place here this Sunday evening, July 20, when the Starkey Hearing Foundation holds the 2014 So the World May Hear gala. A highlight will be the presentation of awards to a number of remarkable humanitarians honoring their dedication to improving the lives…
Read MoreManufacturers find many ways to make a big splash at AudiologyNOW!
For a HearingHealthMatters.org exclusive report on the 25th and, very possibly, final Audiology Trivia Bowl, follow this link. By David H. Kirkwood ORLANDO–No matter how much they complain about the costs of exhibiting, the rules and restrictions imposed on them, and the scant appreciation and respect they feel they get from the American Academy of…
Read MoreAudiology students win Austin Scholarships
MINNEAPOLIS–Six outstanding audiology students have been awarded 2013 William F. Austin Scholarships from Starkey Hearing Technologies. More than 100 future audiologists applied for the $10,000 scholarships, which are named for the founder and CEO of Starkey, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of hearing aids and other hearing technology. This year’s scholarship recipients are Jodi Seligman,…
Read MoreWorld leaders and other celebrities help raise $8 million “so the world may hear”
ST. PAUL, MN—Luminaries from the worlds of entertainment, sports, government, business, and philanthropy joined with hearing care professionals on July 28, for the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s 2013 So the World May Hear Gala. The annual event, which drew over 1600 people, raised a record sum of more than $8 million to support the…
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