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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><h2><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt'>You may have already heard the news...<o:p></o:p></span></h2><h2><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></h2><h2><span lang=EN>Heathkit Educational Systems Closes Up Shop <o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>TAGS:</span></strong><span lang=EN><a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Amateur%20Radio%20kits" title="View all News tagged: Amateur Radio kits">Amateur Radio kits</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:arrl" title="View all News tagged: arrl">arrl</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:ARRL%20Education" title="View all News tagged: ARRL Education">ARRL Education</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:educational" title="View all News tagged: educational">educational</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:heathkit" title="View all News tagged: heathkit">heathkit</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Heathkit%20Educational%20Systems" title="View all News tagged: Heathkit Educational Systems">Heathkit Educational Systems</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:hopeful" title="View all News tagged: hopeful">hopeful</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:myriad" title="View all News tagged: myriad">myriad</a>, <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:sales" title="View all News tagged: sales">sales</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=date><span lang=EN>05/09/2012</span></span><span lang=EN><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span lang=EN>For the second time since 1992, Heathkit Educational Services (<a href="http://www.heathkit.com/"><strong><span style='color:blue'>HES</span></strong></a>) has shuttered its doors. Rumors of the legendary kit-building company’s demise were <a href="http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?344804-farewell-to-Heathkit"><strong><span style='color:blue'>posted on QRZ.com</span></strong></a>, with several readers bringing the news to the attention of the ARRL. In August 2011, Heathkit announced it was <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/heathkit-returns-to-the-kit-business"><strong><span style='color:blue'>returning to the kit building business</span></strong></a>, and in September, that it would once again be <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/heathkit-s-amateur-radio-plans-taking-shape"><strong><span style='color:blue'>manufacturing Amateur Radio kits</span></strong></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span lang=EN>The ARRL tried to reach Heathkit to confirm that the company is still in business, but their phone and fax numbers have a continuous busy signal, and e-mails to the company have gone unanswered.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span lang=EN>On LinkedIn, a popular networking site, HES Chief Executive Officer Lori Marciniak listed her <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lori-marciniak/7/bb0/72a"><strong><span style='color:blue'>employment ending at Heathkit as of March 2012</span></strong></a>. Likewise, Heathkit’s Marketing and Sales Director Ernie Wake listed his <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ernie-wake/13/408/225"><strong><span style='color:blue'>employment ending in April 2012</span></strong></a>. An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit"><strong><span style='color:blue'>unsubstantiated report on Wikipedia</span></strong></a> states that “[in] December 2011, Heathkit Educational Systems laid off most employees and in March 2012, the company indefinitely suspended operations.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span lang=EN>Tom Ferriter, of Technical Education Products, is an outside sales representative for HES, based in Hampden, Massachusetts. “Heathkit is telling us that they have temporarily closed, but that they are hopeful that they will be able to reorganize,” he told the ARRL. “While they’re not telling us too much, they did say that they were having poor sales for a myriad of reasons and are hopeful that they will be able to refinance the company and negotiate with the bank to refinance some of the debt.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span lang=EN>ARRL Education and Technology Program Director Mark Spencer, WA8SME, spoke with Ferriter a few weeks ago. Ferriter told him that Heathkit was having problems with its creditors. Ferriter also said that Heathkit told the distributors that it hopes to reopen sometime in the future, but it was his opinion, as well as the opinion of others, that Heathkit was not going to be able to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>