Difficulties...

[Todd W. White]

Dear Altec Family,

As I write this, I am filled with both joy and sadness.

I have joy today when I think of all of the friends that I have in the audio world - so many of you have been good friends for many, many years, while others are newer. But no matter which type you are, all of you are special friends to me who have made the website and this message board THE place for all things ALTEC! For that, I am very grateful...

Truly, Altec is so much more than a brand of audio products - it is a FAMILY of people who have bonded together from every possible background and area of life through their love of fine audio reproduction to form a cohesive group dedicated to a philosophy of sound that has always been hard for her competitors to duplicate.

THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE ALTEC "SOUND" - it's not the technical specifications that made Altec what it was and is to our ears - what makes Altec Altec goes far DEEPER than that! Truly, it's the sense of commeraderie and "family" that has crossed all racial, economic, and differing barriers and made us all, in a very real sense, "one", and this comes out in the way the products were designed and built, and, of course, how they sound even today.

For the great sounding systems I have designed, installed, or operated; for the ones that my friends in the contracting business have, also; for those with home systems that are even now keeping "The Altec Sound" alive and well - for all these, I get great joy.

Yet, there is sadness for me today, as well - sadness for which I am asking for your prayers in the hopes that things in my life will improve.

Without encumbering you with all of the details and events that bring me to write this letter to all of you, let me just say that things have been very difficult for me in life these past 5 or so years.

My mother, as many of you know, is battling ovarian cancer, and our efforts to assist her in her daily life are, quite frankly, very tiring. We still do not know if the current round of chemotherapy will help stop - or at least slow down - her cancer. With Dad gone, she's all I have left of my family, and, losing her will be very difficult for me, personally, as Mom has and is always there to encourage and support me. I can't imagine what life will be like when she's gone...

My personal life, though stable, is tough, as those raising teenagers (or who have survived the process) know, it can be extremely taxing, and the outgo to keep everyone fed, clothed, and housed (not to mention filled up with gasoline) is more than I can bear.

The income I receive from the small church I pastor here in Oklahoma has been sporadic this year - there have been many weeks when I have not received a paycheck because the money just didn't come in that week. True, our church has doubled in size since August of 2000, but the ever-increasing cost of living and supporting a family has outpaced my ability to pay the bills out of a salary that is the same as it was when I came to the church in January of 1995.

I had hoped that I would be able to do some marketing work with Iconic Mfg. Co. to supplement my income, but that is just not going to be possible at this time. They are moving ahead, but I will not be joining them for quite a while.

The end result is that I am overwhelmed - some call it depression, and I'm OK with that term, but it's more of a feeling of having too much to do and not enough ROI (return on investment). Literally, I just CAN'T do all the things that I have found myself doing anymore. It's a daily struggle just to keep life and limb together, and I just can't keep up - there HAS to be some cutting back.

That being said, I want to let everyone know that I appreciate the kindnesses they have extended me over the years, and to let you know that, henceforth, I will no longer be actively involved in Iconic Mfg. Co., or any other venture, for that matter.

My goal is to spend more time with my family, get focused again on the work here at our church (in the hopes that it will grow and flourish), limit myself to occasional updates to the website and comments on this board for now, and strive to get afloat again, financially, and stay solvent (right now, I'm far from solvent).

I know all of this surely reads like a lot of rambling nonsense, and it's probably not a good idea to be so open with all of you - but you've all been SO kind and SO supportive and SO enthusiastic over the years about the website and the board that I feel like I can just be open and honest with you without fear of ridicule, smart comments, or judgmentalism.

What can YOU do?

1. Keep using the website and this board! Stay ACTIVE in it! Keep it ALIVE!

2. Keep sharing with each other and with "newbies" the wonders of the ALTEC "SOUND" - there's nothing like it. Anywhere!

3. Pray for Jim - that he will heal and get back up and running soon, along with IMCo.

4. Pray for me - as I get older, I find that I can no longer keep up the pace I did when I was in my 20's. I need wisdom to know the best ways to re-adjust and re-align my life to make it more peaceful and productive. I also need your prayers to help me maintain a positive attitude and not give up trying...

Some have asked if they can help financially, and some have also done so. I am not making an appeal for funds - you folks know me better than that - I just covet your prayers and value your friendship, and, if the Lord should so move you to help, then so be it, and if not, that's fine, too - my life is in His hands.

Thanks again for being my friends, and I promise I will not disappear - only slow down a bit for a while until I can get things back on track in my life.

All my best to all of you...

<font color="#FFFFFF"><font size="1">[ October 31, 2005 09:55 PM: Message edited by: Todd W. White ]</font></font>

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ November 14, 2005 08:11 PM: Message edited by: Todd W. White ]</font>

[RacerXtreme]

Good luck Todd......... I wish you the best.


c-ya

Guy

[LICORNE]

The basic products are there :604,515,3000 sub series. HF drivers and horns.

All that is needed is a strong marketing push.

I saw a few films recently and I can sense that the competitors can't provide that ALTEC LANSING VOICE OF THE THEATRE SOUND .

A sign that the light at the end of the tunell is nearer than I thought.

[Todd W. White]

Yes, but, for the most part, I was to be that marketing push, now the Iconic team is going to have to do it without me for a while, and I feel bad about that, but there's nothing I can do about it for now.

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ November 14, 2005 08:28 PM: Message edited by: Todd W. White ]</font>

[DonM]

The recent events may be providing a clue that you should move your attention to the family and Ministry for a period.

Iconic can certainly be put on hold. On the other hand take advantage of the time you have with your Mom and teenagers.

You have certainly helped a number of us out with this audio hobby and we appreciate all your contributions.

Best wishes,

DonM

[Todd W. White]

Hi Don,

That's what I was trying to say, but it took me 10,000 words to say what you did in 50.

Go figure...

Yes, that's what I'm going to do.

[Brek]

I'll keep you in my prayers. I enjoy reading this forum, and have learned a lot.

I'll also pray for your mom, and put her on a prayer chain. The guy I carpool with is a pastor, and I'll ask him to pray for you too.

God bless, and hang in there.

[bfish]

Todd,

Your efforts and input have enlightened scores of us, and will be sorely missed. You've welcomed many into the Family, myself included, and you should be comforted in knowing you have the concern and support of such a diverse Family.

Having lost my parents, my wife, and my dog in the last few years, I can only say that it can get mighty dark before the sun comes up, but come up it always does. For me, getting through the darkness became easier when I learned to be thankful for the bits of light I had, and to have faith it would soon be bright again.

Fear Not, for He is With You.

[dgwojo]

Todd, I wish you GODSPEED, I'll be sure to keep you and your family in our prayers, I really enjoy this forum, and I also enjoy talking with Bill at GPA, what a great group all of you are!! Please spend time with your family, I have three children or should I say young adults?? I don't know where two decades went already, although the problems are fewer, they just get bigger as the kids get older, oh well, such is life!! Make the best of your time, don't worry, Altecs have been around for over 60 years, and hopefully be around another 60, take care and best of luck, Dave.

[scott fitlin]

Ill say a prayer for you, your family, and your mom!