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1st October 2003 A word from ME
Closure of ME Sound / Technologies
It is with deepest and heart felt regret that I have to announce the closure of ME Sound / Technologies. Over the past year the business has suffered a number of blows and the final straw has been Divorce/settlement issues. Normal company operations will cease on the 10th of October 2003, however I will remain to dismantle and liquidate the company and the property.
You already know that ME is anything but conventional and this letter of closure will be no different.
I felt it important to write a personal letter to all ME owners, dealers and supporters because of a need to express two thoughts. First and foremost, my deepest gratitude goes to you for trusting and choosing ME products. Second, the loss of confidence you may now have in Australian Audio products as a result of ME’s closure causes me embarrassment and anguish.
ME (Modular Electronics) started in 1976 and I enjoyed nearly 30 years of business and lifestyle.
In the medium term (year or so), I will be unable to manufacture amplifiers, however I hope that in the short term (6 months), after a long overdue holiday/rest/recuperation and finding a new location, I will undertake repairs and attempt to solve any warranty issues. My intention is to design and introduce upgrades to existing ME Amplifiers for several years to come. Until then I will be dismantling and liquidating a business, property and home. I’m sure you will appreciate this is a time of significant personal stress and uncertainty. During the above period, depending on circumstances at the time, repairs may be possible and an email will confirm this.
Email will be my preferred method of staying in contact with you. I will endeavour to answer all email enquires. I am only one person and will be working long and irregular hours on the above responsibilities. It is for this reason that I ask you to be patient and please don’t place unrealistic, unreasonable and impossible demands or pressure on me to respond to phone calls or e-mails. I will do my best to honour the expectation that ME products have a place to go when repairs are needed.
It is my hope that existing ME dealers will continue to support and where ever possible do their best to answer and resolve any issues existing customers may have. I would like ME people to feel secure in the knowledge that if an amplifier breaks down, gets struck by lightning or damaged in some way, that they can send it some where and it will be repaired to the original standard.
ME Sound was born out of a passion I had for music and the desire to listen to music in it’s purest form with the least amount of interference brought about by conventional amplifier technology. Out of a dream came the first ME amplifier and since that first amplifier (1976) they have gone through many transitions and undergone many changes and fine tuning. Over the years amplifiers were designed and redesigned until in some cases there was little more to improve upon such as the 1400, 1500, and the 850. In total there have been 25 distinct models of amplifiers designed and manufactured. After many years of listening to people and tuning into the market it came down to the 200, 240, 550, 850 and the 24 preamplifier. Out of those the most popular was the 550 and the 850. Current market forces have resulted in an overwhelming demand for Home Theatre (HT) and Home Automation Products. It was impossible for a company the size of ME, in both finances and staff to be able to not only compete with cheaper Asian products but also we could never afford the licensing fees (Dolby & DTS) required or the specialised staff needed to design and manufacture HT products. However, we were able to be involved in Home Automation with our MRS (Multi Room System). We applied ME innovations to this product group, many of which are now being adopted by other companies.
Small businesses in general, are subject to various forms of pressure and stresses. Running a small business isn’t easy and it doesn’t take much to affect its viability. ME has not been immune and the most notable contributors, in the past 2 years include the following, in no particular order.
I hope to reignite the passion and inspiration that was the original catalyst in the birth of ME – I am not sure how long I will need to recharge and revitalise myself, but already I have much support from my friends and associates.
I would like to thank and acknowledge those staff who remained to the end and would like to name them in order of appointment, Michelle Pascoe, Mark Swannack, Donna Browning, Kate McIntosh and David Fowler. I appreciate their continued commitment and dedication as without them ME Sound may have ended sooner. I would also like to thank past ME staff who stand out as exceptional contributors to the ME story, Len Haydon, Kelly Whitmill and Ty Bowes Hammond.
A special group of people who demonstrated unwavering support and belief in ME Amplifiers need also to be acknowledged: (In alphabetical order so as not to offend any one). Terry Anderson Tony Mills Charles Van Dongen Trevor Wilson
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