Reflecting upon the past is an important thing to do from time to time. Over a decade ago SP Technology Loudspeakers was little more than a dream in many ways. It was not long though, before the dream took hold in a very serious way. The only thing that set us apart from others of like passion is the fact that we didn’t have sense enough to know what we couldn’t accomplish. So, with little more than a heart felt belief that we could see the dream fulfilled and the kind of raw determination that only innocent naiveté can breed, we did it. Here we are and with your help were here to stay. The lesson to be learned from this is rooted in the old cliché, “Follow your dreams and never give up.” This saying is admittedly quaint but is still, never-the-less, as true as ever.

We have experienced many setbacks along the way including personal tragedies and great losses in our families. Without the deep faith in Almighty God that guides our lives and the support of our loving families we would never have survived to secure even a normal life, let alone the strength to pick up the torch and continue the race. But God works in mysterious ways and often He chooses to work through people. It is to them that we offer this message as a token of our appreciation. Without their contributions, SP Technology Loudspeakers would not be.

To begin, any words of thanks must be directed to those that were a significant influence in our lives at the time SP technology Loudspeakers was forming. This period is marked by the years during which our Founder and President, Bob Smith, was working in the engineering department of Crown International. Crown was and is a great company. It was founded on the highest principles a company can strive to achieve and deserves a word of thanks in and of itself.

In those days there were several employees that were also loudspeaker design enthusiasts. After some discussion, four of them decided to form a loudspeaker club. They decided to name themselves the somewhat tongue-in-cheek name of E.A.R.S. – Engineers and Audiophiles Researching Speakers. The four that formed this group were David Harris, formerly of Crown and presently of Harris Technologies, Inc., that markets Bassbox™ loudspeaker design software; Bruce Bartlett, Lead Microphone design engineer at Crown, recording engineer and widely published author in the field of audio; Jim Wordinger, Lead Engineer in the audio amplifier design group of Crown, and last, our President Bob Smith. (By the way guys, Bob still has the video tapes of the meetings.)

Those were very interesting and fun filled times. The group was even graced on occasion by the presence of and presentations by the renown loudspeaker pioneer D.B. Keele Jr. Don worked in the TEF design group of Techron (a subsidiary of Crown) during this time as well. Bob was very encouraged by these gentlemen; of whom, all were present at the first public display of our prototype, the Timepiece 1.0. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the design and offered valuable observations and suggestions. We would like to cordially thank them all and hereby formally dedicate the Timepiece 2.0 in their honor. Were it not for their encouragement and support, the decision to go forward would not have been made.

Out of this group a special "thanks" must be made to two of them. First, we would like to especially thank Bruce Bartlett for his ongoing and continued support throughout the entire development phase of the Timepiece 1.0 and 2.0. We must say that, of all the individuals we have ever met, this man has a true “golden ear” and a very large heart composed of the same. Were it not for his assistance in certain key areas, we would have been greatly handicapped and possibly never succeeded.

The other debt of gratitude is owed to Don Keele. First off, he’s a great guy and always ready to lend an “ear,” so to speak (pun intended). His contributions to our designs strike at the very heart and principles they are built upon. The engineering concepts and theory of loudspeaker design that he has helped to develop over the years are the cornerstone of our products. You could almost say that Don “designed” our loudspeakers himself! -- due to his years of writing loudspeaker reviews for Audio Magazine, that is. His reviews were so in-depth and comprehensive that they were a tutorial on loudspeaker design. Essentially, Bob designed the to excel in the areas that Don identified as being significant for high fidelity. Don, we hope you’ll be pleased!

Although he was not directly involved in the above group, we would also like to thank Gerald R. Stanley, head of research and development at Crown International. Not only for his obvious contributions to the field of audio, but also for the mentoring he provided to our President, Bob Smith, during the years Bob worked in the engineering department of Crown. Under Gerald’s guidance, Bob not only learned what it meant to be a true engineer, but also the very process of engineering. The deeply reflective and investigative spirit that Gerald possesses was a great witness to Bob as was Gerald’s ever creative approach to design and problem solving. He was known to quote, “Anybody can take a dollar’s worth of parts and make a dollar product. It takes a real engineer to take a nickel’s worth of parts and make that same product.”

For all of those qualities, they pale in comparison to the genuine goodness of the man and the decency and respect with which he treats others. As incredibly busy as he always was, he never failed to make time in order to give an ear to Bob’s sometimes ignorant questions and offer an insightful suggestion or discuss a topic of mutual interest. So, to Gerald R. Stanley of Crown International, we say thanks.

In addition to those above, we would like to thank the following coworkers at Crown and elsewhere that were true friends and supported Bob & Mike throughout that time. Thanks to: Ed Piotrowicz, George Hernandez; Jeff, the “skipper” Carlson from your “little buddy” -- we did it!; Ken Andrysiak; Dave Evans; Bruce Hall; Steve Reives; Sue Whitfield; Shawn Craynon; Larry Stevens; Andy Archias: Scott Potosky; Terry and Ernie Bird; Steve Mills; Blair McNair; Mark Smith; Mike Sill; Elliot Rosen; George & Lynn Davis; Jim & Lynn Boatwright; Ed Cataldo; Jim Stevens; Darren Hoppins; Greg Brownell and all of our many other friends over the years.

No expression of thanks would be complete without these final comments. We feel it is vital that we thank our families for their patience and continued support throughout the endless hours spent away from them and their assistance in those areas that we were deficient. However small their contributions may have seemed to them; such assistance is the kind of encouragement and support that makes the difference. No words can convey our thankfulness so the following will have to suffice – thank you and we love you!

Finally, we must add the most important words of thanksgiving. It is a fact that our strength throughout the entire process has never resided in ourselves. Quite to the contrary, its origin lies with our Heavenly Father that continually strengthens us. Were it not for the atonement made for our fallen and error prone nature by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ upon the cross, we would be without hope.

Regardless of the struggles faced in the past, present or future, we are confident in our final victory. This victory is not rooted or measured by any level of success in this venture or that of any other earthly origin. Rather, we are persuaded as the apostle Paul in his declaration to the church at Rome; “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18&19.

This victory we speak of and give thanks for has its source elsewhere. It is embodied in the words of Paul above and again herein; “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1st Thessalonians 4:16&17.

For all these things we give thanks to God in Christ.
SP Technology Loudspeakers, Inc.