Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid maker in the United States, has ousted four of its senior executives in a major shake-up of one of Minnesota's biggest private companies.
Workers at the Eden Prairie-based company received an e-mail Wednesday announcing the termination, effective immediately, of President Jerry Ruzicka, chief financial officer Scott Nelson, operations vice president Keith Guggenberger, and human resources vice president Larry Miller. The e-mail provided no explanation, according to an employee who asked not to be identified.
"We can't comment due to an ongoing investigation," company founder and CEO William Austin said in a statement. "There are no issues that affect our company, and it's business as usual."
At least one of the executives was escorted from the building by two security workers Wednesday morning, said another company employee, who also requested anonymity.
The names of the four executives were removed from Starkey's corporate website Wednesday.
A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate, and it could not be determined whether the investigation was internal or external.
None of the four former managers could be reached for comment, despite repeated attempts.
Fred Zimmerman, a retired manufacturing and engineering professor at the University of St. Thomas who follows Twin Cities companies, said the clearing of an entire layer of executives is a drastic step. He called the firings "extremely unusual."
