It seems TenTec has been sold. Yes. Again. This time to a single individual. I’m not sure that’s bad news as the previous owners obviously had no interest in running the business in any direction, other than into the ground.
This news comes from ex-TenTec employee, John Henry, KI4JPL in a letter to a TenTec mailing list. His note, that was written with the approval of the new owner, outlines a plan to get the company back into production early next year starting with the Omni VII (and later maybe a 7+ or an 8) and the Eagle. The letter even hints at bringing back the Orion II — and developing an Orion III.
John says the new owner plans to be at Dayton next year, hopefully in the same booth area.
The new owner remains anonymous but John Henry is well-known to most TenTec fans. Though he had left the company it seems he is destined to be a partner in the new enterprise which he says is planning to be around without changing hands for the next 15-20 years.
It’s a complete reboot of the business and I guess we will all have to stick around to see what comes of this news. I’m a big TenTec fan and love to root for an underdog. That this could fizzle or become the small business ham radio story of the decade is what makes it so interesting.