September 26, 1996

Mr. G. Edward Smith, President
GAI-Tronics Corporation
400 E. Wyomissing Avenue
Mohnton, PA 19540

Dear Mr. Smith,

     After a great deal of soul searching and thought, I have decided that my personal interests are best served by ending my 6½ year employment at GAI-Tronics and returning to school full-time. Unless some type of leave of absence or a part time telemarketing/trade show/special projects arrangement can be made, please consider this my notice of resignation.

     I am excited about the changes taking place at GAI-Tronics and believe these efforts are both necessary and desirable. I have enjoyed working with John Marrinucci and have been thoroughly impressed by his work ethic, market insight and ability to get things done, although I have not managed to earn his respect and confidence. Ironically, it was from observing John that caused me to realize that the opportunities and challenges I seek are only found at that level of authority and responsibility. It has become apparent to me that I can’t get there from here.

     My understanding of our agreement when I accepted the relocation to Reading was that a year of staff experience would be a prerequisite to assignment in a management position. As someone who is ambitious, aggressive, focused on goals and eager to learn, I jumped on this opportunity without hesitation. I did this at significant personal cost, both in terms of personal income and family hardship. I viewed this opportunity as a chance to expand my knowledge and understanding of the business process and to enhance my value as an employee and manager.

     What I found was a vague job description, no well-defined objectives or career path, an unrealistic compensation plan, no training and no real mentor. Nonetheless, I was treated honestly and fairly and given the latitude to pursue my own objectives.

     Although I continue to feel somewhat frustrated at not maximizing my potential, these past nine months have been quite satisfying and educational. My understanding of roles, relationships, personalities, perceptions and egos within organizations has grown substantially. I’ve learned a great deal about how to get things done within a diverse organization without real authority or assigned resources. I’ve had the opportunity to observe various management styles and evaluate the effectiveness of each. I’ve developed a greater understanding of the interaction between engineering, product development, manufacturing, marketing, MIS and financial functions. Despite still being viewed as a "sales guy" and often excluded, I’ve come to believe that most successes are not solely dependent on individual efforts but on the combined effort and cooperation of many.

     Though I believe the pace of change can still be improved, I will continue to regard the change I’ve witnessed over the past year to be nothing short of a miracle. Overall, I feel John and the other senior managers have done an outstanding job and deserve their due credit. I will continue to have nothing but praise for GAI-Tronics, its people and its products.

 
                                                              Ronnie Oldham
                                                              ADVANCE Tiger Team Member

cc: John Marrinucci
      Deb Kauffman