Document:

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                                                                   Exhibit 10.17

                             [Bank One Letterhead]

September 10, 2001

Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
300 Lena Drive
Aurora, Ohio  44202
Attn: President

RE:      CREDIT AND SECURITY AGREEMENT DATED AUGUST 10, 2001 (THE "CREDIT
         AGREEMENT") BETWEEN TECHNICAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC. (THE "BORROWER")
         AND BANK ONE, MICHIGAN (THE "BANK")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     By way of background, Section 7.2(F) of the Credit Agreement prohibits the
Borrower from, among other things, making any investment or purchasing any
securities of any other Person (as this and other capitalized terms used herein
and not be defined herein are defined in the Credit Agreement). You have advised
us that, on advice of counsel, you desire to change the state of your
incorporation from Ohio to Delaware. In anticipation of that change, you have
indicated your desire to form a Delaware corporation, having the name "Technical
Consumer Products, Inc." (the "Delaware Subsidiary"). At some time thereafter,
you also intend that the Borrower would merge into the Delaware Subsidiary (the
"Merger").

     The Bank hereby consents to the Borrower's investment in the Delaware
Subsidiary and its acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of
the Delaware Subsidiary, so long as the Borrower's investment therein (whether
in the form of purchase price for Stock, contribution to capital, advance of
indebtedness or otherwise) does not exceed $1,000 in the aggregate. This consent
is limited to the express provisions of the immediately preceeding sentence and
shall not be deemed to consent to the Merger. As we have discussed, the Bank's
consent to the Merger (and certain other actions contemplated in connection
therewith) shall be subject to the Borrower's and the Delaware Subsidiary's
performance and satisfaction of various conditions precedent and is expressed
reserve at this time.

     Section 7.2(E) of the Credit Agreement prohibits the Borrower from
acquiring or retiring any of its Stock. You have advised us that the Borrower
desires to acquire some or all of the Borrower's stock owned by Andrzej Bobel.
The Bank hereby consents to such acquisition so long as the aggregate
consideration paid by the Borrower in connection therewith does not exceed
$1,000.

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Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
September 10, 2001
Page 2

     Finally, in Section 6.1(G) of the Credit Agreement the Borrower represented
and warranted to the Bank that "100% of all outstanding shares of Stock of
Borrower are owned by Yan, Matthew Lyon, James Coleman and Andrew Bobell [sic]."
You have advised us that, in addition to the foregoing individuals, Benjamin
Ammons also owns Stock of the Borrower (less than 2% of the issued and
outstanding Stock of the Company). By this letter, the Bank hereby waives any
and all Events of Default under Section 8.1(C) of the Credit Agreement that may
have occurred prior to the issuance of this letter by reference to the
Borrower's breach of warranty contained Section 6.1(G), through the omission
therefrom of Mr. Ammons as a holder of Stock of the Borrower. In addition, by
this letter the Borrower and the Bank shall be deemed to have reformed and
amended the provisions of Section 6.1(G) of the Credit Agreement as of the date
of this letter to include Mr. Ammons as a holder of Stock of the Borrower.

     The foregoing consents and waivers are limited to their express terms and
shall not be construed to consent to any other action taken or proposed by the
Borrower, or to waive any other Event of Default that my heretofore have
occurred or hereafter may occur, and shall not be construed as a commitment or
undertaking by the Bank to grant additional consents or waivers in the future.

     Kindly confirm the Borrower's receipt of this letter and its agreement to
the terms of this letter by signing a copy hereof on the space provided.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        BANK ONE, MICHIGAN

                                        By:  /s/Randy R. Radik
                                           ---------------------------------
                                             Randy R. Radik, Vice President

                                  CONFIRMATION

The Borrower hereby confirms its receipt of the foregoing letter and the
Borrower's agreement to the terms thereof this 10th day of September, 2001.

TECHNICAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.

By: /s/ Matthew G. Lyon
   --------------------------------------
      Matthew G. Lyon, Vice President - Finance and Operations and Treasurer
   ----------------------------------<PAGE>
                                                                   Exhibit 10.18

                             [Bank One Letterhead]

                                October 15, 2001

Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
300 Lena Drive
Aurora, Ohio  44202
Attn:  President

RE:      CREDIT AND SECURITY AGREEMENT DATED AUGUST 10, 2001 (THE "CREDIT
         AGREEMENT") BETWEEN TECHNICAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC. (THE "BORROWER")
         AND BANK ONE, MICHIGAN (THE "BANK")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         By way of background, Sections 7.1(C) and 7.2 (D), (I) and (N),
respectively, of the Credit Agreement prohibit the Borrower from, among other
things, merging with any other Person (as this and other capitalized terms used
herein and not defined herein are defined in the Credit Agreement), making
certain payments to Affiliates, and changing the state of its formation. You
have advised us that, on advice of counsel, you desire to merge (the "Merger")
into Technical Consumer Products, Inc., which is your wholly owned Subsidiary
incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Delaware
Subsidiary"), with the Delaware Subsidiary being the surviving corporation of
the Merger. In connection with the Merger, you have indicated that, effective
contemporaneously with the Merger (i) the charter and by-laws of the Delaware
Subsidiary will be modified to be in the form of Exhibits A and B, respectively,
hereto and (ii) the Delaware Subsidiary intends to commence to pay to the
directors, and therefore Affiliates, of the Delaware Subsidiary directors' fees.

         Subject to the requirements set forth below in this letter, the Bank
hereby consents to (i) the Merger, in connection with which the state of
formation of the Borrower will change from Ohio to Delaware, and (ii)
notwithstanding Section 7.2(I) of the Credit Agreement, the payment of fees to
the directors of the Delaware Subsidiary, the award of equity incentives,
including stock options and the reimbursement to such directors of travel and
other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the board of
directors, so long as such cash fees to all directors taken together do not
exceed $100,000 in the aggregate per fiscal year of the Delaware Subsidiary,
excluding awards of equity incentives, such as stock options, to and excluding
the reimbursement of travel and their related out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
attending meetings of the board of directors.

         The foregoing consents are subject to the satisfaction of the following
conditions precedent: (a) the Delaware Subsidiary shall have executed and
delivered to the Bank a ratification and amendment

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Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
October 15, 2001
Page 2

agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Bank, confirming its
assumption, by operation of law and as successor by merger to you, of the
indebtedness and other obligations of the Borrower under, and amending certain
provisions of, the Credit Agreement, the Revolving Note and the other Other
Agreements and ratifying those agreements and documents, (b) the Delaware
Subsidiary shall have delivered to the Bank a copy of its charter in the form of
Exhibit A hereto, certified by the Secretary of State of Delaware, (c) the
Delaware Subsidiary shall have delivered to the Bank a true and complete copy of
its by-laws in the form of Exhibit B hereto, certified by the Secretary of the
Delaware Subsidiary, (d) the Delaware Subsidiary shall have delivered to the
Bank a true and complete copy of resolutions of the board of directors of the
Delaware Subsidiary authorizing its execution and delivery of such ratification
and assumption of the Credit Agreement, the Revolving Note and the other Other
Agreements, which resolutions shall be certified by the Secretary of the
Delaware Subsidiary, (e) the Delaware Subsidiary shall have delivered to the
Bank the opinion of its counsel, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, in the form of
Exhibit C hereto, and (f) the Delaware Subsidiary shall have executed, delivered
and, if appropriate caused to be filed for record, such financing statements and
other documents, and shall have taken such other actions in connection with such
ratification and assumption, as the Bank shall reasonably request.

         Robert Campbell is not now a director of the Borrower, and it is not
expected that Robert Campbell will serve as a director of the Delaware
Subsidiary. However, until recently Mr. Campbell was a director and, therefore,
an Affiliate of the Borrower. While Mr. Campbell was a director of the Borrower,
the Borrower made certain residual sales commission payments to him in respect
of sales by the Borrower to customers introduced to the Borrower by Mr.
Campbell. The Borrower has advised the Bank that such payments were made
pursuant to an agreement between the Borrower and Mr. Campbell entered into in
the ordinary course of the Borrower's business and before Mr. Campbell became a
director of the Borrower. To the extent that such payments constitute an Event
of Default (under Section 8.1(B) of the Credit Agreement, by reference to
Section 7.2(I) thereof), the Bank hereby waives such Event of Default.

         In Section 6.1(G) of the Credit Agreement, as reformed and amended on
September 10, 2001, the Borrower represented and warranted to the Bank that
"100% of all outstanding shares of Stock of Borrower are owned by Yan, Matthew
Lyon, James Coleman, Andrew Bobell [sic] and Benjamin Ammons." The Borrower has
informed the Bank that the Borrower repurchased all of the shares of Stock owned
by Mr. Bobel, and that Mr. Ammons does not own any Stock of the Borrower. By
this letter, the Bank hereby waives any and all Events of Default under Section
8.1(C) of the Credit Agreement that may have occurred prior to this issuance of
this letter by reference to the Borrower's breach of warranty contained in
Section 6.1(G) with respect to the repurchase of Mr. Bobel's shares of Stock or
the fact that Mr. Ammons does not own any Stock of the Borrower. In addition, by
this letter, the Borrower and the Bank shall be deemed to have reformed and
amended the provisions of the Credit Agreement as of the date of this letter to
exclude both Mr. Bobel and Mr. Ammons as holders of Stock of the Borrower.

         The Borrower has also informed the Bank that:

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Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
October 15, 2001
Page 3

                Andrzej Bobel is not now a shareholder of the Borrower, however,
                until September 30, 2001, Mr. Bobel owned 5% (10 shares) of the
                Borrower's outstanding common shares and, therefore, was an
                Affiliate of the Borrower. Effective as of September 30, 2001,
                the Borrower repurchased all 10 of its common shares owned by
                Mr. Bobel for an aggregate cash purchase price of $500.
                Additionally, the Borrower, Mr. Bobel and Mr. Bobel's company,
                Practical Innovations, Inc., have been parties to a number of
                related license agreements pursuant to which the Borrower was
                granted licenses to use Practical Innovation's electronic
                ballast technology in exchange for a license fee and royalty
                payments. During the period from August 10, 2001 until September
                30, 2001 the Borrower's licensing arrangement with Mr. Bobel and
                Practical Innovations was governed by a license agreement that
                was entered into in May 2001 and that incorporated the terms of
                certain prior license agreements. Under the terms of the May
                2001 agreement, the Borrower paid Practical Innovations an
                aggregate of $108,334 of royalties during the period from August
                10, 2001 until September 30, 2001. Effective simultaneously with
                the repurchase of the Borrower's common shares owned by Mr.
                Bobel, the Borrower, Mr. Bobel and Practical Innovations entered
                into an amended and restated license agreement. Under the terms
                of this agreement, the Borrower agreed to, among other things,
                satisfy all of its obligations under the agreement by making a
                $2,160,000 non-refundable payment to Practical Innovations
                payable over four years and six months. The Borrower also agreed
                under this agreement to pay $200,000 to Practical Innovations on
                October 10, 2001 as consideration for releasing it and certain
                other parties, including Shanghai Zhenxin Electronic Engineering
                Co., Ltd. ("Shanghai Zhenxin") and Shanghai Jensing Electron
                Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd ("Shanghai Jensing," together with
                Shanghai Zhenxin, "Suppliers"), from any liabilities arising on
                or prior to September 30, 2001 under certain agreements that the
                Borrower and/or Suppliers are a party to with Mr. Bobel and/or
                Practical Innovations as well as in exchange for terminating
                certain agreements that the Borrower or Suppliers were a party
                to with Mr. Bobel and/or Practical Innovations.

To the extent that such payments constitute an Event of Default, (under Section
8.1(B) of the Credit Agreement, by reference to Section 7.2(I) thereof), the
Bank hereby waives such Event of Default.

         Finally, the Borrower has also informed the Bank that:

               The Borrower purchases substantially all of its products from
               Suppliers, Affiliates of the Borrower. In addition, effective
               December 31, 1998, the Borrower refinanced $931,328 of its trade
               accounts payable to Suppliers outstanding at December 31, 1998
               with a promissory note to Shanghai Zhenxin in the amount of
               $164,571 and a promissory note to Shanghai Jensing in the amount
               of $766,757. Both notes are due on January 9, 2009 and bear
               interest at 6% per annum. The interest due on these notes has
               been offset against certain fees that the Borrower charges to
               these companies for management and advisory services that the
               Borrower provided related to expansion, quality control,
               production,

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Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
October 15, 2001
Page 4

               component sourcing, accounting, freight and logistics. The
               Borrower has represented to the Bank that (i) such product
               purchases are in the ordinary course of the Borrower's business
               and that it intends to continue to purchase products from
               Suppliers and (ii) the providing of such services to Suppliers
               and the compensation received by the Borrower therefor (in the
               form of such offsets) is on a basis that is at least as fair to
               the Borrower as would be the case if the transactions between the
               Borrower and Supplier were arms-length and not between
               Affiliates. In addition, the Borrower has advised the Bank that,
               subject to the restrictions set forth in a separate Intercreditor
               and Subordination Agreement of even date with the Credit
               Agreement among the Borrower, the Bank and each Supplier, it may
               pay interest on, and/or repay the outstanding principal due with
               respect to, such notes in cash.

To the extent that such payments constitute an Event of Default, (under Section
8.1(B) of the Credit Agreement, by reference to Section 7.2(I) thereof), the
Bank hereby waives such Event of Default and, notwithstanding Section 7.2(I) of
the Credit Agreement, consents to the Borrower's continuing to make such
payments in the future but only so long as any such payment is made pursuant to
the terms and conditions of the Intercreditor and Subordination Agreement to
which the Supplier receiving such payment is a party.

         The foregoing consents and waivers are limited to their express terms
and shall not be construed to consent to any other action taken or proposed by
the Borrower or the Delaware Subsidiary, or to waive any other Event of Default
that may heretofore have occurred or hereafter may occur, and shall not be
construed as a commitment or undertaking by the Bank to grant additional
consents or waivers in the future.

         Kindly confirm the Borrower's receipt of this letter and its agreement
to the terms of this letter by signing a copy hereof on the space provided.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                               BANK ONE, MICHIGAN

                                               By:/s/Randy R. Radik
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Randy R. Radik, Vice President

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Technical Consumer Products, Inc.
October 15, 2001
Page 5

                                  CONFIRMATION

         The Borrower hereby confirms its receipt of the foregoing letter and
the Borrower's agreement to the terms thereof this 16th day of October, 2001.

TECHNICAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.

By:/s/Matthew G. Lyon
   --------------------------------
   Matthew G. Lyon, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
   --------------------------------

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