S.C. Network, Telecom Provider To Operate As Single Company
August 2, 2011
COLUMBIA, SC – August 2, 2011 – Two of South Carolina’s largest independently owned communications companies will begin operations under a single company doing business as Spirit Communications.
PalmettoNet, which operates one of the most expansive fiber networks in the state, will combine with Spirit Telecom, the state’s largest South Carolina based Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) under a common board of directors and common operating leadership.
Together the companies will have combined sales of more than $100 million and 140 South Carolina based employees and will likely be among the 30 largest private companies in the state.
Both companies are owned by the independent phone companies and cooperatives of South Carolina and will be managed by a single governing board of SCTG LLC.
PalmettoNet will continue to operate under the same name, but with a new logo. Spirit Telecom will operate under the name of Spirit Communications with separate business units for Business, Wholesale and Government. The combined company will bring increased efficiency and introduce new and advanced services to its customer segments.
The announcement of the changes was made to employees of the two companies by Bob Keane, who will be the President and CEO of Spirit Communications. Bob was previously CEO of PalmettoNet and President and CEO of Spirit Telecom.
By combining the companies, customers will benefit from the increased focus and investment on our local markets and deploying capital in ways that make our services and operations more robust, reliable and efficient. We are excited about the continued commitment by our local owners and will continue to invest in the Carolinas making us more responsive and increasing our portfolio of services to all our customers’, Keane said.
PalmettoNet is one of the largest providers of digital fiber optic networks in the Carolinas. A carrier’s carrier with almost 5,000 fiber route miles, PalmettoNet serves the needs of prominent telecommunications carriers who provide wireless, wire line interstate, intrastate, and interexchange service.
Spirit Communications is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia and operates its own cutting-edge MPLS network to provide innovative communication solutions to a cross section of commercial businesses, state and federal government agencies and healthcare organizations throughout the Southeast. Its partnerships with major telecommunications carriers allow Spirit to provide world-wide connectivity.
We have strengthened the entire company and leadership team through this combination of companies and we have already seen significant efficiencies and opportunities in the marketplace develop because of it, Keane said.
Spirit is headquartered in Columbia, S.C. and has regional offices in Charleston and Greenville and Charlotte, N.C.
The combined company, Spirit Communications, is owned by the independent phone companies and cooperatives of South Carolina made up of Chesnee Telephone Company, Inc., Comporium, Farmers Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Hargray Telephone Company, Inc., Home Telephone Company, Horry Telephone Cooperative, Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Piedmont Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Sandhill Telephone Cooperative, Inc., TruVista Communications and West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. Together, those companies provide services to business and residential customers statewide though 384,000 access lines.
Contact: Scott Kearns, [email protected], 803-726-4753
