Fall 2009
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Utili-Comm South A The Real McCoy
THE MAGAZINE FOR CONSTRUCTION EXECUTIVES
Utili-Comm South
The Real McCoy Produced by Jonathan Todd & Written by Kelly Matlock
Origins of the phrase “The real McCoy” vary. But no matter the contrasting folklore the meaning is congruous: it’s the real thing. And John Pudenz, president and founder of UtiliComm South, is the real McCoy, a genuine guy. Pudenz is personable, he believes in honest business and treating people decently, plus he reflects on success with candid humor, honesty and appreciation. Pudenz got into the cable modem business at the right time: 2001, when the business was still relatively new and in high demand. “I guess I got lucky,” Pudenz laughs, “but my old grandpa always said, ‘John, in business, luck is where opportunity and preparation meet, boy.’” Opportunity came with a job offering from Citi-Comm, an over-builder in Evansville, Ind., at a time when the cable modem business was booming in the Indy market. Preparation, meanwhile, was covered given Pudenz’s previous experience working with his father, who had dealt with cable installations, boring and underground work in Iowa and Illinois. Of course, preparation and opportunity don’t guarantee success — but success did come with persistence, when suddenly there was big business to be had in Chattanooga, Tenn. “I called that guy 52 times!” says Pudenz, recalling how aggressively he pursued the job. It paid off and he was given the contract, so Pundez got a group of technicians from Iowa and took them to Tennessee for the job. Although the work was demanding, including long 14-hour days, the price was right. “Cable guys were making $400/$500 a day back then,” Pundez explains. 2|
US Developers Journal
Fall Edition 2009
Establishing Roots A successful job in Chattanooga led to more contracts, however challenging, including a 2002 job that Pundez considers Utili-Comm South’s big break. There was a major ice storm in Lexington, Ky., which brought down phone lines. This led to Insight, a large communication provider in the area, needing help. “It was horrendous working conditions; trees were down everywhere, ice was everywhere,” Pundez recalls. But, despite the elements, Utili-Comm South stayed the full three weeks, and made a name for itself with Insight. Leaving testament on the company Web site, Insight declared: “Utili-Comm South has been the most reliable and dependable contracting company I have had the pleasure of working with.” Large cable providers, such as Insight, now looked to UtiliComm for dependable service thanks to skilled technicians and adroit management; for this Pudenz gives adequate credit to Pam Browning, vice president of operations, who joined Pudenz on the initial Chattanooga contract in 2001. “She knew the business and had a lot of contacts,” Pudenz notes. “I got the right people [like Browning] in place, the right people on my team.” With 20-plus years of experience with AT&T/TCI, Browning knew the ins and outs of on-site cable installation, and particularly how to manage the process.
Controlling the initial growth of Utili-Comm South was important, and management used restraint, despite a wealth of contacts (from Browning’s reputation in the business) and potential markets (due to the cable modem boom). Instead of jumping on all new business, the company took a careful and calculated “walk-before-you-run” approach. “We wanted to really be [financially] established first,” Pudenz explains. “We wanted to get walking in the beginning. It was three to four years before we were really running — 2006 and 2007 were the big growth years. We grew 50 percent each year.” What began as a company of six in 2001 has become a team of over 300, headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia (50 miles northeast of Atlanta). Utili-Comm South now services a large chunk of the midwest throughout Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. Business is holding steady with annual revenue of $20 million, thanks to strict quality control and good oldfashioned costumer service, particularly focused on taking care of issues that arise quickly and effectively. Johnny on the Spot Pudenz’s knows that mistakes are going to happen: “It’s a law of numbers. If you go into 1,200 houses a day, you can be 99.9 percent successful at making homeowners happy, |3
Utili-Comm South but you still have a couple [problems that arise].” When the issues come up, Pudenz makes sure that they are dealt with quickly, believing “if you make a mistake, it matters most how you recover from it.” Pudenz will make amends to the costumer for minor damage — sheetrock and piping dings, hazards that come with the installation territory. Immediate remedies please all parties; the customer is impressed and doesn’t have to call their cable provider (Comcast, Time Warner, Insight — the big providers who subcontract installation work) to complain. And happy cable costumers mean more contract business for Utili-Comm South. However, making as few mistakes as possible is the ultimate goal, and one that is achieved due to well-trained and certified technicians at Utili-Comm South. The technicians are members of the SCTE (The Society of Cable and Telecomm Engineers), who abide by quality-control procedures including written reports and taking digital on-site photos. Technicians also have to be particularly skilled in the demanding 21st century digital age needs of wireless high-speed internet for laptops and High Definition (HD) television; especially with the norm tending toward costumers with one, two, even five of these devices under one roof.
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“Shoddy work won’t cut it,” Pudenz explains. The wiring has to be spot on, meaning clean, proper installs; otherwise, “tiling will happen, something will give — the specs that are required have increased [with this relatively new technology] over the last 20 years.” Keeping with the times Additionally, Utili-Comm South keeps green standards of business in mind by focusing on efficiency; the company is particularly concerned with routing technicians to job sites in a way that minimizes carbon emissions from unnecessary driving. And less driving time makes for happier technicians and clients, as well. Further advances in efficiency are on the horizon in the form of new technology— a hand-held unit for each technician that will enable the tech to be re-routed throughout the day and to respond to customer calls in an area they are already servicing. “I’m excited and hopeful for the technology presented to us from the cable company,” Pudenz remarks. “I will gladly take part in it.” The company gladly takes part in community betterment, as well; it donates a percentage of profits regularly to organizations such as Challenged Child (benefiting disabled children), Owen County Humane Society and Habitat for
Humanity. Pudenz also considers his employees part of his community and a valued asset. Wal-mart gift cards for employees amount to over $50,000 a year in corporate spending, in addition to other bonuses and good health insurance provided to the Utili-Comm South team. “I want to be the company that good solid techs want to stay with,” Pudenz acknowledges. “[Staying] because we’re acting the part of a good solid company. And in this environment today, over the last three years, it’s harder to make it if you aren’t the real McCoy.” Part of being the real thing means honest, financially sound business, no matter what arises. Two years ago, the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend, Utili-Comm South’s payroll company fouled-up employee direct deposits — threatening a three-day holiday weekend without cash. Fortunately, Pudenz wouldn’t let that happen. “I called two bankers here in town and told them to get $20,000 cash, in a bag, ready for me when I got there,” Pudenz laughs, remembering the whirlwind antics. “So I have this cash bag, right, and go straight to Western Union and start wiring out money. I’m standing there just whipping out $100 dollar bills like it was going out of style, like I hit it big in Vegas. There were at least 15 to 20 transactions … sending one guy $500, another $1,000.”
Utili-Comm South could back up its finances then, as it can now, and financial security in a tough economy is something to be thankful for. “I appreciate where I am; I appreciate that every day,” Pudenz stresses. What makes Utili-Comm South secure and successful is genuine emphasis on quality, controlled management, and valued employees. Pudenz and Browning manage to retain sought-after, solid technicians, and that keeps cable contractors confident that Utili-Comm South is the real thing— a genuinely good company. ▪
COMPANY AT A GLANCE Established : 2001 Utili-Comm South Employees : 250 President : John Pudenz
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Utili-Comm South
2445 Hilton Dr ., Suite 129 Gainesville, GA 30501 U n i t e d S tat e s w w w.u t i l i c o m m s o u t h . c o m Winter 2009
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