31 Dec 2018
A Look back - 2018 in review

Special Feature – A Look Back at 2018

As we prepare for the new year, we want to reflect on some of the accomplishments of our MOUNTAINeers this year. We had some tall goals set forth for us and we took them head-on. We celebrated together,  traveled all around the country, and acquired two new wireless companies in an effort to expand our vision of MOUNTAIN. We also gave back to local communities, honored veterans, and launched our new website! So, let’s take a few minutes to look at some of the highlights of 2018.

MOUNTAIN HQ Building in New Gloucester, ME

 

Acquisitions

One of the tasks set forth to MOUNTAIN for 2018 was to investigate other companies that work in the telecom field and meet with them to join forces with MOUNTAIN and System One to expand the types of services we offer. This year, we focused heavily on wireless companies as we see the future of wireless, 5G, Internet of Things, and a myriad of other innovations that are changing the world we live in.  We were able to seek out and acquire two different wireless companies to create the MOUNTAIN Wireless division. 

 

Expos & Conferences

Part of keeping up with current trends is participating in tradeshows, expos, and conferences. We were busy with traveling all over the U.S. to exhibit our services, meet with clients, and expand our knowledge of what is going on in the telecom industry. 

Charity Events

One aspect that sets working at MOUNTAIN apart from a lot of other companies is our community engagement. At our HQ in New Gloucester, ME, we try to find special ways to give back to those around us. With offices all across the U.S. it can be difficult to find ways to give back to every community that we share, but several of our office events and fundraisers are extended to our remote offices as well. 

Fun, Fun, Fun

At MOUNTAIN, our motto is “Work Hard, Play Hard,” and we put that to the test as often as we can whether through a holiday celebration, a friendly competition, or random acts of entertainment. 

  • Shark Week 30th Anniversary 
  • Super Hero Day 
  • Spooktacular 
  • Jurassic Mountain
  • Home for the Holidays 
  • Chili Cook-off 
  • Carnival Week
  • Birthday Celebrations

A special congratulations to these folks who celebrated their 10 years at MOUNTAIN this year!

  • Pete Jellie
  • Karen Green
  • Michelle Banville
  • Kirstin Caster

The foundation of MOUNTAIN comes from all of the MOUNTAINEERS who contribute to making MOUNTAIN such an incredible place to work. At times, it can be difficult to understand the full scope of what we are doing and what we are all working on with 13 offices across the U.S., so we asked staff and employees what some of their professional highlights for the year were. Below is a collection of thoughts and responses.

Matthew Leavitt opening the Greeting from MOUNTAIN banner

MOUNTAIN 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

“We broke into the east coast for a major client, including work in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and more”

  • Account Manager / Project Coordinator, Maine

– Closed Wireless deal with new client in TX market
– Closed wireless deal with new client in Southern CA
– Added wireless work site acquisition projects with several major telecom suppliers

  • Senior Vice President, Wireless Division, North Carolina

My favorite memory from 2018 is part of a group of ladies at MOUNTAIN, who volunteered suddenly to help out our Finance Manager at her son’s wedding on Labor Day weekend when her serving staff backed out.  The stress of stepping in at the last minute was soon over taken by laughter as we tried furiously to keep up and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the evening.  It amazes me that I work at such an incredible place that people cared that much to help out someone they didn’t even know on one of the most important days of their lives.

  • Office Manager, Maine

I am so thankful to be a part of the F&A team as well as a new Mountaineer!!  This year started off with new beginnings for me that just didn’t pan out, which left me more than a little anxious…I am so thankful to be ending the year in the best place EVER!!!  It has been a challenge to learn the processes of pay/billing, but my confidence grows each week with every client invoice that I process successfully and I absolutely love that I am part of a team that already feels like family!

  • Pay/Billing Specialist, Maine

 I can’t think of one particular project but I am proud of the fact that folks I have trained in our Idaho office have accounted for nearly 3500 design jobs and counting in 2018. I have quality controlled over 2200 design jobs since February. 

  • Regional Training Director, Idaho

We added numerous PMs to help support work that did not exist before. We are providing our clients with solutions to their questions they didn’t even know they could outsource or have us solve.  (i.e. Pole work, upcoming underground utility hole projects, and many others.)

  • Chief Operating Officer, Maine

– Had another busy year. 
– Elected 2nd VP of the National ITPA chapter.   
– Traveled to 13 different states and traveled 32 out of the last 48 weeks. 
– Attended and exhibited at ten telecom specific conferences. 
– Organized several major events for clients and charities including Golf  Tournaments, and major client symposiums. 
– Continue to serve on the New England Board of the ITPA and had one of our most successful years since joining the fundraising committee; we raised over 20 thousand dollars to fund local charities throughout New England.

  • Director of Business Development, Maine

Earlier in the year, I was given a project to manage which ended up involving over 100 sites where companies placing gas pipelines requested to have utilities relocated.  I worked with the ILEC to implement a process that allowed us to bypass the normal work order flow which expedited the release of jobs in order to meet the short timelines.

  • Project Manager, West Virginia

In 2018, I was fortunate to come across a group of engineers who expressed interest in working with MOUNTAIN, LTD. because our company has a reputation for treating contractors well. I brought them aboard to take on work in three new markets for MOUNTAIN, LTD. and worked with management to convey new processes to the team. As our needs have increased in these markets, I have recruited additional skilled resources to support our client.

  • Recruiter, Maine

This past year has been very good with the work with one of our major clients. Bringing on new project managers to assist with specific client needs have made it even better . 

  • Project Supervisor, Florida

It was amazing to be a part of a team that expanded ISP services to clients in 2018.

  • Lead Account Manager, Maine

Launching our new website! When I first started at MOUNTAIN in 2015, the first project I wanted to work on was changing and expanding our website. It took a few years to get the approvals we needed and get things on track, but I have been happy to see the feedback and the analytics on the project. I can’t wait to grow it even more in 2019!

  • Marketing & IT Manager, Maine

The billing team coming together through many changes and pushing to get it done!  Everyone is making a difference.

  • Pay/Bill Assistant, Maine

The Engineering team learned multiple new systems to support client needs. This helped us complete over 375 individual CADs for various permitting requirements scaling up to 10 miles in length. Additionally, we processed nearly 6,000 poles of Make Ready Engineering for one of our clients, and expect to process many thousands more in 2019.

  • Engineering Services Specialist, Maine

MOUNTAIN, LTD. and the wireless division in Cary, NC teamed up to successfully sell site acquisition services to a major wireless provider’s Texas market.  Work has already begun on 36 new sites with more expected in 2019.

  • Business Development Manager, California

The development of the ISP team with project managers and engineers that lead to tremendous growth of work and responsibility. Through good times and bad, I was able to watch and see both of them grow and become leaders of their teams. The future is very bright for MOUNTAIN ISP!

  • Project Manager, Ohio

I found employment for fifteen engineers who had been displaced due this year’s layoffs with one of our clients. 

  • Recruiter, Maine

2018 was another sensational year at MOUNTAIN. I was given an opportunity to become the billing team lead. I am very grateful for being able to work with such dedicated and hardworking people. Three weeks into New Year, we have been focused on getting up to speed with all outstanding items, and setting goals for 2019. We are looking forward to new beginnings and possibly new members to join our team .

  • Telecom Support Specialist, Maine

I worked with one of our clients to get a person placed on a hard to fill area. Building the relationship with the client. Filling internal positions with quality candidates in a tough market.

  • Senior Account Manager, Maine

Having started in September I have enjoyed getting to know the wireless team, client base and working on starting new relationships.  We have focused on providing quality site acquisition and program management support for our clients (wireless carriers, tower companies and services providers).

Highlights include attending industry conferences, new client meetings and account management with current customers.  We are in growth mode!

  • Business Development Manager, North Carolina

For me, 2018 highlighted my capacity grow, adapt and push myself, to continue to be an positive driver of MTN’s success in an evolving business landscape.

  • Divisional Admin. Support Coordinator, Maine

– Celebrated 5 years at MOUNTAIN, LTD
– Made huge in-roads with two difficult positions to hire for: two hires with high billing rates
– Was the first VMS recruiter to get a hires with two of our new clients

  • Recruiter, Maine

My professional highlight of 2018 was visiting  North & South Texas, meeting a new client team, and being provided with new work in that market.

  • Project Coordinator, North Carolina

Through new projects and organic growth, MOUNTAIN, LTD expanded our West Virginia engineering operations by over 100% in 2018.

  • Director of Project Services, Maine

All I have to say it’s been a busy year!!!

I have corrected approximately 40 2018 CAF II site builds, cross connect details.Reviewed and corrected all the fiber build OSP prints for the these sites. Now these sites are being built and turned up helping the client to accomplish their 2018 CAF II goals.

I am or have investigated\written projects on countless DOR’s (delayed order’s), completed Metro-E circuit design projects, GPON terminal add projects and a few road move projects. I started in telephony industry in September 1969 and other than taking a year off when I retired from Verizon in  June 2006. I’ve been contracting since and with getting close to 50 years in telephony I’m looking forward to my second retirement!

  • OSP Field Engineer, Ohio

As a Broadband Planner I issue plans and drawings for Metro Ethernet customer in the state of Illinois as well as work with multiple other groups to push customer orders out to our MOUNTAIN Detail Engineers.

Since I started in late May I have designed and planned roughly 107 Metro Ethernet customer’s service throughout the entire state of Illinois ranging from 2Mb-4Gb Ethernet & SONET services.

I have priced out roughly 136 BDTs (Business Decision Tool) for potential customers on behalf of different telecommunications carriers.

Recently, I worked with the Carrier groups to successfully receive funding, $83,714, for a project add in Southern Illinois that has been a huge congestion issue for a couple of years for both Broadband and Transport teams in Illinois.

  • Broadband Planner, Illinois

I’m glad to be part of this company especially when everyone is really helpful. My supervisor has been a great mentor and has challenged me in small and big projects. In the short time with MOUNTAIN, LTD. I have worked with well-known companies that have data centers, hotels, and federal buildings.

  • OSP Engineer, Washington

While training one of the engineers we had to make a field visit to get a cable height.  This was one of his first trips deep into the weeds.  It was pretty funny as you can only see the top of his head and still was not able to get to the spot he wanted.

  • Network Engineer, Washington

Thank you to everyone who made 2018 such a successful year. We are grateful for all of the hard work, dedication, and heart that the staff and employees put into making MOUNTAIN so special.