Winona, MN – Hiawatha Broadband Communications Inc., (HBC) announced Friday it has signed an agreement to be acquired by Mishawaka, IN based Schurz Communications.
HBC President and CEO Dan Pecarina said HBC has always been a unique service provider building networks that provide competition, improved service and a commitment to the small towns and rural locations throughout the region. This will not change and we expect it to continue to improve and expand.
“The interaction we have with our Customers will not change,” said Pecarina. “Our Customer Care and Technical Support teams will remain in our local communities. Providing unparalleled Customer Care is something we have always been very proud of, and that will continue.”
Schurz Communications is an information company which owns several cable, newspaper publishing, and digital media entities. Pecarina said the HBC board of directors and management team looked very hard at Schurz to make sure it was the right company to help HBC carry on its mission of bringing world-class broadband to small, rural communities.
“Schurz believes, as we do, that a good company is actively engaged in and cares about the communities they serve. Schurz focusses on employees and customers and believes that local employees making the day to day decisions serve the customer best. We’re pleased to join Schurz as they share our vision of not just what HBC is today but also what we believe HBC can be in the future,” said Pecarina.
Todd Schurz, President and CEO of Schurz Communications, said they plan to continue to invest in the business and its employees.
“We know that our success is at the local level where the day to day business will be run. HBC has been an integral part of southeastern Minnesota for 20 years, and that will not change. On behalf of Schurz we want to welcome HBC to our family of companies and look forward to growing together,” said Schurz.
The purchase is expected to be finalized on December 31, 2017 pending regulatory approvals.
About HBC: Innovative broadband solutions with unparalleled customer service makes Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc. (HBC) the preferred service provider in southeastern Minnesota. Based in Winona, MN, HBC builds advanced Fiber-To-The-Premises networks, offering 1 Gbps speeds, in addition to maintaining an extensive wireless broadband network which brings symmetrical broadband to under/unserved homes, businesses, and schools in rural areas. HBC provides over 125 local jobs with employees supporting retail, wholesale, construction, business consulting, and technical support in of nearly 30 communities.
About Schurz Communications www.schurz.com Schurz Communications, Inc., is a Mishawaka, IN-based news and information company that consists of cable, newspaper publishing and digital media. The company publishes daily and weekly newspapers in medium and small markets. It also owns cable companies and phone directories. Geographically, Schurz Communications has a presence in Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and South Dakota