October 05, 2007 14:00 ET
McKinley Reserve and Bug Tussel Wireless Partner to Connect the Rural Midwest With Wireless Services
GREEN BAY, WI--(Marketwire - October 5, 2007) - McKinley Reserve and Bug Tussel Wireless
today announced the formation of a new telecommunications company named
Hilbert Communications, LLC. The new telecom company will have significant
operations in downtown Green Bay and Hilbert, WI.
Tommy G. Thompson, Senior Advisor to private equity firm McKinley Reserve,
former President G.W. Bush cabinet member and long-term governor of
Wisconsin, announced the formation of the new company from its Green Bay
office.
Hilbert Communications is expected to be one of the largest rural
telecommunications firms in the country. "We are entering the rural
telecom market with the Bug Tussel group of companies because of its
commitment and innovation in the rural telecom markets," said Todd C.
Thiel, president of McKinley Reserve. "The Midwest is the last frontier in
connecting people to wireless technologies."
Steve Schneider, president of Bug Tussel Wireless, added, "Our short-term
plans are to have more than 200 wireless sites and close to one-thousand
miles of access to fiberoptic facilities by the end of 2007."
Bug Tussel Wireless provides wholesale wireless service to large national
carriers such as AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile. Bug Tussel will be adding to
its services retail wireless, high-speed Internet and other telecom
offerings in select rural markets.
Governor Thompson added, "McKinley Reserve and its family of companies
bring together the resources and execution to create a world-class
telecommunications company. Hilbert Communications is charting exponential
growth over the next five to seven years, bringing quality telecom services
to un-served and underserved rural markets. The new company will invigorate
the local economy with many new jobs and provide long awaited wireless
technology to the region."
About McKinley Reserve
McKinley Reserve is a Hilbert, Wisconsin-based private equity firm with
interests in a number of diverse worldwide business activities. Its
affiliates, Capital Partners FZ, Buena Vista Equities, Prophecy and
Divinity, have U.S. and international offices. The companies provide
private investment in real estate, privately held companies and private
investment partnerships to develop opportunities with potential for the
greatest return at acceptable levels of risk.
About Bug Tussel Wireless, LLC
Bug Tussel is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based wireless carrier serving rural
Wisconsin. Bug Tussel has affiliates with spectrum in North Dakota,
Minnesota and Michigan. Bug Tussel serves as a primary carrier to
low-density, rural markets and as a service enhancer for large nationwide
providers. Its affiliates include Spiralight Network, Intelegra, Michigan
Wireless, Dakota Wireless, and JustKake Investments.