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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
These days, competition among telecommunications companies is fierce. It's quite a contrast from the way things were 30 years ago. Back then, the industry was completely monopolized by one company--Ma Bell.
Thank goodness things have changed. And because they have, we consumers enjoy lower costs, better technology and a greater choice of services. They're all valuable benefits provided by leading telecom companies, one of which is located right here in Utah. It's Mountain West Telecom, and with more than 5,500 clients nationwide, it is Utah's longest-operating and largest privately held telecom provider.
I recently spoke with Jaron Payzant, the company's owner and president, and learned that Mountain West Telecom began operating more than 55 years ago supplying and servicing intercom and sound systems for companies throughout Utah. Jaron told me his father Clair ran the company from its inception, and eventually bought it in 1976.
Jaron got an early start in the business. He was still a child when he began literally at the ground level sweeping floors. As he grew older, he worked in everything from shipping and installation to customer service and sales. He later became vice president, then president and eventually bought Mountain West Telecom in 1998.
As Jaron took ownership, he focused on expanding the company's product and service offering into a broad range of voice and data networking products and services, all of which are backed by their unique 6-month money back guarantee. Mountain West now maintains strategic partnerships with such big-name companies as AVAYA, CISCO, MITEL, Inter-Tel and Panasonic. And last year, the company nearly tripled its customer base by acquiring the technology services division of IKON Office Solutions. All of it has resulted in a 400-percent increase in revenues over the last three years and made Mountain West Telecom a top contender in one of the most competitive industries.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
