Bob Butler terminating fiber at Login’s data center. Graycliff Enterprises visually inspects every fiber strand, as well as provides electronic test results.

A Graycliff team member balances a fiber node inside a Fiber Distribution Cabinet. The cabinet ensures optimal performance of the fiber plant.

Specializing in multiple segments of an industry can sometimes be a detriment to a company’s success, unless the company proves its worth by pulling off major accomplishments. This is the case for Graycliff Enterprises Inc. (Graycliff), a firm founded in 2003 by industry pioneers with decades of experience in the telecommunications industry. 

The underground and aerial utility contractor was established as a one-stop shop for communications, from provider to keyboard. Though it has locations throughout the country, its roots and largest service area remain in Arizona. 

Finding a Niche in the Cable Industry

Arizona is the birth state of Graycliff. But its story starts in 1963 in Florence, Alabama, where Raymond Galtelli sold cable subscriber services door-to-door while he attended Florence University. Raymond moved to North Carolina after college and decided to make a name for himself in the up-and-coming cable industry. A go-getter by nature, he anticipated that the concept of cable was going to take off, and with that idea he founded CATV Subscriber Services Inc. (CSS) in 1972. 

As Raymond immersed himself in his new business, dramatic changes in the cable industry started happening. From 1984 to 1992, $15 billion was spent to wire American homes. This was the largest private construction project at the time since World War II. Major investments happened again from 1996 to 2002 when the concept of higher capacity fiber optic and coaxial cable hybrid networks emerged. Needless to say, Raymond’s instincts about expansion in the cable and communications industries proved accurate, and he had many noteworthy achievements at CSS until he sold it in 1998.  

Forty years after knocking on doors in Alabama, Raymond opened his second company—Graycliff. His goal was to take his years of experience and know-how to create a unique business model that could service customers in the cable, telecommunications and utilities markets. He recruited top executives and assembled a team of dedicated employees, who he says are as loyal to the company as are his customers.

Graycliff’s very first customer was Tucson, Arizona-based Comcast, which contracted the company to install underground cable service lines from road to house. This small contract gave Graycliff its start towards its evolution into a company that now has 165 employees and 15 offices throughout the country. Today, its core business in Arizona includes technology roll-outs, design and installation of structured cabling networks, communications systems and project management.

A Unique Training Program...

Although it is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Graycliff operates three unique divisions out of Arizona—the Bluestake Division, ISP/Voice/Data Division and Underground/Aerial Construction Division. 

Bluestake operates a two-week training program, created about three years ago, which trains people to become certified locators. To the best of Raymond’s knowledge, no one else in the industry has a similar training course.

During the program, Graycliff trains all in-house employees at the contractor’s work sites. When the training is complete, the employees are third-party certified as locators. For the contractor, the primary benefit of this program is not having to hire a private locator; for Graycliff, in-house locators create greater accountability on the part of the contractor if there are mislocates. 

Joe Parker, Project Manager for the Bluestake Division, has 30 years of experience protecting underground utilities. Joe crafted the training program so that individuals with no knowledge in the cable industry can obtain the necessary skills and confidence to perform accurate utility locating. This program can also be utilized by experienced persons as a refresher course.

Graycliff’s Bluestake Division, started nine years ago with Comcast, has grown in the past three years due to additional contracts with Cox and Valley Telcom. With an experienced team of damage-prevention specialists equipped with the latest technologies, Graycliff completes more than 100,000 Bluestake requests per year and is currently at a 99.99 percent accuracy rating. In 2015, the team had only one  at-fault damage in over 100,000 completed requests.

“The people at Graycliff Enterprises do a commendable job,” says Kristi Springer, Construction Supervisor for Cox Communications in Tucson. “Since they have taken on the locating responsibilities for Cox Communications in southern Arizona, we have had minimal damages to our Cox facilities. Their employees take pride in the work they do; therefore, our facilities are protected and our customers are up and running continuously.” 

…and a One-Stop Shop for Telecommunications

 The ISP/Voice/Data Division, which was created last September, has shown an equal amount of success as its Bluestake counterpart. “Within the first four months of inception, we completed a $90,000 wiring project for Comcast. Since then we have become the preferred communications vendor for various car dealerships, medical offices, banks, call centers and other private companies,” says Jeremy Parker, an ISP/Voice/Data Division Project Manager.

According to Jeremy, most utility contractors only work for utility companies and usually only specialize in certain areas. But the Graycliff business structure enables its team members to handle a variety of needs, including the installation of cable, equipment, paging systems and security systems.

“We do it all,” says Jeremy. “Our local team is comprised of installers, bluestakers, underground and aerial crews, and copper, coax and fiber splicers. This has allowed us to complete all of the work in-house without the use of subcontractors, which means a lower price for our customers because we don’t have to mark up the costs by using a subcontractor.”

Fast-Paced Market Changes

The way people communicate, operate their households and live is constantly changing with the improvement of devices and the release of new technologies. In order to meet the demands of an interconnected world, the telecommunications industry has had to evolve to provide speedy connections and support for smart systems.

Jeremy notes: “The structure of the U.S. telecommunications industry has changed dramatically over the last decade, including the transformation of cable systems operators into telecommunications providers as they adopt hybrid fiber/coaxial cable digital architecture, which supports digital, high-capacity, two-way communications. Fiber optic cabling allows cable and phone companies to deliver faster, more reliable products.”

Current industry trends have led to increased opportunities for telecommunication providers and contractors. Jeremy believes the smaller companies are at an advantage because they do not have legacy systems and products that have to overcome in order to compete in today’s fast-paced market, in which leading contenders offer quick, high-quality, state-of-the-art communications services at competitive prices. 

Specializing in multiple segments of an industry can sometimes be a detriment to a company’s success, unless the company proves its worth by pulling off major accomplishments. This is the case for Graycliff Enterprises Inc. (Graycliff), a firm founded in 2003 by industry pioneers with decades of experience in the telecommunications industry.

Jeremy sees the level of connection only increasing with the concept of the “Internet of Things” taking off, whereby all devices—from toothbrushes to cars to entire cities—can be linked into larger networks. He adds, “The price of connectivity itself is declining, and the enabling devices—such as smartphones and tablets—are themselves becoming less expensive, more powerful and ubiquitous.”

Delivering Customer Service the Old-Fashioned Way

One question remains: How do you compete in an ever-evolving industry when many people no longer want face-to-face interaction? The answer can be pulled from the past, and that is good old-fashioned customer service. At Graycliff, employees strive to get to know each client, tailoring products and services to meet specific needs. 

Senior leaders at Graycliff encourage employees to offer a superior level of customer service by modeling the company’s core values, which hinge on respect and appreciation.

Graycliff has a mom-and-pop feel, but with the stability and benefits of a large communications firm. Many employees in the field and office have been around since the doors first opened 13 years ago. “It doesn’t matter if you have been with us from the beginning or just a couple of days. When the owners come into town, they make time to get to know every employee,” shares Jeremy. 

There are many ways to measure success, and the link between happy employees and satisfied customers cannot be ignored. So far, Graycliff has succeeded in keeping the country’s largest cable provider happy, so it clearly is doing something right.