Since 1984, Network Building + Consulting, LLC (NB+C) has brought site development to the telecommunications industry along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, NB+C has been involved in implementing infrastructure for every “G” — from 1G to 5G — for nearly four decades.
“The telecommunications and wireless infrastructure industry is so dynamic and changes rapidly from year to year; it’s one of the things I love about it,” said Tom Kane, President of NB+C. “Our company has been successful because we’ve always looked ahead and paid attention to what our customers need plus how the networks are changing. We’ve adjusted our services to those needs over time and have become a top service provider.”
“I’m so proud to serve the industry that we do,” added Kane. “But what truly gives us pride is being a great place to work.”
And Kane should know, he’s been working in the wireless site development industry for 23 years. What’s more, he’s been a part of NB+C for his entire career. Beginning as an entry-level site acquisition specialist in 1997, Kane’s love for the industry, the work, and his colleagues enabled him to grow with NB+C. After progressing through several roles, Kane was named President of the company in 2004, and three years later, he acquired the company with other management team members.
“NB+C has been 100 percent management-owned since 2007. My story is the American Dream: finding not only a job you love in an industry you feel connected to, but evolving to a place in a company where you can lead a dedicated and talented staff is an honor,” said Kane.
NB+C has grown as a company during Kane’s tenure, including geographic expansion plus service upgrades. “We’re now considered a regional company, with the majority of our work in the eastern third of the country and with certain engineering functions serving the entire continental US,” said Kane. “We’ve also added several new service lines to our in-house operation.”
The personnel growth of NB+C includes in-house:
- Construction
- Technical Services (install, test, turn up)
- Engineering (civil, structural, and fiber engineering)
“The addition of these teams staffed with talented professionals enables us to offer our customers a turn-key service,” added Kane.
And one service NB+C offers is focused on small cells. “When small cells began hitting the market five or six years ago, we were involved in testing trial small cells for carriers. Essentially, we were guinea pigs but were excited and happy to jump in,” said Kane.
Now, small cells account for 28 percent of the company’s 2020 workload. Over the years, NB+C has established small cell best practices, including jurisdiction approach, working collaboratively with utilities, developing teams, and using modern tools to help with make-ready work, plus developing great relationships.
According to Kane, the path to implementing small cells is getting easier, but it’s still not easy. There is a lot of complexity with DOT, utilities, and municipalities. The eastern seaboard has many challenging landlords and regulations, but NB+C has developed a playbook to win. “Small cells have become a strong service offering for our company, but it wasn’t by accident. It came from overcoming many challenges and the dedication of our in-house professionals who worked in tandem with customers to deliver,” said Kane.
Those professionals, according to Kane, are a huge differentiator for NB+C. “Many employees have been on staff for 10 and sometimes even 20 years, which is a real competitive advantage for our company,” he said. “Talent retention is a strength within our organization that I’m proud of because we continue to offer our customers exceptional, consistent leadership for their projects with knowledgeable, talented NB+C employees.”
The company has been able to retain talent because there’s always work for its employees. “We were fortunate that 20 years ago, the leaders of NB+C had the foresight to expand our portfolio when many companies focused on working with just one carrier,” said Kane. “This decision enabled us, over the years, to broaden our book of business, so that if one of our customers slows down their projects, we have other projects to move staff to.”
Kane added that this factor gives employees peace of mind and helps the company retain the “best and the brightest” talent. “NB+C wants to be known as a ‘destination employment organization,’ attracting talented professionals in the telecom industry to help build out 5G and beyond. We’re truly dedicated to our employees and support them both in the office and the field,” said Kane. “If you want a career where you’ll have consistent work for years, NB+C is the place to be!”
NB+C partners with every major U.S. wireless carrier, plus supports some regional carriers across the eastern portion of the United States. They also partner with third-party small cell providers and utility companies (in support of small cell work). NB+C works with both public and private towercos as well as customers in the public safety space, and blue-chip fiber companies focused on 5G.
NB+C is headquartered in Baltimore, MD, and supports customers in the eastern third of the U.S. With 500 employees, NB+C has eight locations to provide resources to customers throughout its territory and beyond. For more information or to contact a representative, visit https://www.networkbuilding.com/.
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