Stratis is a new company, but with a long lineage. Previously known as the Connected Solutions Division at Gabe’s construction, it was spun off in January 2022 without missing a beat. Stratis is “the single-source provider of next-generation telecom solutions,” aiming to “connect everyone, everywhere,” according to the company.
Based in Monroe, Michigan, Stratis assembled a team of industry leaders. Brad Baumann, formerly Vice President of Wireless Solutions at Gabe’s, became president of Stratis. Carolyn Hardwick, formerly with SQUAN, was hired as Senior Vice President, Engineering. Formerly with Gabe’s, Jason Phillips was hired as Senior Vice President, Construction Services.
“There was a point where we became such a large division of Gabe’s that we decided there would be opportunities and efficiencies if we branched off and became our own entity,” Hardwick said. “We started Stratis as a brand-new company with a focus on wireless and OSP engineering and construction.” Gabe’s and Stratis are now sister companies as wholly-owned subsidiaries of Westshore Companies, Inc.
Stratis brought 35 employees over from Gabe’s and has added approximately 20 more. Currently, the firm has about 10 construction crews and more than a dozen engineering employees. It hopes to grow to 70 strong by the end of the year, which means attracting and retaining talent in a tight labor market. In order to grow, Stratis has worked to create a positive work environment. Providing good benefits, a career path and, above all, listening to employees are the keys Stratis has used to create its corporate culture, according to Hardwick.
“From the moment that we interview and onboard employees, we talk about their career paths. And we do everything that we can to get them to the next level,” she said. “We’re a new company that is growing organically. There’s a lot of opportunity for people to come in at the ground level and work their way up into management.”
After its January 3rd launch, Stratis was busy from the get-go with existing engineering and construction projects that were brought over. At that time, it was primarily wireless engineering and construction, including small cells and DAS. Quickly, OSP and fiber were added to the lineup. Stratis serves the infrastructure needs of clients focused on projects involving towers, buildings and offices, stadiums and large venues.
The company’s engineering services include: small cell/DAS network planning and engineering, site acquisition, structural analysis, permitting, pole audits and pole-loading analysis, make-ready analysis/coordination, OSP planning and feasibility, pre- and post-deployment analysis, project management, environmental and regulatory compliance, FTTx fielding, design, and as-built drawings; and Joint Use/Public/ROW requirements and permitting.
On the construction side, Stratis offers construction management, FTTx construction, sweep and PIM testing and integration, closeout package administration services, small business and enterprise cellular repeater solutions, project management, site inspections and maintenance, small cell and microcell construction, turnkey solutions, and utility coordination.
Existing clients and projects that were handled by Gabe’s Connected Solutions Division transferred to Stratis without a hiccup, according to Hardwick. “It was good to have those a healthy backlog of legacy projects and with a broad diversity of clients. We not only finished out those projects, we continue to work with those clients,” she said.
Stratis’ service area includes the central U.S., including Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio down to the Texas Gulf Coast and into Florida. The Stratis team knows the territory in those service areas very well, according to Hardwick.
“In those areas, we have boots on the ground,” she said. “We self-perform the majority of our work.” Stratis’ core clients include tier one wireless carriers, cable companies, and smaller electrical co-operatives.
Client interaction is important to Hardwick. “They know us, and they know they can pick up the phone and that their questions or concerns will quickly be addressed.”
The biggest pain point Hardwick hears about is projects that don’t meet established deadlines. Stratis evades this issue, meeting customer expectations through constant communication about project progress and building accurate and realistic timelines upfront.
“We have a lot of flexibility, and we’re nimble enough to act quickly,” she said. “And yet, at the same time, we have the backing of our parent company, which allows us to move forward and grow quickly.”
Seven months in, Stratis is gaining momentum, taking on new projects and adding new clients every month. “It’s exciting. We’re in a phase where we’re growing, building a new business and simultaneously diversifying our service offerings and clientele,” said Hardwick.
More information on Stratis can be found at www.gostratis.com. Follow them on LinkedIn and Facebook. If you’re interested in a career at Stratis visit here.
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