16 | BANGOR DAILY NEWS | Thursday | January 20, 2011
Oxford Networks: Business of the Year By David M. Fitzpatrick SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
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or its leadership, innovation, and economic activity in the Bangor region, Oxford Networks has been named the BRCC’s Business of the Year. President and CEO Craig Gunderson says the company’s success here is entirely because of his people. “We have a team of energetic, customer service focused employees in Bangor and across the state who enjoy their job, love their customers, and rise to meet any challenge,” Gunderson said. “As a locally owned and operated company, our employees can relate to each other, fellow Maine companies, and the community.” Oxford Networks, which began as a local telephone company in 1900, has flourished in recent years under the umbrella of a shared-values system that Gunderson says is key to the company’s success.And that’s a story all its own. Gunderson and Oxford’s current chairman and former CEO, Rick Anstey, once worked at another company that embraced a shared-values program and built its success on the
“Continuing to find ways to serve the business community is what we’re focused on.” CRAIG GUNDERSON, OXFORD NETWORKS CEO AND PRESIDENT strengths of its happy and satisfied employees. But when the company was bought out, the shared-values program was the first thing to go. Gunderson knew he didn’t want to work for a company that didn’t embrace those ideals. Anstey came to Oxford Networks, soon followed by Gunderson. Oxford wasn’t the kind of company it is today, with employees rating it rock bottom through the shared-values consultants Anstey brought in to turn the company around. The company improved in every way, and for the past five years it has earned the prestigious designation as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine. Oxford has carried this success north to Bangor, where it first extended its fiber-optic network to serve business customers in 2008. In the past six years, Oxford has invested $24 million in its fiber-optic network in Maine, with close to $5 million of that in Bangor, bringing fiber-optic speeds right into customers’ businesses.
Oxford’s customer-service commitment shows in the monthly surveys it conducts. A survey team including Gunderson visits various customers and asks questions to determine how Oxford is doing. Gunderson hand-writes the customer’s answers, presents them to the board of directors, and keeps them right in his desk drawer. “Recently, we did a number of surveys up in Bangor, and the accolades that our people got — it’s huge,” Gunderson said. “The feedback has been incredibly positive.” Gunderson trusts his team’s judgment calls, whether it’s with a business decision or for a community project. Whether his team suggested sponsoring the Waterfront Concerts, giving away holiday turkeys, participating in United Way, or helping out at the Bangor homeless shelter, he always gave them wide latitude to get things done. Gunderson is very impressed with everything his team accomplishes. “They hit these
nications • Oxford Networks
Penobscot Veterinary Services • Penquis • People’s Bank • Pepsi Bottling Group • PHD Consulting, Inc. • Phillips-Strickland House/Boyd Place • Phoenix Employment & Rehabilitation Services • Pike Industries • Pine Hill Golf Club • Pine Tree Karate & Fitness • Pine Tree Physical Therapy • Pine Tree Waste Inc. / Casella Waste Systems, Inc. • Pinnacle IT • Pinnacle IT • Pleasant Hill RV Park & Campground • Plisga & Day Land Surveyors • Pottle’s Transportation Inc. • Premier Home Care • Premier Limousine & DJ • Prentiss & Carlisle Inc. • Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc./Rainbow Sales and Service • ProRealty • Prudential Northeast Properties • Pulse Marketing LLC • Pumpkin Patch RV Resort
Wealth Management • RE/MAX Advantage Realty Group • Realty of Maine • Records Management Center • Red Brick Lending, LLC • Residential Mortgage Services • Results Physical & Occupational Therapy • ReVision Heat LLC • Rhoades Building Products • Richard P. Hawkins • Richard S. Cattelle, Inc. • Richard Whitmore Logging • Richardson, Whitman, Large, & Badger • RiverCity Cinema • Riverside Inn • Robinson Ballet Company • Rod Hathaway • Ronald McDonald House of Bangor, Inc. • Roof Systems of Maine • Roy & Associates, CPAs PA • RT Ziegler Financial Services • Rudman & Winchell, LLC
Q: Qualey Granite • Quality Jewelers • Quality Tire &
See MEMBERS, Page 18
NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK Oxford Networks CEO Craig Gunderston
home runs — these incredible home runs,” he said. “A normal corporate guy would say ‘I’ve got to limit risk, and I can limit risk by doing my normal stuff that everybody else does.’ In this culture, where you hire great people, you trust them, you give them the ability to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes — they go out and just do incredible things.” In the future, Gunderson said Oxford Networks will continue its “edge-out expansion,” where services extend out from central hubs like Lewiston and Bangor. “Oxford’s focus is on serving the business community in Maine,” he said, “and continuing to find ways to serve the business community in Maine is what we’re focused on.”
Members, continued from page 11 • New England Outdoor Center • New England School of Communications • New Form Building Systems, Inc. • Nickerson & O’Day, Inc. • Nicky’s Cruisin’ Diner • Nonesuch Farm B & B • Norris, Inc. • North Country Rivers, Inc. • Northeast Merchandising Corp. • Northeast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, P.A. • Northeastern Log Homes, Inc. • Northern Maine Water Testing, Inc. • NORTHPOINT Financial Services • Northstar Photography Inc. • Norumbega Financial • Noyes Construction • Nurse Anesthesia of Maine, PLLC
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Oak Grove Spring Water Co., Inc. • OcéCanon • OHI • Olive Garden Italian Restaurant • One Lupine Fiber Arts • One Steel Recycling • Organized Solutions • OrganoGold • Oriental Jade Restaurant & Sampan Grill • OTT Commu-
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Paddy Murphy’s • PAGEmployment, Inc. • Papa John’s Pizza • Paper-n-Clay • Parker K. Bailey & Sons • Parks Pond Campground • Parkside Children’s Learning Center • Pathway Church • Pat’s Pizza • Paul Bunyan Campground • Paul’s Pellet Sales • PBC Consulting, LLC • Pemberton Swift, Inc. • PenBay Computer Systems, Inc. • Penobscot Cleaning Services, Inc. • Penobscot Community Health Center, Inc. • Penobscot County Federal Credit Union • Penobscot County TRIAD • Penobscot Eye Care • Penobscot Guide Service • Penobscot Home Performance • Penobscot Job Corps Academy • Penobscot Nation Boys & Girls Club • Penobscot Theatre Company • Penobscot Valley Country Club •
•••CONG RA T UL A TI ON S•••
Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce for 100 years of service to Maine!
C O U N S E L O R S &
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Service Center, Inc. • Quinn Agency • Quirk Auto Park
R: R.H. Foster Energy, L.L.C. • Ramada Inn • RBC