Latest news with #Farnan
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
United Fiber Sees 25 Percent Sales Spike in Competitive Small Business Market With Calix SmartBiz
United Fiber grows acquisition ARPU 10% by partnering with Calix Success to build a transformative go-to-market and workforce model that positions SmartBiz as the cooperative's cornerstone small business offering SAN JOSE, Calif., May 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that United Fiber achieved a 25 percent surge in sales and a 10 percent acquisition-related lift in average revenue per user (ARPU) within a single month by making the award-winning SmartBiz™ the centerpiece of their small business go-to-market strategy. SmartBiz enables broadband service providers (BSPs) like United Fiber to differentiate in competitive business markets by going beyond connectivity to become catalysts for small business success. "United Fiber understands that traditional connectivity solutions fall short for this segment," said Darren Farnan, general manager at United Fiber. "From cafes, restaurants, and salons to insurance offices, grocery stores, and farms, these businesses need more than just residential internet access or a stripped-down enterprise offering. When SmartBiz launched, it checked every box for what our customers were already asking for—resiliency, security, segmented access, and ease of use. Now, we offer it to every new small business we work with, and we're even going back to educate current customers who could benefit." Serving thousands of small businesses across rural Missouri, United Fiber was among the first BSPs in the United States to deploy SmartBiz to their business subscribers. Recently named a Customer Product of the Year by TMC, the purpose-built managed Wi-Fi solution equips small business owners to thrive in a digital-first world with secure, segmented network access for critical systems like point-of-sale, built-in advanced cybersecurity, and content filtering to protect data and boost productivity. As a fully integrated managed service on the Calix Broadband Platform, SmartBiz is easy for BSPs to deploy, manage, and scale. However, United Fiber's success in the small business market goes beyond launching great technology. By partnering with Calix Success and leveraging the Smart Start program, they evolved their go-to-market strategy. United Fiber leveraged SmartBiz boot camps and hands-on guidance to develop simplified offerings, dedicated sales support, and alignment between sales and field technicians for cultural and operational unity. They also utilized Calix University's workforce transformation resources to support organizational alignment and upskilling. United Fiber's comprehensive, consultative approach has fueled consistent SmartBiz adoption, driving 11 percent month-over-month growth. "SmartBiz allowed us to shift the conversation from selling speed to solving real challenges," said Farnan. "Partnering with Calix helped us reframe how we sell, how we train, and how we support local businesses. Our field technicians receive hands-on training from our sales engineers. Meanwhile, our small business sales managers build trust and gather feedback to ensure new SmartBiz subscribers understand key features post-installation. In the eyes of subscribers, we are no longer a service provider. We are a trusted advisor who understands what they need to succeed." United Fiber's rapid results build on a strong history of innovation with Calix. In 2023, the cooperative partnered with the Calix Success team to revamp their residential marketing strategy, resulting in an 11 percent increase in signups for SmartHome™ managed service offerings in just weeks. "Darren and his team have consistently been at the forefront of adopting Calix innovation throughout our 14-year partnership," said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. "They've created a strong brand among residential subscribers as a broadband experience provider who cares, making a real impact with solutions like Bark to protect kids from the kinds of digital threats that keep parents up at night. Now they're leading the way in their small business market with a total transformation of their go-to-market strategy. This is exactly why we innovated the industry's sole cloud-and-software broadband platform—to enable rapid innovation at scale for any BSP. The best part is that we are still just scratching the surface. With brilliant leaders like Darren and his team, we will continue to achieve big things together." United Fiber will share more about their SmartBiz journey—including lessons, results, and what's next—in an upcoming webinar on June 12, 2025. Register here. About Calix Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)—Calix is a platform, cloud and managed services company. Broadband experience providers leverage Calix's broadband platform, cloud and managed services to simplify their operations, subscriber engagement, and services; innovate for their consumer, business, and municipal subscribers; and grow their value for members, investors, and the communities they serve. Our end-to-end platform and managed services democratize the use of data—enabling our customers of any size to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our customers and their communities. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix's business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at Calix and the Calix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Calix and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Calix's trademarks can be found at Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Press Inquiries: Alison 919-353-4323Investor Inquiries: Nancy Fazioliinvestorrelations@
Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
United Fiber Sees 25 Percent Sales Spike in Competitive Small Business Market With Calix SmartBiz
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that United Fiber achieved a 25 percent surge in sales and a 10 percent acquisition-related lift in average revenue per user (ARPU) within a single month by making the award-winning SmartBiz ™ the centerpiece of their small business go-to-market strategy. SmartBiz enables broadband service providers (BSPs) like United Fiber to differentiate in competitive business markets by going beyond connectivity to become catalysts for small business success. 'SmartBiz allowed us to shift the conversation from selling speed to solving real challenges. Partnering with Calix helped us reframe how we sell, how we train, and how we support local businesses," said Darren Farnan, general manager at United Fiber. Share 'United Fiber understands that traditional connectivity solutions fall short for this segment,' said Darren Farnan, general manager at United Fiber. 'From cafes, restaurants, and salons to insurance offices, grocery stores, and farms, these businesses need more than just residential internet access or a stripped-down enterprise offering. When SmartBiz launched, it checked every box for what our customers were already asking for—resiliency, security, segmented access, and ease of use. Now, we offer it to every new small business we work with, and we're even going back to educate current customers who could benefit.' Serving thousands of small businesses across rural Missouri, United Fiber was among the first BSPs in the United States to deploy SmartBiz to their business subscribers. Recently named a Customer Product of the Year by TMC, the purpose-built managed Wi-Fi solution equips small business owners to thrive in a digital-first world with secure, segmented network access for critical systems like point-of-sale, built-in advanced cybersecurity, and content filtering to protect data and boost productivity. As a fully integrated managed service on the Calix Broadband Platform, SmartBiz is easy for BSPs to deploy, manage, and scale. However, United Fiber's success in the small business market goes beyond launching great technology. By partnering with Calix Success and leveraging the Smart Start program, they evolved their go-to-market strategy. United Fiber leveraged SmartBiz boot camps and hands-on guidance to develop simplified offerings, dedicated sales support, and alignment between sales and field technicians for cultural and operational unity. They also utilized Calix University's workforce transformation resources to support organizational alignment and upskilling. United Fiber's comprehensive, consultative approach has fueled consistent SmartBiz adoption, driving 11 percent month-over-month growth. 'SmartBiz allowed us to shift the conversation from selling speed to solving real challenges,' said Farnan. 'Partnering with Calix helped us reframe how we sell, how we train, and how we support local businesses. Our field technicians receive hands-on training from our sales engineers. Meanwhile, our small business sales managers build trust and gather feedback to ensure new SmartBiz subscribers understand key features post-installation. In the eyes of subscribers, we are no longer a service provider. We are a trusted advisor who understands what they need to succeed.' United Fiber's rapid results build on a strong history of innovation with Calix. In 2023, the cooperative partnered with the Calix Success team to revamp their residential marketing strategy, resulting in an 11 percent increase in signups for SmartHome ™ managed service offerings in just weeks. 'Darren and his team have consistently been at the forefront of adopting Calix innovation throughout our 14-year partnership,' said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. 'They've created a strong brand among residential subscribers as a broadband experience provider who cares, making a real impact with solutions like Bark to protect kids from the kinds of digital threats that keep parents up at night. Now they're leading the way in their small business market with a total transformation of their go-to-market strategy. This is exactly why we innovated the industry's sole cloud-and-software broadband platform—to enable rapid innovation at scale for any BSP. The best part is that we are still just scratching the surface. With brilliant leaders like Darren and his team, we will continue to achieve big things together.' United Fiber will share more about their SmartBiz journey—including lessons, results, and what's next—in an upcoming webinar on June 12, 2025. Register here. About Calix Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)—Calix is a platform, cloud and managed services company. Broadband experience providers leverage Calix's broadband platform, cloud and managed services to simplify their operations, subscriber engagement, and services; innovate for their consumer, business, and municipal subscribers; and grow their value for members, investors, and the communities they serve. Our end-to-end platform and managed services democratize the use of data—enabling our customers of any size to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our customers and their communities. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix's business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at Calix and the Calix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Calix and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Calix's trademarks can be found at Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Marine officer trio recognized for saving life of woman who overdosed
Three Marine officers were walking to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, on Feb. 7 when they saw a woman beside a bus stop, her body folded at the hip, her head between her splayed legs on the pavement. 'She was folded like a sandwich, which people don't naturally sit that way,' said Maj. Michael Farnan, a military defense council judge advocate for the National Capital Region. 'Obviously, something was wrong,' said 1st Lt. Max Goldberg, also a military defense council judge advocate. Marines commended for lifesaving efforts in near-drowning incidents As the trio got closer to the woman they saw a small group, which appeared to be part of the city's unhoused population, according to a Defense Department media release. 'Two other bystanders were attempting to sit her up, but her whole body had gone limp, and she kept collapsing on the ground,' said Capt. Harald Kirn, a judge advocate with Legal Services Support Team, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. What the trio did next resulted in each receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for their actions this week. Kirn thought perhaps the woman had overdosed, which he had seen before. Farnan called 911 while Kirn assessed the woman's condition. Another woman nearby had a clear plastic bag with a lot of items inside. Goldberg asked if she had Narcan, a drug administered to assist in opiate overdose. Goldberg retrieved the Narcan and gave it to the prostrate woman, whose breathing and pulse immediately got stronger, according to the release. Farnan directed emergency medical personnel to the woman, flagging them down as they drove to the scene. Kirn said he felt a hesitation for 'two seconds' but was inspired by how quickly Goldberg reacted, snapping him back to the moment to help. 'It is easy to do the right thing when you're surrounded by other people who are also doing the right thing,' Farnan said. 'One of the advantages of being a Marine is that you're surrounded by people who are signed up to do a 'good thing.'' Each credited Marine Corps training with their reactions to the situation. 'Marines are taught to be we're more than just ourselves,' he said. 'Resist that modern temptation to just walk by — pause for a moment, even if you don't know them, and if someone needs help, you should stop what you're doing and help them.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri House approves changes to in-home child care regulations
State Rep. Jeff Farnan, a Republican from Stanberry, testifies to a Missouri House committee during the 2024 legislative session (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications). Missouri's child care crisis was debated again Wednesday, with a bill changing provisions for licensed in-home child care facilities passing through the state House. State law allows up to two children aged 5 years or older that are related to the operator of a child care facility to be exempt from the maximum number of children for which the facility is licensed. A bill sponsored by state Rep. Jeff Farnan, a Republican from Stanberry, removes the age minimum with hope to increase space in day care facilities. 'At unlicensed day care facilities, we don't know if these kids are getting the care that they deserve, so hopefully this bill will increase the slots in licensed daycare facilities,' Farnan said in an interview. Lawmakers originally pushed for changes to the state's in-home child care provisions after the legislature approved 'Nathan's Law' in 2019. According to previous Missourian reporting, the law was written to limit the capacity of unlicensed child care homes. It is named after Nathan Blecha, a 3-month old who died at an unlicensed in-home day care in 2007. While the exclusion limit was set for unlicensed day cares, the same wasn't set for licensed ones. All children had to be counted regardless of age. Child care providers around the state were then forced to stop serving families so they could care for their own. A bill was eventually passed in 2022 permitting licensed care providers to exempt up to two of their children as long as they are 5 years old. Legislators recalled Nathan's Law when during Wednesday's debate. 'The reason we have ratios in place in day care centers is to ensure that every child there has the proper care that they need,' said state Rep. Keri Ingle, a Lee's Summit Democrat. 'This is unfortunately one of those bills that is trying to address a problem and will create an even bigger one. At stake are the lives of the children in this state.' Safety of child care facilities is just one facet of the state's child care crisis. According to previous Missourian reporting, 54% of Missourians live in child care deserts. Emily van Schenkhof is the executive director of the Missouri Children's Trust Fund, the state's foundation for child abuse prevention. She testified against the bill during a March hearing in the Committee on Children and Families. 'We maintain that we need to solve the state's child care crisis without decreasing the safety of children in Missouri, so we are disappointed that this bill is moving forward,' van Schenkhof said. The new bill moves the state away from best practices of child care capacity limits, she said. Farnan said he shares the same concerns about safety, but believes that licensed child care providers receive adequate help from the state. 'They have fire services, they have food services and they have people that come check on them regularly to make sure that they are getting the care that they deserve,' Farnan said. Still, van Schenkhof said solving the crisis without decreasing the safety of children is difficult. 'It's hard to change the root factors that are causing the child care crisis,' van Schenkhof said. 'Even though passing a bill isn't easy, it's easier than the financial investments we'd need to make to solve our child care problem. The bill passed by a vote of 103-39. It now moves to the Missouri Senate. This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
XPO lawsuit against 2 ex-employees gives look into noncompete agreements
A suit filed by less-than-truckload carrier XPO that recently moved to a federal court in North Carolina provides a window into the battle over companies' ability to require workers to sign noncompete agreements and whether such provisions can be enforced. The suit against two former employees was filed originally by XPO (NYSE: XPO) in January in Superior Court in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, before being moved to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina at the start of February. The employees, Tess Farnan and Mark Schatteman, left their sales jobs at XPO to join LTL carrier Central Transport. The two workers didn't work for XPO in North Carolina; instead, they worked in the Kansas City area. But the XPO lawsuit says the suit is being filed in the Tar Heel State because the company has 'extensive operations' there. But XPO has extensive operations in all of the Lower 48 states. Why it was chosen is unclear– the company's headquarters is in Connecticut and the employees worked in the Kansas City area– but it may be that the state's noncompete laws were seen as favorable. The Legal Now blog said of North Carolina's noncompete laws that they are 'unique and nuanced, governed by both statutory law and case law. The state does not have a specific statute that outlines the use of non-compete agreements; instead, their enforceability is determined by the courts based on general principles of contract law and specific criteria developed through case law.' The accusations against Farnan and Schatteman can be found in the state action from last month. While the basic thrust of the case is straightforward – employees quit, go to a competitor, do business there and original employer says their noncompete bars them from doing that – the lawsuit reveals some of the provisions of a noncompete that are at issue in the litigation. According to the lawsuit, Farnan signed an 11-page 'Confidential Information Protection Agreement' in September 2021. Schatteman had signed the same type of agreement in March 2020. A key provision in the noncompete is that the two would not engage 'after termination' in 'any competing business or solicit XPO customers with whom they worked.' There also was a requirement that the workers would 'maintain the confidentiality of XPO's Confidential Information and return all XPO Confidential Information and property to XPO on the termination of their employment.' The period of time in which one-time XPO customers could not be solicited is six months. But the lawsuit said the two sales representatives left XPO and joined Central Transport, where they were 'soliciting XPO customers in breach of their agreements with XPO.' Schatteman resigned June 13, 2024, and joined Central Transport in Chesterfield, Missouri. Farnan resigned Sept. 20 and joined Central Transport in a location only described as the Kansas City area. Both those areas are said by XPO to be a 'restricted territory' under the terms of the noncompetes. But the territories in question are so vast that the question would be what regions don't fit that definition. The lawsuit contains an attachment of a letter sent by XPO attorney Carley Baratt to Schatteman in which she says the restricted area consists of 'all the continental United States.' The definition includes a footprint of 100 miles from the Kansas City office where the two XPO workers were employed; 50 miles from any other XPO office anywhere in the country; 'any state or province in the United States, Canada and Mexico in which our customers are located or we perform services for or on behalf of our customers or carriers'; and similar restrictions for any other country outside North America. Another provision of the noncompete is that if a worker who signs the deal is terminated without cause – which wouldn't include a resignation – XPO would make 'non-compete payments' over six months based on compensation earned by the worker during the 12 months before the termination date. The list of companies the workers could not work for includes any provider of motor carrier freight, not limited to LTL, and any sort of 3PL, with a long list of examples provided in the noncompete. (Eleven are listed, from C.H. Robinson to Hub Group.) The noncompete also would block an employee from going to work for an investment or advisory company involved in logistics mergers and acquisitions. The lawsuit cites several customer relations that it says were damaged when Schatteman snagged existing business. None of the customers were cited by name, but in one case, a $9,000 account in June 2024 dropped to $920 by November. Another saw a bank of business of $19,000 in June 2024 drop to $1,051 in November 2024. As for Farnan, XPO says one of her accounts went from $11,000 in October to $1,000 in December. A $2,500 account disappeared completely, the lawsuit alleges. It says letters sent from XPO attorneys to the ex-employees and their attorneys did not receive a response. More articles by John Kingston Flatbed operator and aggregator PS Logistics holds on to debt rating at Moody's Manhattan Associates' sudden C-suite change not what it seemed, executives say Missouri truck company owner gets 9 years for PPP fraud, other felonies The post XPO lawsuit against 2 ex-employees gives look into noncompete agreements appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
