FirstLight to Acquire Finger Lakes Technologies Group (PR)

FirstLight Fiber (“FirstLight”), a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in the Northeast, today announced its intent to acquire Finger Lakes Technologies Group (“FLTG”), a subsidiary of Trumansburg Telephone Company (TTC). FLTG provides data, Internet and voice solutions to business customers in New York and Pennsylvania through its fiber network. FirstLight recently announced similar transactions with Oxford Networks and Sovernet Communications.

The decision to acquire FLTG further positions FirstLight as one of the leading fiber optic communications providers in the Northeast. The transaction will merge FLTG’s privately owned fiber optic network, which spans nearly 2,500 route miles in New York state and Pennsylvania, with FirstLight’s more than 9,500 route mile fiber network and complete portfolio of data, Internet, data center, cloud, and voice services, backed by strong, locally-based service and support. FirstLight will offer increased fiber density in the Upstate New York area, and expand its services in the Northern Pennsylvania region.

“For over a century, FLTG has built solid, long-standing relationships with its customers by consistently offering its expertise, responsiveness, flexibility and innovation,” said FLTG President and CEO Paul H. Griswold, “By combining operations with FirstLight, we are starting an exciting new chapter in the FLTG story. As a technology provider, value added reseller, and Cisco Premier Certified Partner, our company has taken much pride in developing custom communications and data networking solutions to meet customers’ specific business needs. This opportunity brings forth added capabilities to our clients, and allows us to enhance our services. FirstLight shares our steadfast commitment to our customers and focus on building lasting customer relationships. Together, we anticipate a productive and successful future.”

“This transaction is another exciting and strategic step forward for FirstLight, as it directly supports our long-term growth objectives to increase fiber density and continually enhance our capabilities to the benefit of our enterprise and carrier customers,” commented Kurt Van Wagenen, President and CEO of FirstLight. “By combining the impressive assets, resourcefulness, professionalism and commitment of FLTG with FirstLight, we will not only deliver expanded services to our existing customers, but we will also offer high-quality business connectivity solutions to a growing base of new business customers.”

Scott Baker and Benjy Diesbach, Partners at Oak Hill and members of the FirstLight Board of Directors, added, “Finger Lakes is a growing company with a solid track record of success, especially in serving the needs of enterprise customers. FLTG’s network complements our recently announced acquisition of Sovernet Communications and builds on our growing momentum by adding an expanded network in New York, a solid customer base and an enhanced services suite, enabling us to further execute upon our business plan.”

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, following the satisfaction of customary regulatory and shareholder approvals. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.