Power the Network

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, speaks with Shawn Smith of WTC Communications at the Mid-American Telecom Seminar and Showcase in Kansas City. Sean shares insights about WTC's ambitious fiber-to-the-home expansion, leadership strategies, and the challenges of scaling operations...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, broadcasts live from the Mid-American Telecom Seminar and Showcase (M.A.T.S.S.) in Kansas City. This event brings together manufacturers, providers, and customers to explore the latest trends and innovations in broadband and telecommunications. T...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, broadcasts live from the Mid-American Telecom Seminar and Showcase (MATSS) in Kansas City. Tim brings insights from this key industry event, featuring expert perspectives and valuable discussions about the latest developments and trends in broadb...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, sits down with Billy Lao, the General Manager and CEO of DILO and DILO Direct Companies. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Billy shares insights into his journey, the evolving landscape of utilities, and the challenges and opportu...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, sits down with Chris Barr, an industry innovator from Communication Innovators based in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Chris shares his experiences and passion for mentoring others and how he has dedicated much of his career to uplifting those around him. His e...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband at CBM, sits down with Jake Irwin, Senior District Sales Manager at Dura-Line, to discuss the changing landscape of the telecom industry. With over four years of experience at Dura-Line, Jake has swiftly climbed the ranks, earning respect for his leadership a...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker is joined by Sean Vanslyke, CEO of Southeast Missouri Power Cooperative (SEMO). Sean shares his unique perspective on leadership, transparency, and the power of authenticity. He discusses the impact of his "Friday Feature" initiative, a weekly message he began during the COVID-19 pa...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of "Power the Network," host Tim Locker interviews Julie Fitzgerald, Director of Agents for Siemens Energy, about her 35-year journey in the male-dominated electric utility industry. Julie shares her experiences, the challenges she faced as a woman in leadership, and the evolving dynamics of diversity and inclusivity in th...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, the conversation dives into the challenges and opportunities in the electrical distribution industry. Our guest, Jim Lucy, shares insights on the current trends impacting the market, from the effects of economic changes to the growing importance of technology and digital transformation. The discussion touches on the role...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, host Tim Locker interviews Dan Brewer, VP of IT at Wilson Logistics. Dan has a long career in IT, starting as a contractor doing low voltage cabling before moving into helping build one of the first metro ethernet networks in the 90s. He then spent 15 years at SpringNet before moving to healthcare, where he led a 14 year...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, host Tim Locker interviews Levi Bappe, the general manager of Huxley Communications, a local telephone company serving small towns in Iowa. They discuss Huxley's history with fiber-to-the-home, which they were early adopters of in Iowa back in 2002. Levi talks about their philosophy of not requiring customers to bundle ph...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network podcast, host Tim Locker interviews returning guest Chris Kurtz to discuss the security of the US power grid. They cover physical threats like weather events and terrorism, as well as cybersecurity risks. Kurtz disagrees with sensationalist claims that 90% of people would die if the grid failed, arg...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Pat Stepanek, Business Development Manager at NVent Hoffman, about automation in the industrial electrical panel industry. Pat provides an overview of Hoffman's solutions that enable panel shops to automate their manufacturing and wiring processes. He discusses Hoffman's Mod...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power of the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Jimmy Todd, CEO of Nex-Tech and industry leader. They discuss Jimmy's journey from wanting to be a doctor to serving in the Navy and finding his passion for technology. Jimmy took over as CEO of Nex-Tech 10 years ago and focused on learning the operations, culture and fin...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Seth Thompson from Calix about how broadband providers can differentiate themselves in a competitive market where fiber internet is now commonplace. Seth discusses the importance of building relationships in sales, focusing on customer experience, developing solutions tailor...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, we interview Richard Durfee, an account manager at CBM who has been with the company for nearly 9 years. Richard shares how he got into the industry, transitioning from construction work into sales, which initially made him apprehensive. He credits his mentors like Brett Cooper for helping guide him,...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, Tim Locker interviews Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. They discuss Jade's background and how she entered the broadband industry, coming from a marketing and communications role. She highlights the importance of broadband access as an "opportunity equalizer", especially in ru...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, Damien Robinson provides an insightful look at testing and diagnostics for utility networks. He shares valuable perspectives on making the transition into management and building a customer-focused, collaborative culture. Manufacturers and reps can learn a great deal from his experiences to strengthen partnerships and bet...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Shawn Tafoya, a regional sales manager at Acuity Lighting, about the lighting industry and Acuity's solutions. They discuss the importance of lighting and how Acuity provides solutions across many sectors from residential to utilities. Shawn explains the benefits of transiti...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact This is part two of Tim Locker's interview with Jason Johns, VP of Construction at Gateway Fiber. In this episode, Jason emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty when dealing with partners and customers. He notes that finding the right employees who fit the company culture is more important than technical skills. Training fie...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Jason Johns, Vice President of Construction at Gateway Fiber. Jason has over 22 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He previously worked at Centurylink for 22 years before making the switch to Gateway Fiber about a year ago. Jason was attracted to Gateway...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode of Power the Network, host Tim Locker interviews Heather Sethi Director of Channel for nVent Hoffman. They discuss nVent Hoffman's products, market strategy, and Heather's perspective on women in leadership roles. Heather provides an overview of nVent Hoffman, explaining that they are the global leader in electrical enclos...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact In this episode, Tim Locker and guest Chris Kurtz talk about changes and new technologies in the power utility industry. They talked about distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), which help utilities manage multiple power generation sources like solar, wind, and traditional plants. DERMS determine the most cost-effective s...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact Tim Locker interviews Chris Kurtz, a utility industry veteran who recently joined CBM, about trends and changes in the electric utility industry. They discuss the value of technical degrees versus hands-on experience for new utility workers, the transition away from coal towards renewable energy sources like wind and solar, and the challe...

For more information, connect with us at cbmrep.com/contact David Johnson from Dura-Line discussed MicroDuct technology and its benefits for fiber optic network builds. He explained how MicroDuct allows for high fiber count pathways while taking up less space than traditional conduit. It provides a scalable solution as additional microducts can be added in the future as needed. Dura-Line provides...