11/23/2010

Pro-Tel makes $10 K donation to Norwich athletics

NORWICH – More than one of Norwich’s athletic programs have been saved from the chopping block, thanks to the generosity of a local company. Monday night, the Norwich City School Board accepted a $10,000 donation from Professional Teleconcepts (Pro-Tel).
“It is my understanding that these funds will be used to reinstate several athletic programs that have recently been cut by the district due to lack of funding,” said Pro-Tel President and CEO Eric Burrell, in the letter which accompanied the $10,000 check. Burrell, himself a Norwich alum, added that the company was proud to give back to the community in this way.

Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan thanked Pro-Tel for their “tremendous generosity,” calling the $10,000 gift “manna from heaven.”
According to Athletic Director Steve Griffin, the money will enable the district to reinstate modified softball and baseball teams, as well as a coaching position for track.
Griffin said he was prompted to reach out to Burrell by John McCumiskey, who coached the former Norwich athlete in the early 1980s. Pro-Tel has long been a supporter of the school’s athletic department, he reported, and he had hoped they could be persuaded to donate $1,000. But in a phone call in which they discussed the programs being cut, Burrell stunned the athletic director by upping the ante.

8/12/2010
Pro-Tel "gears-up" for the Chenango County Fair.

3/16/2009

“Pro-Tel receives Quanta Services 2009 Eagle Safety Excellence Award”

Pictured is Pro-Tel President and CEO Eric Burrell receiving the 2009 Eagle Safety Excellence Award from Quanta Services CEO John Colson.  The Eagle Safety Excellence Award is presented annually for Achievements in Safety, Financial performance, and Good Corporate Citizenship.  Pro-Tel is the 2009 recipient for Quanta Services’ Telecommunications and Cable Division.

08/13/2009
Pro-Tel "gears-up" for the Chenango County Fair.

Kurt Bradbury	Joseph Bishop

7/28/2009
Pro-Tel Receives Straight "A"s on Tellabs Report Card for 2Q09

Pro-Tel scored a 99.2% on the recently received June 2009 Tellabs Report Card.  This score brings Pro-Tel's second quarter 2009 score to 99.0%.  Pro-Tel has scored an "A" in each of the three months of the second quarter and has shown steady improvement over 2008.  Tellabs rates each of their suppliers on categories such as Installation Quality Audits (Tellabs and supplier performed), avoiding Service Events, Measurement Reports, On-Time performance, and Customer Satisfaction.

7/28/2009
Pro-Tel Receives Highest Marks on Verizon 1H09 Installation Report Card

Pro-Tel scored a 99.96% on the 1st half 2009 Verizon Installation Report Card and is once again rated as the #1 Installation Turf vendor.  This is the first report card issued by Verizon since converting to the twice a year format and this is the second time Pro-Tel has been rated the top vendor in the past three reports (#1 in second tri-annual for 2008).  Pro-Tel outscored (7) other Turf vendors and (13) other installation and equipment manufacturing companies in establishing this honor.  Suppliers are rated on various categories including avoiding Service Events (FCC and Non-FCC reportable), Installation Quality Audits (Verizon and supplier performed), timely audit responses, On-Time Installation Delivery, Installation backlog, and End of Job Review.    

3/22/08
On Saturday, March 22nd-08 at 3:30 PM, Pro-Tel President and CEO Eric Burrell and his wife Leanne reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.  The Burrell's reached the summit on day seven of their scheduled nine day climb, one day earlier than planned.  They were joined by four other American climbers and supported by a guide, two assistant guides, a chef, a waiter and twenty nine porters that moved the camp from one spot on the mountain to the other. They followed the Lemosho trail which took them to Forest Camp (9,500 ft) on day one, Shira 1 camp (12,200 ft) day two, Shira 2 camp (12,600 ft) on day three, Moir camp (13,800 ft) on day four, Lava Tower camp (15,000 ft) on day five, Arrow Glacier camp (16,100 ft) on day six and on day seven they climbed to the crater of Kilimanjaro via the dangerous Western Breach, starting at 5 AM and arriving at the crater summit at 12:30 PM (18,750 ft).  The original plan was to spend the night in the crater next to the glaciers and then attempt the summit the following morning.  However, most of the the climbers were suffering from the effects of altitude sickness and a group decision was made to continue on to the summit that day after a brief lunch in the crater. All the climbers in the group reached the summit (19,344 ft).   After reaching the summit the group descended to 15,000 ft to camp the night.  It had been a fifteen hour day of climbing.  Easter morning the Burrell's hiked an additional seven hours to get off the mountain.  The Lemosho trail is one of the more difficult routes to the summit but it provides several opportunities to climb high and sleep low at each of the camps on the trail, which aides in adjusting to the high altitude.  The Western Breach has been closed for the past two years due to the tragic death of three American climbers crushed by a rock slide and has only recently reopened to climbers.  That section of the climb was done in the early morning dark and cold, prior to sunrise, so that the risk of rock slides was minimized by the frozen ground.  The Burrell's both agree that their climb was the hardest thing they have ever done in their lives.  The Kilimanjaro climb and the three day safari in the Ngorongoro crater area prior to the climb were hosted by Auram Safaris, a local Tanzanian owned and operated company www.auramsafaris.com

The Burrell's

[5/4/2007] Eric Burrell, President and CEO of Professional Teleconcepts, Inc. today announced the retirement of H. Wilbur (Will) Ryan. Mr. Ryan founded the company in 1984 along with partner Harold Jenkins. Mr. Ryan served as President and CEO of Pro-Tel until 2000 when the company was sold to Quanta Services, Inc. After the sale, Mr. Ryan served as Executive Vice President of the company and continued to provide sales and leadership guidance to the company's employees.

"Will has worked diligently over the past 23 years to establish a solid foundation for the continued success of Pro-Tel", Burrell writes. "In addition, he has lead by example and left a strong entrepreneurial spirit within the company...a spirit that permeates to all levels of employees and motivates them to keep the company nimble, creative, opportunistic and profitable. All of Pro-Tel's employees past and present appreciate the efforts Mr. Ryan expended to guide the building of this great company over the years and wish him the best of luck and happiness in his further endeavors".