After announcing the acquisition of FDH on February 13th, the now renamed company FDH Velocitel continues to expand, announcing their acquisition of tower engineering firm Stainless, LLC in the following release:
Northbrook, IL – FDH Velocitel, a leading infrastructure engineering and construction services company, has acquired the assets of Stainless, LLC, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected broadcast tower structural engineering firms. The acquisition includes an engineering team, CAD craftsmen, broadcast tower construction crews, and a library of over 7,500 structural drawings representing work that Stainless, LLC has constructed for the radio, television, microwave, and general communications industry since 1947. As many as half of the broadcast towers standing in the United States were fabricated by Stainless, LLC, of Lansdale, PA.
“The acquisition of Stainless is a critical part of our growth strategy. As demands increase on our wireless infrastructure we’ll need to add capacity. This capacity can be found in communications and broadcast towers. Most owners of these towers will rely on the original manufacturer for modifications to existing structures, and now that is FDH Velocitel. It is a perfect complement to our existing suite of wireless infrastructure services,” says Kevin G. Hostetler, CEO of FDH Velocitel.
In 2016, the FCC is expected to auction off additional broadcast spectrum for use by wireless companies. This requires the repacking of existing broadcast and communications towers and FDH Velocitel is uniquely positioned for this endeavor. FDH Velocitel will be able to work with the original tower drawings and (in some instances) with the original engineering, design and field crews.
“There are very few companies in the world with the breadth and scope of experience in the broadcast tower business as Stainless, LLC. We pioneered many techniques now in common practice and developed and erected some of the critical towers that provide the communications and broadcast backbone in the U.S. and over 100 countries abroad. We know the product and how to make it work for wireless. This is a win-win for all involved, especially the wireless industry as a whole,” says former owner Don Doty.
Don Doty and his partner Pat Moore, were the founders of Doty Moore Tower Services which was previously acquired by FDH Velocitel in 2013. Doty and Moore are also founding members of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE). Doty Moore Tower Services and NATE together helped establish many of the safety protocols and standards in use today. FDH Velocitel remains an industry leader in tower safety initiatives.
About FDH Velocitel: FDH Velocitel is a $300M infrastructure engineering, consulting, and constructions services company. Within the wireless communications business segment, FDH Velocitel delivers a complete suite of professional services to acquire, design, engineer, implement, upgrade and maintain wireless sites. The company has designed, constructed and/or deployed over 50,000 wireless infrastructure sites since its founding in 1987. FDH Velocitel also provides engineering, consulting, field investigation and inspection, and construction services to clients in the commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental sectors where the practice areas include civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, nondestructive testing, construction services, and research and development. The company is an industry leader in safety with extensive training systems in place, and a member of the NATE (National Association of Tower Erectors) Safety Committee. FDH Velocitel has 750 employees nationwide and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois with offices in California, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. For further information on FDH Velocitel and its services.
