RECOGNITION - 2016/2017

Paul Bunyan Communications has earned Apple Premium Service Provider status for 2018! Apple’s Premium Service Provider Program recognizes service locations that deliver exceptional service based upon customer satisfaction for repair quality, repair time and professionalism.

This accolade is given to an elite tier of Apple Authorized Service Providers in recognition of their unparalleled commitment to technical excellence and customer service. According to Apple, “Premium Service Providers consistently deliver exceptional repair support and customer experience that meet Apple’s exacting standard for high-quality repair and prompt service.”

Paul Bunyan Communications Certified Apple Service Center is located at the cooperative’s Bemidji headquarters at 1831 Anne Street. The Apple Service Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30-5:30 p.m. and services Mac and PC computers along with Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch, Beats and Apple TV warranty and non-warranty service.

“This is a testament to our outstanding staff and the superior level of customer service they provide our customers. The expertise and care they provide in working with each customer is what makes our Apple Service Center so successful.” said Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Digital Services Supervisor.

Great job April, Aurora, Jesse, Adam, and all of our staff that has worked hard to make this possible.

Paul Bunyan Communications’ GigaZone Gaming Championship, the first stadium-style eSporting event in northern Minnesota, has been awarded the Calix Best Innovation in Residential Subscriber Experience for 2017.

The Calix Innovation Awards are given annually to Calix customers – technology companies from around the world – who demonstrated outstanding creativity when leveraging Calix technology to deploy best-in-class services. The award recognizes innovation in the use of access, premises, and cloud technologies to transform businesses and networks.

“Congratulations to Paul Bunyan Communications on their Best of Innovation in Residential Subscriber Experience Award!” said Michael Weening, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Calix. “Typically, events of this type and caliber are only found in major metropolitan areas. The GigaZone Gaming Championship and other progressive initiatives underscore Paul Bunyan’s commitment to their rural region and their willingness to be industry innovators and leaders, whether that’s building one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit broadband networks in the country or creating this exceptional gaming event. The award is well deserved.”

“We are honored to receive this innovation award from Calix. It’s very rewarding to see how the region is embracing this event that showcases our Calix-enabled broadband technology and creative and talented technical team. Attendance doubled at our second GigaZone Gaming Championship held in September!” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.

Paul Bunyan Communications has been awarded a national TeleChoice Award by the NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association during their Annual 2017 PR & Marketing Conference. The annual awards program honors excellence in public relations and marketing.

Paul Bunyan Communications was given the TeleChoice Award for their complete marketing campaign of the GigaZone Gaming Championship, the first stadium style eSporting event in the region held last November at the Sanford Center. Entries were judged on innovative strategies, design, writing, creativity and other elements specific to each category.

“We are honored to receive this national award for marketing. The GigaZone Gaming Championship was a first of its kind event we brought to the region last year aimed at gaming enthusiasts of all kinds. We spent a lot of time on the creative aspects of the campaign to ensure the message would resonate with the gaming community but also would appeal to the general public. It was a very successful event and one that will continue in the years to come. The 2017 GigaZone Gaming Championship is set for September 29-30 and will be even bigger and better than our first event last year!” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

“Congratulations to Paul Bunyan Communications on their 2017 TeleChoice Award” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “Creating their eSport event, the GigaZone Gaming Championship, and bringing it to customers in rural northern Minnesota is unique in the industry. It shows their commitment to their community and their willingness to be industry innovators and leaders, whether that’s creating one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit broadband network, or creating this wonderful gaming event. The marketing of the event was unique, creative and essential to its success. The award is well deserved and hard earned.”

Paul Bunyan Communications CEO Gary Johnson was named as one of the Twin Cities Business Magazine’s (TCB) 100 People to Know.

Twin Cities Business Magazine annually highlights 100 Minnesotans, leaders with insight, experience, and savvy that people in business need to observe, seek out, and learn from in the year ahead. The goal is to identify the key individuals that are expected to make an impact on local business, regional economy, and quality of life in 2017.

Johnson was included in the Pioneers category in recognition of Paul Bunyan Communications’ innovation, growth, and continued deployment of the latest in communication technologies including construction of one of the largest rural all-fiber optic networks in the United States.