Albany firm to acquire Finger Lakes Technologies Group

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Finger Lakes Technologies Group Inc. will be acquired by FirstLight Fiber, a fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider based in Albany, company officials said Monday. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Victor, Ontario County-based FLTG is a subsidiary of Trumansburg Telephone Co., which has been in the telecommunications industry for over a century. The firm provides data, internet and voice services to business customers based in New York and Pennsylvania through its fiber network.

The company employs 140 people across its six offices, including Phelps, Ontario County; Romulus, Seneca County;  Buffalo; Binghamton; Norwich, Chenango County; and Trumansburg, Tompkins County.

The deal helps customers of FLTG have more options, company officials said.

“For over a century, FLTG has built solid, long-standing relationships with its customers by consistently offering its expertise, responsiveness, flexibility and innovation,” said Paul Griswold, FLTG president and CEO. “By combining operations with FirstLight, we are starting an exciting new chapter in the FLTG story.

“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.”

The transaction combines FLTG’s privately owned fiber-optic network, some 2,500 route miles in New York and Pennsylvania, with FirstLight’s some 9,500 route mile fiber network. The network includes a portfolio of data, Internet, data center, cloud, and voice services.
 
The merger is expected to allow FirstLight, a dba of TVC Albany Inc., to offer increased fiber density in the Upstate New York area, and expand its services in the Northern Pennsylvania region, the company said.

“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,” said 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.”

FirstLight recently acquired Maine-based Oxford Networks and Vermont-based Sovernet Communications. 

Follow Kerry Feltner on Twitter: @KerryFeltner

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