NuVox is sold, writing last chapter for company founded in St. Louis
NuVox Inc., the last telecommunications company founded by prolific St. Louis entrepreneur Robert Brooks, agreed today to sell itself to Windstream Corp. of Little Rock, Ark. The purchase price is $643 million in cash, stock and assumed debt.
NuVox is what’s known as a competitive local exchange carrier, meaning that it competes with the likes of AT&T to provide telecom services to businesses. Windstream is a phone company that operates in rural areas of 16 states; it was spun off from Alltel in 2006.
NuVox hasn’t been based in St. Louis since 2004, when it merged with NewSouth Communications and moved its headquarters to Greenville, S.C. Still, the sale is a good excuse to revisit its history and that of its founder, Brooks.
Brooks founded Cencom Cable, a predecessor of today’s Charter Communications, and sold it in 1991 for $1 billion. Then he built Brooks Fiber Properties, which sold to Worldcom in 1998 for $3 billion. Unwilling to rest on his laurels, he soon founded Gabriel Communications, which later became NuVox. Brooks died in 2000.
NuVox raised half a billion dollars of venture capital in its early years. It’s done several mergers and acquisitions since then, so a $643 million sale price doesn’t make it the same kind of home-run investment that Cencom or Brooks were. Still, NuVox survived the tech meltdown of 2000-2001 and went on to experience several more years of growth. It’s a worthy final chapter for the Brooks business story.
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David Nicklaus has covered St. Louis business for more than 25 years. His column appears three days a week on the Post-Dispatch business page. 
Dave..you’ve covered the decline of St. Louis for 25 years-never
attributing any of it to Civic Progress’ killing our big downtown
places of music, arts and cultured and hamstring the MUNY to protect
the Fox..and something called grand center?
While over the same 25 years 250 other cities (and towns) strengthened
their music, arts and culture downtown.
Did this just kind of ‘get past you’???
The story of NUVOX..is that they left.
This winter may make it clearer…as downtown businesses continue to close and NOBODY COMES TO ST. LOUIS. NOBODY.
someone sounds bitter
Dave I’m sorry to say your facts are inaccurate or lacking detail about the NuVox Company. Gabriel Communications was founded by Robert Brooks, however NuVox was not. NuVox is a result of a merger between Gabriel Communications and Greenville SC based TriVergent Communications, who was founded by Charles Houser. The Gabriel-TriVergent merger was announced June of 2000 and the end result company was named NuVox Communications. Headquarters was moved briefly from Greenville to St. Louis, however there has always been an office in Greenville. Due to business reasons it was decided that headquarters would be based out of Greenville SC after all. This happened around 2001. In 2004, NuVox merged with New South Communications (also Greenville SC based) and continued on with the NuVox name. NuVox still maintains a presence and an office in St. Louis.
Dave, Great story. Having worked (still) at Nuvox and been through all the meregers and acqusitions It is pretty accurate. NuVox has great people with a great work ethic and a will to win. Bob Brooks was a pioneer with great values in business and family and that did carry over into the culture of NuVox. NuVox did make it through the melt down and was/is one of the top CLEC’s in the nation. It is a worthy final chapter.
Dave, thanks for the story and tribute to Brooks. As one who was there through the days of CenCom, Brooks Fiber and Gabriel then NuVox, I can assure you the facts are accurate. The merger between Gabriel Communications and Trivergent was not a merger although billed that way, it was an acquisition with Gabriel Communications the surviving entity. Six months later, a new name, NuVox, replaced Gabriel Communications. Although not a merger, Trivergent’s founder, Charlie Houser, deserves a pat on the back here as well. Credit also goes to all who worked in the early days of Gabriel to help build a great company; Brooks would be the first to give credit to that terrific team and to those who took up the torch upon his death.
I started my telecom career with Gabriel Communications and worked there a total of 8 years. What a great experience we all had. We made a video that won first prize at the 2008 sales kickoff in Nashville. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TtmiOFBh3s
NuVox will also keep their presence in St Louis in the telecom hotel at 210 North Tucker.
Matt,
Thanks so much for the Nuvox video!!! I laughed, I cried, and I reflected on so many fond memories. The guy in the army hat was a natural! Is he a professional actor? Would he be willing to travel for work? He is like a young Brad Pitt!!
Thumps