President and founder of LAN-TEL Communications, Inc., Joe Bodio, saw invention and necessity merge in his career when, in 1991, his position as Vice President of Operations for a billion-dollar, telecommunications company was eliminated after the company was bought.
Faced with two options – find a new job or start his own business – the entrepreneurial Bodio embraced risk and chose the latter. At 40, Bodio knew the cabling and telephone businesses and had forged many professional relationships. He moved forward and began LAN-TEL Communications, which in its early days specialized mostly in structured cabling.
“Our very first contract was with Hampshire College. There were only a few LAN-TEL Communications employees, among them a carpenter, a fisherman, and a restaurant owner. We worked out of my cellar and our trucks and got the job done,” Bodio recalled. “A personal work day that ran from 4 a.m. until midnight wasn’t uncommon in those start-up days.”
LAN-TEL Communications now boasts close to 125 employees and has close to $40 million in annual contracts as Bodio and his management team have grown with the times, adapting to changes and demands in the marketplace and continuously adding new services. In addition to structured cabling, LAN-TEL Communications now configures, installs, and maintains security and cabling solutions for a wide variety of applications across a diversified client base.
The corporation’s client list reads like a private and public sector who’s who in Massachusetts. It contains some of the largest and most prestigious hospitals and universities, numerous public safety and law enforcement organizations, many prominent entertainment venues and theatres, as well as some of the region’s most well-respected financial institutions and law firms. Increasingly, LAN-TEL Communications’ business relationships extend to leading-edge companies that are sprouting in Cambridge and the Seaport Innovation District. The company also provides cabling and security services to numerous state, local, and municipal entities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“A diversified company like LAN-TEL Communications must always be state-of-the-art in its services and products, but it has to be cutting edge in its thinking and planning, too. Today’s environment is tougher to do business in than it was 25 years ago. I’m proud that our employees are quick to recognize and embrace the most modern solutions for each client,” Bodio said.
LAN-TEL Communications’ success since the early 90s is tied to several corporate attributes. Among them is the company’s ability to provide innovative solutions to complex technology challenges. LAN-TEL Communications also delivers world-class customer service from project inception to post-installation maintenance. Moreover, the company applies sensitivity to the individual requirements of its broad clientele.
Adding to his professional insight, Bodio has served in numerous roles, including President, for the Boston chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and as a trustee of the Joint Apprentice and Training Committee of Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He is also President of the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts. These extracurricular duties keep him engaged in the arenas where LAN-TEL Communications competes and performs.
In projecting what the future might bring, Bodio stated, “LAN-TEL Communications is already installing less cabling as more clients are moving toward wireless applications. That part of our business is spiking as is the growing demand for state-of-the-art security systems in all sectors. Ours is an industry that’s always evolving, so we will continue to evolve with it, staying a step ahead in order to meet our client’s needs.”
Certainly, LAN-TEL’s first 25 years has the corporation prepared and positioned to address industry challenges in the next 25.
