Granite Telecommunications, a $1.4 billion provider of communications services to multi-location businesses and government agencies, has hired seven new regional channel managers and will add 10 more over the next six months to strengthen local support for indirect sales partners wherever they are across the country.
“Our channel team has worked with partners nationwide for 15 years, but the volume of interactions and opportunities is increasing considerably as we sell more non-POTS solutions,” said Charlie Pagliazzo, vice president of channels for Granite. Today, Granite’s channel accounts for more than $200 million in revenue.
“To meet this demand, we’re moving as quickly as we can to add seasoned regional channel managers in multiple markets. By having a local presence in numerous markets across the country, we’ll be able to understand our partners’ goals, requirements and prospects on a deeper level, collaborate with them more frequently in-person, work together to communicate our value proposition to end users and, ultimately, win more business,” said Pagliazzo.
In addition to adding channel managers across the country, Granite expanded its team of client development managers to 10 with plans to add five more within six months. The group is responsible for working with channel managers and partners on client solutions and for providing pre- and post-sales support.
Granite was built on nationwide aggregation of plain old telephone service (POTS), but today more than a third of its sales are non-POTS services, such as dedicated Internet service (DIA), broadband and IP voice solutions.
“We’re still aggregating legacy POTS lines, but today we have a lot more clubs in our bag, so more partners are working with us,” said Pagliazzo. “They’re selling many millions of dollars in non-POTS solutions, including network integration, SD-WAN, and other managed services.”
Granite offers a range of business communications services, including hosted PBX, mobile voice and data, mobile device management, wireless WAN, SD-WAN, DIA, MPLS, managed firewall, managed Wi-Fi, network monitoring, structured cabling and more.
“Partners are only beginning to realize that Granite is much more than a POTS company,” said Shawn Graham, manager of regional channel sales, who joins Granite to oversee a team of regional channel managers. “It has a robust portfolio of solutions and support systems that resonate with end users as well as people who are passionate about doing the right thing for partners and customers. I’m certain Granite is poised for incredible growth in the channel and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Granite’s channel management team now includes:
National Channel Managers
- Russ Bishop, Director of Channel Sales
- Dave Hanron, Senior National Channel Manager
- Kevin Bednarz, National Channel Manager
- Mike O’Neill, Channel Manager, National Channel Manager, Public Sector
- Kevin Sorgi, National Channel Manager
Veteran Regional Channel Managers
- Dave Lannon – Director of Regional Channel Sales
- Tom Cheney – New England
- Angela Cedrone – North Central
- Brian Thomas – Southeast
- Meghan McKenna – West Coast
New Regional Channel Managers
- Shawn Graham – Manager of Regional Channel Sales
- Reid Starr – South Central
- Jeff Beck – Central
- Scott Rother – Northeast
- Rachel Ferris – North Central
- Andrew Styleman – Northeast
- Brandy Smith – Southeast
