Growmark Inc., Bloomington, IL.
GROWMARK, Inc. is a regional agricultural cooperative headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. The company traces its roots to 1927, when Illinois Farm Bureau members organized to secure a more reliable fuel supply. Today, the GROWMARK System serves customers across the U.S. and Canada, with FS cooperatives in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin still forming its core membership.
At its three-story corporate office, GROWMARK relies on consistent communication to support operations. When persistent cellular signal issues arose on the building’s lower level, GROWMARK turned to Zeller Electric and Tech Electronics for a reliable solution—fast.
Challenge
GROWMARK’s new headquarters provided a modern space for employees, but for those working on the below-grade first floor, it also created a frustrating communication problem. Cell reception was inconsistent at best and completely unavailable at worst, affecting everything from basic phone calls to time-sensitive messages.
“We had little to no cell reception for those folks. They weren’t getting text messages. They weren’t getting phone calls,” said Chad Fasig, Manager of Telecom Services at GROWMARK. “We’d been in the new office for about a year, and we kept getting complaints from users. Something needed to change.”
GROWMARK had already worked with Zeller Electric on the building’s infrastructure wiring, and that existing relationship paved the way for a collaborative solution. During a conversation with Paul Maier, Project Manager and Estimator at Zeller, the DAS challenge came up—and Zeller recommended Tech Electronics as a trusted integration partner. From there, the solution quickly took shape.
Solution
Tech Electronics began by conducting a comprehensive RF survey and heat map analysis to pinpoint the most problematic areas and determine the scope of the DAS buildout. Based on that assessment, Zeller handled the necessary low-voltage wiring and installation, while Tech programmed and activated the system in a single day—demonstrating seamless coordination between the two teams.
“It all moved really quickly,” Fasig said. “Zeller got the wiring and devices done within a couple of weeks, and it took one day for Tech Electronics to come in and get everything set up and activated. As soon as the system was turned on, there was immediate relief for our users. They noticed it right away—four bars for everybody down on the lower level.”
Key Tech team members included Construction Account Manager Rod Dehart, Regional Operations Manager Brett Wiese, Project Manager Trent Jones, and Technology Specialist Adam Baer, who served as the DAS subject matter expert. Zeller Electric remained engaged throughout, helping to keep the timeline tight and the process streamlined.
“We configured GROWMARK’s DAS to provide balanced, reliable coverage throughout all three floors—but especially to overcome the structural interference on that lower level. Once live, the difference in coverage was night and day.”
Adam Baer
Technology Specialist: DAS/IT, Tech Electronics
Feedback
“From beginning to end, the project was fantastic. The site survey helped us know exactly what we needed, and the install went off without a hitch. Zeller and Tech worked really well together. It was all very professional, done in a timely manner—and the solution worked, which is the biggest thing. Zeller and Tech have been super responsive. We had one antenna issue during setup that they diagnosed and replaced immediately. In the event we’ve had any sort of issue, they responded within hours to come take a look. That kind of support makes a big difference.”
Chad Fasig
Manager of Telecom Services, GROWMARK Inc.
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