High-Tech in the Highlands
Friday May 03, 2002
Darrell Maynard of SouthEast Telephone wins SBA award; proves importance of high-tech in Eastern Kentucky
High-tech in Eastern Kentucky? The experts say it will never happen.
But a recent award from the Small Business Administration proves the experts wrong. The SBA named Darrell Maynard, president of Pikeville, Ky.-based SouthEast Telephone, its Kentucky Entrepreneur of the Year.
“The award is well-deserved,” said Elmer Parlier, Vice President/Finance for Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC). “We have found Darrell to be an imaginative and forward-looking entrepreneur, and we’re pleased with his success.” KHIC holds an equity stake in SouthEast.
Maynard started SouthEast in 1995 with two employees, some capital and a vision to serve Eastern Kentucky as the “home phone company.”
Maynard’s vision has come to pass. Today, SouthEast has 50 employees serving 15,000 telephone subscribers and more than 13,000 Internet access customers. The company reaches 27 counties.
“Darrell is a man of integrity and vision,” Parlier said. “He had a vision to create a local telephone company—and he did it. I’m proud that Kentucky Highlands has been able to help this company grow and provide jobs for Kentuckians. Its high-tech services are much needed here.”
SouthEast offers customers bundled packages of telecommunications services (like local telephone, long-distance telephone and Internet access), as well as an integrated billing system that gives discounts to customers purchasing more than one service.
“The award was unexpected,” Maynard said. “I don’t really search out attention like this, but I’m glad we’ve been recognized. It’s a ‘group effort’ award. The credit goes to the employees and the shareholders who believed that this company could make it.”
Maynard and his wife, Brenda, have three children, Ryan, Ricki and Randy. They attend Pikeville Methodist Church.