PRESENTED BY CHRIS VARENHORST & LISA LEEDY

• Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership
• Certified Economic Developer, IEDC
• Certified Citizen Planner/Zoning Risk Management Certification
• Certified ESRI ArcGIS 1 & 2
• Founding member/Chair Northern Michigan Broadband Co-op-12yrs
• Former Executive Director for Alliance for Economic Success
• Past Village President, Deputy Supervisor, Zoning Administrator
• Presenter at Michigan Township Association
• Planning Commissioner

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Presenters

Lisa Leedy, CEcD

Community Affairs Director

• Bachelor of Information Technology, Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance
• Emphasis in systems and network security.
• Graduated with honors - Magna Cum Laude
• Co-Founder of SyncWave, LLC in Ludington
• Benzie Summit Panelist
• Proud member of the Benzie Chamber of Commerce
• Founder of Eclipse Communications

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Presenters

Chris Varenhorst, Owner/CEO Eclipse Communications

Eclipse Communications was founded by Christopher Varenhorst in 2016 after spending a decade as co-founder of Mason County's wireless provider, SyncWave.

What Makes

Us Stand Out

Internet

Wireless

Fiber to the Home

2017 -

• Installed Benzie County’s fastest private fiber connection
• Tower construction in Homestead Twp

2018 -

• Commissioned fiber connection in Benzonia
• Five (5) service area expansions in Benzie County

2019-

• Expanded internet coverage in Frankfort, Benzonia, and Beulah areas.

Benzie County Investment

PROGRESS 2017-2019

Springboarding growth

ACQUIRED M-22 NETWORKS

GRANTING IMMEDIATE EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE ADDITION OF EXISTING MID-MILE TRANSPORT AND LAST-MILE DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES

THANK YOU VENTURE NORTH FOR THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE!

2020

• Expanded coverage on Upper and Lower Herring Lakes
• Expanded coverage in lower Benzie/upper Manistee counties
• Full network reconstruction completion

2021

• Expanded Frankfort public Wi-Fi
• Expanded coverage on M22 from Bear Lake to Arcadia
• Expanded coverage around Crystal Mountain and Thompsonville

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Benzie County Investment

2022 so far

• 13 towers and numerous relay points across Benzie and Manistee County covering over a dozen townships
• Launched fiber to the home roll-out
• Acquired all necessary permits and approvals for fiber construction
• VOIP services launch - residential, commercial and governmental access

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Benzie County Investment

Community Development Block

Grant

Geography

Eclipse has grown from a single employee to a staff of 9.5 based on the investment of Benzie County, Venture North and all of our faithful customers.

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Our highly skilled team makes a competitive wage, with insurance including vision and dental.

Team Growth

Meet the rest of our Team

Meet the rest of our Team

Meet the rest of our Team

"A cost-benefit analysis of rural broadband installation in Indiana observed three to four-fold returns on investment, not including state and local governments’ cost savings on medical expenditures and additional tax revenues from increased incomes."

-Sophia Campbell, August 2021

Why work together?

Utilize data to grow Eclipse's network in a thoughtful way without bearing all costs and time to assess Benzie's population.

Continue to help streamline processes:

• Address zoning related issues
• Help with right of way issues
• Support financing efforts for local investment

Conduct a statistically valid broadband data collection survey regarding the availability of high-speed Internet in the county and engineering data for build-outs.

Support and leverage funding where available:

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• CBDG Loans
• Grants
• ARPA
• Metro Act Funds
• Local Match Funding
• Technical assistance with Local Units of Government

Contact Us

Thank you!

We believe we are proof that supporting a local business like Eclipse, is investing in Benzie County!