Family owned cable tv business served Port Perry and Uxbridge viewers for 39 years
An announcement early last month, notifying the public that Compton Communiciations had been sold to communications giant Rogers, came as a quite a surprise, if not a shock, to its many customers in Scugog and Uxbridge.
In making the announcement on March 1, president Ron Compton, expressed his appreciation to his staff and the communities of Port Perry and Uxbridge for their support over the past 39 years.
A week later, seated in their comfortable Utica home, overlooking a snow covered pond, Ron and Nancy Compton were candid and open about their reasons for selling and the struggle they had coming to that conclusion.
They explained that the decision wasn’t an easy one, since they initially envisioned their children, Brooke and Nichole taking over the business. But, after sitting down and discussing the issues, it was decided selling the family-owned business was the best option.
“It was just the right time,” Ron said.
He explained that with technology changing at such a rapid pace, and the need for a heavy financial investment to improve and expand
services to their customers, they came to realize it was beyond their financial means.
Once the decision to sell was made, the process escalated quickly. They retained the services of an industry agent to assemble a professional portfolio and the job of marketing Compton Communications began.
“Feedback was almost immediate once the package was presented,” according to Ron. Four companies pursued the purchase. Two were eliminated quickly, while the other two were brought forward for consideration.
Ultimately Rogers was chosen. “We were extremely comfortable with Rogers,” Ron said, explaining their company (Compton) was already doing business with the communications giant.
Ron Compton, top, working on one of the towers on the Compton Cable TV property in Utica in August 1978, and above Nancy and Ron in their Utica home
after announcing the sale of their company.
Unknown to most, Compton was already inter-connecting with Rogers. “We had been purchasing band-width and signal from Rogers for years, so selling to them made a nice fit. They were accustomed to doing business with us,” explained Ron.
The couple praised Rogers representatives for their conduct and professionalism during the negotiations. “They treated us very fairly,” Nancy said.
Even more important to the Comptons was the willingness of Rogers to guarantee continued employment for their entire staff of 16 people. “They agreed to maintain the same conditions and benefits, so nothing changes for the employees,” Ron says proudly.
Protection of the employees was a key ingredient in the negotiations and Ron said they were prepared to accept less to make this happen.
They both admit it was very difficult in the months leading up to the sale as they were unable to disclose any details to their management or staff. But when they finally gathered them together, not long before the deal was signed, the staff were very nervous. “They didn’t know what to expect,” Nancy explained.
She referred to her staff as “family” and like a proud mother she boasted, “We had a fantastic staff, dedicated and conscientious and there was always a lot of laughter in our office.”
Starting out as Compton Cable TV in 1972, the company was located in the old creamery building at the corner of Water and Casimir Street, Port Perry (now condominiums). The company moved to the current Utica location about 10 years later and worked out of the basement of the Compton’s new home.
About a decade later, they moved their offices into two portable school rooms located on the property and it was only a few years ago they expanded again due to their growing staff and services.
Ron and Nancy are very proud of the company they were able to build and admit they will miss the daily contact with their staff and customers.
Among their most memorable accomplishments for the couple, was becoming the first company in Canada to launch an HDTV-capable personal video recorder (PVR) in 2003.
Two years later, the company introduced TMN OnDemand service, becoming the smallest cable company in North America to offer ‘On Demand’ services. Another highlight came three years ago when they launched ‘Compton Home Phone’ service to the community.
They believe Rogers is the company that will provide their former customers with the best and most advanced service for years to come.
In the not to distant future, Ron expects their 5,500 customers to enjoy larger selections of movies and channels, more local programming and cell phone service.
“Rogers can provide more complete ‘bundling’ at competitive pricing. We are genuinely excited for our customers because they will have access to services we couldn’t provide them,” says Ron.
Nancy, who had worked for the company for 31 years, admits to shedding more than a few tears in the months leading up to the final day, especially when she had to pack up and vacate her office.
And although Ron was a little less emotional, he admitted it was difficult and gut wrenching to leave the business he’s nurtured for almost four decades. “It’s certianly been an emotional roller-coaster,” he said, “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”
Looking back, both Ron and Nancy say they appreciate how great their customers have been. It was their emphasis on service that won them great respect. “We always tried to make sure we were there for our customers, and we received many compliments about our staff and service,” Nancy said.
After a two-week holiday, Ron and Nancy returned to their Utica home where they have lived for the past 30 years. But they won’t be lonely on their large property. Their new neighbour is Rogers, who have taken a 21 year lease on the buildings.
And when everything settles down, Ron and Nancy have plans for their community. They’ve formed a new company called “Compton Beyond Corp.” and are in the process of setting up a charitable foundation so they can continue to give back to the community they love.
“This is their way of saying thanks for so many great years, says Ron.
And on behalf of the community we say, thank you Ron and Nancy.
By J. Peter Hvidsten
Focus on Scugog
