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Nathan Mindeman, left, director of operations; Robert Lister, vice president of finance; Jeff Russell, president and owner; and Darin Wray, vice president of operations
Nathan Mindeman, left, director of operations; Robert Lister, vice president of finance; Jeff Russell, president and owner; and Darin Wray, vice president of operations

2016 Economic Impact Awards 16-29 Years in Operation Finalist: Russell Cellular Inc.

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Russell Cellular’s origin story is the stuff of pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps lore. And it’s all true.

Jeff Russell quit college after one year and moved back to his family’s Arkansas turkey farm when his father was diagnosed with cancer, doing everything from hauling to repairing. By 1993, his father had died and Jeff and wife Kym moved to Springfield, where he answered an ad to sell wireless phones door-to-door. The Russells had never used a cellphone, and, without inventory, sold product off of flyers.

In 1994, the couple borrowed $1,500 from Jeff’s mother to open their first Alltel retail store with flea-market furniture and a cheap banner in Bolivar. With their two young children, Kym visited every business within 20 miles to promote their new venture. Jeff’s mother was repaid after the first weekend.

Russell Cellular spent 15 years with Little Rock, Ark.-based Alltel, eventually becoming the largest national agent in terms of locations, until Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) bought Alltel in 2009.

Converting more than 100 stores to Verizon was an enormous task, but it stimulated Russell Cellular’s growth to 324 locations in 26 states with nearly $230 million in revenue, $10 million of which is local. The company is in the top-10 tier of Verizon agents, says Nathan Mindeman, director of operations.

Russell Cellular operates its headquarters in the Battlefield office they opened in 2009 and this past spring moved some staff into a nearby leased space.

“We were busting at the seams,” Mindeman says.

Gone are the days when Russell scouted each new site personally, although he reviews the demographic information and prospective locations, which are almost always suggested by Verizon, says Mindeman, who is in charge of new real estate.

“We want to continue to grow, but we want to continue to have smart growth,” he says. “We turn down a lot of things that come our way. We’re going to continue to grow – let’s find the right growth.”

One of the challenges that comes with running an expanding company – in 2009, total revenue was $44.7 million and local employees have almost doubled since then – is retaining the family focus with which Russell Cellular was founded, Mindeman says. He remembers those early days – specifically working at store No. 6 in Siloam Springs, Ark., as an 18-year-old store clerk. Twelve years later, he moved to Springfield and also is in charge of operations and training. While he has grown up with Russell Cellular and its founders, Mindeman says employees across the company may not meet Jeff and Kym, which is why it’s critical to instill a sense of culture.

“We try to implement that from day one,” he says. “There’s got to be a differentiation for us. Why would you stay with us and not go to another company?”

Russell Cellular supports local groups and events, such as Great Circle and the no-texting-while-driving Arrive Alive initiative.

“Due to the nature of ... what Russell Cellular offers to customers, the organization feels a responsibility to not only their customers but to the community to promote the safe use of these devices,” Mindeman says.

Stores across the country are expected to contribute local corporate citizens, too.

“Our communities we’re in need to be thriving and doing well,” he says.

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