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Go Wireless
is an exclusive national agent of U.S. Cellular, currently providing
wireless plans, products, and extraordinary customer service in five
different states.
Ned Bartels and David Graves both started their careers in wireless
retail while working for MCI. The two sold Cellular One from
a kiosk located inside of Sam’s Club. With their newly gained
knowledge of the wireless industry, Bartels and Graves figured that
this same concept could work in malls. Consequently, in May of
1997, Bartels and Graves saw an entrepreneurial opportunity to start
their own business offering wireless service outlets for national and
regional wireless providers. Beginning in a tented flea market
booth in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Bartels and Graves sold cellular phones,
service, and products. Three months later, the two had already
saved enough of their profits to open their first cart in the Fox River
Mall in Appleton, Wisconsin, which quickly progressed to a kiosk.
Within the first year of operation, Go Wireless established a base
of 900 customers and had sales of $211,037 with only three stores. By
2001, the company’s sales had increased to $5,525,828 and, presently,
sales for 2004 are approximately $20 million. Go Wireless, evolving
from a tent to a current 43 store operation, has signed 50,254 new
customers and has renewed 13,700 existing customers by supplying better
plans and more minutes to fit their needs in the recent year.
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Go
Wireless experienced fast and rapid growth within their first
year. In
1998, Bartels and Graves included a third partner, Daniel Lison,
to help with the expansion of the company. Lison provided
monetary support for Go Wireless to advance to the next level,
was involved with day-to-day store operations, and was instrumental
in developing standard company policies that still exist today. Unfortunately,
Lison is no longer with the company. Sadly, Dan Lison passed
away in June of 2003, after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.
From 1999 to 2001, Go Wireless was made
up of sixteen stores. The
company continually grew in Wisconsin and carried wireless plans
for U.S. Cellular, Einstein, AT&T, Sprint, and PrimeCo PCS
(currently Verizon). Then, in June of 2001, Bartels and Graves
decided to become an exclusive national agent for U.S. Cellular
and only provided service and products for that one wireless carrier. This
decision prompted the company to expand into multiple states and
markets.
The
national expansion of Go Wireless began with ten stores in the
Illinois market in November 2002. Next, they moved into Omaha, Nebraska
with four stores in June 2003. In November of 2003, six stores
were added to the market in Indiana. Most recently, in August
of 2004, three more stores were added in Portland, Maine. At
the same time as Go Wireless was expanding in other states, the
company was also growing larger in its current territories in Wisconsin.
Along with the national expansion of Go
Wireless, Bartels and Graves also purchased and constructed their
current corporate office. It
is a 20,000 square foot building that is shared with other tenants,
with Go Wireless occupying 7300 square feet of the space.
In the future, Go Wireless would like to continue expanding in their
current markets and new markets, while still providing exceptional
customer service to new and existing clientele. |
