Award-Winning Public Safety Organizer Hired As Link America Sales Manager
Rowlett, TX – In 5-8 short years, Whitney Laning built the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council (RCCC) into one of the nation’s most effective Citizen Corps organizations, and his detailed understanding of public safety institutions will serve him well in his new role as Sales Manager for Link America.
Rowlett-based Link America is a provider of Critical Communications Systems used by police, fire, EMS, and search and rescue departments for emergency communications. Mr. Laning’s duties as founder and President of the RCCC involved a close working relationship with many public safety organizations, a background that made him an attractive choice to lead Link America’s sales outreach to those organizations.
“Emergency response teams face unique communications challenges of enormous complexity,” said Andres Ruzo, CEO of Link America. “In working side by side with public safety personnel of every stripe, Whitney has come to understand their needs and concerns as few others do, which makes him an enormous asset for our company.”
Citizen Corps are volunteer organizations devoted to involving civilian populations in homeland security and emergency response efforts. Coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security, they field Community Emergency Response Teams to train the public in disaster response skills and integrate volunteer efforts into the operations of established public safety institutions. The Rowlett CCC, founded in 2003 by Mr. Laning, quickly achieved recognition by the State of Texas, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bush administration, and Citizen Corps groups nationwide have modeled their efforts on the RCCC’s program.
The qualifications Mr. Laning brings to Link America, moreover, extend well beyond his work at the RCCC. He worked for the American Heart Association from 1997 to 2009, serving most recently as a Senior Manager for Management Systems and Technology, where he worked on numerous projects to develop and upgrade the AHA’s data management infrastructure. “Whitney acquired a reputation as a skilled and energetic manager at the AHA, and accumulated immense IT expertise,” said Mr. Ruzo. “The synergy between his public safety experience and his familiarity with the technical aspects of critical communications systems made him irresistible to us.”
Mr. Laning, originally from Maryland, served as a volunteer EMT in several of that state’s fire departments over the course of ten years. In 1993, he was elected president of the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department in Montgomery County, becoming the youngest president in its history.
About Link America, Inc.
Link America develops, deploys, and manages Critical Communications Systems for government and non-government public safety networks (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, municipalities, utilities, etc), and provides innovative Warehouse Management Services focused on rapid fulfillment, reduced inventory, and cost control. A rapidly growing, minority-owned, TL 9000 and ISO 9001: 2008 certified company, Link America provides clients with quality new equipment, engineering services, and integration solutions at affordable prices. For more information, visit http://www.linkam.com
Link America receives Dallas 100™ Award
Dallas, TX, Feb 25, 2010 — Link America has been honored by the SMU Cox's Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship as one of the 100 fastest growing privately held companies in Dallas.
The receipt of a Dallas 100™ Award is noteworthy in any year, but takes on a special significance given the difficult economic circumstances which prevail nationwide. "In some ways the Dallas 100 winning companies seem to defy gravity. In a 10% unemployment national environment they created more than 11,000 new jobs over the last two years,” said Jerry White, director of the Caruth Institute. “These companies prove that with innovative ideas and top quality management dynamic, fast growth businesses can be built even in challenging environments."
To qualify for consideration, a company must be an independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship or partnership (not a subsidiary of a parent company) as of May 1, 2008; be headquartered in the Dallas area; have had sales of more than $500,000 in fiscal 2006; have had sales of not more than $75,000,000 in 2006; have a three-year sales history reflecting growth; and have a credit report and character satisfactory to the Dallas 100™, determined at the sole discretion of the Dallas 100™.
The awards ceremony was held at the Meyerson Symphony Center, with entrepreneur, author and Green Mountain Energy founder Sam Wyly providing the keynote speech. Lisa Bormaster, publisher of The Dallas Business Journal, and Kevin Knox, assistant dean of external relations, SMU Cox School of Business, served as emcees for the event, now in its 19th year.
About Link America, Inc.
Link America is a rapidly growing, minority-owned, TL 9000 and ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company dedicated to servicing the communications industry with quality new equipment, engineering services, and integration solutions at affordable prices. Link Americas’ services portfolio also includes a professional RF design, tower construction and engineering integration for elite wireless communication networks across the Americas. Link America carries a comprehensive product and solution portfolio for securing wireless networks, including any type of Wi-Fi, WAN, Point-to-Point (Pap), Point-to-MultiPoint (PMP), emerging WIMAX products, and Free Space Optics technology. The portfolio of wireless networking equipment along with security appliances provides cost-effective solutions to a wide variety of applications. Link America is an innovator in deploying advanced services in the 4.9 GHz licensed wireless spectrum for government and non-government public safety networks (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, municipalities, utilities, etc). For more information, visit http://www.linkam.com.
Link America Founder Receives Quality and Excellence Award from the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Dallas, TX, Feb 25, 2010 — Andres Ruzo, the founder of Rowlett-based Link America, has received a Quality and Excellence Award in the Innovator category from the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The Quality and Excellence Awards, which honor the most outstanding entrepreneurs in the Dallas areas Hispanic community, were presented by the GDHCC during a ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas on November 5th. To be eligible for the annual awards, candidates must run Hispanic-owned businesses that have been in operation for at least one year. The Innovator award is geared to businesses with annual sales between $10 and $25 million.
The GDHCC considers a wide range of factors in determining the winners. Candidates not only must supply data about their company’s growth, financial health, profitability and long-term potential, but also must detail company initiatives to benefit the Hispanic and minority communities, including purchases from, and referrals to, Minority Business Enterprises, programs to develop minority management candidates, other mentoring and training programs, and involvement with the GDHCC and other non-profits.
Mr. Ruzo’s many successes in a business career spanning more than 30 years and a wide range of industries were certainly a consideration in his receipt of this award, but no more than his ongoing involvement in the Dallas charitable sector and his many years of working for the advancement of the Hispanic Community.
About Link America, Inc.
Link America is a rapidly growing, minority-owned, TL 9000 and ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company dedicated to servicing the communications industry with quality new equipment, engineering services, and integration solutions at affordable prices. Link Americas’ services portfolio also includes a professional RF design, tower construction and engineering integration for elite wireless communication networks across the Americas. Link America carries a comprehensive product and solution portfolio for securing wireless networks, including any type of Wi-Fi, WAN, Point-to-Point (Pap), Point-to-MultiPoint (PMP), emerging WIMAX products, and Free Space Optics technology. The portfolio of wireless networking equipment along with security appliances provides cost-effective solutions to a wide variety of applications. Link America is an innovator in deploying advanced services in the 4.9 GHz licensed wireless spectrum for government and non-government public safety networks (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, municipalities, utilities, etc). For more information, visit http://www.linkam.com.
Link America Founder Earns Minority Business Owner Award from Dallas Business Journal
Dallas, TX, Feb 25, 2010 — Andres Ruzo, the founder of Rowlett-based Link America, has been recognized as one of the Dallas area's leading minority business owners by the Dallas Business Journal.
The 2nd annual Minority Business Leader's Awards Luncheon, funded by platinum sponsor Fulbright & Jaworkski LLP and gold sponsors Comerica Bank and Time Warner Cable Business Class was held at the Westin Galleria on March 26th. A standing-room only crowd looked on as awards were presented in three different categories, honoring outstanding corporate executives, business owners, and corporate advocates. Honorees from a wide range of industries spoke of the challenges they faced in building their careers
As head of Link America, a growing communications services company founded in 1994, Mr Ruzo provides services to, and partners with, some of the biggest names in Telecom, including Alcatel, Cisco,and Fujitso. The company offers a wide range of Warehouse Management and LogisticsServices, and deploys Critical Communications Systems for government and the private sector.
About Link America, Inc.
Link America is a rapidly growing, minority-owned, TL 9000 and ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company dedicated to servicing the communications industry with quality new equipment, engineering services, and integration solutions at affordable prices. Link Americas’ services portfolio also includes a professional RF design, tower construction and engineering integration for elite wireless communication networks across the Americas. Link America carries a comprehensive product and solution portfolio for securing wireless networks, including any type of Wi-Fi, WAN, Point-to-Point (Pap), Point-to-MultiPoint (PMP), emerging WIMAX products, and Free Space Optics technology. The portfolio of wireless networking equipment along with security appliances provides cost-effective solutions to a wide variety of applications. Link America is an innovator in deploying advanced services in the 4.9 GHz licensed wireless spectrum for government and non-government public safety networks (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, municipalities, utilities, etc). For more information, visit http://www.linkam.com.
Fujitsu Becomes Strategic Partner to Link America
Minority Business Enterprise will Begin Distribution of Fujitsu FLASHWAVE® 7500 Optical Networking Platform to Select Customers
Richardson, TX, May 11, 2009 — Fujitsu Network Communications, a leading supplier of innovative optical and wireless networking solutions, announced today that they have become a strategic partner to Link America, a minority-owned company dedicated to servicing the communications industry. Link America will provide Warehouse Management Services (WMS) for the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE® 7500 Re-configurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) to select customers in support of their advanced communications networking needs.
As a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Link America is focused on delivering broadband equipment solutions for the central office, local loop and customer premises environments. With the addition of the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM to their portfolio, Link America will be able to support the real-time distribution and stocking needs of carriers across North America.
“Link America has worked to achieve a reputation for delivering quality products on time, every time,” said Andres Ruzo, CEO of Link America. “We have achieved ISO 9001:2008 and TL 9000 certification, and are on track to earn Environmental Management Systems (EMS) ISO 14001:2004 certification by the end of 2009. We are excited to begin a relationship with Fujitsu to allow us to distribute their market-leading FLASHWAVE 7500 platform.”
The FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM is based on advanced Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology that telecom carriers and cable/MSO companies are using to build high-capacity networks across metropolitan and regional areas. The platform supports up to 1.6 Tbps of total capacity across up to 40 wavelengths in a fiber-optic transmission path that can exceed 1000 km (621 miles).
About Link America, Inc.
Link America is a rapidly growing, minority-owned, TL 9000 and ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company dedicated to servicing the communications industry with quality new equipment, engineering services, and integration solutions at affordable prices. Link Americas’ services portfolio also includes a professional RF design, tower construction and engineering integration for elite wireless communication networks across the Americas. Link America carries a comprehensive product and solution portfolio for securing wireless networks, including any type of Wi-Fi, WAN, Point-to-Point (Pap), Point-to-MultiPoint (PMP), emerging WIMAX products, and Free Space Optics technology. The portfolio of wireless networking equipment along with security appliances provides cost-effective solutions to a wide variety of applications. Link America is an innovator in deploying advanced services in the 4.9 GHz licensed wireless spectrum for government and non-government public safety networks (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, municipalities, utilities, etc). For more information, visit http://www.linkam.com.
About Fujitsu Network Communications Inc.
Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. is an innovator in Connection-oriented Ethernet, 4G/LTE wireless and optical transport technologies, and is a market-leading provider of SONET, WDM, and packet optical networking solutions. With the support of Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702), a $47B company with approximately 175,000 professionals in 70 countries, Fujitsu enables its customers to migrate to fully converged packet optical networks that improve performance and profitability. Over 400,000 Fujitsu network elements have been deployed by all major carriers across North America. Fujitsu maintains a longstanding and highly-regarded position as a market leader by providing best-in-class data networking solutions optimized for Ethernet service delivery and transport. For more information, please visit http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom.
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