Small Business Success Story - Mohawk Networks

Each year the New York Small Business Development Center recognizes outstanding small businesses in a variety of ways.  This Success Story from the Canton SBDC appears in our 2016 Annual Report. 

Jeff Beekhoo
Mohawk Networks, LLC
Canton SBDC

The mission of Mohawk Networks, LLC is to provide reliable, affordable high-speed broadband Internet access to the residents of the North Country and beyond through existing fiber optics and new wireless infrastructure. Jeff Beekhoo consulted the SBDC for assistance in expanding internet services throughout the North Country. When he first met with Advisor Jennifer McCluskey at the Canton SBDC, Jeff was the general manager of the Broadband Department for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. 

At the time he was overseeing a $10.5 million USDA grant awarded to the tribe to provide internet access to the Tribal lands. Jeff and the Tribe wanted to create a new company, Mohawk Networks, LLC (MNLLC), to expand internet services outside tribal lands and throughout the region. Jeff needed assistance from the SBDC to develop a business plan and projections to present to the Tribe. Jennifer assisted Jeff in developing the plan with five-year projections. With the Tribe’s approval, MNLLC was created and a new facility was built for the business in Bombay. She also assisted Jeff in developing a presentation for local governmental leaders and key regional partners. 

Finally, Jennifer developed a spreadsheet to plan customer growth, which has been a foundation of the new LLC’s budget creation. Mohawk Networks, LLC has been in business for a full year, and now has 20 employees. The business provides internet services in its local area and has expansion plans for working with underserved areas throughout the region. MNLLC will work with key service providers in the region such as BOCES, hospitals, and local school systems, to ensure they have access to high-speed internet.