JACKSON, MS — May 17, 2006 – The Newcomen Society of the United States honored Cellular South and its president Hu Meena, with the 2006 Newcomen Award, one of the most esteemed awards bestowed on American businesses, at an awards dinner held last night at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi.
Cellular South was recognized by The Newcomen Society for its technical innovation and ardent community service and involvement. In addition to supporting many local charitable organizations, scholarships, community events, and civic programs, Cellular South is committed to a comprehensive program of wireless safety awareness and consumer-based education.
"Many of our members reside in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi," stated Leighton A. Wildrick, president and CEO of The Newcomen Society, "and we were immediately struck by Cellular South's outreach efforts following Hurricane Katrina. The company was nominated for a myriad of accomplishments, but when we learned of its tremendous initiatives to restore the critical lines of communication between victims and rescuers, we knew we had a true winner. Cellular South epitomizes the type of organization our Society is honored to recognize with the 2006 Newcomen Award."
Only 10 other American organizations will receive Newcomen Awards this year. The Society, named for inventor Thomas Newcomen, often referred to as the "Father of the Industrial Revolution" is a publicly-supported, tax-exempt, educational foundation that studies and recognizes achievement in American business and the society it serves.
"Cellular South is honored to be recognized by the Newcomen Society and humbled to be among the company of the previous honorees," said Meena. "Cellular South's founding vision was to provide the best service possible for our customers and, as we have grown, we have set our sights on becoming the best service provider in our region without regard to industry classification. This award is a result of our employees living that vision every day and especially in times of crisis, such as the aftermath of Katrina."
More than 350 guests attended the award ceremony. Steve Largent, former U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma, NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver, and current President and CEO of CTIA – The Wireless Association, introduced Meena. The presentations were digitally recorded and a published transcript will be permanently housed in the Library of Congress. Information will also be available on the www.newcomen.org website.
About The Newcomen Society
The Newcomen Society of the United States is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt, educational foundation founded in 1923 for the study and recognition of achievement in American business. The Newcomen Society has honored more than 2,500 organizations and institutions through its presentation of The Newcomen Award. The award program includes a documentation of a corporate history. These histories are distributed to Society members, 3,300 public and private libraries; including the Library of Congress, for permanent record.
About Cellular South
Cellular South is the largest privately held wireless provider in the U.S. The company is focused on providing the best service possible through its nationwide wireless voice and data network, award-winning customer care, state-of-the-art wireless devices, and commitment to the communities it serves. Cellular South was recently honored with the 2005 Wireless Week Excellence Award, the 2006 Mississippi Better Business Bureau Integrity Award and a concurrent resolution from the Mississippi Legislature commending the executives and employees of Cellular South for the company's extraordinary efforts in Hurricane Katrina's wake. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com
Contact
Tanya Rankin, Cellular South (601) 974-7134 trankin@cellularsouth.com
