Business Spotlight – CentraComm

Company Name: CentraComm Communications, Ltd.

Employee Name and Role: Lynn Child, president and owner

By Sarah Mayle

Tell us the story of your company.

Intertwined with the origin of Lynn Child’s company, CentraComm Communications, is a fascinating story of innovation that paved the way for Findlay’s internet capabilities – when the community came together in 1999 to leave clunky dial-up behind.

Lynn Child, CentraComm President and Owner

“Remember the days of dial-up? Think about trying to do voice, video and data over dial-up – not possible,” Child said. “Think about the way websites are now so sophisticated. Impossible to do unless you have high-capacity broadband connectivity like fiber. “…But the telecommunications companies wouldn’t invest in necessary infrastructure here. They wouldn’t come. They thought Findlay / Hancock County was too small of a market to return sufficiently on their investment.”

Throughout her life and career, Child has always loved learning. That love of learning led to multiple college degrees including an associate’s, a bachelor’s, and two master’s degrees. One of her master’s degrees, in Technological Leadership from George Washington University, she completed online in 1995, “before anyone was really doing it.”

Child was a professor and administrator at Lima Technical College (now Rhodes State College) and also dabbled in entrepreneurship – running an education consulting business, trying to save Findlay’s former TV station “the old Channel 47,” and buying a company called Aardvark.

“I am a serial entrepreneur,” Child said, laughing. “I was always kind of ahead of where things were going with tech; it’s always been an interest of mine. At Lima Technical, I had a great boss and got to be very entrepreneurial. I was putting a lot of programs together having to do with alternative learning, fiber to the local Lima TV station to deliver courses, multimedia, online Internet learning…my husband Jim encouraged me to start a business, to do these things for us, as a couple, and I finally did.”

Aardvark was a video and web development company, purchased in 1996, with the goal of helping companies do business and tell their story on the Internet – to bravely march toward that promising new digital horizon.

Advancing into the future, however, would require more than dial-up, and community leaders were determined to forge ahead. Broadband connectivity was essential.

To support the investment and growth of broadband connectivity, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Committee (TIC) was formed. It began as a subcommittee of The Alliance’s Economic Development Division and partnered with the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. Child and Dionne Neubauer, current executive director of the Chamber, were members along with leaders from local companies, city and county leaders, local politicians, non-profits, and representatives from local and regional universities. Committee members conducted a formal Request for Information and interviewed 10+ telecommunications companies, with the goal of establishing Findlay as a valid investment.

Child said at that time, telecommunications companies were focused on “the three C’s – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati,” certainly not a town the size of Findlay.

“We were trying to get the telecommunications companies to understand, Findlay’s not like other small towns, we never have been,” Child said. “Now we call it the Findlay Formula, but this concept has been around for a very long time. The TIC lived the Findlay Formula (community stakeholders communicating and working together toward one common goal) before it had a name.”

CentraComm is located at 323 S. Main St. in Findlay and assists companies globally.

The timing was right, and putting together earnings from Aardvark, knowledge gained through the TIC’s Request for Information process, and EDC / community support, Child began her next entrepreneurial venture in CentraComm. With the help of key employees Patrick Foxhoven and Greg Miller, CentraComm’s first official client came online on Sept. 1, 2001.

In an unfortunate turn of events, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks occurred on the U.S. just ten days later, and the country’s economy faltered. As a result, so did CentraComm’s beginning. To keep the company going, the Childs needed additional funding. They found overwhelming support in true Findlay Formula fashion, as CentraComm became an LLC owned by the Childs, Aardvark, and 39 angel investors, who, after being a part of the Request for Information, wanted to see Findlay’s broadband capacity advance. (Child currently owns 51+ percent of the company.)

Eventually, the influence of the TIC worked. And as a cyber security and informational technology infrastructure company, CentraComm added a measure of leverage, and companies began to invest and install fiber. Broadband was coming to Findlay – and the TIC and CentraComm were positioned to be part of connecting businesses, governmental entities, schools and non-profits to it.

“Our community can celebrate itself, because it has been so forward thinking and continues to be forward thinking, and that ensures a fantastic future,” Child said. “There’s no reason to think that technological advancement is going to stop.”

It didn’t stop. Partnering with the TIC in 2007, Martin White, former Director of IT for Findlay City Schools, Lonnie Pederson of TSC – a telecommunications company based in Wapakoneta – and Child took Findlay’s broadband to the next level launching the concept and rollout of FinLink. FinLink is a 19-mile fiber ring comprised of 288 fiber strands in Findlay that connects all of the buildings of Findlay City Schools.

“Findlay City Schools was paying over $10,000 a month for their connectivity,” Child said. “It was Martin’s vision to take that $10,000 a month and build a fiber ring that the school system could own so they wouldn’t have to keep paying telecommunications companies. FinLink could also be used by local businesses, governmental entities, non-profits, and others. His vision was successful, and FinLink is still in place today.”

Child said TSC, a CentraComm partner, owns 60 of the 288 strands and FCS owns the rest. A number of businesses are currently connected to FinLink and there is availability for more. CentraComm can connect companies into FinLink’s global, cost-effective broadband.

The TIC and Findlay community had accomplished their goal.

“We had a big party and celebrated,” Child said. “And then we said, ‘Ok, there is no longer a need for the Telecommunications Infrastructure Committee, shall we disband or continue? We decided to continue, and renamed ourselves the Technology Infrastructure Committee (still TIC). We got the fiber, the next step was, what are we going to do with it? And that was exciting!”

As she was interviewed, Child emphasized that she was only one of many who came together as part of a greater community initiative. Even today, many small communities have not achieved the broadband capabilities of Findlay.

“There are many other key people that helped make this happen. I was just one who helped,” she said. “Our community owns this story and can celebrate because it has been so forward thinking and continues to be forward thinking. This is about the Findlay Formula, how everybody came together with one voice to make sure we weren’t forgotten.”

What is produced / created / services offered by the company?

Headquartered at 323 S. Main St. in Findlay, CentraComm is a Certified Woman-Owned Small Business supporting clients with IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, risk mitigation, and Cloud services. More than half of CentraComm’s 40 employees are engineers and technical support personnel, holding credentials and degrees in IT, cybersecurity, and cloud services.

In more simplistic terms, IT infrastructure incorporates items such as switches, firewalls, and routers to connect to telecommunications lines so that data can flow. Cybersecurity entails integrity, keeping networks and data safe. And it is through cloud services and traditional IT that CentraComm offers cybersecurity, which is proactive protection.

“Once you achieve connectivity and build your company’s internal IT infrastructure, you have to keep your data safe internally and externally,” Child said. “You certainly don’t want your company to be locked down; you want to protect the livelihoods of your employees, yourself, and your investors. Businesses can even close because of a cyber-attack.”

Because of its far-reaching clientele, CentraComm markets itself as a regional company with a global footprint. It is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBENC), a certified Woman Owned Small Business (SBA WOSB), a certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), and a certified State of Ohio Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VBE).

When asked what companies should be wary of in the realm of cybersecurity, Child recommends that every company invest in cybersecurity insurance, set aside a robust budget for IT and cybersecurity, and avoid the trap of thinking a small company won’t be targeted by an attack.

“The process of getting insurance will force some companies to do things they otherwise wouldn’t because to obtain it you have to have a baseline of certain protections in place,” Child said. “CentraComm can help companies go through that checklist and also fill out the forms – for many companies it’s like Greek to them – so they will know where they have their vulnerabilities and can strengthen them.”

CentraComm offers network assessments that expose the areas that require attention. Using that information, CentraComm’s professionals can then put the proper protections in place and provide managed services – continued monitoring of a company’s network and data to ensure that cyber attackers cannot break through.

“A lot of small companies think, ‘I’m too small, no one is going to come after me,’ but that’s false. Many times, small and mid-sized businesses are the easiest target,” Child explained. “They may have IT people, but generally not in a specialized area like cybersecurity. It is a daunting task for any IT professional to remain ahead of cyber attackers. CentraComm helps companies protect themselves and thrive by supporting internal IT operations.”

Why did your company choose to locate in Findlay Hancock County? / Why is Findlay a great place to do business?

Originally from Monroeville, Ohio, Child has lived in Findlay since 1973 and found her home here. She appreciates the forward-thinking vision of the community as a whole, and the way people consistently come together to make the community successful – the Findlay Formula.

“This forward-thinking and working together gives us an economic edge and over time helps us to draw more companies,” Child said. “…There are wonderful people in this community, fantastic people who I have met throughout different sectors of involvement. I have had tremendous mentors and appreciate the support of organizations such as FHCED / TIC, the Chamber, and others. Accomplishments in life are never done alone, and I am grateful for those who have crossed my path in life and those that I have had the privilege of working with, knowing, and learning from.”

Have you been involved with the ED office?

Child has enjoyed chairing the TIC since 1999, which is still active today. In its 24th year, the TIC holds a well-attended annual conference in October called the Information Assurance Forum, at the University of Findlay. The conference topic is carefully selected because of its timely technological significance and in 2025 will focus on Autonomous Mobility. This year’s conference will be held on Oct. 29.

CentraComm has been a member and supporter of FHCED since 2001 – prior to the current ED office’s official founding. CentraComm, Child said, was born out of the collaborative efforts of what was The Alliance’s ED division and the local community. Aardvark became a Chamber member in 1991 and remained a member until 2019, when Child retired from Aardvark.

What are the core values of your company?

CentraComm’s values fall under the umbrella of “protect to thrive.”

C: Caring work environment
E: Exceptional client focus
N: Nothing-can-stop-us attitude
T: Tireless attention to detail
R: Relentless pursuit of learning
A: Active pursuit of fun

If there were one take-away you would want people to have about your company, what would it be?

“CentraComm helps our clients proactively protect themselves from cyber-attacks and cybercrimes so that they may thrive,” Child said. “From traditional IT infrastructure to cybersecurity to cloud solutions, our team of engineers and personnel are here to help augment companies’ IT operations.”

To Learn More:

www.CentraComm.net, 419-423-2666, #3.

For Job Opportunities:

Search for CentraComm within Indeed. All company job postings are listed there. CentraComm is currently hiring many technical positions.