What Does FairPoint Communications Do?

Total employees1092
HeadquartersCharlotte
Founded

FairPoint Communications, Inc. was a telecommunications company that provided residential and business customers with a range of services, including local and long-distance voice, data, Internet, broadband, and video services. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, FairPoint primarily operated in 17 states, with a significant presence in northern New England after acquiring Verizon's landline operations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont in 2008. The company faced financial challenges, leading to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2009, from which it emerged in 2011. FairPoint Communications was acquired by Consolidated Communications in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion (including debt), with the deal closing on July 3, 2017. Post-acquisition, FairPoint's operations and assets were integrated into Consolidated Communications.

Where Is FairPoint Communications's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the central hub for executive leadership, corporate strategy, administrative functions, financial management, and oversight of network operations across its 17-state service area.

Notable Features:

The headquarters was located in a modern multi-tenant office building in Charlotte's Midtown area, a common setup for corporate offices. Specific unique architectural highlights of FairPoint's leased space were not widely publicized.

Work Culture:

The work culture at FairPoint's headquarters would have been characteristic of a publicly traded telecommunications company, emphasizing financial performance, operational efficiency, customer service strategies, and adaptation to a competitive and technologically evolving industry. It involved corporate functions like finance, legal, HR, marketing, and executive management.

HQ Significance:

The Charlotte headquarters was the command center for FairPoint's operations, crucial during its expansion (notably the Verizon assets acquisition), its navigation through financial restructuring (Chapter 11 bankruptcy), and ultimately through its acquisition process. It directed the provision of essential communication services to many, including rural and underserved areas.

Values Reflected in HQ: As a service provider, the headquarters would have aimed to project stability, connectivity, and a commitment to serving its widespread customer base, though the company often faced public scrutiny regarding service quality and financial stability.

Location:

FairPoint Communications operated primarily within the United States, providing services across 17 states as of its final operational period. Its most significant presence and largest concentration of customers were in northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) following the acquisition of Verizon's landlines. Other states of operation included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. FairPoint did not have a significant international or global operational presence beyond these U.S. service territories; its focus was on domestic rural and smaller urban markets.

Street Address:

521 E. Morehead Street, Suite 500

City:

Charlotte

State/Province:

NC

Country:

USA

Where Else Does FairPoint Communications Operate Around the World?

Manchester, NH, USA

Address: 900 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101 (Historical regional office)

Crucial for managing the extensive network and customer base acquired from Verizon in northern New England, which formed a core part of FairPoint's business and revenue. This office was central to local service delivery and support in the region.

Portland, ME, USA

Address: 5 Davis Farm Rd, Portland, ME 04103 (Historical regional office)

Ensured service delivery and network maintenance for FairPoint's substantial customer base in Maine, coordinating local teams and addressing state-specific regulatory and operational matters.

Buying Intent Signals for FairPoint Communications

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading FairPoint Communications? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, FairPoint Communications' leadership includes:

Paul S. Sunu - Chief Executive Officer (at time of acquisition)
Ajay Sabherwal - Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (at time of acquisition)
Peter G. Nixon - Executive Vice President – Chief Operating Officer (at time of acquisition)
Michael A. Reed - Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development (at time of acquisition)

Who's Investing in FairPoint Communications?

FairPoint Communications has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Angelo, Gordon & Co. (Significant post-bankruptcy)
Paulson & Co. Inc. (Significant post-bankruptcy)
Various public and institutional shareholders (during periods as a publicly traded company, e.g., on NYSE/NASDAQ under FTRP then FRP)

What Leadership Changes Has FairPoint Communications Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

FairPoint Communications was acquired by Consolidated Communications in July 2017. As such, there are no executive new hires or exits for FairPoint Communications as an independent entity in the last 12 months from the current date. The most significant executive changes and transitions occurred in the period leading up to and as a direct result of the acquisition. The then-current executive team's tenure with FairPoint concluded with the completion of the acquisition.

Departures

Cory L. Sbarbaro, Cory L. Sbarbaro resigned from his roles at FairPoint as the company prepared for its acquisition by Consolidated Communications.
Paul S. Sunu, Paul S. Sunu's tenure as CEO of FairPoint Communications concluded with the successful acquisition of the company by Consolidated Communications.
Ajay Sabherwal, Ajay Sabherwal's role as CFO of FairPoint Communications ended following the company's acquisition by Consolidated Communications.

New Appointments:

Peter G. Nixon, Peter G. Nixon was appointed as EVP and COO to oversee operations and drive efficiencies in FairPoint's final months as an independent company.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byFairPoint Communications?

Discover the tools FairPoint Communications uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

FairPoint Communications Email Formats and Examples

Prior to its acquisition by Consolidated Communications in 2017, FairPoint Communications utilized common corporate email formats. These email addresses are no longer active, and the fairpoint.com domain now redirects. Any attempts to email these historical addresses would fail.

Common formats included [first].[last]@fairpoint.com (e.g., jane.doe@fairpoint.com) and [first_initial][last]@fairpoint.com (e.g., jdoe@fairpoint.com).

Format

jane.doe@fairpoint.com

Example

0%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About FairPoint Communications?

GlobeNewswireJuly 3, 2017

Consolidated Communications Completes Acquisition of FairPoint Communications

Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) announced today it has completed its acquisition of FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRP). The all-stock transaction further solidifies Consolidated Communications as a leading broadband and business solutions provider across a 24-state service area....more

PR NewswireDecember 5, 2016

Consolidated Communications To Acquire FairPoint Communications For $1.5 Billion

Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. and FairPoint Communications, Inc. today announced that their boards of directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Consolidated Communications will acquire FairPoint in an all-stock merger transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion, including debt....more

FairPoint Communications Press Release (archived)January 24, 2011

FairPoint Communications Emerges From Chapter 11

FairPoint Communications, Inc. announced that it has successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11. The company emerged with a significantly improved capital structure, having reduced its debt by approximately $1 billion....more

ReutersOctober 26, 2009

FairPoint files for bankruptcy protection

FairPoint Communications Inc, which provides telephone service in 18 states, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, weighed down by the debt it took on to buy Verizon Communications Inc's landline assets in northern New England....more

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