Bluewave Communications, Inc. (BCI)
Revolutionizing Telecommunications Construction

The success of every telecommunications construction project hinges on three components: personnel safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Facilitating the synergistic interplay of these factors requires innovative practices capable of challenging industry standards.

Bluewave Communications, Inc. (BCI), a leading telecom construction company, is making this possible with a fresh take on one of the most versatile yet overlooked devices in the industry, gin poles.

Typically, in telecom projects, expensive machinery like cranes and helicopters are used to mount and install antennas, sector frames, and other equipment at tower sites, which quickly escalate project costs. Moreover, they have limited access to sites in difficult terrain. Gin poles, on the other hand, deliver a high level of efficiency while driving down costs and enhancing accessibility.

However, these devices have unfortunately become infamous in the industry because of the accidents linked to their usage. BCI, under the leadership of Michael Shea, has turned the story around with proper safety training and by using gin pole systems designed specifically for telecom construction. The result? High efficiency, lower costs, and faster project delivery.

“I wanted to bring the gin pole back into style again, and that’s exactly what we did. Our teams are trained to deploy gin pole systems in a day’s notice and work with them in ways no one else can,” says Shea, owner and president of BCI.

BCI specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of cutting-edge communication infrastructure, adhering to the highest quality standards. Comprehensive turnkey services for cell phone tower installations, including but not limited to site evaluation and maintenance, are provided with a commitment to delivering exceptional results.

The True Potential of Gin Poles

By dismantling the ‘taboo’ around gin poles, BCI is defining a new paradigm in telecom construction. It is one of the very few certified contractors for the Spartacus Gin Pole on the East Coast. These systems are built to efficiently lift telecommunication equipment above towers, eliminating hefty crane and helicopter costs.

“Our core business focus is morphed into the use of gin poles. Tapping into its massive potential, we have taken the Northeast by storm,” says Shea. “A crane costs anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000, and helicopter costs could go up to $200,000 for a site. Using gin poles, we can save clients 80 percent or more in costs."

BCI saved clients close to $3 million in crane costs last year alone.

Another key advantage is unmatched accessibility. With gin poles, BCI experts can access sites that are challenging to navigate, like complex terrain, remote locations, and areas with limited space. This allows the team to execute projects that are often deemed difficult or even impossible by competitors, honing the company’s competitive edge in the industry.

The efficiency of a project can be further amplified when the versatility of gin poles is combined with the ruggedness of power ascenders and descenders. On average, if a project runs for two weeks, installers expel most of their energy climbing up and down towers as high as 300 feet. In areas like upstate New York, the safety stakes are higher during winters, posing serious health hazards for these tower crews.

BCI uses cutting-edge power descenders to positively impact productivity. Tower climbers can glide up and down a cell phone tower in under a minute, reducing physical strain. With proper training, they can work smarter and safer, even in adverse weather conditions.

These advanced tools and machinery, plus the training, are a sizeable investment for BCI, usually more than $100,000. But when compared to the amount of time saved for on-site staff and the efficiency they add, gin poles and power ascenders are worth the investment.

“We focus on delivering a project swiftly and safely, and to achieve this, we need all these capabilities in our arsenal. By investing in our personnel and equipment, we succeed on every project,” says Brion Salatino, Florida market regional manager.

BCI also has specialized vehicles to navigate through snow, inclines, mud, and other challenging terrains, to transport equipment to sites located on mountains and other hard-to-access areas. Although executing complex projects with gin poles is the niche the team thrives in, it is also equipped to use helicopters and cranes, should the need arise.

Experts at Work

The ingenuity of using a device in ways that change the perspective of an entire industry wouldn’t have been possible without the level of commitment held by BCI’s team.

Each team member shows grit in accomplishing the toughest of projects on time and within budget. BCI’s success is largely due to its ability to hire professionals who are local to the sites and possess the required knowledge about the various regional markets across Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and New England.

BCI invests heavily in training its experts for two weeks on an annual basis on the application of the gin pole so they can maximize product efficiency, test new ideas and methods, and use them safely.

By hiring tenured, self-performing professionals in each market it serves, consistency is maintained throughout a project, without any work being subcontracted out. Each is groomed to be a jack of all trades to ensure superior customer service that covers all the bases.

To ensure flawless project delivery, the team follows a meticulous approach. Client sites, whether existing or new, are thoroughly evaluated to identify problems upfront, understand project requirements, define the scope of work, and accurately project costs. This allows for accurate bidding and seamless execution.

Going the extra mile by pre-mapping sites enables the team to put together a solid proposal and avoid change orders and other costly surprises for the client when a project is underway. Bluewave manages the flow of every project from start to finish and reviews the projects thoroughly, ahead of construction. This allows Bluewave to analyze the site’s existing conditions & proposed scope, to make recommendations to the customer on ways to save money and cut costs. By eliminating unnecessary steps in the construction process and finding more efficient ways to complete the scope, Bluewave stands out from the crowd.

If a customer wants something to be added to the scope of work, BCI will always accommodate the request, with minimal impact on the cost of the project. By being transparent with the customer, BCI is able to fulfill these needs without incurring additional equipment rental expenses. This also helps the team build trust with customers.

The relentless effort to uphold its customer-centric attitude has earned it an esteemed clientele, including prominent players like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, DISH Network Corporation, SBA, and Crown Castle. BCI is one of the few vendors approved to use gin poles on SBA sites across the Northeast. The company also has strong relationships with numerous trade partners. They work together and help each other during both peak and slow seasons.

The Journey So Far, and the Path Ahead

Shea’s vision to break new ground in telecom construction has injected a fresh dose of innovation into the industry. In 2019, when BCI was approached by a telecom company for tower installation at a site that required a helicopter to install specialized equipment, Shea contemplated ways to drive down costs and improve efficiency. Instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a helicopter and waiting for reimbursement from the client, he strategically planned the execution using a modified version of gin poles reintroduced to the market in 2018. After getting the green light from the client, he purchased the equipment, trained his team members, and ended up saving the client $150,000 on that project. They were absolutely thrilled with the results.

Impressed by the team’s superior workmanship from start to finish, the client exhibited full acceptance of gin pole use and has been relying on the team to complete every new project. This enabled Shea to confidently scale his business. Since then, BCI has remained committed to paying keen attention to project minutia and offering clients the best experience.

In only six years, it has made quite a splash in the market. Embodying the hallmarks of professionalism, integrity, quality, and safety, it is one of the smallest companies in the industry to work directly with carriers, demonstrating how family-owned businesses can make a big impact.

Fostering a family-like environment conducive to employee growth and well-being, BCI cultivates a team driven by a passion for overcoming challenges and delivering outstanding results. The vision is to grow strategically while preserving that small business feel. In addition to managing projects along the entire East Coast, it recently expanded its footprint to Guam.

BCI has scripted a new chapter in telecom construction by turning risk into reward, but its endeavors are not limited to gaining recognition as a reputed service provider. Shea and his team also believe in giving back to the community and changing lives. The team donated Nintendo Switches and games for children receiving cancer treatment at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, NY. They even sponsored Paige's Butterfly Run to help raise funds to benefit current and future pediatric cancer patients and their families in Central New York.

Steering ahead, BCI aims to solidify its position as a leader in the industry and operate across all 50 states. The team is planning to integrate new technologies to enrich its offerings. By bringing game-changing solutions to the table to solve problems that nobody else can, BCI continues to exemplify its commitment to excellence.