Citizens Communications to acquire Global Valley Networks, GVN Services

Citizens Communications Chairman and CEO Maggie Wilderotter stayed true to her recent words that small acquisitions can make as much sense as big ones by announcing last week it will acquire 100% of the outstanding common stock of Evans Telephone Holdings, the parent company of Global Valley Networks and GVN Services.

Citizens will pay $62 million in cash for the Patterson, Calif.-based company, which serves the communities of Patterson, Livingston, Guinda, San Antonio, Diablo Valley, Westley, Cressey, Grayson and Capay Valley. Citizens will add 15,000 access lines with the acquisition.

Wilderotter said Global Valley has properties in fast-growth rural areas that meet all of Citizens’ acquisition criteria.

The deal is expected to close within six to nine months. Meanwhile Citizens is working to integrate the assets from its $1.29 billion acquisition of Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, which closed in March. This deal turned Citizens into the 7th largest local telephone exchange company in the U.S. upon closing this deal, Citizens had annual revenues of approximately $2.4 billion, 2.6 million access lines and 388,000 high-speed Internet subscribers.

Global Valley, which was founded in 1913, is part of the Country Road Communications family of companies. Other properties of Country Road include Pine Tree Networks in New Gloucester, Maine; War Telephone Company in War, West Virginia; and Granby Telephone Company form Grandby, Mass.

Country Road was formed in January 2000 to acquire and partner with independent local exchange carriers.