Contec Holdings Celebrates 30 Years Serving the Cable and Telco Industry.

Three decades of customer premise equipment repair have fueled national growth. The company responds with a greatly expanded, 240,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Mexico.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Contec Holdings, Ltd., the world's leading customer premise equipment (CPE) repair company, this year commemorates 30 years as the provider of choice for repair services to the broadband industry. Today, Contec is the trusted global leader for refurbishment and repair of the industry's most crucial equipment, including digital cable set-top boxes supporting high-definition (HD) and DVR, MoCA, MPEG-4, and other advanced technologies embedded in STBs. Additionally, Contec services high-speed modems (including those supporting VoIP and DOCSIS 3.0), and satellite receivers and manufactures custom remote controls.

From its early days repairing analog set-top boxes in 1978, to present day offerings covering the latest in broadband technology, Contec has proven itself an innovative technology partner to cable operators and telecommunications companies. Marking these 30 years of success and national growth, Contec recently opened a state-of-the art facility in Matamoros, Mexico in January 2009. Contec has operated a facility in Matamoros, Mexico since 2002, however the technology advancements of the new 240,000 square foot facility will offer doubled Motorola STB capacity and greatly increased Cisco STB capacity. In addition to repair and refurbishment services for Pace, Samsung and Panasonic STBs, the facility also includes significant additional space for future expansion to accommodate industry growth and customer needs.

"We've supported our customers by adapting and responding to the advances in video and broadband technology over the past three decades," said Gary Stein, CEO, Contec Holdings, Ltd. "The set-top box and modem have emerged as the most important consumer-facing pieces of in-home entertainment equipment today. Contec is proud to provide timely, cost-effective and expert service to our customers' equipment. We've dedicated ourselves to implementing innovations in services to make that happen. We look forward to serving our customers with distinction for another 30 years."

Currently, Contec services over 75 percent of the industry's customer premise equipment, both in- and out of-warranty, for leading multi-service operators throughout the United States and Canada, including Comcast, Time Warner, Rogers, Cablevision, Cox, Shaw and Charter. In addition, Contec handles over 360 different types of set-top boxes developed by top manufacturers such as Motorola, Cisco/Scientific Atlanta, Pace, Panasonic, Samsung, Moxi, and Digeo each day. To complement STB repair services, Contec also provides modem and satellite receiver repairs, STB refurbishment, and custom remote control manufacturing. Through the repair and refurbishment services provided by Contec, customers have saved over $1.5 billion since 2007 alone.

Given the volume and diversity of product lines, Contec approaches its repair, maintenance and refurbishment operations with a process-driven technology in order to meet -- and exceed -- cable operators' expectations. The advanced IT technology used in the design and assembly of STBs has made it imperative for Contec to manage and strongly grasp the IT functionality. This, combined with the growth of the cable industry, led Contec to implement an automated repair process which allowed the company to continue to meet escalating customer demands. In 1978, the labor-intensive STB repair process produced a completed order in six weeks. Today, through automation, an entire STB repair order is completed and shipped back to the customer within three to four days. Additionally, with facilities across North America, Contec repairs a STB every 27 seconds.

"During my 25 years with Contec, advancements in technology and processes have driven fundamental changes in our ability to address customer needs," noted Carroll Foreman, Jr., COO, Contec Holdings, Ltd. "It's been both a pleasure and a challenge adapting to new technologies and providing superior service to an industry that is constantly advancing and rapidly growing."

As the industry grows, new set-top boxes with advanced technology pose challenges for repair and maintenance providers. Contec has progressed in stride with all OEM manufacturers as the companies have moved from analog STBs, to digital STBs, to high-definition digital and DVR STBs. In order to address the increasingly complex functionality, Contec has implemented support innovations such as on-site engineering teams, on-going employee and technician training and the Shop Floor Network([R]). The Shop Floor Network([R]), or SFN([R]), is Contec's proprietary repair process. Contec services range from basic diagnostics, testing and recalibrating to sophisticated repairs that include reconfiguring box specifications, changing programming and replacing ICs and other components. The entire repair operation is guided by the exclusive SFN([R]) process management system, which provides customers with accurate repairs, cost efficiencies and a fast turnaround. Contec also provides, RSTAT, which allows the customer to view the repair status of their STB order in real-time via a web portal. Both SFN([R]) and RSTAT are facets of Contec's exclusive suite of proprietary technology which handle set tops from repair to return to the customer.

"For years, we've turned to Contec, recognizing that they are the reliable, go-to source for set-top repair," said Robert Stampf, Director of 3rd Party Logistics, CableVision. "We congratulate Contec on their 30th anniversary and look forward to continue working with them in the future."

Through expansions of facilities and service offerings, Contec has been able to accommodate the exponential growth of the cable and telco industries, and remain the top source for set-top box repairs. In addition to its original facility located in Schenectady, NY, Contec also has specialized facilities throughout North America to better serve its customers and has a workforce of over 2,400 deployed to provide repair services. Including the 240k sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility slated to open in Matamoros, Mexico; repair locations also include Seattle, Washington, Mexico City, Mexico, and the original Matamoros, Mexico facility.

About Contec Holdings, Ltd.

Contec Holdings, Ltd. is the world's leading customer premise equipment repair company providing services to the broadband industry. Through continuous improvement techniques and expertly-trained employees, Contec strives to meet and exceed customer requirements and expectations while providing highly efficient and cost effective services. Service offerings include, repair and refurbishment of digital set top boxes, digital set top screening and cleaning, extended warranty programs, modem screening, electronic and cosmetic quality parts, engineering services, replacement remote controls, custom designed remote controls, data and VoIP modem repair, and satellite receiver repair. For more information: www.gocontec.com.