AT THE HELM

Mark Carpenter believes the team concept is crucial to a company's long-term success. Photo:  Michael McCord

After many years of living in California working in the computer industry for companies such as IBM and Compaq, Mark Carpenter, a native New Englander, said he wouldn't return to the region unless "hell froze over or the Red Sox won World Series."

Hell, as far as we know, is unchanged but the Boston Red Sox did win the World Series in October 2004 and five months later Carpenter - who has worked in wide range of senior executive roles, including development, engineering and marketing - arrived to assume duties as the president of Pannaway Technologies.

A private, Portsmouth-based company founded in 2003, Pannaway specializes in providing what it calls "triple play" voice, Internet and video-converged technology for rural telephone companies throughout the country. Imagine a rural farmhouse at the end of a long road that is now wired as well if not better than urban dwellers. It's precisely the type of market being ignored by the huge telecommunication companies.

Pannaway's biggest investor had been Bob Levine, the former co-founder along with former N.H. Gov. Craig Benson of Cabletron Systems. Carpenter arrived just as the company was experiencing its first growth spurt, going from the beta testing phase to its first eight customers by January 2005. In June, Pannaway's client list had grown to 62 and Carpenter estimates the company will have 100 clients by the middle of 2007 if not sooner.

Carpenter was born in Connecticut and grew up of Rhode Island. He was the son of an information systems specialist and graduated from Worcester Polytech. He spends a lot of time on the road talking directly with potential clients, existing customers and the major telecommunication consultants who advise the rural independent telephone companies. Along with Pannaway Chairman and CEO Gary Davis, who handles the operational side of this business, Carpenter said the company has a "strategic advantage" because of this strength utilization of its top executives.

Carpenter, 46, talked about Pannaway's potential and his leadership style.

COMPETITION: "We are in a fairly unique situation because most of our competition doesn't have the core technology we have and we believe we are 15 to 18 months ahead. We are leveraging our strategic advantage by having Gary (Davis) focus on the operational side while I talk directly with the telephone companies and provide consulting to the consultants. We already have a reputation for having the best customer service our there because our team (in Portsmouth) is ultra responsive."

JOINING PANNAWAY: "I was attracted by the people, products and the marketplace. The ability to interact with customers in person and not from a distance was an important of doing the job right. I saw this as a brand new company on the move and one that believed in a team effort to be successful."

BUSINESS PLANS: "A company hopes its first business plan is 20 percent accurate; 40 percent for its second. By the third one, it should be about 60 to 70 percent accurate because you understand so much more. We are on the cusp of a late stage start-up. Once we hit that 100 customer level, I believe we will grow even faster because the industry will be able to see a pattern (of development and service). Within the year to 18 months, I believe we will become profitable."

AWAY FROM WORK: "After 25 years, I picked up a guitar again and began playing it. I also like to rebuild old automobiles. I've been working on a first-year (1971) Datsun 240Z."

LEADERSHIP STYLE: "At the end of the day, it's still a work in progress. I focus on positive reinforcement. It puts people in the position to inspire and motivate themselves. I dwell on the things we're doing right as a baseline for things we can do better. It's important to stay humble and remember that Pannaway gave me an opportunity to succeed. The day I become ineffective is when I stop listening and become arrogant."