Case Study: Closing the Supply Chain Gap for Douglas Fast Net

December 21, 2021

Douglas Fast Net (DFN) was founded in 2001 to bring advanced telecommunications to Roseburg, OR, and the surrounding areas of Douglas County. DFN has since grown to deliver service to 119,000+ residents, making the company the 58th largest residential fiber provider in the U.S. by coverage area.

DFN is one of the first providers in Oregon to offer 1 Gigabit service to residents. In 2021, DFN was awarded funds from the FCC’s RDOF program, giving DFN continued opportunity to improve their communities by bringing service to the underserved areas of rural Oregon.

DFN has partnered with KGPCo and Corning and ADTRAN to supply fiber and fiber optic hardware needs.

THE CHALLENGE

As a rapidly growing service provider DFN faced a need to have an increased volume of project materials readily available to meet the demands of their customers. The volume of materials their projects required exceeded what DFN was able to manage and store on their own. Partnering with KGPCo gave DFN access to dedicated inventory in their area, readily available for projects and replenishment of their consumables. Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) is a cooperative serving South Central Texas, providing electricity, high-speed internet, HVAC, and solar services to residents over a 3,500 square mile area.

In GVEC’s quest to expand their services into the fiber broadband market they needed a partner to help them execute at the lowest total cost. Having access to top vendors and high-quality parts at price points comparable to that of high-volume purchasers was crucial. With these factors available, GVEC could prove their longer-term model and build at price points to sustain growth.

HOW KGPCo HELPED

Because of its proximity to Douglas Fast Net’s location in Oregon, KGPCo’s Wilsonville distribution facility is the perfect location to house inventory for DFN.

DFN was growing rapidly. Operating a storage facility close in proximity to where DFN was deploying their networks meant we could offer DFN a solution to help them close the gap on supply issues.

Our Wilsonville operation also gave us a competitive advantage over other distributors. Proper planning paid off and DFN was eager to engage in our solution for fast and easy access to the materials they need.

One million square feet of reeled fiber stocked for Douglas Fast Net at KGPCo's Wilsonville facility
1,000 ADTRAN ONTs stocked for Douglas Fast Net in Wilsonville

A SOLUTION FOR THE LONG TERM

KGPCo created a consistent supply chain for DFN’s material needs. This consistency allows for accurate planning—and more importantly, accurate project completion.

HELP IN TIMES OF DISASTER

Having materials on hand also aided in disaster restoration efforts. This proved to be a great benefit when fires devastated DFN’s service area in 2020. Aerial and buried fiber were incinerated, interrupting network connectivity. Fiber stocked in the Wilsonville facility was reallocated to support the fire restoration work and ensured DFN’s crews had immediate access to materials they needed.

IN THE CUSTOMER'S WORDS

"Working with KGPCo has enabled Douglas Fast Net to quickly rollout projects cost-effectively and efficient. We can always count on the KGPCo team to help support us to in all of our efforts."

TODD WAY
CEO, DOUGLAS FAST NET