Jonesboro, Ark. – (April 30, 2019) – Ritter Communications, a regional telecommunications provider, started construction today on its $8 million state-of-the-art multi-user cloud and data storage facility. The 8,882 SF Ritter Communications Data Technology Center will serve customers throughout the Mid-South.
Alan Morse, president of Ritter Communications, welcomed community leaders, Ritter Communications employees, Jonesboro business leaders and contractors to the groundbreaking ceremony. “There’s a worldwide trend for IT infrastructure to move away from dedicated corporate facilities and into multi-user facilities like this one we’re building as businesses look for ways to manage their IT environments more efficiently and effectively,” he said. “We’re bringing this Data Technology Center to Northeast Arkansas to ensure that our customers have access to a world-class facility without having to look toward Memphis, Little Rock or St. Louis. And, we believe that our investment in this facility will enhance economic development opportunities because when companies consider our region for expansion or relocation, they want to see fiber-optic data connectivity and secure data center facilities. Now, Ritter Communications can offer both,” he said.
The facility will be the first of its kind in the Mid-South region and is the next step in the company’s ongoing expansion into the technology services sector. The new data center will bring a state-of-the-art network operations center, industry-leading data security and privacy certifications, advanced business services and cloud solutions to business customers across the Mid-South.
Construction on the facility is expected to be completed by mid-2020. Colorado architectural firm CTA Architects Engineers provided design and engineering services and will manage the construction project jointly with builder Nabholz Construction of Conway, Arkansas.
“Our work with the team at Ritter Communications was a design exercise in balancing transparency and aesthetics with security and fortification,” said Laura Dougherty, AIA, LEED AP of CTA Architects Engineers. “The goal was to create a safe and secure data center that provides physical security against the extreme environmental events possible while acting as an engaging conference and collaboration space for customers. We were able to achieve this through the use of lighter materials like glass, wood and metal, creating a high tech but authentic, warm, comforting environment.”
For more information about Ritter Communications, click here.
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About Ritter Communications
Ritter Communications, founded in Marked Tree, Arkansas and headquartered in Jonesboro, began providing local phone service in 1906. Today, Ritter serves 89 communities and more than 45,000 customers across Arkansas, southeast Missouri and west Tennessee. The family-owned company has grown steadily over the years, expanding rapidly since 2010 and is now the largest privately-held regional fiber, telecom, video and cloud services provider in the state. Ritter invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best-in-class infrastructure and technology while coupling it with a world-class customer focused experience. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of E. Ritter and Company, which also operates Ritter Agribusiness and Ritter Investment Holdings.
About Nabholz Construction
Founded in 1949, Nabholz has offices in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma. Nabholz provides core services including construction, industrial, civil, environmental and specialty services. Ranked #107 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 400 Contractors in the nation, Nabholz serves clients throughout the United States.
About CTA Architects and Engineers
CTA Architects Engineers is a full-service design firm. For more than 80 years, our team of architects, engineers and designers have combined forces to carry out one simple mission: devise thoughtful and efficient design solutions for our clients.
Technical specs for the Ritter Communications Data Technology Center:
- 8,882 square feet
- .75 MW power capacity
- Carrier-neutral entrance facilities
- N+2 dual-fuel back-up power
- Modular in-line cooling
- HIPAA, PCI and SOC 2 compliant
- Bio-metric security
- Locked cages available for customer colocation space
- 2 diverse, fiber fed entrances to facility
- Meets California seismic code and EF3 tornado resiliency standards
- Houses 20-seat secure Network Operations Center and provides seven disaster-recovery workstations for customer use
- Conditioned space accommodates 60 full racks/4 cages w/4 Racks
- Highly available commercial power feeds with backup generator encompassing two methods of fueling (natural gas / diesel fuel)
- Clean-Agent Fire-Extinguishing Systems
