mmWave Technologies Inc. was started in 1991 by Glenn Poulos, Sylvain Lafreniere and Jean Dube. All three had experience selling test equipment and components/subsystems to the Canadian Telecommunications market, and wanted to make their own mark in their chosen target market of high-frequency RF and Microwave/mmWave communications.
In late 1997 Brad Poulos joined the management team and under Glenn and Brad’s leadership, the company gradually grew, expanded and evolved such that in 2000 it was named #8 on the Profit 100 list of Canada’s fastest growing companies. The following year it was #21.
The technology meltdown of 2000 affected mmwave as much as any other company. In 2001 the company had been cut in half, as measured by revenue and employees. A concerted effort was made to reposition the company to capitalize on the Canadian government’s Broadband for Rural and Northern Development initiative. mmWave and it’s service provider partners were awarded several BRAND projects totaling over $10 Million. Key to this success was a decision to become an early leader in the WiMAX forum.
In March of 2005, mmWave Technologies was sold to Wireless Age Communications Inc. (WAC), an American public company, that had three operating divisions at the time:
- The Wireless Age – cellular / mobile dealer in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada
- The Wireless Source – wholesale dealer of 2-way public safety radios and other solutions
- Wireless Works – Niagara-based operator of wireless networks
WAC was severely under-capitalized and soon after the takeover the parent company became a drain on mmWave – as it already was on the mobile dealership. As mmWave was the only one of the four operating companies with bank financing, it became the bank, along with the cellular stores, for WAC. The public company operating infrastructure inside WAC was much larger than what was needed for the size of the operation and in the end could not be sustained.
mmWave became the sacrificial lamb, and was put into bankruptcy in early 2007.
Brad Poulos had been appointed CEO shortly after the purchase of mmwave by WAC. When mmWave was closed, he left the company and John Simmonds was apppointed CEO of both mmWave and WAC.
Brad Poulos is now a consultant and teacher. His brother Glenn operates a similar business along with some other mmwave almuni.