Consumer Cellular stays course in a topsy turvy market

To say that Consumer Cellular has a lot going on is an understatement. But what’s really remarkable is how it’s adding more retail stores and using real live people to answer customer service calls in an industry increasingly awash in AI. For the uninitiated, Consumer Cellular is an MVNO that was founded about 30 years ago by two Portland, Oregon-based guys, John Marick and Greg Pryor. Early in their tenure, they decided to focus on the 50+ age group and align the company with AARP. That turned out to be a brilliant move, as Consumer Cellular grew to about 4 million subscribers, outliving many other MVNOs that went belly up. In 2020, they sold the business to GTCR, a private equity firm. Oftentimes, when companies sell to PE firms, people freak out because they figure that’s the end of it. After all, PE firms have a reputation for gutting businesses, draining them of all resources and leaving them a shell of their former entities. Consumer Cellular CEO Ed Evans is familiar with that reaction, but says GTCR has prioritized finding and backing good management.