When Joe Custer describes Intrado’s purpose, he begins with a story that traces back almost half a century. The company, he tells us, was born inside the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department when someone asked whether there might be a better way to connect a caller in distress with a first responder. “Turns out they were on to something,” he adds. Today that idea has scaled into a mission-critical network touching roughly 90 percent of all 911 requests for assistance.
Custer explains that Intrado “has to operate like a utility … we cannot fail.” Reliability is not a metric to be met but a promise to the public, one he refers to as “public safety grade.” Behind that standard lies a web of acquisitions—eight to ten over time—that were never fully integrated. That challenge, he says, became opportunity when Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners carved Intrado out of West Corporation and began investing to harden its network and modernize its operations.
Read MoreAs both CFO and SVP of Operations, Custer leads a transformation aimed at restoring Intrado’s position as the thought leader in emergency communications. The work goes beyond financial engineering; it’s about aligning systems, culture, and purpose around a single mission: saving lives. “We want to be the most trusted authority in public safety,” Custer tells us, describing a workforce “deeply committed to the cause.” In his view, reliability, investment, and mission are inseparable—the essential framework for Intrado’s next 50 years.
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CFOTL: Well, you do have—there are multiple chapters we haven’t even touched on—but we need to jump to our business section, where I get to ask you about this latest company, Intrado. We might have a few more career-related questions a little later, but let’s find out about Intrado. Now tell us about this company. What is it about today?
Custer: Intrado is a pioneer in providing 911 services. Nearly 50 years ago, Intrado was born out of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department, which wanted a better way to connect callers with first responders—and they were right.
Today, we touch about 90% of all requests for assistance. We’re mission-driven; saving lives is at the core of everything we do. We operate like a utility—we cannot fail. “Four nines” or “five nines” is table stakes; we call it public-safety-grade reliability. Our network must operate flawlessly with appropriate redundancy so calls reach the right dispatch (ambulance, fire, police).
Read MoreIntrado is also the culmination of eight to ten acquisitions over time that weren’t fully integrated, which created opportunity. Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners (our PE sponsor) carved Intrado out of West Corporation (owned by Apollo) and invested to harden the network and modernize systems and operations. I’ve been leading that transformation with our leadership team. At the end of the day, we aim to be the most trusted authority in public safety, deliver positive outcomes, and sustain a mission-driven workforce—that’s the foundation of who we are at Intrado.
Intrado | www.intrado.com | Longmont, CO