KwiKom is drastically reducing its Iola workforce. Over 30 employees from the company’s construction crews were laid off last week.
The move comes as KwiKom adjusts to a new merger between its parent company, WANRack, and Gateway Fiber of St. Louis.
John Meyer, chief customer officer for Gateway Fiber, confirmed the company is eliminating KwiKom’s outside fiber installation crews, who were responsible for planning and installing mainline fiber routes. Instead, Meyer said, the company will now rely entirely on subcontractors for that work.
“The biggest effects of those cuts will be felt in Iola,” said Meyer.
When asked about the future of KwiKom’s office in Iola and its maintenance building in Gas, Meyer declined to comment.
KwiKom’s Iola office houses about 15 employees across its IT, sales and business office teams; it also has a large warehouse. The Gas location has served as home base for KwiKom’s aerial, fiber splicing and underground crews, positions that were all terminated along with the location’s mechanic.
WANRack, based in Kansas City, acquired KwiKom in 2023. This February, WANRack and Gateway Fiber announced plans for the merger, which is still pending regulatory approval.
The combined company would serve residents, businesses, and schools across 25 states. Gateway Fiber was founded in 2019 and currently serves customers in Missouri, Minnesota and Massachusetts. A fund owned by CBRE Investment Management is the majority owner of both Gateway Fiber and WANRack.
Meyer also confirmed positions in Kansas City and St. Louis were eliminated. “Across Gateway and WANRack, we realigned some of our team structures, which impacted 14 employees across departments,” Meyer said.
After the layoffs, roughly 245 employees remain, with 111 from KwiKom/WANRack.
Though the combined company is now owned by a global real estate investment firm, KwiKom’s roots are in Iola. The company began in 2010 when John Vogel and Zach Peres merged their individual companies. Vogel retired from KwiKom before the WANRack acquisition; Peres left the company earlier this year, prior to the announced merger with Gateway.
All positions that have been eliminated are a result of the merger, Meyer clarified. “It was a hard business decision to make,” said Meyer. “But we made it with future opportunities for the area in mind. It was difficult for us to support those crews long-term. Iola is still an important area for us, and we appreciate our customers.”
THRIVE Allen County’s CEO Lisse Regehr noted the non-profit offers a variety of services to those recently unemployed.
“If you just lost your job, and as a result your health insurance, you qualify for a special enrollment period, and our care coordinators are ready to help,” she said.
Regehr also noted KansasWorks employees are in Thrive’s office every Wednesday to help with employment searches.
“Thrive can also help with food, utility and housing assistance,” said Regehr. “We want to help get our community members back on their feet as fast as we can.”
