SureWest Promotes Matt Zuschlag to General Manager of Its Kansas City Market

ROSEVILLE, Calif., July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SureWest Communications (NASDAQ: SURW) today announced the promotion of Matt Zuschlag to general manager of the company's Kansas City operations effective immediately. Zuschlag has over 22 years of experience in the communications industry, most recently serving as SureWest's executive director of enterprise initiatives where he focused his efforts on business development, the company's successful debt refinancing process, and the review and analysis of acquisition opportunities.

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Reporting to Vice President of Operations Karlyn Oberg, Zuschlag will guide the network and plant operations teams in the Kansas City region, supporting the rapid residential and business growth that SureWest has experienced in that market.

"Looking at Matt's experience and success at SureWest, and throughout his career, I am excited to have someone of his caliber fill this crucial role for our company," said Scott Barber, vice president and chief operating officer. "He will help facilitate the residential fiber construction projects in Olathe, Kansas and support the continued growth in commercial customers in the greater Kansas City region."

In the first half of 2011, SureWest has passed over 5,000 of the 15,500 new fiber marketable homes scheduled in Olathe, Kansas this year. Since acquiring the Kansas City network in 2008, SureWest has equipped approximately 17,000 homes with fiber-to-the-home technology in the region. The initial fiber build has received excellent returns, with an impressive 34 percent penetration rate on the new homes.

Additionally, commercial services in the Kansas City region have been a major growth area for SureWest since the 2008 acquisition. Most notably, SureWest's business services revenues have grown 60% in that market since the assets were incorporated into the company three years ago.

Zuschlag has significant operational experience in the communications industry, previously serving as executive director of field services and support operations with SureWest from 2006-09. He also served two years as SureWest's executive director of customer service from 2004-06. A former executive at WINfirst, which was acquired by SureWest in 2002, Zuschlag oversaw the business integration of the WINFirst assets, which included the incorporation of roughly 150 employees and various business processes.

Prior to joining SureWest, Zuschlag gained operations experience at management levels with Nextel Communications, Motorola Communications and Electronics, and Mobex Communications. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration, finance and marketing (cum laude) from the University of Denver, and is a member of SureWest's Administrative/Investment Committee.

About SureWest

SureWest Communications (www.surewest.com) is a leading integrated communications provider and the bandwidth leader in the markets it serves. Headquartered in Northern California for more than 95 years, SureWest offers bundled residential and commercial services in the greater Sacramento and Kansas City regions that include IP-based digital and high-definition television, high-speed Internet, Voice over IP, and local and long distance telephone. SureWest was the nation's first provider to launch residential HDTV over an IP network and offers one of the nation's fastest symmetrical Internet services with speeds of up to 50 Mbps in each direction on its fiber-to-the-home network.

Contacts:
Ron Rogers
Corporate Communications
916-746-3123
[email protected]

Misty Wells
Investor Relations
916-786-1799
[email protected]

SOURCE SureWest Communications