Celebrating 50-Years of CommScope: A Letter from Our Co-Founder, Frank Drendel
The power of honesty forged a powerful brand.
Fifty years ago, I made a bet on the power of honesty. My father taught me early on that the only way to survive in business is to tell the truth. That commitment to honesty convinced CommScope’s parent company to loan me the money to buy the business, even though another buyer had offered more.
I made a second bet, too, that standing still is a risk of its own. It's why we led the move to fiber optics in 1978, long before anyone else took it seriously. It's also what kept us building through downturns that stopped many other businesses.
Our people made it possible
From day one, every team member has helped shape our journey. The work we do today exceeds anything I could have named in 1976. Data centers. AI infrastructure. Things I wouldn't have known how to describe, let alone predict.
The same people who worked the plant floors then are still carrying our mission forward, alongside the next generations of engineers, technicians and problem-solvers. We're 20,000 team members strong, worldwide.
Our journey continues
This year, CommScope became part of Amphenol. I trust the fit, for the same reason I trusted both of my original bets. This company is only getting stronger from here.
An early, well-known customer gave us almost all of their business the year we started, when almost no one else would take the chance on a company our size. Every customer who has trusted us since then helped us reach a second year, a third and now, our 50th.
I would make both bets again exactly as they were. Honesty got us here. The refusal to stand still kept us here.
Much more lies ahead in our story. If you’re a customer, you helped write it. If you work here, you’re still writing it. If you’re just meeting us for the first time, you’re picking it up in a truly exciting chapter.
Let’s lead the future together.
Sincerely,
Frank Drendel
Co-founder, CommScope
Celebrating 50 Years of CommScope
This article is part of a special series marking CommScope’s 50th anniversary. Throughout the year, we’ll look back at the people, milestones and defining moments that helped build the company, along with the legacy that continues to guide it today.
