On the fast track in Kansas: he may be a youthful newcomer to cable, but Patrick Knorr has the technological know-how to steer Sunflower Broadband into the future

Cable World, Jan 7, 2002 by Shirley Brady

Patrick Knorr has packed plenty of experience into his relatively short career as a cable system operator.

In 1998, at the age of 26, the self-described "Internet geek" was tapped to manage Lawrence, Kans.-based Sunflower Cablevision, a family-owned company serving more than 34,000 subscribers.

"Now you can call me a cable geek," says Knorr with a laugh. "I couldn't be more passionate about this industry."

In his two years as the cable system's general manager, Knorr has overseen the completion of a fiber-optic rebuild, integrated three systems acquired from Galaxy Cablevision, launched telephony and re-branded the company as Sunflower Broadband.

The company also won the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Community Spirit Award in 2000 and 2001 for its weekly production of more than 70 hours of original programming, including daily newscasts at 6 p.m and 10 p.m.

Not a bad track record for a guy who's still under 30.

"Patrick and I work great together," says Dan Simons, director of new ventures at the World Company, which owns Sunflower and the Lawrence-Journal World, a daily newspaper Simons's family founded in 1891. "He's not technically a cable person--he's a communications person who knows network architecture and technology, and he's very aware of customers' needs. He's also a visionary and a strategist who can look down the road ten years and just run with it."

Knorr certainly isn't afraid to run with his ideas.

In 1995, the native of Key West, Fla., dropped out of Kansas State University a semester shy of graduating with a B.S. in social science. Instead of following through with his original plan to become an elementary school teacher, Knorr married his college sweetheart and started an e-commerce consulting business.

By 1998, he was COO at an Internet service provider and weighing another high-tech job offer when he got a call about Sunflower.

"Patrick had worked for a client of ours, so I was very confident in his skills," says Jim Danda, chief technology officer at Lawrence-based Secure Network Group. "When I heard [Sunflower was] looking for someone to run their data services, I thought of him because he was very quick to pick up on new technology and convergence and how that might apply to the cable industry."

"As soon as I heard 'cable' and that ... I could make my own decisions and really help guide the company into the future, that was it," says Knorr. "I immediately knew this was a great opportunity."

Simons, whose family launched Sunflower in 1969, says he didn't think twice about hiring Knorr or subsequently promoting him to run the cable system. "He really helped revitalize our Internet unit," says Simons.

Knorr says his relative lack of cable experience has worked to his advantage. "The industry is growing so fast that I didn't bring any preconceived notions," he says. "We're constantly dealing with new technology, so it's like overhauling your engine while you're driving down the highway. You can't slow down or pull over, and you can't take your eyes off the road either."

In his first month as Sunflower's GM, he integrated the new Galaxy systems, finished a $16 million rebuild and got divorced. He shares custody of his son, Thomas, 4, with his ex-wife, Kerri, a chemist who lives in Lawrence. "I have Thomas most evenings and weekends, but during budget times it's really tough as I just have to stay and get the job done."

By his third month on the job, Knorr amalgamated four offices into a 20,000-square-foot tech center he designed. "Within six months, the company approved my proposal to become a telephone company," he says. The service now has 20% penetration--with no marketing, "just word of mouth," he says.

His biggest challenges in the year ahead: "to truly become a broadband company, find experienced staff to grow our telephony business and continue to get feedback from our customers."

He has even gone to people's homes to answer queries. "As a family-owned business with long roots in this community, we can't afford not to provide the highest quality of service."

David Corliss, assistant city manager and director of legal services in Lawrence, says, "He's an excellent liaison between his cable service and city hall and the community."

Sunflower is currently testing wireless broadband. Knorr also wants to offer his customers integrated set-top boxes with PVR functionality when they become available.

"As a small company, we have the opportunity and the necessity to innovate more," he says. "That's what keeps me excited."

SUNFLOWER BROADBAND LAWRENCE, KANSAS

OWNERSHIP: Privately held by the World Co.

MILES OF PLANT: 500 coaxial, 200 fiber optic

UPGRADED: 90% upgraded to 750 MHz

HOMES PASSED: 43,000

BASIC SUBSCRIBERS: 34,000

DIGITAL SUBS: 3,000

HIGH-SPEED SUBS: 7,000

TELEPHONE SUBS: 300

BASIC CABLE RATE: $31.95/month, 66 channels

HIGH-SPEED RATE: $27.50/month without modem, $10 for modem rental

TELEPHONY RATE: $16.95/month with basic cable

ADVERTISING: Local ad sales force; ad insertion in 20 channels.

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