Baseball and a Better Way
 The
Houston Astros baseball team has always been a leader in new
innovations. From the first artificial turf and unique indoor
stadium, team owners were always looking for new and better ways to
do business. When the Bell telephone dynasty was split up in the
1980’s, Astros owner Dr. John McMullen started his own telephone
company to serve the Astrodome. Teaming with Centel, a New York
Stock Exchange company and operating under the name Centel
Facilities Communications, the company combined the best in
telephone technology with hospitality flair at the Astrodome and
nearby Astrohall. The concept of integrating telephone technology
with hospitality caught on and new convention venues were added.
Starting with the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, the
company added the Anaheim Convention Center and the Los Angeles
Convention Center. Centel was sold to Wiltel Communications,
another NYSE company, and the partnership’s name was changed to
Facilities Communications International. The company was hitting its
stride as it was selected to provide all of the telecommunications
requirements of the 1990 World Economic Summit and the 1992
Republican National Convention. In November 1992, as Dr. McMullen
sold the Houston Astros and was pondering the future of Facilities
Communications International, entrepreneurs Marty Rubin and Rick
Neustadt approached the former ball club owner. Along with an
investor group including principals of US Cable Corporation, Rubin
and Neustadt acquired the company in January 1995 and changed the
name to US Telcom. Under new ownership, the company launched a
major growth initiative, adding the Charlotte Convention Center,
along with an electrical services contract at the George R. Brown
Convention Center in 1996. In 1997 the Dallas Convention Center
signed on, followed by the Las Vegas Convention in 1998, the Henry
B. Gonzalez Convention Center (San Antonio), Santa Clara Convention
Center and the San Diego Convention Center in 1999. The company was
renamed Smart City in 2000 and continued its growth with the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando and Fort Worth Convention Center
being added in 2002 and the Washington Convention Center in 2003.
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