NC Communications of Youngsville, North Carolina, has two business divisions: indoor for designing and implementing structured cabling systems and outdoor for laying groundwork and installing fiber optic networks.
But flash back to the 1990s, and the company, then run by James Kornegay, wasn’t doing much outdoor work. Enter Efrain Rangel, who had recently immigrated from Central America.
In the above video, Kristopher Kornegay, James’ son, tells the story of how Efrain’s arrival and his experience in earthwork laid the foundation for what would become NC Communications’ outdoor division, which today deploys a fleet of Ditch Witch horizontal directional drills.
NC Communications was named one of 12 finalists for Equipment World’s 2025 Contractor of the Year Award.
About the Contractor of the Year Award
The Equipment World Contractor of the Year program has been sponsored by Caterpillar since its inception in 2000. It recognizes contractors who display the highest standards of business acumen, equipment management expertise, attention to safety and community involvement. Each year, 12 finalists receive an expense-paid trip – this year to Nashville – to participate in roundtable discussions and an awards ceremony.
Throughout the year, Equipment World will post profile stories and videos of each of the finalists on equipmentworld.com. To see who made the finals, click here.
The nomination period for the 2026 program will open this summer.
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