Company Description
Boston Omaha Corporation operates as a diversified holding company with operations spanning outdoor advertising, broadband telecommunications, surety insurance, and asset management. The company pursues a strategy of acquiring and building businesses across multiple sectors, with a focus on creating long-term shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation and operational excellence.
Outdoor Advertising Operations
Through its Link Media Holdings subsidiary, Boston Omaha owns and operates an outdoor advertising network concentrated in mid-sized and large markets across the southeastern United States. The company's billboard portfolio includes both static vinyl displays and digital advertising units strategically positioned in major metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The outdoor advertising segment generates revenue through leasing billboard space to advertisers seeking to reach audiences in high-traffic locations. Link Media Outdoor manages the entire lifecycle of outdoor advertising assets, from site acquisition and permit management to installation, maintenance, and advertiser relations. The business benefits from long-term lease agreements with property owners and multi-year advertising contracts that provide recurring revenue streams.
Broadband Telecommunications
Boston Omaha Broadband represents the company's telecommunications division, providing high-speed internet services to residential and commercial customers across multiple states. The broadband segment operates through several regional internet service providers acquired and integrated under the Boston Omaha umbrella, including AireBeam in Arizona, InfoWest serving Utah and the Southwest region, and Utah Broadband serving communities throughout Utah. These subsidiaries deliver fiber-optic and fixed wireless internet services to subscribers in both established markets and underserved rural communities.
The broadband division has expanded its footprint to serve customers across 17 states with a growing subscriber base. The company focuses on deploying fiber-to-the-home infrastructure, recognizing the superior performance and longevity of fiber optic networks compared to legacy technologies. A significant component of the broadband strategy involves serving new residential developments and build-to-rent communities through its Fiber Fast Homes platform, which partners with home builders and developers to deliver high-speed internet connectivity to newly constructed properties nationwide. This approach capitalizes on increasing consumer expectations for gigabit-speed internet service capable of supporting smart home devices, remote work, streaming entertainment, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.
The telecommunications segment pursues growth through both organic network expansion and strategic acquisitions of regional internet service providers. Boston Omaha seeks to partner with established ISP operators who require capital to accelerate fiber deployment in their markets, allowing the company to expand its geographic reach while leveraging local management expertise and customer relationships.
Surety Insurance and Bonding
The insurance segment operates through General Indemnity Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary that specializes in surety bonds and related insurance products. General Indemnity Group owns United Casualty and Surety, an insurance carrier rated "A- Excellent" by A.M. Best Company, which underwrites surety policies across all 50 states. United Casualty and Surety holds approval from the United States Department of the Treasury to provide bonds for federal construction projects, reflecting its financial strength and regulatory standing.
The insurance division also operates BOSS Bonds Insurance Agency, a national surety managing general agency that distributes surety products through a network of independent insurance agents throughout the United States. BOSS Bonds represents the consolidation of multiple surety agencies acquired by General Indemnity Group, creating a unified platform for delivering contract bonds, commercial bonds, court bonds, and other surety products. The agency division provides agents with technology tools and underwriting support to efficiently serve clients requiring surety bonds for construction projects, business licenses, court proceedings, and various contractual obligations.
Surety insurance differs from traditional property and casualty insurance in that surety bonds guarantee performance of contractual obligations rather than insuring against fortuitous losses. The surety business requires specialized underwriting expertise to assess the financial capacity and technical capabilities of bond applicants, particularly in construction and contracting sectors where contract bonds represent significant risk management tools. General Indemnity Group's business model combines insurance carrier operations with agency distribution, allowing the company to participate in both underwriting profits and commission revenues generated by surety bond sales.
Asset Management and Strategic Investments
Boston Omaha participates in the asset management business through Boston Omaha Asset Management, though the company has taken steps to wind down active management operations in this segment. The holding company maintains a portfolio of strategic investments that complement its operating businesses and provide opportunities for capital appreciation. Significant investments include equity positions in Sky Harbour Group Corporation, a developer and operator of private aviation hangar facilities at airports throughout the United States, and Crescent Bank, a financial institution serving communities in the Southeast.
The Sky Harbour investment represents a substantial position in the private aviation infrastructure sector. Sky Harbour develops hangar campuses specifically designed for business and private jet owners seeking secure, long-term aircraft storage solutions. The aviation infrastructure business benefits from growing demand for private air travel and limited availability of modern hangar facilities at many airports. Boston Omaha's investment in Sky Harbour includes both equity ownership and warrant positions that provide additional upside participation as the aviation infrastructure company expands its portfolio of properties.
Corporate Strategy and Capital Allocation
Boston Omaha's holding company structure allows management to allocate capital across diverse business opportunities while maintaining operational focus within each subsidiary. The company targets businesses with favorable long-term economics, sustainable competitive advantages, and opportunities for reinvestment and growth. Management emphasizes generating cash flow from operations to fund organic growth initiatives and pursue strategic acquisitions that enhance the value of existing business platforms.
The diversified portfolio provides multiple avenues for deploying capital and reduces dependence on any single industry or market. Outdoor advertising generates stable cash flows supported by long-term contracts, broadband telecommunications offers growth potential through infrastructure deployment and subscriber acquisition, and surety insurance provides recurring premium revenue with relatively low capital requirements. This diversification strategy aims to balance current income generation with long-term growth opportunities across economic cycles.
Boston Omaha maintains a decentralized management approach that empowers subsidiary leadership teams to make operational decisions while corporate management focuses on capital allocation, strategic planning, and identifying acquisition opportunities. The company seeks to build lasting relationships with management teams, customers, and business partners across all its operating segments. Through disciplined investment in quality businesses and patient capital deployment, Boston Omaha positions itself to deliver sustainable long-term returns while building enterprise value across its diversified holdings.