From Basement to Funeral Parlor to Cosmetics Lab. These Are the Places We’ve Called Home.

Every space Amtelco has occupied holds a unique piece of our history, as well as the history of the Madison, Wisconsin area. Each place reflects a different chapter of Amtelco’s growth, ambition, and grit. Before Amtelco was officially founded by Bill and Eleanor Curtin (Mr. and Mrs. C), it began in the basement of their home in Madison, Wisconsin, in the 1940s, where Mr. C developed his communication inventions.

In 1947, Mr. and Mrs. C began their telephone answering service (TAS) in a space off the Wisconsin Capitol Square in the landmark office building known as the Tenney Building (also historically referred to as Tenney Plaza) located right at the convergence of King Street, South Pinckney Street, and East Main Street. The 10-story Art Deco building was celebrated as Madison’s first steel-frame high-rise. This was also the location where Mr. C worked on his inventions while running the TAS with Mrs. C.

Later, the business moved into the historic Anchor Savings & Loan Association building at Main and Carroll Streets in downtown Madison, followed by a move to 222 West Washington. This building was completed in 1972 as an $8 million, 10-story commercial office tower. It originally housed United Bank and Trust of Madison, alongside Wisconsin Power and Light (Alliant Energy predecessor), and other corporate offices (Wisconsin Telephone Company was across the street). The TAS business was located here until it moved to Regent Street in the 1980’s, with remote operators being located at the Monona Drive Amtelco location described in the next paragraph.

As business grew and Amtelco was founded in 1976, both Amtelco and remote answering service operators moved into a dedicated building on Monona Drive in Madison. That location had plenty of character—it was a former funeral parlor.

The Monona Drive location introduced us to our famous nesting ducks, but once again, as our workforce and manufacturing needs grew, it became clear that Amtelco needed a much bigger space to call home.

That opportunity came when a large, abandoned facility in McFarland, a suburb of Madison, was scouted by Amtelco. “The home of Amtelco was originally owned by the Revlon Corporation,” said Jim Becker, Amtelco’s Vice President of Marketing. “When they moved out, someone forgot to turn off the water, and the pipes broke, which blew out some of the windows.” Over time, this process repeated itself: standing water led to mold, wildlife entered the building, and the place was completely forgotten. “When I reached out to Revlon about our interest in the property, they didn’t even know they owned it,” remarks Jim. “I had to convince the property manager working from the top floors of a glass skyscraper called ‘The Revlon Building’ on Madison Avenue in New York City that they owned this derelict building in Wisconsin and we were interested in it.”

When the property manager finally agreed to meet Jim at the building, he saw that everything was overgrown because no one had cut the lawn in years. There was an abandoned junk car on the property as well. “So, we opened the door, and the smell of mold and wildlife hit us right away. The property manager walked in about 10 or 15 feet and said, ‘I’ve seen enough; I want out of here,’ remembers Jim. “He wasn’t prepared for what he saw and smelled. He had flown in from New York City dressed in a white shirt, tie, and black suit carrying a leather briefcase. I reminded him that his return flight wasn’t for another three hours, but he said, “I don’t care. Take me back to the airport.”

As the property manager was exiting Jim’s car at the airport, he said, “Alright. Make me an offer.” Where others saw a money pit, Amtelco saw potential. With the backing of McFarland State Bank, Jim negotiated a low offer to secure the property. What followed was a massive restoration and expansion effort to transform the derelict facility into a modern manufacturing and office headquarters.

The acquisition also came with a substantial plot of land. Amtelco struck a deal to trade some of the land back to McFarland, which helped establish a permanent local nature preserve right in Amtelco’s backyard. To this day, our team shares the surrounding grounds with local wildlife.

The story of our current building doesn’t end there. Amtelco’s management sent most employees home to work when the pandemic hit in 2020. Since Amtelco’s headquarters was mostly empty during this time, it seemed like a good opportunity to start a major building renovation.

The way the building space was used changed over the years. Amtelco no longer needed a large production floor to manufacture equipment, or space to keep inventory, but it did need more office, meeting, and kitchen space to accommodate a growing number of employees.

Updates to the building included additional open work spaces, new meeting rooms, an expanded employee kitchen and break room, a revamped reception area, a health and wellness room, and updated office finishes that incorporate legacy images with new logos and colors to tell Amtelco’s story.

Years ago, research was done to discover that a significant portion of Amtelco’s roof could be covered with solar panels. In the fall of 2021, Tom Curtin, Amtelco’s CEO & Chairman, wanted to revisit that possibility. Tom says, “Knowing that our roof has 100% exposure to that beautiful southern sun would always make me think, ‘someday it would be so great to be able to go green with that roof.’ I am so excited that through all the Amtelco teams’ efforts, we finally made that dream a reality!”

Amtelco’s solar panel project was completed in April 2023. The solar panels on the roof are helping to reduce Amtelco’s carbon footprint and fossil energy usage. “According to the EPA, electric power generates the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Tom. “For many years, it was just a wonderful wish to reduce the contribution we make. We are fortunate that Amtelco has been successful. And so, we invested in our community and the future of our families through renewable energy.”

Our physical spaces have always mirrored the spirit of Amtelco. Every square foot reflects an ability to see potential where others see obstacles, to adapt through changing times, and to build a sustainable future for our team and community. Wherever the next chapter takes us, we carry forward the same vision and heart that Mr. and Mrs. C started with all those decades ago.