STEEL IN THE AIR, INC.
BALDWINSVILLE, NY

was that during the latter period, the land acquired was not meant to be simply a means of sustenance, but in every way, was meant for profit). The demand for cell towers was high and the suppliers (the tower companies) had to struggle to keep up. For a while, chaos ensued, along with a lot of shady marketing and deceptive business practices. In an effort to stay ahead of the game, tower companies would imply that they had actually built towers on cell site locations before they were, in fact, constructed. Wireless carriers would arrive at the site location, expecting to see a tower, yet no tower would exist. Tired of being misled by the tower companies, the wireless carriers soon began to ask, “Is there steel in the air?” If steel was indeed in the air, in other words, a cell tower was built and ready to go, then carriers were able to service the ever-growing demand of their customer base. In 2004, after having provided site acquisition, zoning, and permitting services on behalf of Nextel, T-Mobile, and a number of tower companies (and learning everything there was to know about telecom leases and the industry players who served the market), noticed a unique niche that needed to be filled. Steel in the Air was created in 2004 with the explicit purpose of representing landowners who were involved in contracting with wireless carriers and/or cell tower companies to lease a parcel of their property for the purpose of developing cell sites. When thinking of a name for his company, Ken wanted it to express a dual meaning. “Steel in the Air” is industry slang for ‘a tower has been erected’ (as opposed to ‘a tower has been planned’) and also symbolizes the strength of community and economic empowerment available to individual property owners and municipalities. Steel in the Air is company that follows a code of ethics – because we know that it is the most efficient and lucrative way to practice any kind of industry. Steel in the Air partners with Steel Tree Partners, a cell tower brokerage firm specializing in the valuation of cell towers for investors, appraisers and portfolio managers. If you own your own cell tower and would like help with valuation, Steel in the Air is affiliated with CityScape, a company dedicated to strategically serving municipal governments in all aspects of cellular lease negotiations and wireless communications infrastructure deployment plans. We advise and educate our clients on industry dynamics, including FCC regulations, and how to best position themselves in negotiations with wireless carriers and cell tower companies. In February, 2010, Steel in the Air formed a joint venture with SiteXCell, an Australian cell tower and cell site consulting firm who shares our mission of helping property owners in negotiations against wireless carriers, tower companies and lease buyout companies. About Ken Schmidt, President of Steel in the Air Welcome to Steel in the Air! We’ve created this website to be a valuable public resource for all things Cell Site Lease related, and we’re continuously updating it with pertinent and timely industry news for property owners, government entities and investors. We hope our articles are of interest. Since 2004, I have spent more than 20,000 hours helping property owners (mostly private landowners) resolve cell tower lease issues, optimize lease rates, and understand the wireless telecom industry as a whole. I personally have assisted more than 2,500 clients, all across the country, to make educated decisions when faced with telecom lease proposals, lease amendments and buyout offers. If I may be immodest, I’d be proud to say that I know the cell tower and wireless infrastructure industry inside out and from the top down. Not only am I familiar with the bargaining positions (and motives) of all major players, I’m intimately attuned to the starting and breaking points of any lease terms, so I can accurately advise my clients on how hard to push during negotiations. I’m also happy to boast that my team is some of the best, trained cell tower lease experts in the country. We have the experience and expertise to solve any issue involving any aspect of cellular lease negotiations. If Malcom Gladwell is correct when he says that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert – then we are experts many times over. You can trust us. We are steadfast and we are loyal. We work for landowners almost exclusively, and we promise to never sell you short. Mr. Ken Schmidt, President of Steel in the Air, is considered to be a well-seasoned thought leader in the cell tower and wireless infrastructure industry, and has advised and counseled over 40 municipalities on cell tower lease related issues, in addition to thousands of private landowners, as well as major airlines, subway systems, universities and public utilities. Mr. Schmidt has also been interviewed and Steel in the Air’s President, Ken Schmidt holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Truman State University in Missouri. In 2004, after having provided site acquisition, zoning, and permitting services on behalf of Nextel, T-Mobile, and a number of tower companies (and learning everything there was to know about telecom leases and the industry players who served the market), Steel in the Air was created. Ken’s explicit, original purpose, and the mission of his company, was to represent landowners in lease negotiations against wireless carriers and tower companies was that during the latter period, the land acquired was not meant to be simply a means of sustenance, but in every way, was meant for profit). The demand for cell towers was high and the suppliers (the tower companies) had to struggle to keep up. For a while, chaos ensued, along with a lot of shady marketing and deceptive business practices. In an effort to stay ahead of the game, tower companies would imply that they had actually built towers on cell site locations before they were, in fact, constructed.