IPO Company Profile
Current Quote | News | SEC Filings | Peer IPO Companies
USN Communications, Inc.
10 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 401, Chicago, IL 60606 * (312) 906-3600

The company is one of the fastest growing competitive local exchange carriers in the U.S. The company offers a bundled package of telecommunications products, including local and long distance telephony, voice mail, paging, teleconferencing.

Primary Underwriting Group
ManagerTierPhone
Merrill Lynch & Co.Lead Manager (212) 449-4600
Cowen & CompanyCo-manager (212) 495-6000
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp.Co-manager (212) 371-0641

Offering Information
NASNTL:USNC Service: SIC 4813
Type of Shares:Common Shares Filing Date:10/21/97
U.S. Shares:6,400,000 Offer Date:2/3/98
Non-U.S. Shares:1,600,000 Filing Range:$16.00 - $18.00
Primary Shares:8,000,000 Offer Price:$16.00
Secondary Shares:0 Gross Spread:$1.12
Offering Amount: $136,000,000 Selling:$0.65
Expenses:$1,100,000 Reallowance:$0.10
Post-IPO Shares: -
Employees:868

Legal Counsel, Auditor and Registrar
Issuer's Law Firm: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Bank's Law Firm: Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld
Auditor: Deloitte & Touche

Selected Financial Data

Dollar amounts in U.S. millions except for per share data
6 Month Ending Financials
Full Year
Audited
Income
Latest
Unaudited
Income
Prior
Unaudited
Income
Balance
Sheet
12/31/96 6/30/97 6/30/96 6/30/97
Revenue:$9.81$11.72$4.80Assets:$44.15
Net Income:-$25.05-$44.26-$0.73Curr Assets:$24.61
EPS:-$61.70-$16.12Liabilities:$92.17
Prior EPS:-$37.51-$9.18Curr Liab:$18.20
Cash Flow/Oper:-$0.42-$0.55Equity:-$48.03
Cash Flow/Fin:-$7.17$9.19Cash:$15.72
Cash Flow/Inv:Working Cap:$6.41

Competition
The Company operates in a highly competitive environment and has no significant market share in any market in which it operates. The Company expects that competition will continue to intensify in the future due to regulatory changes, including continued implementation of the Telecommunications Act, and the increase in the size, resources and number of market participants. In each of its markets, the Company faces competition for local service from larger, better capitalized incumbent providers. Additionally, the long distance market is already significantly more competitive than the local exchange market because the incumbent local exchange carriers ("ILECs"), including the RBOCs, have historically had a monopoly position within the local exchange market. In the local exchange market, the Company also faces competition or prospective competition from one or more CLECs, many of which have significantly greater financial resources than the Company, and from other competitive providers, including non-facilities-based providers like the Company. For example, AT&T; Corp. ("AT&T;"), MCI Communications Corporation ("MCI") and Sprint Corporation ("Sprint"), among other carriers, have each begun to offer local telecommunications services in major U.S. markets using their own facilities or by resale of the ILECs' or other providers' services. In fact, certain competitors, including AT&T;, MCI and Sprint, have entered into interconnection agreements with Ameritech with respect to the States of Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. These competitors either have begun or in the near future likely will begin offering local exchange service in those states, subject to the joint marketing restrictions under the Telecommunications Act described below. In addition, some of these competitors have entered into interconnection agreements with NYNEX and either have begun or in the near future likely will begin offering local exchange service in New York and Massachusetts, subject to such joint marketing restrictions. In addition to these long distance service providers, entities that currently offer or are potentially capable of offering switched services include CLECs, cable television companies, electric utilities, other long distance carriers, microwave carriers, wireless telephone system operators and large customers who build private networks. Many facilities-based CLECs and long distance carriers, for example, have committed substantial resources to building their networks or to purchasing CLECs or IXCs with complementary facilities. By building or purchasing a network or entering into interconnection agreements or resale agreements with incumbent ILECs, including RBOCs, a facilities-based provider can offer single source local and long distance services similar to those offered by the Company. Such additional alternatives may provide such competitors with greater flexibility and a lower cost structure than the Company. In addition, some of these CLECs and other facilities-based providers of local exchange service are acquiring or being acquired by IXCs that are not subject to joint marketing restrictions. These combined entities may provide a bundled package of telecommunications products, including local and long distance telephony, that is in direct competition with the products offered by the Company.

Business Plan
The Company's objective is to be a leading provider of integrated local and long distance services and other telecommunications products to small and medium-sized businesses in its target markets. The Company expects to achieve this goal through the successful implementation of its growth strategy which includes the following: (I) Provide An Integrated Telecommunications Solution, (ii) focus on Large, Underserved Market, (iii) Leverage Ubiquitous Networks, (iv) Rapid Market Entry and (iv) Expand Local Services.

Use of Proceeds
The proceeds from the proposed offering will be used for general corporate purposes including funding the expansion of the company's sales, customer care and provisioning organizations, enhancement of the company's billing system and potentially acquisitions.

Principal and Selling Shareholders
Name of Shareholder% Owned
Before
% Owned
After
William A. Johnston37.82%
HarbourVest Partners, LLC37.82%
Merrill Lynch Global Allocation Fund, Inc.34.75%
Ian M. Kidson29.05%
Donald J. Hofmann, Jr.29.05%
CIBC Wood Gundy29.05%
Chase Venture Capital Associates, L.P.29.05%
BT Capital Partners, Inc.22.04%
Fidelity Capital19.11%
Prime New Ventures8.07%
Dean M. Greenwood8.07%
Note: Represents ownership of 5% or more prior to the offering.
Executive Officers and Directors
Officer NameTitleAge
J. Thomas ElliottChairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director50
Dennis B. DundonChief Operating Officer52
Gerald J. SweasExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer49
Steven J. ParrishExecutive Vice President, Operations41
Ryan MullaneyExecutive Vice President, Sales41
Ronald W. GavilletExecutive Vice President, Strategy & External Affairs38
Thomas A. MonsonVice President, General Counsel and Secretary37
Lane FosterVice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development53
Meil A. BethkeVice President, Information Systems37
Thad J. PellinoVice President, Marketing35
Ellen C. CraigVice President, Regulatory Affairs59

©1998 IPO Data Systems, Inc. - All rights reserved.