Built on Technology. Powered by People.
At first glance, the story of Intermax Networks might seem to be about technology—fiber networks, internet service, cybersecurity, managed IT and the increasingly important role technology plays in nearly every part of our lives.
But spend a little time getting to know Intermax, and another story emerges. It’s about people. It’s about seeing a problem and figuring out how to solve it. And it’s about believing that a locally owned company has a responsibility to care for the communities it serves. That philosophy has quietly shaped Intermax for decades.
From a Small North Idaho Company to a Regional Network
Intermax began in Sandpoint in 2001 as a small internet provider using fixed wireless technology. A new chapter began in 2006, when Steve Meyer became the company’s primary owner and investor and Mike Kennedy came aboard to lead it. At the time, Intermax had three employees and approximately 350 customers.
Today, the company has grown from what Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Meyer describes as “two guys and a truck” into the largest locally owned technology solutions provider in the Inland Pacific Northwest, with approximately 100 employees providing Internet, Voice, IT and Security solutions to thousands of residential and business customers.
While that growth is more than impressive, what may say even more about Intermax is where and why it chooses to grow.
Seeing a Need and Finding a Solution
There is a philosophy inside Intermax that feels distinctly North Idaho: when you see a need, you don’t simply talk about it. You roll up your sleeves and figure out what you can do to help. Sometimes that means bringing reliable internet to a rural family that has lived for years without good options.
Sometimes it means helping a small business navigate technology it doesn’t have the staff or expertise to manage alone. And sometimes it means responding when weather, fire or an excavator suddenly takes down service and people are counting on you to get them connected again.
Intermax employees manage networks around the clock and have even climbed remote towers accessible only by helicopter in difficult winter conditions.
The company has also invested significantly in expanding fiber into communities that have historically been underserved by larger national providers. Recent projects along Highway 54, Twin Lakes and the Selle Valley are bringing high-performance internet to homes and businesses that have waited years for better connectivity.
It is technology with a very practical purpose: solve a problem and make life a little better for the person on the other end of the connection.
Local Means Showing Up
That same philosophy extends well beyond internet service. Intermax supports schools, nonprofits and community events throughout the region. Its employees volunteer their time, contribute to local causes and frequently show up for the communities where they live and work.
Here in Coeur d’Alene, that recently included upgrading the free public Wi-Fi at McEuen Park in time for our Fourth of July celebration—one of those projects thousands of people may benefit from without ever knowing who made it possible. And perhaps that is quite fitting.
Service at Intermax isn’t about getting credit for doing something good. It’s about recognizing where the company’s people, resources or expertise can make a difference—and stepping in. That culture reflects the leadership of Steve Meyer and Mike Kennedy, two longtime North Idaho business and community leaders whose approach has always been rooted in solving problems, investing in people and strengthening the place they call home. Those values have become an important foundation for the company they helped build.
Innovation With a Purpose
Today, Mike Kennedy, Andrew Meyer and the Intermax team are helping carry that philosophy into a rapidly changing technology landscape.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew has a front-row seat to both the opportunities and the noise surrounding new technology. His perspective is refreshingly practical: innovation should ultimately be useful.
As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, Intermax is exploring ways to make emerging technology accessible to local businesses, including tools such as its AI Receptionist. At the same time, the company continues expanding the infrastructure that businesses and families increasingly depend upon.
The goal isn’t technology for technology’s sake. It’s finding the right technology to solve a real need.
Staying Honest. Staying Connected.
After years of growth, Andrew’s advice to other businesses is surprisingly simple: “Stay honest and stay connected. Customers are everything. Do what the giants won’t and you’ll win hearts and minds instead of frustration and resentment.”
That may also be one of the best descriptions of Intermax.
The technology has changed dramatically since the company’s earliest days. The network has grown. The team has grown. And the problems Intermax is helping customers solve have become increasingly complex. But underneath all of it is something remarkably uncomplicated: See a need. Find a way to help. Take care of people.
For a technology company built around connection, perhaps that is the most meaningful connection of all.
