From Detroit to Sioux Falls, new Midco VP brings experience from multiple states

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

Sometimes, gaining valuable career experience requires a lot of different addresses.

For Justin Hebda, it has meant moving five times – from his native Michigan to Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois and back to Michigan – before landing in South Dakota, where for almost five years he has grown as a leader at Midco.

“It’s been a wild ride but a good one,” said Hebda, who first discovered his future field through a part-time sales job in college at Verizon Wireless.

“It was just for spending money and something to do, but I really enjoyed it,” he said. “Then, the director of outside sales for Verizon in Michigan approached me about a full-time role, and it quickly led me on a journey.”

His journey has spanned living across the Midwest while focusing on the domestic and international territories of some of the industry’s most prominent operators.

But in 2020, the road got choppy.

As the nation shut down in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hebda found himself forced to take a severance – along with everyone else he supervised.

“They had a huge reduction in force,” he said. “But the opportunity at Midco came up very, very shortly after, and it almost felt like the universe telling me I was needed elsewhere. And I found a really good home here.”

He joined Midco in 2020 as director of enterprise sales, and while he had familiarity with the company from time working in Minnesota, he did a lot of research before taking on the role.

Hebda could tell Midco had “happy employees, which translates to happy customers,” he said. “You’re a winner before you’re even on the court.”

At first, he thought the move would mean a return to Minnesota, but life took a different turn.

“We loved living in Woodbury, and Midco gave me the option of living in Minnesota, although the preference was that I live in Sioux Falls,” he said.

“We almost moved back – we were an inch away – but my wife, Krista, and I toured Sioux Falls and loved it! We made a decision: Let’s go to South Dakota. And it turned out to be wonderful.”

The family now lives in Harrisburg, an easy commute from a neighborhood they love where his kids are “happy growing up.”

At Midco, the promise he saw in the business has been fulfilled as he became part of it.

“We’re constantly evolving,” Hebda said. “The company doesn’t look the same as it did four years ago when I got here. We’ve expanded our fiber, we’ve committed half a billion into our network. And between that, the people and the culture, it’s what keeps me here.”

His own career has continued to grow. Earlier this year, Hebda was promoted to vice president of business sales.

“I love meeting with clients, so I’m routinely doing that, large and small, and the scope doesn’t matter.”

Promoting from within is common at Midco, he added.

“There’s a very, very strong tenure here, and certain jobs don’t open up frequently, so that immediately tells me something about the culture,” he said.

“People don’t want to leave. And you realize they’re staying because they’re very good at what they do and the company is very good to them. That’s impressive.”

The year ahead will bring exciting developments for Midco business customers, he said.

“Midco has a culture of innovation and continuously strives to offer even stronger products and services,” Hebda said. “There’s a lot to look forward to at Midco in the months ahead, and I’m happy to be part of it.”

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