Developer Invests in Indy Internet Provider

Indianapolis-based real estate developer Milhaus has announced a $5 million investment in a high-speed Internet service provider in Indy. Milhaus says the capital investment with Xiber LLC will have a specific focus on sales, customer support and executive leadership. Tadd Miller, chief executive officer of Milhaus, says the investment is the latest step in a more than three-year-old relationship between the two entities. 

Miller says his company had been looking for a provider that had more flexibility with regard to high-speed connectivity and integration among the many buildings in the Milhaus portfolio. In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Miller said serving as Xiber’s "guinea pig" as it developed its solutions led to the decision to help Xiber scale up.

"We see that same ability in the team and product that these guys are providing," said Miller. "Plus, in addition to our capital, we can bring a national customer base as well as the experience we just went through over the last 10 years scaling up with a very similar customer base and a whole lot of overlapping industry knowledge."

The strategic investment also involves multi-family real estate owners Birge & Held and the Hageman Group. The trio is also seeking co-investors to help fund Xiber’s growth objectives. Miller says the real goal of the investment is to bring the best service to customers, which can be difficult in the technology space.

As part of the investment, Milhaus Director of Technology Steve Werner will transition to Xiber as its vice president of customer operations. In his new role, Werner will be responsible for leading efforts to enhance the customer experience for Milhaus residents and grow the Xiber customer base.

"A strong network backbone is the foundation for delivering the high-tech services our residents demand," Miller said. "The Xiber partnership gives our construction and property management teams a built-in partner that understands their needs and processes and can deliver the latest in-home technology services fast, at the highest quality and best price to our residents."

Xiber specializes in fixed-wireless radio systems, fiber-optic networks, and home automation applications within multi-family and commercial properties. The company currently provides services for Milhaus properties in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Tampa.