ACN Inc.

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For other uses of ACN, see ACN (disambiguation).
ACN, Inc.
Type Private
Founded Incorporated 1992
Headquarters Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Key people Charles Barker, CEO
Robert Stevanovski, Chairman
Gregory Provenzano, President
Anthony Cupisz, VP
Michael Cupisz, VP[1][2]
Industry Telecommunications
Products See complete products listing
Employees 1,000+ (2006)
Website www.acninc.com

ACN, Inc., a communications reseller based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company.[3] ACN began operations in the U.S in January 1993, Europe in 1999, Asia-Pacific in 2004 and is now operating in 19 countries.[4]

Contents

[edit] Services / market

ACN offers local calling, long distance, Internet, wireless and digital phone/video phone services, and wireless connection to consumers and small businesses in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific.

[edit] Company structure

WORLD Headquarters in Concord, NC; Irvine, California; Montreal, Canada; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Åmål, Sweden; Sydney, Australia and Wroclaw, Poland. ACN is a member of the Direct Selling Associations in North America and Europe.

[edit] History

In 1992, Robert Stevanovski, Greg Provenzano, and twin brothers Tony and Mike Cupisz, founded what was then called American Communications Network, Inc.

ACN opened for business in January, 1993 with twenty initial independent representatives. In its first year it achieved revenues of two million dollars. ACN's initial business was as a marketing arm for a long-distance reseller called LCI Communications. This relationship lasted for five years until LCI was acquired by Qwest Communications.[2]

ACN was listed in Inc. Magazine in 1998 as No. 22 in its annual list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America,[5] with an annual revenue of $98.1 million.

Formerly ACN, through the subsidiaries ACN Energy and ACN Utility Services, operated as a gas and electricity retailer. ACN's energy assets were acquired by Commerce Energy Group in 2006.[6]

[edit] Court cases

On 15 November 2004, Australian Communications Network Pty Ltd (the Australian branch of ACN inc.) was investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for alleged breaches of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in regard to provisions in the act relating to pyramid schemes.[7] On 23 March 2005, ACN was found by Justice Selway to have participated in, promoted and induced or attempted to induce persons to take part in a pyramid selling scheme. A federal court appeal later reversed the earlier decision made by Justice Selway. The ruling indicated that the alleged "recruitment payments" did not fall under the definitions of the law. The ACCC was ordered to pay court costs.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Krippel, Julie. ACN, Inc. information and related industry information from Hoover's. Hoover's. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  2. ^ a b Seale, Barbara. Company Spotlight: ACN. Direct Selling News. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  3. ^ King, Charles W. (October 1996). Services: the new front in the MLM revolution. Success.
  4. ^ Hampshire, K. (December 2005) "Tapping the Network," Smart Business Detroit
  5. ^ Inc. Magazine. The Inc 500. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
  6. ^ Commerce Energy Group Inc (filing date February 10, 2005). Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets, Form:8-K. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
  7. ^ a b Full Federal court upholds ACN's appeal against pyramid selling decision. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

[edit] External links