The year was 1993. Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” ruled the airwaves. Gas was only $1.11 a gallon. It was a magical time. That same year, Dane and Meg Scism founded Cellular Sales in Knoxville, Tennessee, selling phones, plans, and other Verizon services.
This would be the beginning of a journey that has since spanned three decades of incredible tech innovation, created massive company growth, and changed the cellular retail landscape.
A look back
Started 30 years ago with a single CellularOne mall kiosk, the company would advance to become Verizon’s premier retail partner under its new name: Cellular Sales. The business expanded through hard work, an exceptional company culture, and a driving mission to provide great wireless experiences. With this goal at the heart of every interaction, we built a reputation for thoughtful, personalized customer experiences in Tennessee.
The first Cellular Sales market opened outside the state was North Carolina in 1997, soon followed by Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia. As the company grew, so did the complexity of opening new sites all over the country.
By 2007, Cellular Sales opened its first contact center to manage customer outreach and communication. And by 2008, the business was named to Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.
A huge step forward
Cellular Sales headquarters opened in Knoxville, TN, in 2015. The move consolidated the National Contact Center, Finance, and HR into one place, along with numerous other departments to support the company’s continued growth. 2018 saw the opening of our 700th store.
Now celebrating its 30th year, we’ve come a long way from where we started in 1993. Take a look at a few more of our major milestones by the numbers:
- We’ve been listed by Inc. Magazine a total of nine times
- We’re a three-time Verizon Agent of the Year
- Our team has grown to 7,000+ strong
- We now have over 780 stores
- Our markets span 40 states
Today, the company continues to thrive, selling the latest 5G phones, tablets, smartwatches, and accessories. We’re still providing a revolutionary retail model with white glove customer service and empowering our sales consultants to be experts in the industry.
A thrilling future
The year is now 2023. The top song on the Billboard charts so far is Taylor’s Swift’s “Anti-Hero” and the national average gas price is a whopping $3.28. Times and technology have changed. But we’re still here, delivering great experiences in neighborhoods all over the nation.
In three decades, we’ve been part of smartphone history‘s most game-changing developments, and seen the evolution of Verizon’s 5G Nationwide and Ultra Wideband network. We’re excited to navigate the changing landscape of wireless tech, and ready to keep meeting the needs of our customers at every turn.
We’re proud of the company we’ve built, with an incredible team that supports each other, our mission, and our customers every day. We plan to keep providing great experiences for years to come, tailoring technology solutions for the evolving and complex needs of businesses and consumers. Here’s to another 30 years at Cellular Sales, Verizon retail partner and your trusted local wireless experts.
Join the yearlong 30th anniversary celebration and enjoy our most recent deals at a store near you.
The industry leader for innovating the cellular retail landscape, Cellular Sales is the nation’s premier Verizon Authorized Retailer. Cellular Sales empowers more than 7,000 team members across nearly 800 locations to provide 1:1 customer service that tailors technology solutions for the evolving needs of businesses and consumers. Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Cellular Sales began as a single shopping mall kiosk, expanding over its 30-year history to Verizon’s largest volume producing retail partner. Known for providing world class customer and employee experiences, Cellular Sales has been named Verizon’s Agent of the Year both in 2021 and 2022. For more information on Cellular Sales, visit cellularsales.com.
