Isn't That Rich Podcast

If you live or work in Southern Illinois, you’ve probably heard the name Protek. You might even rely on them every day for your internet connection. But what you may not know is how their story began...in a driveway with a homemade plasma table, a Facebook post that went viral overnight, and a small team determined to solve a big problem.

What started as one man’s idea has grown into a company connecting thousands of homes and businesses across the region, powered by grit, community support, and a partnership with Farmers State Bank that helped turn possibility into progress.

From a Driveway Plasma Table to a Real Business

In 2015, Cam McCurdy was helping a family business that needed custom metal parts. Finding a local supplier was tough, so he built a plasma table at home. What started as a way to cut metal soon became something much bigger when his wife suggested making personalized steel door hangers.

“I just threw something out on Facebook,” Cam said. “If I build a tower and broadcast internet, who would be interested? Overnight about a hundred people signed up. That was the moment I knew this could be a business.”

Orders poured in, the Shopify site went live, and Protek Designs was born. But one major problem loomed...the internet. Running an online business on rural DSL was like trying to race a tractor on the interstate. When Cam realized his neighbors were struggling too, he saw opportunity in the problem.

Soon, a 150-foot homemade tower stood in his driveway. Cam and a few friends built it themselves, hired a local crane to stand it upright, and climbed it, despite his fear of heights.

“The first time I climbed that tower, I cussed myself to about a hundred feet,” he laughed. “But after a few climbs, you just do it. It’s the same splat at ten feet as it is at one hundred fifty.”

By 2016, Cam quit his full-time job to focus on Protek. The first hundred subscribers became two hundred, and the first small acquisition, Cardinal Wireless in Anna, set the stage for the partnership that would change everything: Farmers State Bank.

The Pivot to Fiber — and a Bold Bet on Rural Communities

In 2020, while many providers stayed focused on fixed wireless, Protek made a different bet.

“If we were going to invest at this level,” Cam said, “we wanted a twenty-year asset. Fiber was the answer.”

Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity launched a grant program to expand rural broadband. The application process was specialized and intimidating, so the Protek team wrote it themselves.

And they won! Round Two funded roughly a thousand passings. Round Three funded even more. With private investment and matching funds, Protek now had the runway to build 10,000 more passings, and they did it on time and under budget.

“We talked to a lot of banks,” said Cam. “Most said yes until the loan committee said no. Farmers State Bank was different from the first meeting. They gave us quick, straight answers and a real plan. Together we structured a USDA-backed facility, brought in top telecom appraisers, and closed a $20 million deal that put fiber in the ground instead of paperwork on a desk.”

That partnership became the foundation of Protek’s growth. Farmers State Bank worked hand in hand with the team to navigate USDA loan guarantees, coordinate with state and national offices, and solve challenges as they came.

“The whole way through,” Cam said, “it felt like one team solving problems, not a lender waiting for us to figure it out. None of this happens without a local bank willing to do the hard work with us.”

The Hardest Part Wasn’t the Dirt

You might think the toughest challenge would be boring under roads or threading conduit around utilities. In reality, it was finding the match dollars to unlock state funding.

In rural areas, running fiber can cost $12,000 to $15,000 just to pass a single address. Grants only go so far, and collateral is literally underground. Farmers State Bank helped structure a USDA Business & Industry–backed facility that made it possible to fund the project responsibly, a rare move for a community bank but one that paid off.

That $20 million facility closed on September 18, 2025. Three million refinanced older debt. Seventeen million became the local match that allowed Protek to put real fiber in the ground connecting families, schools, and businesses that had been waiting for years.

“September 18 is burned into my brain,” Cam said. “I slept different on the nineteenth. It felt like the weight came off and the work could run.”

What Fiber Changes At Home and At Work

The pandemic changed everything about how people connect. What used to be a luxury is now a lifeline. Schools expect every student to have reliable internet. Employers require secure connections for remote work. Protek’s fiber made that possible, and in areas still waiting for construction, their mobile hotspot solution became a game-changer for families working or studying from home.

Fiber also fuels local jobs. Between Protek, Northridge IT Services, and EcoFleet, about fifty people rely on the company for employment. During peak construction, that number doubled with local contractors, most of them Illinois residents.

“There are people who had nothing before,” Cam said. “Now they have city speeds in the country. That’s a game changer.”

What’s Next

Protek is finishing current projects in Elkville, Dowell, parts of Dongola, and the southern side of Anna, while launching new builds in Zeigler and Royalton. As grants evolve, they plan to keep investing privately to expand into more “rurally dense” communities that larger providers overlook.

“People ask why we’re just outside of town and not in town yet,” Cam explained. “Some areas cost a lot to pass a single address. Grants help, but our match is still real money, about a quarter of every project. As things change, you’ll see us push even deeper into those communities.”

For Entrepreneurs: Try, Then Try Smarter

If you’re building something of your own, Cam’s advice is simple and honest:

“If you think the cost of trying is hard, wait until someone sends you the bill for not trying. There are a thousand reasons not to start. Start anyway. Find partners who give you quick, honest answers and roll with you when hurdles show up.”

Farmers State Bank believes in doing exactly that, taking on the hard-to-do loans, the complex partnerships, and the projects that make a lasting impact. Together, Protek and Farmers State Bank proved that big things can grow from small towns when local partnerships stay rooted in trust, persistence, and a shared purpose.

Want to Check Availability?

Protek has an address checker and interactive map on their website, plus a local team ready to talk through options. You can also call 618-207-2545 and ask for Greg. If your address isn’t in the current fiber area, ask about their hotspot solution, it has helped many bridge the gap while new areas are built.