Former Windstream COO Buys Colorado Mountain Bike Firm

Former Windstream COO Brent Whittington recently purchased a 100% stake in Steamboat Springs, Colo.-based  Moots Cycles, which manufactures premium titanium bicycle and component parts.

Whittington purchased the company from longtime owner, Chris Miller. Moots’ headquarters will remain in Steamboat Springs, and all employees, including President Butch Boucher, will remain in place to ensure continuity of operations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In the cycling community, Moots is known for its hand-crafted, high-end bicycle frames that are made for road, mountain and cross country racing.

“It’s incredible for me to have this unique opportunity to own one of the most respected cycling brands in the industry,” said Whittington, who resigned from the Little Rock telecom firm in August 2014. “I’m excited to help the Moots team continue to develop their innovative designs as the brand prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016. Maintaining its high quality standards, focusing on its handcrafted heritage and helping to support its talented team will be my main priorities as we embark on the next level of growth and service with our customers, dealer partners and distributor partners worldwide.”

Whittington, 44, served as chief operating officer at Windstream Holdings Inc. from 2009 to 2014. He oversaw the company’s business sales and service, network operations, engineering, information technology and enterprise marketing. Prior to that role, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Windstream from 2005 to 2009.

Since then, he has been an independent director at RigNet, Inc., a leading global provider of digital technology solutions to the oil and gas industry, since 2010. He also serves on the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas.