1949 was the year my father founded KSTN radio station in Stockton, CA. This was his passion; however, he saw the value in two-way radio, mobile telephones, and pagers. He was an industry pioneer, paving the way for what we know today as cellular telephone service. Knox LaRue, Sr. operated under the names Atlas Radiophone and General Communications.
At 14 I began working for my father, but long before that I showed an interest in radios and how they functioned. As young as three I was often found “fixing” old, discarded radios. Recognizing my aptitude and interest in the business, Dad put me on the payroll. I worked alongside the technicians learning along the way.
Working for family isn’t always easy, and like most young men, I wanted to do things my way, so I briefly left to work for GTE MobileNet, now Verizon Wireless. While there, I began building my own two-way radio business. By 1989 I was on my own, full time by 1990 selling and repairing two-way-radios, providing 450 Mhz and 800 Mhz repeater service, providing paging service, and by the late 1990’s I was acquiring my own tower sites. By the early 2000’s I acquired my first commercial building enlarging my radio business, expanding to include buying and selling used equipment and adding employees to aid in the expansion.