Attachment Attachment 2

This document pretains to ITC-T/C-20180131-00020 for Transfer of Control on a International Telecommunications filing.

IBFS_ITCTC2018013100020_1332400

                                     Before the
                      FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of the Application of     )
                                        )
Horizon Telcom, Inc.                    )
       Transferor,                      )             WC Docket No. 18- ____
                                        )
and                                     )
                                        )
Horizon Acquisition Parent, LLC         )
       Transferee                       )
                                        )
For Consent to Transfer Control         )
Pursuant to Section 214 of the          )
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. )


         APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF INDIRECT CONTROL OF
             HOLDERS OF DOMESTIC 214 AUTHORIZATIONS

       Horizon Telcom, Inc. (“Horizon” or “Transferor”) and Horizon Acquisition

Parent, LLC (“Transferee,” or “Parent” and with Transferor, the “Applicants”) hereby

request the Commission to consent to the transfer of indirect control of The Chillicothe

Telephone Company (“CTC”) and Horizon Technology, Inc. (“HTI” together with CTC,

the “Companies”), direct, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Horizon and holders of domestic

Section 214 authorizations, from Transferor to Transferee. Applicants submit that

prompt grant of this Application will serve the public interest.

                                      I. Background

       Horizon is a telecommunications holding company organized under the laws of

Ohio that is owned and controlled by various members and associates of the McKell

family. Horizon has two subsidiaries that hold blanket domestic Section 214

authorizations due to their present or past provision of domestic interstate

telecommunications services. CTC, which traces its roots back to 1895, is an incumbent


local exchange carrier that provides interstate exchange access and interstate

interexchange services to customers in ten exchanges within portions of the counties of

Ross, Pike, Pickaway, Jackson, Hocking, and Vinton in central Ohio. HTI is currently

inactive, but has previously provided interstate interexchange services within the same

central Ohio service area.

       As set forth in greater detail in Section IV, Transferee is a limited liability

company formed under the laws of Delaware. Transferee is controlled by its majority

shareholder, Novacap TMT V, L.P., a limited partnership formed under the laws of the

Province of Quebec (“TMT V”), an entity that, as discussed below, is ultimately

controlled by certain principals of Novacap Management Inc. (“Novacap”). Novacap is a

leading North American-based private equity group founded in 1981 and has extensive

experience purchasing, owning and operating diverse businesses. Novacap does not

currently control any FCC-regulated telecommunications operations.

                             II. Description of the Transaction

       Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Transferor,

Transferee, and Horizon Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc., an Ohio corporation (“Merger

Sub”), dated as of January 25, 2018 (the “Agreement”), the Applicants propose to

transfer control of the Section 214 authorizations held by the Companies through a

reverse triangular merger, wherein Merger Sub is formed by Transferee for the purpose

of merging with Horizon, which will be the survivor of the merger transaction (the

“Transaction”). Specifically, Transferee has formed Merger Sub, which will merge with

Horizon in accordance with the corporate law of the State of Ohio. As a result of the

proposed Transaction, Transferor will become a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of



                                              2


Transferee. The Applicants will also make necessary filings with state

telecommunications regulators with respect to this Transaction.

       After the proposed Transaction, the Companies will continue to operate in the

same service territories, and will in the immediate future continue to provide services to

their customers under the same rates and on the same terms and conditions following the

Transaction as they currently do today. There are no plans in place to transfer any of the

Companies’ customers to a new carrier or to change any customer service or billing

contact information as a result of the Transaction. Accordingly, the proposed Transaction

will be transparent to consumers.

           IV. Transfer of Control of Domestic Section 214 Authorizations

       Pursuant to Section 63.04(a) of the Commission’s Rules, Applicants submit

information required pursuant to Sections 63.04(a)(1) through 63.04(a)(12) of the

Commission’s Rules:

63.04(a)(1) Name, address and telephone number of each applicant:

Transferor:

       Horizon Telcom, Inc.
       68 East Main Street
       P.O. Box 480
       Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-0480
       Phone: (740) 772-8200
       Fax: (740) 774-3400

Transferee:

       Horizon Acquisition Parent, LLC
       375 Roland-Therrein Blvd.
       Suite 210
       Longueuil, Québec, J4H 4A6, Canada
       Phone: (450) 651-5000
       Fax: (450) 651-7585



                                             3


63.04(a)(2) Government, state or territory under the laws of which each corporate
or partnership applicant is organized

       Horizon Telcom, Inc., The Chillicothe Telephone Company and Horizon

Technology, Inc. are each corporations organized under the laws of the State of Ohio.

       Horizon Acquisition Parent, LLC is a limited liability company organized under

the laws of the State of Delaware. Horizon Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc. is a corporation

organized under the laws of the state of Ohio.



63.04(a)(3) Name, title, post office address, and telephone number of the officer or
contact point to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be
addressed:

For Transferor:

       William A. McKell, President
       Horizon Telcom, Inc.
       68 East Main Street
       P.O. Box 480
       Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-0480
       Phone: (740) 772-8200
       Fax: (740) 774-3400

               With a copy to:

       Gerard J. Duffy
       Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP
       2120 L Street, NW, Suite 300
       Washington, DC 20037
       Phone: (202) 659-0830
       Fax: (202) 828-5568
       gjd@bloostonlaw.com




                                            4


For Transferee:

       Thadeus J. Mocarski
       Josiane Turcotte
       Horizon Acquisition Parent, LLC
       375 Roland-Therrein Blvd.
       Suite 210
       Longueuil, Québec, J4H 4A6, Canada
       Phone: (450) 651-5000
       Fax: (450) 651-7585

              With a copy to:

       Sherrese M. Smith
       Andrew J. Erber
       Paul Hastings LLP
       875 15th Street, N.W.
       Washington, DC 20005
       Phone: (202) 551-1700
       Fax: (202) 551-1705
       sherresesmith@paulhastings.com
       andrewerber@paulhastings.com



63.04(a)(4) Name, address, citizenship and principal business of any person or
entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten percent of the equity of the
applicant entities.

Transferor:

       The name, address, citizenship and principal business of the sole entity having a

direct or indirect ownership and/or voting interest of ten percent (10.0%) or more in the

equity and voting power of CTC and HTI are:

                                      %
   Name & Address                Equity/Voting Citizenship Principal Business
   Horizon Telcom, Inc.            100.0%         Ohio     Telecommunications
   68 East Main Street                         Corporation
   Chillicothe, OH 45601




                                           5


       In turn, the names, addresses, citizenship and principal businesses of the entities

having a direct or indirect ownership and/or voting interest of ten percent (10.0%) or

more in the equity and voting power of Horizon Telcom, Inc. (“Horizon”) are:

                                    %
   Name & Address              Equity/Voting     Citizenship     Principal Business
   McKell Family Trust         Equity: 11.7%        Ohio         Investments
   David McKell, Trustee       Voting: 10.7%        Trust
   68 East Main Street
   Chillicothe, OH 45601

   Joseph S. McKell              Equity: 10.7%     Ohio          Investments
    Revocable Living Trust       Voting: 9.8%      Trust
   Mary G. McKell, Trustee
   68 East Main Street
   Chillicothe, OH 45601

       None of the other approximately 283 shareholders of Horizon Telcom, Inc. holds

a direct or indirect ownership and/or voting interest of ten percent (10.00%) or more in

the equity and voting power of the company.


       David McKell is the brother of Joseph S. McKell, who is the husband of Mary G.

McKell.


Transferee:

       The following entities currently hold, directly or indirectly, a ten percent (10%) or

greater equity interest in Transferee:

       1.      Horizon Acquisition Parent, LLC

      Name and Address                Voting      Equity          Place of       Principal
                                     Interests   Interests     Incorporation     Business
Novacap TMT V, L.P.                   55.49%      55.49%          Québec        Investment
375 Roland-Therrien Blvd.,
Suite 210
Longueuil, Québec J4H 4A6,
Canada


                                             6


      Name and Address                    Voting          Equity          Place of           Principal
                                         Interests       Interests     Incorporation         Business
Novacap International TMT V,              40.20%          40.20%          Québec            Investment
L.P.1
Other shareholders, each of                4.31%          4.31%                --                 --
whom holds less than a 10%
interest

        2.       Novacap TMT V, L.P.

       Name and Address                   Voting          Equity          Place of           Principal
                                         Interests       Interests     Incorporation         Business
Novacap Management Inc.                    100%           0.001 %         Québec            Investment
Limited Partners2                           0%           99.999%             --                  --

        3.       Novacap International TMT V, L.P.

       Name and Address                    Voting         Equity           Place of          Principal
                                          Interests      Interests      Incorporation        Business
Novacap Management Inc.                     100%          0.001 %          Québec           Investment
Limited Partners3                            0%          99.999%              --                 --

        4.       Novacap Management Inc.

        For purposes of controlling Novacap TMT V, L.P.’s interest in Transferee, the

Board of Directors of Novacap Management Inc. has delegated to the TMT Investment

Committee all decision-making authority in connection with its role as the general partner

of Novacap TMT V, L.P. in relation to its interest in Transferee. The members of the

TMT Investment Committee are included in the following table, and the majority of the

members are also shareholders of Novacap Fund Management Inc., the corporate parent

of Novacap Management Inc., which holds 100% of the voting interests in Novacap



1
 The address of all Novacap entities is 375 Roland-Therrien Blvd., Suite 210, Longueuil, Québec
J4H 4A6, Canada.
2
  The limited partners of Novacap TMT V, L.P. are passive investors, none of which holds an indirect
interest in more than 10% of the equity of Transferee.
3
  The limited partners of Novacap International TMT V, L.P. are passive investors, none of which holds an
indirect interest in more than 10% of the equity of Transferee.


                                                    7


Management Inc. Equity interests are indirectly held by the TMT Investment Committee

members, as presented in the following table.


  Name and Address           Voting      Equity      Place of    Principal Business
                            Interests   Interests Incorporation/          /
                                                    Citizenship       Position
Novacap Fund                 100%          0%         Québec         Investment
Management Inc.
Pascal Tremblay                0%       21.38%       Canada         Member of TMT
                                                                      Investment
                                                                      Committee
Stéphane Tremblay              0%       17.98%       Canada         Member of TMT
                                                                      Investment
                                                                      Committee
Thadeus Mocarski               0%       14.61%         US           Member of TMT
                                                                      Investment
                                                                      Committee
François Laflamme              0%       14.61%       Canada         Member of TMT
                                                                      Investment
                                                                      Committee
Étienne Antoine Veilleux       0%       11.72%       Canada         Member of TMT
                                                                      Investment
                                                                      Committee
Other TMT Investment           0%          3%           --                --
Committee Members,
each of whom holds less
than a 10% voting
interest
Other non-TMT                  0%        16.7%          --                 --
Investment Committee
Members, each of whom
holds less than a 10%
equity interest

       5.     Novacap Fund Management Inc.

       Voting interests expressed below relate to each individual’s voting interest in

Novacap Fund Management Inc. as such interest relates to Novacap Management Inc.’s

role as the general partner of Novacap TMT V, L.P. in relation to its interest in

Transferee:



                                            8


   Name and Address            Voting      Equity      Citizenship           Position
                              Interests   Interests
Pascal Tremblay                 25%          0%           Canada            Shareholder
Stéphane Tremblay               25%          0%           Canada            Shareholder
Thadeus Mocarski                25%          0%            US               Shareholder
François Laflamme               25%          0%           Canada            Shareholder



63.04(a)(5) Certification pursuant to 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.2001-1.2003 that no party to the
application is subject to denial of federal benefits pursuant to section 5301 of the
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. § 583.

       Applicants hereby certify, pursuant to 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.2001-1.2003, that to the best

of their knowledge, information, and belief, no party to this Application is subject to

denial of federal benefits pursuant to section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988,

21 U.S.C. § 583.


63.04(a)(6) Description of the transaction

       Please see Section II, above.


63.04(a)(7) Description of the geographic areas in which the transferor and
transferee (and their affiliates) offer domestic telecommunications services, and
what services are provided in each area

Transferor:

       Horizon is a holding company that does not directly provide domestic

telecommunications services. Rather, it is the parent company and sole stockholder of

CTC and HTI.

       CTC is a rural incumbent local exchange carrier (“ILEC”) authorized and

certificated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (“Ohio PUC”) to provide local

exchange telecommunications services and exchange access within ten local exchanges

(the Chillicothe, Massieville, Frankfort, Londonderry, Bainbridge, Kingston, Bourneville,


                                             9


Hallsville, Richmondale and Clarksburg exchanges) that serve portions of the central

Ohio counties of Ross, Pike, Pickaway, Jackson, Hocking, and Vinton. CTC provides

interstate exchange access and resells domestic interstate long distance toll services

within this central Ohio local exchange service area pursuant to a blanket Section 214

authorization from the Commission. It also provides custom calling services, Internet

access services and video services to customers within this central Ohio service area.

        CTC also has constructed, owns and operates an advanced fiber optic network

that offers telecommunications and information services to businesses, institutions and

wireless tower sites throughout southern and eastern Ohio and northwestern West

Virginia. This fiber network consists of approximately 4,300 route miles, serves portions

of 36 Ohio and West Virginia counties, and encompasses areas connecting the cities of

Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Youngstown. CTC also leases some fiber optic

facilities from third parties, and uses these facilities to extend its services into nearby

areas of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana.

        HTI is currently inactive, but has previously provided resold long distance toll

services and non-regulated communications services.

Transferee:

        Neither Transferee nor any of its affiliates offers domestic telecommunications

services.



63.04(a)(8) Statement as to how the application fits into one or more of the
presumptive streamlined categories in Section 63.03 of the Commission’s Rules or
why it is otherwise appropriate for streamlined treatment

        This Application satisfies the criteria set forth in Section 63.03(b)(1) for

presumptive streamlined processing because Transferee is not a telecommunications

                                              10


provider. Accordingly, this Application for the transfer of control of the Companies’

domestic Section 214 authorizations should be processed on a streamlined basis.

63.04(a)(9) Identification of all other Commission applications related to the same
transaction.

       The parties will file appropriate applications for transfer of control of two wireless

radio licenses held by CTC: Industrial Business Pool, Conventional, Station WQQQ530

(expires 2/12/23); and Industrial Business Pool, Conventional, Station KDS502 (expires

12/09/22).

       CTC will transfer control of its International Section 214 Authorization for Global

Resale (File No. ITC-214-20180110-00003, granted January 26, 2018) to Transferee.


63.04(a)(10) Statement of whether the applicants are requesting special
consideration because either party to the transaction is facing imminent business
failure.

       Neither party to the Transaction is facing imminent business failure. Therefore,

Applicants are not requesting special consideration for this reason.


63.04(a)(11) Identification of any separately filed waiver requests being sought in
conjunction with the transaction.

       No separately filed waiver requests are being sought in conjunction with the

Transaction.


63.04(a)(12) Statement showing how grant of the application will serve the public
interest, convenience and necessity, including any additional information that may
be necessary to show the effect of the proposed transaction on competition in
domestic markets

       Applicants submit that the proposed Transaction is consistent with the public

interest. The proposed ownership structure and investment participation will enable the



                                            11


continued provision of high-quality communications services to the Companies’

customers. Consummation of the proposed Transaction should enhance the ability of the

Companies to innovate and provide advanced network services to their customers, which

will in turn advance the telecommunications and information infrastructure of the states

in which the Companies operate and those states’ economic health.

       Moreover, the Transaction will be conducted in a manner that will be transparent

to the Companies’ customers. The Transaction will not result in any immediate change

of carrier for customers or any assignment of authorizations, and in no event will it result

in the discontinuance, reduction, loss, or impairment of service to customers. Following

consummation of the Transaction, the Companies will continue to provide high-quality

communications services to their customers without interruption and without immediate

change in rates, terms or conditions.

                         [Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]




                                             12


                                     V. Conclusion

       For the foregoing reasons, the Applicants respectfully request the expeditious

grant of this Application.


                                     Respectfully submitted,


                                     By:           /s/
                                            Sherrese M. Smith
                                            Andrew J. Erber
                                            Paul Hastings LLP
                                            875 15th Street, N.W.
                                            Washington, DC 20005
                                            (202) 551-1700
                                            sherresesmith@paulhastings.com
                                            andrewerber@paulhastings.com

                                            Counsel for Horizon Acquisition Parent,
                                            LLC



                                     By:           /s/
                                            Gerard J. Duffy
                                            Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy &
                                             Prendergast, LLP
                                            2120 L Street, NW, Suite 300
                                            Washington, DC 20037
                                            (202) 659-0830
                                            gjd@bloostonlaw.com

                                            Counsel for Horizon Telcom, Inc.




Date: January 26, 2018




                                           13


                  VERIFICATION OF HORIZON TELECOM, INC.

1, William A. McKell, state that I am President of Horizon Telcom, Inc, ("Transferor");
that I am authorized to make this Verification on behalf ofTransferor; that the foregoing
filing was prepared under my direction and supervision; and that the statements made in
the foregoing filing with respect to Transferor are true and correct to the best ofmy
knowledge, information and belief.

I declare under penalty ofperjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this
QZéé"‘‘day of January 2018.



 William A. McKell, President
 Horizon Telcom, Inc.


          VERIFICATION OF HORIZON ACQUISITION PARENT, LLC

I, Thadeus Mocarski, state that I am a member of Novacap Management, Inc.‘s TMT
Investment Committee, the indirect controlling shareholder of Transferee; that I am
authorized to make this Verification on behalf of Transferee; that the foregoing filing was
prepared under my direction and supervision; and that the statements made in the
foregoing filing with respect to Transferee are true and correct to the best of my
knowledge, information and belief.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this
* day of January 2018.



    A C
Thadeus Mocarski, Member of TMT Investment Committee
Novacap Management, Inc.



Document Created: 2018-01-31 13:36:38
Document Modified: 2018-01-31 13:36:38

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