One year after breaking ground on a new home for one of the wireless infrastructure industry’s most important trade associations, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association officially opened the doors of its new headquarters last week, welcoming members, partners, friends, and community leaders to experience what had been, just twelve months earlier, nothing more than a vision on paper.
The ribbon cutting by NATE Chairman of the Board Victor Drouin was followed by a community open house that drew attendees from across the industry and the Watertown community — a fitting tribute to an organization that has called this South Dakota city home for more than 30 years.
A Building Designed with Purpose
NATE’s new headquarters is located at 105 28th Street Northeast, just west of the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena. The site was chosen with both function and atmosphere in mind, with a pond behind the building enhancing the setting of a facility that features a beautiful open lobby, a well-designed floor plan, and an abundance of windows that allow natural light throughout the building.
The centerpiece of that lobby is a custom mural created by Watertown artist Dustin Sinner, whose work is deeply rooted in the traditions and spirit of South Dakota. His commissioned work for NATE gives the building an immediate sense of identity and place as soon as visitors walk through the front door.
The design-build process involved numerous Watertown businesses and contractors, including Tony Arnold Construction and Larry’s Lumber — reflecting NATE’s commitment to investing in the local community that has been its home since the association’s founding.
Growth Drove the Move
NATE Chief Operating Officer Paula Nurnberg, who spoke with local media ahead of the opening, said the new facility was years in the making and was ultimately driven by the organization’s continued expansion. NATE currently employs 14 staff members, including nine who work on-site in Watertown. The new building was designed with those employees — and the members they serve — squarely in mind.
Nurnberg credited the NATE Board of Directors, President and CEO Todd Schlekeway, and staff for their roles in the design-build process, noting that the project was a true team effort from concept through completion.
Founding Members Honored
Among the most meaningful moments of the opening were the faces in the crowd. Representatives of NATE’s founding members were on hand for the occasion, including Craig Snyder, as well as Lorraine Carlson and Kari Carlson, honoring the legacy of the late Bill Carlson — the pioneering industry figure for whom NATE’s highest lifetime honor, the Bill Carlson Lifetime Service Award, is named. Their presence served as a powerful reminder of the individuals whose vision, leadership, and dedication helped shape NATE into the organization it is today.
In remarks marking the occasion, Schlekeway reflected on what the new building represents: the new space is more than just an office — it’s a reflection of NATE’s continued growth and the association’s commitment to serving the communications infrastructure industry through safety, advocacy, education, and collaboration.
Thirty Years and Still Growing
NATE has been headquartered in Watertown for more than 30 years, serving as the leading trade association for companies that build, maintain, and service communications infrastructure across the United States and around the world. Founded on March 31, 1995, NATE provides members with uniform safety standards, improved communications, and a unified voice to help shape the future of the tower industry.
While the organization was originally formed as the National Association of Tower Erectors to support companies involved in radio, television, and cellular tower construction, its mission has expanded considerably over three decades to encompass broadband, small cells, distributed antenna systems, and the full spectrum of communications infrastructure that connects the modern world.
The new building is a physical expression of that growth — larger, more capable, and designed to support the next chapter of an organization that has never stopped evolving since Craig Snyder, Bill Carlson, and a small group of industry visionaries gathered to found it more than three decades ago.
