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Telesystem, the Ohio-based business communications company, has added another master agent to its “elite” tier.

North Carolina-based VentureGroup has joined Telesystem’s partner program as an elite agent. The master agency has worked with Telesystem for 10 years but is now joining the program’s upper echelon that earns the highest bonuses and residual revenue.

Telesystem’s Bruce Wirt

“VentureGroup is a longstanding and trusted brand in the master-agent community and I could not be happier to welcome them to our elite agent program,” said Bruce Wirt, Telesystem’s vice president of channel sales. “I look forward to growing the relationship together that began with our legacy LSI [Line Systems Inc.] division. As our channel strategy continues to move toward the master-agency model, we look for partners like VG that have substantial back-office resources to assist with quote generation, account management and marketing activities.”

Telesystem’s move toward a “master agency model” has led to numerous announcements in the last three months. The company has highlighted its stable of elite agents, which includes Telarus, TBI and, most recently Telegration,

VentureGroup CEO Doug Turpin praised Telesystem’s offerings, which include voice, data network and security products.

“Telesystem has not only created a well-rounded portfolio of services but has also created some innovative niche products, such as secure internet, that allow it to stand out in the market,” Turpin said. “We believe that having Telesystem’s products is a terrific addition to our portfolio of vendors.”

The master agent was founded in 1992, two years before Telesystem.