World drone fleet ConnexiCore moving to Milford

By Frances Ruth Harris
MILFORD — The drones are coming!
Frank J. Segarra, president and CEO of ConnexiCore, showcased a drone from one his 40 piloted fleets across the country. At the Community House in Milford, he instructed the drone to rise above the conference room table. It was trying hard to find its satellite coordinates.
The drone carries a 360 degree camera. There is nothing the camera can't see, nothing it can't record, depending on the sensors it carries, Segarra said.
"I'm in the process of the uberization of commercial drones flights in the U.S.," he said.
ConnexiCore will eventually include 200 piloted fleets this year. And the company is moving to Milford.
"He will be hiring 20 people in an industry that didn't exist," Mike Sullivan, executive director of the Pike County Economic Development Authority, said of Segarra.
A Lords Valley resident, Segarra met Mike Sullivan when a good friend suggested he hold free workshop for realtors in Pike County on the benefits of aerial drone photography and cinematography in selling real estate.
"Well, as you can imagine this blossomed into a pretty serious focus on the available market right here in our community — give or take 100 miles," Segarra said. "Upon getting an in-depth market research analysis, I’ve decided at some point in the near future to open up headquarters operations in the Milford region."
ConnexiCore's world headquarters will be located in Milford in a matter of days, in fact, with the definitive physical location is being determined now.
The way of the futureSegerra said many industries will soon be using drones. The police are partnering with Multilink to use drones streamed into their networks, he said. Thermographic images by flights over agricultural fields can predict the status of crops relative to water and other variables.
"The uses are unlimited," he said.
He said drones give actionable data choices. Drone use will improve work flows dramatically. The staging at his plant in Milford will be more accurate than satellites, he said.
He has an app on his phone that allows him to instantly insure a drone for $1 million an hour.
Sullivan joined Segerra for his presentation before the Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners in mid-March.
"For more than 31 years, Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners has provided early-stage, technology-based firms and established manufacturers with funding, business and technical expertise, and access to a network of innovative, expert resources," said Sullivan in an email. "A company like ConnexiCore is a natural constituent of the BFTP because it is a new company with a great idea that employs technology and will provide new jobs for Pennsylvania. ConnexiCore has already made a presentation to the BFTP board and has been accepted through the first part of the process. This is a great achievement which might provide Frank Segarra with a possible path for rapid and extraordinary development with technical and marketing advice plus, possibly give ConnexiCore access to venture capital funding."
Segerra began in avionics when he was in the military. He worked on the electronic control and targeting systems used on combat aircraft.
He spent six years on the USS Kitty Hawk then worked at a start-up software company. He grew the business from zero to $12 million in revenue. Then venture capitalists wanted it, so he sold it.
ConnexiCore has locations in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.
Segarra said Sullivan is the reason he's settling his fleet of drones in Milford.
"Everything he touches is cutting edge," Sullivan said. It is a great organization and, it is a great service to Pennsylvania and Pike County."
Drones are not allowed in the national park. Kathleen Sandt, National Park Service Public Affairs Specialist for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, said, after reading this article, "It might be good to remind readers that all drones are strictly prohibited in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and all national park units."
Editor's note: This article has been updated from the original.