Oct 14, 2016 | posted by Jason Nugent
October 14, 2016 - Canby, OR: On November 1st, Canby Telephone Association (d.b.a. Canby Telcom) and Mt. Angel Telephone Company will begin to operate as a single telecommunications cooperative under a new name, DirectLink!
Mt. Angel Telephone Company to change to a telephone cooperative on January 1, 2017
Canby Telephone Association acquired Mt. Angel Telephone Company nine years ago. Since then, Mt. Angel Telephone Company has functioned as an independent operating company, while Canby Telephone Association operated as a telecommunications cooperative under the assumed business name, Canby Telcom. The Canby Telephone Association Board of Directors is pleased to demonstrate their commitment to the Mt. Angel and Canby communities with the unification of Mt. Angel Telephone Company and Canby Telephone Association as a cooperative telecommunications association effective January 1, 2017.
A cooperative business is one that is founded on members’ values and needs including cooperative principles, community commitment and interaction, cooperative buying power and economic advantage. Essentially, it’s people helping people. Every day, the employees of Canby Telephone Association seek to demonstrate that a cooperative enterprise helps to build a better world. They not only deliver information, communication and entertainment, but also strive to provide exceptional services at competitive rates and to improve the quality of life in the communities served through donations to local nonprofits, educational opportunities and employee volunteerism.
When both companies were formed more than a century ago, their goal was to provide telephone “connections” for their patrons and community. The telephone industry has undergone considerable changes over the last century, most recently a significant shift towards a focus on Internet and video. Both Canby and Mt. Angel locations followed suit and are no longer “just a telephone company.” However, their core values remain to build and serve these new and upcoming connections for their members.
Both Companies change to DirectLink on November 1, 2016
The business names Canby Telcom and Mt. Angel Telephone Company no longer reflect this evolution from providing simple telecommunications to the technology of today and tomorrow. In anticipation of the consolidation between Canby Telcom and Mt. Angel Telephone Company in January they are renewing their combined mission to deliver a direct link through Internet, Video, Voice and other communications services that provide unlimited potential for the communities served. They are assuming a new business name and brand identity that better reflects those combined services and values: DirectLink.
Although the name and brand identity are changing, the cooperative core remains as Canby Telephone Association. The staff, office locations, and commitment to community, service and innovation remain steadfast. The DirectLink brand promise to both new and existing membership is “We’re here for you.”
“DirectLink is committed to be here for the community, to be here for its members, to be here for its employees, and to be here for today’s technology and services,” stated Paul Hauer, President. ” We’re excited to continue to partner with our members as a cooperative that puts people first and look forward to continuing to serve our membership as DirectLink.”
DirectLink members will receive a detailed letter describing the change and the reasoning behind it. The company has indicated that additional information will be coming for members and the communities served in the weeks ahead. Preliminary information on the brand change before the November 1 launch can be found at www.directlink.coop.
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