Pioneer Telephone Cooperative has carved out an entire week of this National Cooperative Month to say “thank you” to its customers.

The Kingfisher-based cooperative is hosting its annual “Customer Appreciation Week” Oct. 21-25.

At each one of its 27 retail or cellular locations, including Kingfisher, Pioneer is offering prizes, treats and special, limited-time offers.

The offers include a chance to earn a $30 Netflix card with Pioneer Internet promotion; a $30 one-time service credit when you sign up for new Pioneer Cellular rate plans; and free activation with any new commitment for Pioneer Security (See Pioneer’s ad in the Sunday, Oct. 20 edition).

Those attending will also receive a registration gift while supplies last and will be registered to win a $50 credit on a Pioneer account.

Customers are also encouraged to ask Pioneer employees about SmartHub, a new account management tool Pioneer will soon be launching.

SmartHub will allow customers to:

• Manage their accounts;

• View and pay their bills;

• Monitor usage 24 hours a day, seven days a week;

• Report service issues, and,

• Receive important notices.

SmartHub is web- and mobile-based, so all of those features will be available “in the palm of your hand or online.”

Customer Appreciation Week is just part of Pioneer’s celebration of 66 years in business.

Those 66 years have seen the Kingfisher-based cooperative continually adapt to meet its customers needs.

One of the latest examples is Pioneer’s current task of replacing its 40-year-old copper network with fiber to help bring gig service to all of its members and customers.

“I see the new vision of bringing fiber-optic broadband services to the cooperative members as another chapter in the company’s great history,” Pioneer General Manager Richard Ruhl told the Times & Free Press last summer.

Pioneer is being aided in that quest by the federally-funded Alternative Connect America Fund Model (A-CAM).

Through A-CAM, Pioneer will receive more than $200 million over 10 years to build fiber-optic networks in rural areas.

Those funds helped account for $24 million of the record-high net margins of $34 million last fiscal year.

That’s just part of Pioneer’s solid financial footing. It boasted $371 million in total assets last fiscal year.

“Next year, I imagine it will be $400 million in assets, which is huge,” said Ruhl.

While A-CAM is beneficial for Pioneer providing for its rural customers, the cooperative realizes the need to power cities of its 76 exchanges as well.

Currently, Pioneer is working on building the fiber networks in Newcastle and Blanchard, a nearly $52 million dollar investment.

Pioneer also plans on doing a complete overbuild in Hennessey then Kingfisher, followed by Crescent and Watonga.

Additionally, the cooperative has applied for the Re-Connect grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which will cover the cost to build fiber in rural areas too expensive for A-CAM to cover.

Pioneer last year gave out nearly $11 million in patronage disbursements. Member equity was reported at 77 percent.

“If you have service with Pioneer, your equity, or your ownership, is $288 million,” Ruhl said.

That despite spending tens of millions of its own cash reserves for the fiber build-out and not taking on any debt.

“Most generally, a company of this size is owned by the bank; they have a lot of debt,” Ruhl said.

Pioneer has also distributed nearly $1 million in scholarships since 1991.

Ruhl said the strength of the Pioneer lies in its 570 employees, management team and board of directors.

The management team includes: David Post, vice president of human resources and legal; Jerry Kadavy, vice president of network operations; Kim Grellner, vice president of marketing, sales and service, and Jim Eaton, vice president of finance and administration.

Board members are Mike Dobrinski (District 1), Mark Fuqua (District 2), Loyd Benson (District 3), Gail Parker (District 4), Gabe Green (District 5), Dave Krittenbrink (District 6), Jack H. Choate III (District 7), David Shepard (District 8), Joe Kegin (District 9), Dennis Mueggenborg (District 10), Leroy Lage (District 11), Mary Petty (District 12) and Linda Dich Randall (District at-large).

Ruhl said the entire Pioneer team continues to look to the future.

Included in the cooperative’s five- and 10-year plans is to expand and enhance the wireless business, including plans to provide LTE High definition Voice over IP (VoIP), and Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) capability as well as faster 4G and 5G services.

Building out the fiber-optic network will remain the focus of the landline side of the business for the next decade. The 12-year goal is to overbuild 95 percent of existing copper lines with fiber.

Ruhl said the life expectancy of fiber-optic cable is 25 to 30 years.

“So this overbuild takes the cooperative ‘landline’ business and vision well into the future,” Ruhl said.