CO-OP SPIRIT
“We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how ‘bout you?”
Ahhhhh….fall is here! Vibrant, golden leaves filling nature’s palate and the feel of cool, crisp sweatshirt weather beckoning our spirit to lift and appreciate the happenings all around us. Football, homecoming celebrations, harvest and Halloween consume the month of October for many of us. Even with a slight chill in the air, there is still a warm sentiment for this eventful season. Yet, for TrioTel, our spirit this month, thrives on another fall occasion. October is National Co-op Month!
So, what’s the big deal?
A cooperative is a member-owned and controlled business that operates for the mutual benefit of its members. In the United States, there are over 29,000 cooperatives, in virtually every industry, and about 350 million memberships. What sets co-ops apart from any other business, is the set of shared values that help contribute towards local economies. Honesty, fair pricing, advanced solutions and social responsibility are values that most cooperatives demonstrate through their practices and procedures. Cooperatives invest back in local communities by employing local people, contributing to local organizations, and by keeping earned profits circulating in their local communities.
Prove It!
When you subscribe to telephone, TV or Internet service with TrioTel, you are not just a customer. You are a member! This means that every decision made is based on you and your preferences as a consumer. And while TrioTel continues to offer advanced technology solutions, we also take social responsibility to the next level. Here are a few examples:
- Each year, TrioTel allocates a percentage of the previous year’s margins back to members. The margins, or profits, are allocated to members in proportion to the amount of dollars that each member individually spends on applicable telecommunication services. Coincidently, every October, the allocations are paid out in the form of a check, also known as a capital credit check. By the way, please cash your TrioTel capital credit check!
- In 2013 alone, TrioTel donated over $18,000 back into to our local communities and organizations.
- Local school sponsorships and youth recreation program contributions total on average $1,500 annually.
- “Blue Jeans on Fridays” is a special TrioTel employee-created fund, in which employees donate to local families and communities year round, as well as give special gifts during the holiday season.
- As a local cooperative, TrioTel is actively involved in the communities we serve and continues to participate in economic development efforts, school functions, and community fundraisers. It’s pretty simple, like most co-ops, TrioTel considers business to be personal. This becomes a critical part of what drives our actions; in the end, making us a more integral part of our members and local communities. Thank you for your continued patronage and the spirit, you, as members, give us to stay in touch with the communities we serve and the technology we provide.