Blackfoot Telecommunications Group marks 60 years of rapid change

In the summer of 1954, a pioneering group of men and women from all over western Montana officially organized Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Association Inc., and the first capital stock subscriptions cost $50 apiece. The first 10 investors, five of whom were women, raised a princely sum of $500 to start the cooperative. The most centralized location seemed to be Missoula, so that’s the spot they picked for the headquarters.

Thus, a company was born that would survive six decades of change, from rotary telephones to high-speed broadband cable and Internet access, and now plays an important role in the local economy.

Blackfoot Telecommunications Group https://www.blackfoot.com/ , as it is known today, is a regional diversified broadband company with 170 employees, $105 million in assets and customers in over 30 Montana and Idaho communities.

By David Erickson

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/business/local/blackfoot-telecommunications-group-marks-years-of-rapid-change/article_5df60346-d7cd-11e3-89a6-0019bb2963f4.html