By Randy Smith
As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s a time for reflecting on the journey we’ve shared as a cooperative. I’ve had the privilege to call Dixie Electric home for 39 years. It’s been remarkable to see the co-op evolve through the years, with technology advancing at an astonishing pace. In many ways, these advancements have transformed how we serve you, enhancing reliability, convenience, and safety. But amid all the progress, one constant has remained: our unwavering commitment to our mission of powering communities and empowering lives.
When I first joined Dixie Electric, many of our tools and processes were quite different from what you see today. We had a couple of digger trucks for setting poles and one bucket truck. Almost all the work of providing service and restoring power involved the linemen climbing poles. They still climb poles today, but the fleet of vehicles and the specialized tools we have now allow our linemen to work safer and more efficiently than in the past. Not only does this equipment protect our men and women in the field, but it also allows us to restore power faster when outages occur. These improvements reflect our commitment to continually investing in both our people and the resources they need to serve you well.
It’s not just vehicles and tools that have transformed the way we serve. Innovations in technology—from automated meter reading to modern outage management systems—have enabled us to improve service for our members, respond faster to outages, and offer more convenience in how you manage your energy use. These advancements ensure that we’re not only meeting today’s needs but preparing for the future. Our priority has always been, and continues to be, delivering the reliable, affordable service our members expect.
But even with all this change, the single greatest asset we have continues to be our people, the ones who make up this cooperative. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team that works diligently and a committed board of directors that has supported and guided us at every turn. At Dixie Electric, our goal is to be more than just a power provider—we are neighbors, friends, and partners in the growth of our community.
This Thanksgiving, I want to thank you for being part of our co-op family and for placing your trust in us. As we continue to advance and adapt, you can count on us to stay focused on what matters most: empowering lives and powering the communities we all call home.