FMCTC appreciates members, owners & communities during annual picnics
480 new Fiber Customers Installed in 2025
FMCTC kicked off the summer with four area customer appreciation picnics: June 1 in Hancock, June 2 in Harlan, June 3 in Irwin and June 4 in Earling serving over 1,000 current and future customers, serving Pizza Ranch chicken and all the fixins.
“What a wonderful week getting out in the communities visiting with our friends and member-owners,” stated CEO Tom Conry. “These annual picnics are a lot of work but always very rewarding. We hold four picnics each summer; 3 we move around between our 17 areas and one is centralized in Harlan, to be closer to the most people and limit travel.”
Conry said the work begins months in advance, determining the locations, working with local groups and locations to secure the sites and coordinating all that chicken with Pizza Ranch.
“Jackie Cote from Pizza Ranch is so great to work with. They are always on the ball helping us coordinate and organize these events, not to mention preparing the food and delivering to each location for 4 nights straight. They really do a wonderful job. We’re also grateful to all the people in the communities who help us in securing the locations and get the word out about the picnics.”
CASH PRIZE Winners Include:
“In 2025, our Board approved a new Vision Statement . . . ‘We are a Fiber Broadband
Cooperative providing our Members and Community value through on demand connectivity to the world.’ Since everyone is so dependent on the Internet, we understand how important a solid, reliable, fast fiber connection is,” stated Conry.
“Over our 122 years, FMCTC has seen changes in the many areas; services, technology, service area and our team. We are member minded, and member focused as described in our new Vision Statement. We are staffed, and continue to staff, to meet customer needs, the workplan, service, training to meet new & future needs.”
“FMCTC continues to make Member Service our number one priority. Our goal is always to show up and bring the best to each member. We have a great team who works hard to improve our customers’ service every day. In 2025, we connected 480 new customers to fiber; what a huge year!”
“Since 1993, the FMCTC board has authorized returning over $29,944,288 to members in the form of patronage dividends. That is BIG money that circulates in our communities. We strive to continue providing this valuable benefit, that other providers do not, and find ways to return capital credits that show member real value,” stated Boad Charman, Lynn Schmitz. “The effort of positive, hardworking employees, excellent accountants, engineers, contractors, and board members all pulling together is paramount to our success.”
“We really appreciate our customers/owners, staff and communities we serve. Giving out a little Pizza Ranch chicken and taking time to visit with them each year is the least we can do. We’re very grateful,” ended Conry.
Since 1904 (over 122 years), FMCTC has been dedicated to providing the highest quality services at the best prices to their members/customers. As a full-service telecommunications provider, they offer an array of communications options including Internet, local telephone service, long distance, digital television and business phone system sales and service.
Services are provided to nearly 6,000 customers in the rural and urban areas of Aspinwall, rural Avoca, Corley, Defiance, Dunlap, Earling, Hancock, Harlan, Irwin, Jacksonville, Kirkman, Manilla, Panama, Portsmouth, rural Shelby, Tenant and Westphalia in Southwest Iowa.
