NATCO Succeeds with Quality Services
March 2006

Northern Arkansas Telephone Company (NATCO) keeps on succeeding after 55 years. It could be their experience in meeting customers’ needs.

Since the late founder, Ray Sanders, rolled up his sleeves to put his telephone training to work in the Ozarks of 1951, the Sanders family blazed the path for telephone service in the region.

Numerous activities show how NATCO provides the best technology and service. For example, the Open House and Technology Showcase held in September featured the excitement of a new Internet service via satellite for area residents in remote locations who could never before have any Internet service faster than a dial-up modem. Since August, installations of WildBlue satellite Internet have been going strong.

Also in the past year, NATCO has bundled advanced digital telephone services with Internet and NATCO Long Distance to meet the needs of most customers who use all three. For details, call 1-800-775-6682.

NATCO strives to provide high quality services with great technology and personal attention to all customers. Day to day management of NATCO rests in the hands of the third generation of owners, with Plant Manager/Vice President Steven Sanders Jr. His father, Steven G. Sanders continues as president, but resides out of state part-time.

Recently, the company mourned the passing of the founder’s widow. At the age of 97, company co-founder Mildred Sanders died at Mountain Home. Her presence in the company had been constant over the years, and employees remember that she enjoyed telling them about the company’s early days.

NATCO’s customers live in six telephone exchange areas in both Boone and Marion counties: Bull Shoals, Diamond City, Flippin, Lead Hill, Omaha, and Pyatt. Customers receive the most modern, digital services available, just like those in big cities. Remarkably, those in the NATCO territory have had these services for more than a decade, when NATCO invested in fiber optic technology.

This time of year, attention focuses on preparing the upcoming phone book. The Ozark Regional Directory is NATCO’s phone directory, and advertising orders can be made through March by calling the toll-free number, 1-800-775-6682 or in Flippin 453-8800. NATCO sees the Ozark Regional Directory as a way to provide useful community information. The directory covers the entire area, including Harrison, Yellville, and Mountain Home areas. Local “help” numbers like fire and police are easy to read because the type is large and clear. You could say the Ozark Regional Directory covers its three counties both forward and backward, because there are reverse listings for all numbers, not just the NATCO exchanges.

NATCO’s directory is a convenient six-by-nine inch size, with 400 listings pages, 150 yellow pages, and about 40 community pages. Extra directories are available free throughout the area, at chamber of commerce offices and businesses. To find out where to pick up a spare Ozark Regional Directory, call NATCO toll-free at 1-800-775-6682.

An added bonus of the Ozark Regional Directory is the area’s only telephone company based Web yellow pages, NATCO’s Online Yellow Pages.

NATCO sponsors several regular events for customers of all ages and interests, the Open House, the annual children’s Coloring Contest and Essay Contest, and NATCO High Speed Challenge at North Central Arkansas Speedway. Through its South Shore Foundation, NATCO provides scholarships to high-school graduates heading to college and adults developing job skills, and honors up to three outstanding teachers in South Shore area schools. Grants are available to nonprofit groups with projects that improve education, preserve the environment and promote economic development.

Adding to its long list of services during 2005, NATCO offered online movies. Continuing services include: eight Internet plans, with three levels of speed in DSL and satellite, free around-the-clock technical support, a local portal page featuring local movie listings, lake levels, weather, etc.

New in 2004 were NATCO’s Online Yellow Pages and an accelerator for dial-up Internet services. Around-the-clock technical support, which began in September 2004, includes weekends and holidays. The toll-free number for NATCO Technologies’ customers to call is: 1-888-276-8059.