Arvig History
Established in 1950, East Ottertail Telephone Company has grown from a small family owned telephone company to one of the largest independent telecommunications providers in the nation.
Like many family-owned businesses in Minnesota, an entrepreneurial spirit has driven the growth of the company, now known as Arvig. Over the past 60 years, the company’s leaders have been progressive risk-takers, delivering cutting-edge technology to residential and business customers in a growing number of rural communities in Minnesota.
The company’s roots began in Perham, Walker and Twin Valley, Minnesota. In June of 2005, Arvig expanded its service area with the purchase of Midwest, Osakis and Peoples Telephone Companies. Over the years the Arvig service area has grown substantially to include many Minnesota communities, in which Arvig offers customers a choice for their communication and entertainment services.
As a community-based provider, Arvig takes pride in offering advanced communications services to customers of Arvigthat often exceed communications services available to metro area customers. We proudly proclaim there is no digital divide in the Arvig service area! Arvig consistently reinvests in technology and network operations to continue to deliver next generation communications services. We value and appreciate the customers and communities we serve,
and demonstrate that by continued financial and human commitment to the communities in which we live and do business.
Internet, Digital TV and Telephone
Arvig communicates with our customers to determine what they want and need to live, work and expand their businesses in rural Minnesota. We are committed to educating our customers about the digital world of communications and entertainment that enhances their lives and community. Arvig currently provides these services:
- High Speed Internet
- Digital TV; including premium channels, DMX Music, PPV, DVR and HD service
- Local Telephone
- Long Distance
- Calling Features: Voice Mail, Caller ID, InTouch and many more
- Verizon Wireless phones and service
- Internet Features: E-mail Filtering, SecureIT Plus and WebMail
- Directory Publishing Group, including Yellow Pages advertisement sales
- Time Communications, Call Answering Service
- Communication Systems & Wiring
- Security Solutions
- Web Hosting
Our Mission and Vision
We live and work toward the vision that Arvig will be the leading provider of Internet, digital TV and telephone in our region, delivering next generation communications services with exceptional customer care.
Our team of over 300 employee-owners of Arvig is dedicated to serving the needs of our customers with dependable and progressive communications, information and entertainment services. The high level of quality and professionalism with which the company promotes, markets and sells Internet, digital TV and telephone service in the area often exceeds the quality of many national communications companies.
Arvig became an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company in 2001, with plans that the company would eventually become 30% employee-owned. The ESOP combined with our corporate mission and vision is what guides each employee daily as they serve their neighbors in every Arvig community.
Customers can visit any of the 12 Arvig Retail Centers located throughout our service area to learn about and test-drive the many communications services available. More than 25 retail consultants are fully trained and able to demonstrate the services. It is rare to find that kind of customer care or service in any metro area, from any provider.
Arvig also hosts events in each community, to promote new services and have a fun time with food, prizes and maybe a chance to meet your favorite television character or celebrity!
Connected to Communities and to Customers
We know that our customers are our neighbors, friends and business partners, and they are the reason we can continue to do business in rural Minnesota. That’s why Arvig reaches out to connect with rural Minnesota business and residential customers through a team of Communications Consultants. These trained professionals visit face-to-face with our customers to promote and sell Arvig services that become communications tools for businesses in our communities. We become partners with these businesses, to help them grow their business and continue to benefit from the ever-expanding rural Minnesota economy.
Communications Consultants also visit with residential customers door-to-door to promote and sell new services as we construct new facilities to deliver an increasing variety of Internet, digital TV and telephone services to a rapidly growing area. It is our vision to provide the latest in telecommunication services to every customer...rural Minnesota customers of Arvig are not left behind the digital divide, we are working hard to ensure they are well in front of it!
Our Communications Consultants live and work in the community in which they sell, participating in and serving on civic organizations and community groups and building relationships with customers. Local Retail Centers serve as their base, as they partner with the retail consultants in serving as the personal face of our organization to our customers.
Other partners with the Communications Consultants are the Arvig Business and Commercial Group. This team of certified professionals serves as installation technicians for the various communication systems sold by the Communications Consultants to businesses in our service area. Together, this team is selling, installing and maintaining over 700 telephone systems. Many of the new systems are VoIP/Voice over Internet Protocol capable, which is another indication of the technology of the future that is present in rural Minnesota.
A further connection to our customers is our team of Technicians, those who install, repair and maintain the services we provide to our customers. These employee-owners are face-to-face with customers daily, installing Internet, digital TV and telephone services. Arvig strives to provide services at lower rates when feasible, making digital technology and broadband services available and affordable to as many customers as possible.
Call, Click or Visit...for World-Class Service
Arvig customers can easily reach our Customer CARE Team by phone, Retail Center or via the Internet at our web site www.arvig.com and through email at answers@arvig.com. ACS has over 25 Customer CARE professionals. Including a team of over 15 customer service and repair/dispatch personnel who handle an average of 700 inbound calls per day.
ACS Internet customers receive support, education and technical assistance from the Arvig Help Desk Team. Available 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week, this team receives exceptional customer comments for their thorough and technically proficient handling of customer trouble and computer frustrations.
Time Communications, Arvig’s call answering service, manages Arvig in-coming calls after hours and functions as an answering service for over 140 external clients such as funeral homes, veterinarians, utility companies and private businesses. Time Communications was acquired by Arvig in 2009. Headquartered in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Time Communications, Inc. has been successfully serving clients for over 35 years providing high quality answering and call center services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Time Communications employs a state-of-the-art system that allows for a wide range of services from simply taking messages, to cultivating sales leads, to taking orders for small and large businesses.
Arvig Construction Services supplies the boring, plowing, trenching, splicing, dozer work, backhoe work, and other construction services for ACS and other businesses throughout the region. Arvig Construction Services offers competitive rates, high-quality workmanship and experienced personnel.
Arvig Security Solutions is a home and business protection service with a local touch. With advanced technology and innovative ideas, Security Solutions works to make sure that your assets and personal wellbeing are protected from a variety of threats.
Directory Publishing Group prints and distributes multiple telephone directories in Minnesota and North Dakota. The Directory Publishing Group also provides experienced sales staff giving each client the most for their directory dollar.
Over 60 Years of Operational Experience
Like any other successful communications service company, Arvig would not function without the many dedicated, talented and experienced support professionals that keep the digital telephone switch programmed and working; the network of fiber, copper and coaxial cable repaired, maintained and functioning; the Internet connection robust, redundant and reliable. The Arvig leadership and management team is comprised of individuals with strengths in their own specific area – Telephone, Digital TV, Internet, IT, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance - each participating in industry organizations as well as civic and community groups. Arvig takes pride in the over 300 employee-owners, with a history of employment longevity and a reputation as an excellent organization to work for.
Arvig has a history of forming partnerships with educational facilities such as M-State to implement programs that benefit the communities we serve as well as Arvig, like the Arvig Apprenticeship Program. M-State and Arvig worked together to develop the core curriculum and on-site work experience to establish an accredited program at M-State, resulting in jobs for many communities and companies in the communications industry.
As a result of our aggressive approach to digitizing our digital TV head end, and pursuing the implementation of Video Over DSL, Arvig is also pursuing opportunities to provide wholesale digital TV headend service to several other independent communications companies and some municipalities interested in offering this service to their customers.