TDS Telecom associate celebrates 45 years with company

CORINNA, Maine – A local TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS®) associate is celebrating a major milestone as he enters his 45th year with the company.

Rick Palmer, a field service technician based in Corinna, Maine, started full time Jan. 1, 1977, after getting initial experience while in high school.

Throughout the years that followed, Palmer saw many changes to the industry he grew up in—rotary phones early on, the digital switch in the 1980s with touch-tone and calling features, and then dial-up internet decades later. While he’s held different titles over the years, Palmer has always been passionate about being in the field and performing all aspects of install repair. This has included line construction, setting poles, splicing, and assisting in outages – even repairing broken poles in the middle of the night.

However, one thing that has been consistent throughout his 45-year career is Rick’s love for his community.

“I’ve always liked being close to the customer. Interacting with them and solving a challenging trouble has always been rewarding to me,” Palmer said.

Palmer was essentially born into the telecommunications industry. His father, Carl, was the general manager of West Penobscot Telephone and Telegraph. Some of his earliest and fondest memories of the industry are going on ride-alongs with his father to address outages or make repairs.

Some of the major projects he worked on include bringing telephone service to Isle-au-Haut in 1988 and helping the region recover from the Great Ice Storm of 1998. When reflecting on what has made his long career so special, Palmer pointed to his fellow TDS associates.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a knowledgeable group of skilled field techs and support staff over the years, which has really made the work enjoyable,” Palmer said. “We put in a lot of long hours together, and at times it’s felt like my home away from home.”

“We’re so fortunate to have dedicated associates like Rick. For over four decades, Rick has helped Maine communities grow and residents stay connected to the world. We can’t thank Rick enough for his years of service to TDS and his community,” said Andrew Buchert, TDS Telecom vice president of Field Services.

Media Contact: Mark Schaaf | Associate Manager - Communications | TDS Telecom | 414-326-3588 | cheryl.mccollum@tdstelecom.com  

TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS®) delivers high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to a mix of small to mid-sized urban, suburban and rural communities throughout the U.S. With 1.2 million connections, TDS is a rapidly growing technology company. Powered by fiber-optics and new industry-leading technologies, TDS delivers up to 8 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, data networking, and hosted-managed services. Visit tdstelecom.com.

TDS Telecom, headquartered in Madison, Wis., employs 3,600 people and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS], a Fortune 1000® company. Founded in 1969, Telephone and Data Systems provides wireless, broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses: UScellular, TDS Telecom, and OneNeck IT Solutions. Visit tdsinc.com.

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