Month: February 2020

For the third year in a row, Altec encouraged hard-hat-wearing workers all around to strut their scruff as the search for the best beard took place in the 2020 Beardo contest.

Nearly 3000 votes were cast toward submissions of 33 epic beards, but the king could not be dethroned. Hugh Rae, a Line Crew Forman for Idaho Power Company, took home the prize for best beard for the second year in a row.

Hugh wanted to prove that he and his beard, dubbed “the face mullet” in the 2019 contest, were still the best around. Once voting was open, Hugh rallied his friends and encouraged them to vote by posting on his social media profiles twice every day. Hugh won by a landslide, earning 58% of the total votes in this year’s contest.

Are you curious about what goes into growing, caring for, living with and working with the winning beard?

Altec asked Hugh some questions about his beard and here is what he had to say:

Q: What do you love most about your beard?

A: That my wife loves it.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone trying to grow their beard?

A: Patience and a good beard barber.

Q: How often do people ask to touch your beard and what is your response when they do?

A: All the time. I tell them, “go ahead!”

Q: Do you see yourself ever shaving your beard?

A: Never! 

Hugh’s beard may have been the mane attraction, but nine other beards joined the ranks.

The following people received prizes from Altec for their placement in the top 10:

• James McPartlan
• Josh Taylor
• Jason McKinney
• Don Collingham
• Jake Wade
• Jonathan Curts
• Paul Thompson
• Bart Colligan
• Levi Rowland

Congrats to our top ten and thank you to all who entered to win or shared the contest! Now, get to work on growing your beards for next year’s competition, maybe you can defeat the king and win the title of best beard in the land.

Running an electric utility cooperative is like putting together a giant puzzle with many pieces. Challenging – yet rewarding. Managing staffing needs, organizing daily operations, communicating with customers and financing equipment are all parts that come together to make for a successful operation.

Whether you’re new to the co-op industry or a lifelong veteran, you know that financing equipment is a piece of the complex but exciting process of managing an electric utility business.

Streamlining the Purchasing Process

Here’s an all too familiar scenario – you’re ready to finance your equipment and get to work but still have to go through several steps with your bank before you can get the keys in your hands. It’s the end of the day, and you’re still dealing with piles of papers.

Whether you’re purchasing, renting, or leasing, Altec Capital can help you streamline that process into a seamless experience. Our team will work with you to reduce administrative pains associated with financing equipment. By participating in our digital finance experience, you can forget driving to and walking in the bank. Save gas, time and money by filling out your paperwork online with assistance from your Altec representative.

Custom Financing Solutions 

When considering how you want to finance equipment, it’s important to think about your co-ops driving needs. Do you have cash flow issues? Are you looking for competitive pricing? How big of a fleet are you looking to build or maintain?

At Altec Capital, we craft a program that works specifically for you and your priorities. Whether it’s looking at the lowest cost of capital, income statements, or service needs, our finance group can help you find a solution that works best for your co-ops work practices.

As a bonus, each lease is acted on independently, giving you the flexibility to lease different pieces of equipment as you see fit.

“By leasing through Altec Capital we are able to turn over our equipment more frequently reducing the overall cost of the unit,” said Michael Heinen, General Manager of Jeff Davis Electric Coop in Jennings, Louisiana.

Heinen added, “The Altec Capital FMV lease option allows us to get new equipment with the latest technology. Our linemen are much happier driving a new truck every five years and not concerned about downtime.”

In addition to custom lease options, Heinen says that Altec and the Capital financing team has always been a consistent help in times of need.

“Altec Capital gets me the equipment I need, when I need it and supports my requests along the way. A normal bank just would not do that,” Heinen said.

OEM Relationship 

When financing equipment, other lenders tend to give their customers a cookie-cutter plan. They often aren’t familiar with the details of a customer’s work, or the type of equipment the customer is purchasing. At Altec Capital, we are a part of and directly connected to, Altec – your equipment’s original manufacturer.

In working with Altec, we provide financing options that include provisions for warranty, service and much more. With decades of experience helping customers in the electric utility industry, our team has the knowledge and resources to help you keep your co-op running efficiently.

“The quality of the equipment and the service I get from Altec is excellent. If I need somebody here, they are here. They never stop looking for ways to help me,” Heinen said.

Why Choosing Altec Capital Matters

Overall, financing with Altec Capital provides many advantages for co-ops that purchase, rent, or lease equipment.

Key benefits: 

• Streamlined purchase process
• Custom financing solutions
• Full turnkey services due to the strong relationship between Altec and Altec Capital

“Servicing our leases through Altec Capital has been very simple. They are easy to work with. Hats off to the Altec and Altec Capital team,” Heinen stated.

For more information on Altec Capital’s financing options, call (888) 408-8148 or email finance@altec.com.

Have you taken advantage of the recent Altec Connect updates?

Our platform provides for a more focused experience that allows our customers to view and search fleet information, order replacement parts and view Altec Product Notices as well as service requests.
Let’s take a look at the most recent update inside Altec Connect – viewing and managing invoices.

View & Manage Invoices

Invoices are now available on Altec Connect. If you would like to see a copy of an invoice or track shipping on a recent order – look under the My Account section and select the Invoices option.

You should see several types of invoices, including:

• Service
• Parts
• Rental

The invoice section gives you visibility in the recent activity in your fleet. Also, by using the advanced search feature, you can sort invoices by specific type.

Do you only need to see parts, tools and accessories invoices? Select the show/sort/filter options button and then select the parts option in the type dropdown menu. Click apply and you should see all of the available invoices within that selection.

Once you have applied the search filters – click on the invoice for review. You will be able to download a copy of the invoice and view tracking information.

Need Support Online?

Do you have any questions about invoices or payment instructions? Please connect with us by completing the invoice support request form in the invoices section. We will have a support team member reach out for guidance.

Learn more about this feature in Altec Connect – contact your representative or send an email to altec.connect@altec.com.