Altec and DEMCO: A Partnership that Betters the Community

Founded in 1929, Altec, Inc. has become one of the leading providers of products and services in the electric utility, telecommunications, tree care, lights and signs and contractor markets. Altec delivers products and services in over 100 countries around the world. With an emphasis on innovative product design and integrated safety features, we ensure that the customer is satisfied with the final product. Altec provides customer support on a day-to-day basis, fully committing ourselves to building customer relationships that last far beyond the lifecycle of the equipment.

The Dixie Electric Membership Cooperative (DEMCO) was established in 1938, and its first lines were energized on July 31, 1939. An electric utility that provides electricity to eight counties across Louisiana, DEMCO is committed to safely providing the communities it serves with economical and reliable power.

Altec Account Manager Ed Amedee and DEMCO Fleet Managers Phill Zito and Rickey Cummings have worked together over the course of many years, establishing a trusting relationship that has helped better their local communities. Through this partnership between Altec and DEMCO, the companies are able to team together to provide quality electrical utility service and reliable equipment that aids in disaster relief and education efforts.

Phill Zito has worked for DEMCO for 41 years, moving his way up the ranks to now manage all of the company’s districts, making him quite familiar with the operations of each sector.

Due to rough Louisiana weather, Zito has seen DEMCO face many challenges throughout the years. “Altec has provided us with additional equipment during storms to keep crews moving to restore electricity in local homes,” he says. “When we’ve needed something, they’ve always been there to support us.” He believes the reliability of the equipment enables DEMCO to continue working through tough times, minimizing service and repair downtime.

In 2016, DEMCO faced one of its biggest challenges yet with the Louisiana floods. Zito states, “Our vehicles were used in just about every fashion you can think of, and with the issues that we did have, Altec’s service fleets were running around, helping not only us but other utilities that flooded, as well.” During the flood restoration efforts, Zito says, “DEMCO employees were averaging 18-hour work days, so Altec was on site, trying to make sure that our trucks were rolling.” Together, Altec and DEMCO have worked to provide quick service to the Louisiana communities during severe storms, and as Altec Account Manager Ed Amedee says, "It is a team effort".

To evolve with the ever-changing electric utility market, Altec and DEMCO have collaborated to ensure that the cooperative receives the equipment that it needs. Altec’s engineers provide revisions to equipment as it is needed to ensure customers can complete jobs in the most efficient and effective ways. Zito says, “They’ve made adjustments to their equipment to accommodate everything that the utility industry needs.”

Each year, DEMCO sponsors electrical safety presentations at which elementary school children are taught how to recognize and report dangerous situations. Rickey Cummings, a DEMCO employee of 30 years, says, “We try to show them the ins and outs during a storm.” The cooperative’s dedication to safety goes beyond the workplace, recognizing the importance of informing local communities about safety protocols during storms.

Cummings has also been an instructor at the statewide live line school since 2001, which teaches student linemen how to perform jobs safely and correctly. He says that Altec is the main provider of the bucket trucks used to teach students about safety, enabling DEMCO to continue to provide service to the community without interruption. Cummings explains, “If we didn’t have Altec’s help, we would have to pull trucks from all over the state, and it would put our co-ops in a bind.”

Zito sums up Altec and DEMCO’s relationship well, saying, “As far as a company that’s willing to work with its customers, it’s almost as if they have an unspoken mission of caring for us.”

We appreciate DEMCO’s loyalty and look forward to providing tailored solutions for any of their jobsite needs. Amedee would like to continue to strengthen the relationship with DEMCO, saying, “Altec and DEMCO bring better service to the Louisiana community.” Altec is committed to growing relationships with all of our customers to assist them in their daily roles to maintain power and bring safety education to the communities in which they serve. 

For more information on all Altec products and services, call 800-958-2555 or contact an Altec representative online.