Shallotte, NC – FOCUS Broadband held its 67th Annual Meeting of Members, Friday, October 4th at 4:00 p.m. Members were able to watch the meeting online and on FOCUS Broadband TV Channel 3. More than 1,900 members registered for the meeting and Directors Albert H. “Al” Parker (District 5), R. Gene Ward (District 7), and John W. “Buster” Dowless (Western Region) were each re-elected for three-year terms to the cooperative board.

FOCUS Broadband Board President Whitney King spoke about the company’s $1.32 million-dollar capital credit allocation and how the cooperative reached a milestone of $63.9 million in Capital Credit refunds to members. In his closing comments King remarked, “I want to reaffirm that our mission today remains the same as it has since our founding in 1955, to serve the unserved, invest in our community, and deliver our very best to you, our members.”

FOCUS Broadband CEO and General Manager, Keith Holden, also spoke during the meeting. Holden highlighted the cooperative’s key achievements and shared that FOCUS Broadband now serves over 71,000 subscribers. Holden explained how work on ongoing projects in neighboring counties and continued growth here in Brunswick County will help the cooperative grow even more in the coming years.

Holden emphasized FOCUS Broadband’s commitment to upgrading members to fiber optics and he shared how the cooperative had made significant improvements to its coaxial network. These advancements include increasing network management capabilities and reliability, making upgrades which allow delivery of multi-gig capabilities, and making fiber optic services available to over 3,500 residents and businesses in Calabash, Carolina Shores, Holden Beach, Seaside, Shallotte, and Supply this year.

In closing, Holden highlighted the cooperative’s contributions to its members and the communities which it serves. “As your local broadband cooperative, we understand that service extends beyond building and providing a network,” Holden stated. “The relationships we build with our customers and members are what matters to us most.”

During the meeting, the cooperative awarded a total of $3,000 in cash prizes. Recipients of this year’s $750 Grand Prize were Cheryl and Rick Ruiz of Shallotte. To see a complete list of Annual Meeting prize winners visit FOCUSBroadband.com/annualmeeting. Winners may claim their prize by visiting FOCUS Broadband’s headquarters at 640 Whiteville Road in Shallotte between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM. All prizes must be claimed by Friday, November 1st, 2024.