Edgemont Economic Development Efforts Receive Support from GW

By: jody Bielmaier, Member Services Manager

Wall, SD—Edgemont Chamber of Commerce started off the year on a positive note with a $5,000 economic development donation from Golden West Telecommunications.

The funding was made available as part of Golden West’s annual economic development program created to target funds toward projects and programs within its service areas that help create or enhance local employment opportunities. The 2007 contribution brings the total received over the past decade by Edgemont Chamber of Commerce to nearly $50,000.

“We’ve said on many occasions that our future as a company continues to rest upon the success of rural areas like Edgemont and that’s why we’re excited to help fund these types of projects,” said Golden West Board of Director Harold Wyatt.

The project submitted by the Edgemont Chamber of Commerce will see the funds used to place pole banners along main street, as well as event banners to promote activities in Edgemont.

Golden West began in 1916 as a stock company providing telephone service between the communities of Quinn and Interior, SD. The company has grown over the years to become the largest independent telephone company in South Dakota and the 35th largest telecommunications company in the nation. The Company now employs nearly 350 people statewide offering services ranging from local and long distance telephone service, high-speed and wireless Internet, cable television, 24-hour answering service, Internet help desk, networking services, wholesale Internet services, paging and business phone systems to digital video recorders and security monitoring.