Looking at our world today, it’s impossible to see anyone without a cell phone clutched in their hands or tucked in their pockets! Good grief, I’m ??-years-old, and often find I’ve become one of them. I thought I was really cool when I got my first Motorola bag phone. Now I just get it out to show my grandkids when they come because it looks like something from a James Bond movie, which they probably have never heard of either.
Imagine what it was like in 1950 when Arvig began as a small telephone company in eastern Otter Tail County. Arvig has grown into one of the largest independent telecommunications companies in the nation. Over the years they embraced change, took risks, and found opportunities to grow. Today they are leaders in technology, providing business and residential solutions for internet, television, phone, security, hosted PBX, and fiber transport. I can’t even imagine our lives without them in it.
From where we started (see the photo of the start of telephone service in Eden Valley) to where Arvig is today, is quite a story. Royale and Eleanor Arvig bought Perham Telephone Company in 1950, and served 830 customers under the name of East Otter Tail Telephone Company. Their vision was clear: to build the best, most trouble-free private telephone company in the nation. Little did they know the telephone was just the beginning, and that the company would eventually bear their last name, and would grow into the impressive company that it is today.
The path since 1950 is substantial and would clearly have taken strong leaders to grow a company like this. Here’s the rundown:
• 1952-1968 – 16 telephone exchanges were added. They continue to grow, even today.
• Here’s a fun one – 1970-1976 Private Line Project moved customers off party lines. The era of local operators officially ended, retiring a pastime of many residents at the same time – eavesdropping.
• 1980 – Offered the first Cable TV to residents of New York Mills.
• 1984 – Arvig Enterprises Inc. was formed when they added Twin Valley and Valley Communications to their service area.
• 1987 – Arvig Enterprises Inc. offered voicemail, caller ID, and other new features.
• 1988 – Offered cellular services.
• 1994 – Dial-up internet happened (I can still hear that sound, while waiting patiently to connect).
• 1997 – Arvig Communication Systems was formed, bringing many of their various company names into one.
• 1998 – The Arvig Building was established.
• 1999 – Arvig Communications began offering high speed internet, offering faster connections without tying up phone lines.
• 2002 – Became an employee-
owned company w/ESOP –
ACS – Employee-Owned Stock Ownership plan. They are currently 40% employee-owned.
• 2002 – started selling their own telephone directory service, including advertising, printing and distribution. That paved the way to Arvig Media providing web design, and more.
• 2003 – Arvig School Partnership Program was created. 100% of schools withing Arvig’s service area receive bi-annual donations. Any Arvig customer can sign up to donate $1 per month to the school of their choice, at no additional cost to them (visit their website to sign up). They have donated well over $1 million since starting this program.
• 2010 – They continued to grow and expand, including the purchase of DiversiCom (which included Melrose Telephone, among others).
• 2012 – Changed the name of the company to just “Arvig.”
• 2018 – Launched WiFi TV, streaming service w/Cloud, DVR, and HD.
• 2020 – Arvig celebrated 70 years of providing the best service with the best employees!
• “2022 Minnesota Family Business Award” by Twin Cities Business and “Top Workplace in Minnesota” by Star Tribune.
Arvig has continued to diversify over the decades with a growing wireless backhaul business – transporting data via wireless towers from an end user to a node in a major network. They acquired Time Communications, a call answering service, and All State Communications, a security service. Time Communications is known today as Arvig Answering Solutions.
Arvig believes that our communities are stronger when we collaborate, volunteer, serve, and contribute. Arvig gladly provides financial support to communities in our region, annually giving back hundreds of thousands of dollars to communities to benefit economic development, education, scholarships and events, and sponsor local organizations and fundraisers.
Early on, Royale and -Eleanor Arvig began investing in the communities their company services. They showcased entrepreneurial initiatives that continue to drive the company today. To encourage civic leadership and the importance of higher education, the Royale B. and Eleanor M. Arvig Memorial Scholarship Fund was established. Through this program, numerous scholarships have been awarded to students over the years, with 36 $3,000 scholarships in 2022 alone. Students are selected based on achievements or interest in the field of mathematics, engineering, accounting, computer science, telecommunications, or any of the physical sciences. They also offer the Foundation for Rural Service scholarship, and the Minnesota Telecom Alliance Foundation scholarship.
Every summer, Arvig sponsors a high school student from our service area to attend the annual Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tour. The event sends more than 100 high school students from across America to Washington, D.C., where they get a first-hand look at the legislation and governmental process of the telecommunications industry.
They are currently looking for local youth organizations willing to volunteer their time to carry an Arvig banner, distribute handouts, and wear T-shirts to represent Arvig in local parades. Arvig will supply the banner, handouts, T-shirts, and will contribute $250 to that organization. You can search their website for more details on this program at arvig.net/parades.
Arvig has sponsored numerous events in the Eden Valley area over the years, I’m sure a lot more than I am aware of. I know they have contributed to Eden Valley Citizens 4 Progress (EVC4P), Valley Daze ($1,000 for 2023 alone), Friederichs Park ($30,000), in addition to being a sponsor for Eden Valley’s 2023 Music in the Park.
Royale Arvig grew up in the telephone business. His parents owned the telephone company in Melrose. He attended University of Minnesota briefly, but didn’t finish due to the Great Depression. Since Royale wasn’t the oldest son, he moved to Wadena where he became an electrician and worked as a lineman. When the telephone company in Perham came up for sale in 1949, he decided to purchase it since he already knew the telephone business. When Royale passed in 1975, Eleanor took the role of President, and Allen became General Manager of their company and Melrose Telephone Company. Allen’s experience with the company began in 1954 as janitor and toll statement collector, making twenty-five cents per hour. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Arvig. There are numerous members of the family in leadership roles or serving as board members.
A little early Eden Valley phone history: Nick Bell started phone service in Eden Valley in 1910. At that time, 30 homes and businesses had telephones. The phones were big and bulky, but service was friendly and personal. One local telephone operator was Joanna Scheiwe, who was an operator in Eden Valley for 18 years.
I can’t help but put in a little personal story in here. A relative of mine was also a telephone operator in the Black Hills of South Dakota in those early years. During one of her shifts, she had a cold and had cough syrup setting on her desk, sipping as she needed so she could keep working. The problem was, back then cough syrup was made mostly of high-content alcohol. She ended up having to leave work for home because she’d gotten maybe a little more than “tipsy” during her shift.😊
Melrose Telephone Company purchased the system in Eden Valley in the early 1950s. On July 4, 1957, Melrose Telephone announced a grant would be in place to install dial phones in homes in Eden Valley. Arvig also has had a service hub located in Eden Valley for many years. It is used by Arvig service techs while working in the area.
If you get the chance to visit the Meeker County Museum in Litchfield at the G.A.R. Hall, you can see an actual switchboard from the Acton Telephone Company (Litchfield) and a variety of phones that have been available throughout the years.
The museum has a document from Acton showing the rules for telephone use included in their bylaws including some pretty interesting ones. Here’s a selection: You were limited to how many minutes you could use your line if someone was waiting; Don’t ring a line without listening first; Don’t fail to ring off after using the line; You couldn’t use the line after a certain time in the evening; Phones were not intended as playthings; Children’s use not allowed; No profane, obscene, or abusive language; Sunday switchboard hours were from 7-9 a.m. and 3-9 p.m. There were several other rules regarding charges for use. I sometimes think it might be okay to have a few of these rules in place again. 😊
To apply for a position with Arvig visit arvigcareers.com.
Arvig is located at 150 2nd Street S.W., Perham, MN 56573.
Contact them at (888) 992-7844 or email answers@arvig.com.
Help Desk: (877) 290-0560 or email helpdesk@arvig.com, 24 hours per day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.