Membership Makes a Difference
There's Power in Numbers

You have probably seen these ads in your local paper, or heard it on the
radio (WCCA/WLTT/WKXB), or seen the full version on TV (WECT-6, CNN/TNN/TBS) in recent weeks. The same messages were incorporated into the 2001 Annual Report as well.

It's an important message that shows how being a member of a cooperative
makes a difference in the way your services are delivered and in the ways
that the entire community is served.

The first ad focuses on our Bright Ideas Educational Grant program. Reading programs are just one of the kinds of projects that we help to fund . . . to make reading an extra-special experience, and a foundation for all other learning.

The second ad in the series was filmed at a farmhouse out in Columbus County, owned by a member whose father-in-law once served on the BEMC Board of Directors. The tenants graciously allowed us to film there late one night, and the farmer delayed cutting his cornfield to help us set the scene for the TV version. In case you're wondering where we found that fabulous '53 Chevy truck, it was also courtesy of one of our members. This was truly a "cooperative" effort to get the message about the importance of employee training in the delivery of reliable electric power.

The final ad illustrates what a difference it makes that BEMC installs all new services throughout our system underground, and made good use of the FEMA grant to speed the project along in highly vulnerable coastal area. While the TV commercial has the added drama of animation and sound effects, even the print ad is a good reminder that your co-op has taken a proactive path in finding ways to minimize the effects of the severe storms that we experience in this part of the world.