Highline Electric Association Supports Local Businesses Affected by COVID-19
Small town businesses are faced with a new normal as COVID-19 affects their typical daily operations. Many businesses are learning a new normal in an effort to support their employees and fulfill the needs of their communities.
In these challenging times, our cooperative principle of Concern for Community has greater meaning than ever before. Across our cooperative family, amazing work is being done by businesses, organizations, and individuals to support our communities in this time of need. As part of this series, we highlight those outstanding people who have gone above and beyond.
Highline Electric Association serves portions of Northeastern Colorado and Southwestern Nebraska. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, members of Highline Electric have been faced with many changes in how they operate their business in a new normal. In an effort to support these businesses in times of change, Highline Electric has taken an initiative in localizing business information on their website.
We also hear directly from some of the businesses in Highline Electric's service territory. Happy Jacks Barbeque and Country Treasures Floral and More are just two of the local businesses that have continued to operate to fulfill the needs of their employees and community.
To learn what the Highline Electric Association community is doing in response to COVID-19, watch the video below.
How Small-town Businesses are Changing Due to COVID-19
"We're still here. Whatever anybody needs everybody is so willing to jump in and help. It's kinda like a family out here." - Jessie Heath, Highline Electric Association
Allyn: We've lived in this area and worked in this area for around 20 years.
Kim: My family has been in the community for quite a while. We are currently in Holyoke with the coronavirus.
Allyn: The restrictions shut down a lot of businesses.
Kim: Gives you kind of an eerie feeling seeing that everything's closed.
Jessie: I am Jessie Heath. I work with Highline Electric out of the Holyoke office. We have really great members.
Allyn: I'm Allyn Robinson, this is my wife Sheila Robinson. Together, we own and operate Happy Jacks Barbecue Restaurant and Catering.
Kim: My name is Kim Young. I am the owner of Country Treasures Floral.
Jessie: I think it's great for our community that these businesses have been able to stay open.
Country Treasures Employee: We're putting together a gift basket for an order for a get well.
Kim: People were asking us, "Can you please help us?" And so we put it together, that we could so that we could fulfill the request of family members that were distraught.
Allyn: People want us to stay open. We're making it work. We're being flexible. Our customers feel safe coming in here. Our employees feel safe working here. We deliver here in town. We deliver in local communities around the area.
Kim: The community has been through the good times and bad times. That is what just kept us going.
Jessie: Nothing has changed as far as how we're serving our members. If the power goes off, our guys are still ready to go out and get power restored.
Kim: We can make it.
Allyn: We're healthy. We're here.
Jessie: We're still here. Whatever anybody needs everybody is so willing to jump in and help. It's kinda like a family out here.
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COVID-19 Community Response
As a family of electric cooperatives and public power districts, our distribution members reach consumers at the end of the line, many of whom have been directly impacted by COVID-19. To learn about our response, how our members are responding and the amazing work being done in communities across the West, watch our videos and read the articles here.
About Tri-State
Tri-State is a power supply cooperative, operating on a not-for-profit basis, serving electric distribution cooperatives and public power district member-owners in four states. Together with our members, we deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. Visit www.tristate.coop.