Plant Telecommunications - Tifton, Georgia
Plant Telecommunications, Satellite Office - Soperton, Georgia

Danny and Beverly Sterling, President - General Manager and Vice President of Plant Telecommunications, recently celebrated a total 184 years of employment between 11 employees ranging from 5 to 34 years of service.   At Plant Telecommunications, employees are like an extension of family.  The company currently has 65 employees with tenure ranging to 38 years.   

Danny and Beverly Sterling with 25 Year Recipients (L to R): Donnie Childers and Nancy Ross. 10 year Recipients: Bobby Usry & Sandra Jones 5 Year Recipients: Deborah Brim, Eric Seymour, MAry Jane Gephart & Kenny Barfield Plant Telecommunications Honers 2006 Retirees Pictured L to R: Danny Sterling - President, J.D. Newsome, Dennis Golden, Gary Little, Beverly Sterling - Vice President, and Mary Jane Gephart.   Years of Service  J.D. Newsome, Purchasing Agent 1972 - 2006    34 Years  Dennis Golden, COE Installer-Repairman 1972 - 2006    34 Years  Gary Little, Installer-Repairman in Warwick 1980 - 2006    26 Years  Mary Jane Gephart, Hispanic Customer Service Representative 2001 - 2006    5 Years

Plant Telecommunications had been providing outstanding service for over 100 years and continues to embrace the newest telecommunications technologies available.  The company has been recognized for its hard work and dedication by receiving several awards:

• Governor Zell Miller recognized Plant's dedication to excellence in 1996 when he proclaimed September 20 as Plant Telecommunications Day (formerly Plant Telephone Company) in Georgia. 
  

Danny and Beverly Sterling with

Georgia Governor Zell Miller - 1996. 

• The 2001Georgia Family Business of the Year Award (Cox Family Enterprise) based on proven business success, positive family/business linkage, multi-generation family business involvement, contributions to industry and community, and innovative business practices and strategies.
• The 2002 Cox Century Award (Cox Family Enterprise) for businesses that have been family owned and operated for more than 100 years.
• The 2002 Outstanding Business Leader Award presented to Danny and Beverly Gleaton Sterling, 1967 and 1968 ABAC alumni. They were honored for their professional achievement, community service, and service to the college. 
• The winners of the 2004 GUCC Lester Feathers Award for the state and The Golden Backhoe Award for Region 4. These awards are for the great job that the Construction and Outside Plant Departments do everyday in their efforts to prevent damages to underground utilities.

Plant Telecommunications' employees and President, General Manager Danny Sterling recognized for The 2004 GUCC Lester Feather's Award.

Even though the company has expanded and changed through the generations, the family commitment to the business has remained constant.  Plant Telecommunications has been managed and operated by the Gleaton descendants for 112 years, spanning six generations. In 1895, when farm families in remote areas of South Georgia needed phone service, they turned to Ben Gleaton, who had run a magneto telephone line from his home in Doles, Georgia, to the farm home of his in-laws and eventually installed a switchboard to add lines to service the neighboring farmers.  The company was passed down to Ben's son, Henry, and then the growing business was passed down to his son J.P. Gleaton.  The company experienced tremendous growth and expansion under JP's outstanding leadership and vision.  Tifton was chosen as the headquarters of this locally owned telephone company because it was adjacent to the Lenox and Omega exchanges and because J.P. had established his home in Tifton even though it was a Bellsouth area. He decided on the "Plant" name because during this time the Omega exchange area was known as the "Starter Plant Capital of the World."  
 

Beverly's husband, Danny Sterling, became the General Manager in 1983 and has served as the President/General Manager since 1996 while Beverly's sister, Betty Chloe Gleaton Metzger, serves as the other Vice-President of Plant. Ginger Sterling Nelson, Human Resources Manager, and Angela Sterling Ringenberg, Administrative Assistant, are the Sterlings' two daughters. David Nelson, Ginger's husband, is Plant's Customer Service Manager and is MCSE certified. Jimmy Metzger, Betty Chloe's son, manages the Outside Plant Department and his son David Metzger is a college student working part time for the company.