Southeast Electric was incorporated in 1946. At that time there were 11 trustees as it took a lot of people to go around and sign neighbors up. I still can remember the arguments if it was economical, feasible, possible to bring electricity to the sparsely populated area of Eastern Montana. Lots of time was spent by these old community pillars.
In October of 1950 the first segment of SECO was energized. The first manager was Royal Sandy, he had the helm till March of 1978. Then the board hired Vernon Emery and Vern guided SECO till March of 2000. At that time Jack Hamblin was hired.
SECO serves about 945 members and has 1900 metes. These are in Carter, Fallon, Custer, and Powder River Counties in Montana and Harding of South Dakota, Crook in Wyoming.
Southeast rates have been high in the past but I think that with the coming of deregulating, we may be on the lower side of the rate scale, only time will tell.
Erlend Laird
Erlend Laird has been a Board Member since 1964 and is the current President of Southeast Electric
Royal Sandy
Southeast
Electric
Cooperative's
first Manager
Vern Emery
Manager
of Southeast Electric from 1978-2000. He has decided
to spend his retirement
right here in Ekalaka
Jack Hamblin
Manager - 2001
The Annual Meeting
(approximate date 1960)
Photograph taken by Marshall Lambert
Every Picture tells a story, and from this photograph you can see that the meeting was well attended. As for the subject matter, only the minutes of the meeting can throw light on that, unless you were there.
Linemen of yesterday
Completing
work to maintain the high
standards we have all come to expect from
Southeast
Electric Cooperative
Line Trucks
These were the most up to date trucks of their time, now seriously outmoded - This photograph is taken outside the present Southeast Electric office in Ekalaka
Southeast Electric had a great beginning with people like Royal Sandy at the helm. It continues to prosper today because of that same spirit, pride, and a determination to maintain the high standards set out in those early years, which means only the best for Southeast Electrics' consumers. We continue to serve you, the consumer, the best possible service we can provide