Salina Spavinaw Telephone

SST (Salina-Spavinaw Telephone Co.) can be found just off the shores of beautiful Lake Hudson, one block north of the main street running through Salina, Okla. SST provides high-speed data circuits and Ethernet to corporations, health clinics and schools throughout its 600-square-mile service area, as well as providing high-speed DSL, networking services, local and long distance telephone service and calling features to the businesses and residences in its northeastern Oklahoma territory. SST was founded in 1945 when Thomas and Addie Sheard began operating - out of their home - a single telephone exchange with fewer than a dozen subscribers. It is managed today by their daughters, Janet Robson, SST president, and Nancy Cain, SST vice president. Today SST is the largest commercial employer in Salina and serves more than 5,000 customers. Its business offices are in Salina and Kansas, communities that are home to two of its six Oklahoma exchanges. SST's other exchanges are Spavinaw, Strang, Locust Grove and Flint. SST focuses its corporate giving on education and public safety through annual donations to every school, police and fire department in its service area. Other areas of focus are Future Farmers of America, 4-H, area Headstart programs, and community events.