J. Carlson Services Inc.

company untouched. Over the last two years, JCS has grappled with material shortages due to disruptions in various industries’ supply chains and labor shortages. “What we do for a living (connecting families to broadband internet) is also driving one of the biggest challenges we are facing,” explains Carlson. “When workers are more technologically connected with their families while on the road, they get more homesick, which makes fewer of them want to travel for work for extended periods.” This challenge is not unique to JCS or the fiber optics industry, but all industries that require tradespeople to travel for work. Carlson notes, “With the territory that we cover, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a workforce that’s willing to travel.” On a positive note, Carlson is optimistic about the rural broadband market and where it is different perspective. “Most of our workers dream of working for telephone companies and municipalities,” he says. “So, when they leave, we look at it as having helped them achieve their dream.” Over the years, JCS has worked with several partners and customers as the company has grown. “Some of the partners who have been with us for 20-plus years since our founding are Federated Telephone, the City of Bellingham, and Arvig,” says Carlson. “We continue to work for them almost every year.” In addition to these partners, JCS also considers the hundreds of independent phone companies spread across the 10-state area as critical partners in the business. According to Carlson, “When we work with an independent telephone company, we usually continue to work for them for multiple years, that’s simply hard to beat.” The COVID-19 pandemic has not left the