Habersham EMC

What Habersham EMC does

Habersham Electric Membership Corporation (Habersham EMC) is a non-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative chartered on July 25, 1938 in Clarkesville, Georgia. It delivers electricity across a six-county northeast Georgia footprint (Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens and White) over 3,916 miles of distribution line, serving 28,568 members through 37,475 meters. The cooperative is governed by an elected nine-member board and is led by President & CEO Bryan Ferguson, supported by VPs of Engineering & Operations (Josh Allen), Finance & Accounting (Kelly Wilkins, CPA) and Member & Community Relations (Tommy Thurmond). Habersham EMC also owns Trailwave Fiber, Inc., a wholly-owned broadband subsidiary operating the only 100% fiber-to-the-premises network in northeast Georgia.

The operating platform rests on three layers: (1) regulated electric distribution infrastructure spanning the rural northeast Georgia territory; (2) a member-facing digital interface built on the SmartHub portal and iOS/Android apps (powered by NISC cooperative software), supported by automated phone payments, retail payment partners and walk-in offices in Clarkesville and Cleveland; and (3) the Trailwave Fiber middle-mile and retail broadband network. Adjacent products include Outdoor Lighting, EMC Security referral, Vegetation Management, Energy Efficiency and Renewables programs, Capital Credits retirement, Operation Round Up charitable giving and the SmartHub Outage Center with real-time outage maps. The cooperative has accumulated substantial intangible assets: an American Customer Satisfaction Index score of 89/100 in Q4 2024 (top 5 among Touchstone Energy cooperatives, 15 points above investor-owned utility average), eight consecutive years without lost-time accidents, Outstanding Georgia Business designation from the Georgia Secretary of State (2023), and first-place finishes in journeyman and Electric Co-op division events at the International Lineman's Rodeo in Overland Park, Kansas.

Habersham EMC operates a subscription-based revenue model with three billing cadences — monthly subscription, budget billing (averaged monthly) and prepaid (pay-as-you-use) — combined with metered usage charges that are not publicly disclosed. Revenue streams comprise residential and commercial electricity distribution metered on a recurring subscription basis and Trailwave Fiber broadband subscriptions, with capital credits returning excess margins to members on a patronage basis. GTM motion is direct-to-consumer within the chartered service territory through a member-owned cooperative model, with marketing conducted via Georgia Magazine monthly inserts, community events (Farm Day, Washington Youth Tour, Annual Meeting), Touchstone Energy national cooperative resources, website/SmartHub content and earned-media news releases. Strategic alliances include a five-year partnership with Truett McConnell University's Hans Hut School of Business, the 28-year Habersham County Farm Bureau collaboration, and participation in the NRECA International Fund's 2023 Guatemala Sesaltul electrification project alongside other Georgia EMCs.

Name

Habersham EMC

Legal name

Habersham Electric Membership Corporation, Inc.

Website

https://habershamemc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Habersham EMC is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving 28,568 members across six northeast Georgia counties, and also operates Trailwave Fiber, the only 100% fiber-to-the-premises broadband network in the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUADABAC

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Transmission & Distribution (T&D)/Distribution System Operators (DSOs) & Electric Distribution Utilities

SECONDARYEUADABAI

Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Transmission & Distribution (T&D)/Distribution System Operators (DSOs) & Electric Distribution Utilities

Keywords

• Rural electric cooperative
• Electric distribution services
• Fiber optic broadband
• Member-owned utility
• Northeast Georgia power

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarkesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Services: As a member-owned electric cooperative, HEMC provides electricity distribution to residential and commercial members. Revenue is generated through monthly electricity usage charges based on metered consumption. Members are shareholders/owners of the cooperative.
2. Trailwave Fiber Broadband Services: HEMC's broadband subsidiary provides internet service through its 100% fiber optic network to residential and commercial customers in northeast Georgia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Habersham EMC is a member-owned, non-profit electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to residential and commercial members across six counties in northeast Georgia (Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, and White) through 3,916 miles of distribution lines. The cooperative also operates Trailwave Fiber, a wholly-owned subsidiary providing broadband internet over the only 100% fiber optic network in northeast Georgia. Services are supported by the SmartHub portal/app and multiple billing options including prepaid, budget billing, and e-bill.

Product overview

Habersham Electric Membership Corporation is a non-profit electric cooperative offering a unified suite of electricity distribution services to residential and commercial members across six counties in northeast Georgia. The company's core product portfolio centers on reliable electricity delivery, supplemented by customer-facing digital platforms and member programs. The SmartHub portal serves as the primary digital interface for account management, bill payment, and outage notifications, while Trailwave Fiber operates as a subsidiary broadband division providing fiber optic internet service. Additional offerings include energy efficiency programs, renewables, various billing options (Prepaid, Budget Billing, E-Bill), Capital Credits, Operation Round Up community giving program, and safety demonstration services. The product architecture is organized as a core electricity service platform with integrated member-facing modules for billing, outage management, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trailwave Fiber: Broadband internet subsidiary providing the only 100% fiber optic network in northeast Georgia

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Service Core electricity distribution and transmission service delivered to residential and commercial members across six northeast Georgia counties (Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, White) through 3,916 miles of power lines.
• Trailwave Fiber Broadband Internet High-speed fiber optic broadband internet service for residential and commercial subscribers in northeast Georgia, including middle-mile high-capacity transport services for carriers.
• Outdoor Lighting Service Outdoor lighting products and services available to members within the cooperative service territory.
• Vegetation Management Line clearance and right-of-way vegetation management to maintain electric distribution reliability across the cooperative's service area.
• Safety Demonstrations Electrical safety presentations delivered to schools and community organizations, including high-voltage safety trailer demonstrations and tabletop classroom displays.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Habersham County Farm BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025Strong and historic collaboration rooted in shared commitment to serving farmers and rural communities. For 28 years, HEMC has planned and facilitated annual 4th Grade Farm Day, fully supporting with station hosting, volunteers, and event inception. Additional collaboration includes Farm City Week, AG Foundation Book Program, AG Week activities, and FFA and 4-H program support.
• NRECA International FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023NRECA International sponsors the Sesaltul Electrification Project in Guatemala. Habersham EMC linemen Jed Clark and Isaac Wall joined other Georgia EMC linemen (Greystone Power, Cobb EMC, Walton EMC, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Jackson EMC) for a 17-day trip to build power lines for Sesaltul village.
• Georgia EMC Linemen Coalition (Greystone Power, Cobb EMC, Walton EMC, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Jackson EMC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Coalition of Georgia electric membership corporations whose linemen participated in the Guatemala electrification project sponsored by NRECA International. Teams worked together on the Sesaltul Electrification Project providing power to 90 households.
• Truett McConnell University - Hans Hut School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 20235-year strategic partnership where HEMC partners with TMU's Hans Hut School of Business. HEMC provides involvement with on-campus business seminars, classroom speaking engagements, internship and employment opportunities, input in business curriculum, professional development resources, and scholarship funding for qualified TMU business students.
• Touchstone EnergycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 March 2023HEMC is a member cooperative of Touchstone Energy - a national network of electric cooperatives across 46 states providing research, communications resources, and employee training programs to help strengthen relationships with members.
• American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)minorOthersHEMC participated in ACSI survey research through Touchstone Energy, receiving a score of 89 in Q4 2024 - one of the top 5 scores among participating Touchstone Energy cooperatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/habershamemc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/habersham-emc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Habersham EMC