Habersham EMC
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersClarkesville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Habersham EMC firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Habersham EMC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Utility Distribution
- NAICS
- Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies) (EUADABAI)
Keywords
Where Habersham EMC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clarkesville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Habersham EMC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential electric service rates |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Prepaid billing option |
| Subscription | Monthly | Budget Billing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Habersham EMC product offering
Product offeringCore 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.
Companies that use Habersham EMC
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Habersham EMC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Habersham EMC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Habersham County Farm BureaucoreStrong 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 FundminorNRECA 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)minorCoalition 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 Businesscore5-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 EnergycoreHEMC 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)minorHEMC 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
Habersham EMC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Habersham EMC social profiles
Digital presenceHabersham EMC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Habersham EMC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Habersham EMC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Habersham EMC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Habersham EMC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Habersham EMC
What does Habersham EMC do?
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.
Is Habersham EMC a public or private company?
Habersham EMC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Habersham EMC founded?
Habersham EMC was founded in 1938. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Habersham EMC based?
Habersham EMC is headquartered in Clarkesville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Habersham EMC make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Electric Distribution Services are the primary driver. The others are trailwave Fiber Broadband Services.
Does Habersham EMC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Habersham EMC.
What industry is Habersham EMC in?
Habersham EMC's product category is Electric Utility Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAC, Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities), with a secondary code of EUADABAI, Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies). Its NAICS code is 221122 and its SIC code is 4911.