Ellerbe Telephone Company honored Herb Long on Thursday as he retired after 35 years of employment with the company.
The drop-in reception offered light refreshments and was held in the Administrative Office of the Ellerbe Telephone Company in Ellerbe. Many friends from different telecommunication companies came to the retirement party to show their support for Herb.
Herbert Long Jr. was born on Nov. 16, 1950 in Hamlet. “I was born and raised in Richmond County,” Long said.
His dad, Herbert Long, retired from Southern Bell around 1984 and around 1974, Herb Jr. was offered a job in Sanford, N.C., working for Heins Telephone in the cable department. “I just fell in behind him,” he said.
Long came back to work in Ellerbe in 1977 as an outside plant supervisor for the Ellerbe Telephone Company, and around 1987 he became the general manager. In 1990, he was to promoted to Vice President of the company, the position that he is currently retiring from.
Long said he has mixed emotions about retiring but he doesn’t think he’ll get bored. “I got too many toys to play with,” he said.
Long said he plans to travel and play golf during his free time. He still plans on being active and involved in the company by working part-time in the sales department, but he will not be acting as Vice President.
“My wife says I’m going to cook,” he said. Long and his wife, Tresa Long have been married for 21 years.
Joel Williams, president of Mid-South Consulting Engineers, Inc., said Long “has always been loyal. He has always been a hard worker.” He credits Long for helping keep small businesses going.
Yedtel Group, a company that prints directories and phone bills, showed their support for Long.
“He is a great guy to work with,” said June Snow, directory production supervisor. Paul Jones, C.O.O. of the data center for Yedtel Group, also said he is a great guy to work with.
Tim Tribble, C.E.O. of the data center for Yedtel Group, said Long is “a true gentlemen of the telecom industry.”
When asked about what he would miss most about the company, Long said, “I’ll miss my customers and my co-workers.”
— Staff Writer Laura Edington can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at ledington@heartlandpublications.com.
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