J.K.
Smith's 33-Year Impact on the Kentucky Electric Cooperative
Program
1.
Founded the Kentucky Association of
Electric Cooperatives. Today, KAEC is one of the top five rural
electrification programs in the nation by almost any comparable
scale of comparison - total consumers served, dollars of sales,
generation of electricity, etc.
2. In 1948, and through KAEC, J.K. Smith began the first undertaking
of providing line equipment sales to member co-ops in Kentucky. This
was a rare program in its day since most statewide organizations
across the country focus primarily on governmental affairs, public
relations and communications services.
3. Upon the development of the Kentucky statewide association, J.K.
Smith immediately began providing centralized billing services to
Kentucky member co-ops.
4. In 1948, J.K. Smith also implemented mass means of communications
within the electric co-op community by developing a statewide
magazine. Kentucky Living,
as it is now known, is the largest circulating magazine in the
state.
5. In 1948, J.K. Smith also initiated Kentucky's first co-op
statewide safety and job training program. In existence to this day,
the program's main purpose is to provide coordinated safety,
education and training to co-op line technicians throughout the
state.
6. In 1949, KAEC set up a print shop as an added service to electric
co-ops, printing all kinds of needed materials for the
member systems.
7. In 1951, J.K. Smith created an engineering department at KAEC to
provide engineering services to the member co-ops.
8. In 1951, the Kentucky Association also initiated the repair of
electric transformers and meters for members. At the time
investor-owned utilities were putting pressure on the co-op systems
making it difficult for them to buy electric transformers on the
open market. In 1952, member co-ops were offered an oil-filtering
service.
9. In the 1950s, J.K. Smith originated the concept of providing
coordinated services to each of the co-op members for their local
annual meetings. The state association provided tents, staging,
seating, sound equipment, entertainment and many other services
which attracted larger numbers to individual co-op annual meetings.
10. In 1954, J.K. Smith established Consumers Credit RECC, a
separate cooperative working in conjunction with the state
association, to financially help co-op members purchase electric
equipment and appliances at a cost they could afford.
11. In 1954, J.K. Smith established the state's first lineman rubber
glove testing procedure to ensure lineman across the state would
always be using safe gloves for important hot line work.
12. In 1954, the Rural Cooperatives Credit
Union was established under J.K.'s leadership - now a $34 million
cooperative for both Kentucky and Ohio.
13. In 1955, J.K. Smith originated a member services department and
employed a full-time home economist for the purpose of promoting
electrical power use in rural homes across the state.
14. In 1957, J.K. Smith developed Kentucky's first cooperatively
owned conveyor belt system for the manufacturing of distribution
transformers. Still in existence today, the manufacturing arm of the
state association has employed thousands of people over a 45-year
history. In 1996, KAEC manufactured over 1,000,000 transformers.
15. In 1960, J.K. Smith organized the nation's first
cooperatively-owned distribution sales network for electrical
materials. The original name was Statewide Rural Electric
Cooperative, but changed to United
Utility Supply in 19960 to better represent the multi-state
marketing effort. Today, UUS is the largest cooperatively-owned
electrical material manufacturing/marketing co-op in the nation.
16. In the early 1960s, J.K. Smith helped form Central Area Data
Processing - an organization dedicated to providing an efficient
response to data processing needs for cooperatives in a multi-state
area. In 2002, CADP became National
Information Solutions Cooperative
(NISC) and serves over five million cooperative consumers in 47
states.
17. In the early 1960s, the agricultural engineering department at
the University of Kentucky's
College of Agriculture teamed up with Kentucky electric c-ops to
teach farmers about the benefits of electric equipment. Soon after,
and under J.K. Smith's leadership, a farm machinery show was
developed to showcase electrical farm equipment. The show grew big
enough and eventually was moved to Louisville, KY, where today the National
Farm and Machinery Show is the largest premier showing of farm
machinery in the nation.
