La Ward Communications began in 1940 with General Manager Terri Parker’s great grandfather, Kenneth Green, and the company does everything it can to stay with their old-fashioned values. The independent local telephone and broadband provider employs only 10 and serves the La Ward, Lolita and Port Alto/Olivia communities.
“We serve 235 square miles,” Dee Darilek, Billing Specialist, said. “Our main thing is still upgrading to fiber optics and transitioning the old copper telephone system. We don’t change much because we don’t have facilities out here other than fire departments and precincts.”
“It’s all still very much in the family,” Parker added.
La Ward Telephone offers landline communication services with enhanced features and broadband services from its sister company La Ward Communications. They strive to provide the best and latest tech to their customers and currently deploy fiber to the home. They also install and maintain business phone systems and VoIP systems for small to large companies to enhance their operations.
Located at 12991 SH 172, La Ward Communications prides themselves in having a very personal aspect to their business because they don’t have an answering service. When one calls, they guarantee someone will be there to answer their questions.
“Our girls will spend 20 to 30 minutes getting something started up, even if it isn’t with our business,” Parker said. “We treat every customer as fast as we can and as personal as we can, we know their voices, they’re family.”
Darilek said a lot of the time, especially around the holidays, the staff helps people install new technology their family has bought for them.
“It’s good business karma,” she said. “We get good at tutorials once the grandchildren go home, so we trouble-shoot for customers who aren’t even ours.”
Both Parker and Darilek agreed that a couple of their superstars, IT Manager BJ Bures and customer service representative and billing specialist Rachel Partida go above and beyond with their customers, therefore teaching their associates the best to build rapport with clients. Bures is their biggest go-to guy because he’s everything IT-related.
Parker also said she wouldn’t know what she would do with Darilek. “We used to be the young ones, her and I, the babies of the bunch.” She laughed. “I told her recently, we’re not the babies anymore.”
Dee smiled humbly at Parker, showing a friendship which has lasted throughout the years. “I’ve just been here a long time.”
La Ward Communications support their local communities, whether it be scholarships for seniors, or donating to the Jackson County Youth Fair, their local fire departments, or Little League sponsorships for football and baseball/softball. Darilek was the JCYF president for many years, and Parker just retired from the Lavaca-Navidad River Association board after a number of years.
“Anyone who comes through these doors we try to help them,” Parker said.
As for the future, the business is basically looking to stay the same, unless neighborhoods start popping up around them. Where the towns are small, the changes are slow.
“One of the main differences I’ve seen is you don’t see a bunch of loyalty like you used to,” Darilek commented. “People are so busy too, so some traditions have changed. We grow where we can, but we try to keep it the same.”
One can find out more about La Ward Communications by visiting their website, laward.net, or by calling 361-872-2211. One can also visit them on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook for their latest updates.
La Ward Communications offers reliable and quality services with no dropped calls or interferences. Their high speed Internet is streamlined over their communication lines to offer a hard-wired and WiFi connection within their facilities. Corded landline devices still work during power outages and many security, health, and fire alarm systems are hardwired into the communications line to alert
authorities.
