May 2014 marked a milestone for Cooperative Response Center Inc.

After 21 years of business, CRC announced it now serves more than 5 million electrical and gas meters in the United States.

“Surpassing the 5 million meter mark is a testament to both our membership and the employees of CRC,” said Chris Holt, CRC’s president and CEO, in a press release. “If our membership didn’t believe in us and we didn’t perform, we’d never have achieved this milestone.”

Based on an idea sparked by the aftermath of a severe ice storm in 1991, 19 Midwest rural electric cooperatives formed CRC in 1992 to help meet the needs of their members after hours. Initially only offering medical alarm monitoring services, CRC soon expanded to offer contact center services like after-hours call answering and line crew dispatching. Now, CRC serves utilities in 42 states, representing more than 250 contact center members with and more than 5 million meters.

CRC currently employs 200 people at three locations in Austin, Minn., Dunlap, Tenn., and Abilene, Texas. To celebrate its 5 million meter milestone, CRC gave its employees CRC-logo jackets and and a meal on May 21.

CRC thanked its employees for helping it reach the milestone. In addition, CRC is appreciative of its membership for its support and looks forward to serving them for many years to come.