'Twas the chill before winter, when all through the town, A furnace went quiet, completely shut down. The family grew cold, wrapped up in despair, Till Focus Heating & Cooling restored cozy air.”
Celebrating 20 Years!
State-of-the-art heating and cooling for the Stayton community
By Kelly Romo and Dennis McNabb, Active Media Photos courtesy of Focus Heating & Cooling
That’s right, folks. In the new year, Focus Heating & Cooling is celebrating 20 years of serving the incredible Santiam Canyon and Greater Salem areas! Since 2005, owners Jason and Janci Burns, a husband and wife team, have worked tirelessly to build a positive corporate culture and ensure that customers, employees, and the greater community are treated with the utmost care and respect. And clearly all that hard work has paid off. At Focus Heating & Cooling, comfort is their FOCUS — both in terms of your home’s temperature and your overall experience!
Like any company with an esteemed reputation, customer service is their highest priority. That said, it is their genuine care and concern for customers that sets Focus Heating & Cooling apart from the pack. They are committed to being honest with every client and providing all the necessary information for you to make an informed decision without
pressure. People are prioritized over processes and dollar signs, and by doing so, they hope to form long-lasting relationships built on a foundation of trust. By encouraging customers to take advantage of their regular maintenance programs, they also hope to ensure your HVAC unit’s optimal performance and energy efficiency, which benefits both the environment and your pocketbook!
In terms of services, Focus Heating & Cooling offers a wide range of options, including basic installations, maintenance services, ductwork solutions, gas furnace installation, gas piping services, venting of appliances and designing heating systems for light commercial projects. Their expertise covers all aspects of your heating and cooling needs and they offer free installation bids!
Focus Heating & Cooling is a locally-owned and -operated family business. They have been serving and employing individuals from the Santiam Canyon area for 20 years, and genuinely care about their local communities. As a matter of principle, the company donates $5 out of every service call to essential organizations and charities. Locally, they give to such concerns as the food bank, Service Integration Team, and Family Building Blocks. This quarter, they are proudly donating the proceeds to the annual local fire station toy drive.
By upholding clear and ethical values in all aspects of the business, Focus Heating & Cooling has continuously earned its reputation as the premier HVAC company in the area, even winning the coveted Large Business of the Year Award for the Stayton/Sublimity Chamber of Commerce in 2023!
Whether you require a new installation, repairs, or regular maintenance, call Focus Heating & Cooling today at 503-749-7583! You can also check out their website at focusheatingandcooling.com.
CELEBRATING 120 YEARS!
2000 to Present Day
that allowed the two companies to personnel expertise, plant equipment, serve their members.
focused on building out a buried fiber throughout their Canby service area, with follow. The company took on a build, meaning each individual home dedicated fiber connection right to the the fastest and most reliable service. the Mt. Angel subscribers led to brand identity as the company evolved into DirectLink in 2016. The company plan for the Mt. Angel service area, Mt. Angel subscribers were merged membership in 2018.
At the start of the new millennium, the population of Mt. Angel had grown to 3,121 residents, an increase of over 40% from the decade prior. In 2002, 95% of all U.S. households had a landline at home, the highest point in the last century. But by 2010, landline telephone usage fell to just 75% of U.S. households.
With ever-increasing competition from mobile providers and landline usage on the decline, independent telephone companies like DirectLink (then known as Mt. Angel Telephone) needed to diversify. The company soon began to offer a better internet experience called Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service. DSL still used existing copper telephone lines to connect folks to the internet, but it utilized different frequencies and a digital signal instead of analog that allowed members to use their phone and the internet at the same time.
the COVID-19 pandemic, reliable became more important than ever professionals alike had to learn and work DirectLink committed to keeping folks they couldn’t pay their bill during the clear during this time just how vital internet connection, and funding for infrastructure improvements and expansions result. DirectLink committed to finish
Things were moving and shaking, and there was an opportunity for Mt. Angel Telephone to continue offering local member service while expanding access to new and innovative communications services. Tom Bauman, then President of Mt. Angel Telephone and current member of the DirectLink Board of Directors, agreed to the sale of the company to DirectLink, then known as Canby Telephone Association. This established
a new partnership that allowed the two companies to share resources, personnel expertise, plant equipment, and more to better serve their members.
DirectLink was focused on building out a buried fiber optic network throughout their Canby service area, with Mt. Angel soon to follow. The company took on a Fiber-to-the-Home build, meaning each individual home would have a dedicated fiber connection right to the premises, providing the fastest and most reliable service. This commitment to the Mt. Angel subscribers led to another shift in brand identity as the company evolved from Canby Telcom into DirectLink in 2016. The company drafted a fiber master plan for the Mt. Angel service area, and shortly after, the Mt. Angel subscribers were merged into the cooperative membership in 2018.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reliable internet connections became more important than ever as students and professionals alike had to learn and work from home. DirectLink committed to keeping folks connected even if they couldn’t pay their bill during the pandemic. It became clear during this time just how vital it is to have a quality internet connection, and funding for broadband infrastructure improvements and expansions continued as a result. DirectLink committed to finish
building fiber to the entire Mt. Angel service area by the end of 2025.
But simply running wires to subscribers’ homes isn’t the end of the provider’s responsibility, in DirectLink’s eyes. The company completely revamped their internet service in 2023 to OMNI, aiming for a more all-inclusive solution that gave subscribers everything they needed for a fast, reliable, and secure connected home. Now, every internet subscription includes whole-home WiFi equipment; in the past, subscribers either needed to supply their own WiFi router or lease one from the company. And with ever-increasing online threats and scams, security is at the top of everyone’s mind. So, the company implemented multiple layers of cybersecurity designed to protect members’ connected devices and keep them safe from a variety of online threats. Members now also have the option to pair their WiFi equipment with the OMNI IQ mobile app. It provides network control and customization options, like network access schedules and content restrictions, great for parents or grandparents with kids in the home.
The story doesn’t end there – DirectLink will continue pushing the boundary of exceptional service and exploring new ways to innovate with one thing in mind: serving their members
Events: 2010s to Present
building fiber to the entire Mt. Angel end of 2025.
2000: U.S. Census counts 3,421,399 Oregon residents
2001: The iPod portable music player is released
2001: The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. kill more than 3,000 people
2004: Facebook launches, quickly becoming the world’s largest social media platform
2007: Netflix begins streaming movies and TV shows over the internet
2007: Amazon debuts the kindle e-reader
2010: Instagram is launched
2014: University of Oregon QB Marcus Mariota wins the school’s first Heisman Trophy
2017: A total solar eclipse crosses several Oregon cities in the path of totality for nearly 2 minutes
2020: DirectLink receives Smart Rural Community status from The Rural Broadband Association
But simply running wires to subscribers’ the end of the provider’s responsibility, eyes. The company completely revamped service in 2023 to OMNI, aiming for solution that gave subscribers everything for a fast, reliable, and secure connected every internet subscription includes equipment; in the past, subscribers supply their own WiFi router or lease company. And with ever-increasing scams, security is at the top of everyone’s company implemented multiple layers designed to protect members’ connected keep them safe from a variety of online now also have the option to pair their with the OMNI IQ mobile app. It control and customization options, like schedules and content restrictions, great grandparents with kids in the home.
The story doesn’t end there – DirectLink pushing the boundary of exceptional exploring new ways to innovate with serving their members
You can experience the full histor y timeline on our multimedia web experience at DirectLink .coop/120.
