Local internet provider Rainier Connect has doubled its customer base in recent years, and is continuing to grow with the goal of providing quality, high-speed internet to its communities.
“I think the communities we serve, including Lewis County, have a better understanding of the critical need for reliable and fast internet in both our homes and businesses,” said Rainier Connect Customer Care Manager Amanda Singleton.
Part of the reason for that recent growth in Rainier Connect’s customer base, Singleton said, is that telehealth, working from home, attending school from home and using streaming services — all of which require good data — have become a larger part of people’s lives in recent years.
“All of those things require robust data services,” Singleton said.
Rainier Connect prides itself as South Puget Sound’s premier provider of fiber internet, Stream TV, and phone service in Centralia, Chehalis, Tacoma, Puyallup, Eatonville, Graham and beyond.
The company, which is based out of Eatonville, acquired the local dial up company Local Access in Lewis County in the early 2000s. At the time, Rainier Connect was the first company to provide high-speed DSL.
The company offers fiber internet to businesses from the Port of Chehalis to the Port of Centralia including dedicated synchronous and asynchronous connectivity.
Rainier Connect celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2011.
The company is currently working on extending fiber across Chamber Way in Chehalis in order to provide data services to the Centralia-Chamber of Commerce’s office, which Singleton said is an exciting opportunity, as the company has been a Chamber member for the last 10 years.
“I’ve been a board member for over 10 years now. And to this day, we have not been able to provide data services to the chamber, but we’ve been extending fiber up State Avenue and we are currently completing the construction to pull fiber across chamber way and bring fiber service to the chamber office, “ Singleton said, “It’ll be a significant leap forward in the speed and quality of service that they have right now.”
The company also supports nonprofits in the community, including the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Club, United Way of Lewis County.
The company is the primary sponsor of the Rob Fuller 25 X 25 Luncheon honoring the top 25 graduating seniors from Centralia and Chehalis. Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce also presents scholarships to local graduating high school seniors at this event.
The scholarships created by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Rainier Connect awards $1,000 to hard-working students based on their educational experience with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM.)
This year’s Rob Fuller Luncheon is scheduled for May 9.
“Rainier Connect is a big supporter of our community nonprofits,” Singleton said.
Rainier Connect currently has offices in Tacoma, Centralia and Eatonville. Between the three offices, the company has just over 100 employees and is looking to hire more, Singleton said.
“We’re focused on growth and building fiber over our existing territory and to underserved areas where we do not yet provide service,” she said.
Job postings and more information about the company are available on Rainier Connect’s website at https://rainierconnect.com/.
