Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative

Overview

Continuing a Tradition of Meeting Rural Needs

For generations, Paulding Putnam has helped rural communities across Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana stay connected to the services that support everyday life. The member-owned cooperative serves nearly 14,000 members across seven counties, pairing dependable electric service with a strong commitment to local decision-making and community investment. As Paulding Putnam expanded that mission to include fiber internet, the cooperative partnered with Powerful to create a website that could better reflect the full scope of its work. The redesign focuses on intuitive navigation, timely content and practical online tools that help visitors find answers and complete common tasks with ease. Rooted in the cooperative’s history while looking ahead to its next chapter, the new site supports the message behind Paulding Putnam’s tagline: “A Legacy of Power. A Future of Connection.”

Online Tools That Put Cooperative Service Within Reach

Paulding Putnam wanted its redesigned website to help visitors complete more tasks online with confidence. Powerful worked with the cooperative’s team to identify places where a routine process could become clearer, more accessible and easier to complete from any device. Two important updates supported that goal: converting select PDF forms into online forms and adding Powerful’s Capital Credits Lookup Tool. Both features support services that make Paulding Putnam distinct as a cooperative.

One example is the Join Co-op Connections as a Business form. Co-op Connections encourages local businesses to participate in a program that benefits members through discounts and community partnerships. That mission fits naturally with the cooperative principle of concern for community. A business owner searching for ways to connect with local residents can now land on the page, review frequently asked questions, translate the content when needed, and submit the form online without printing or scanning a document. The form asks for key details such as contact information, business category, discount details, logo files and participating communities.

That experience makes a notable difference. A clear online form gives participating businesses a strong first impression of the program and the cooperative behind it. It also follows Powerful’s STAR Standard: Searchable, Translatable, Accessible and Responsive. Visitors can find the page through search, complete it across devices and move through the form with assistive technologies. Instead of a PDF creating an extra step, the page creates a smooth path from interest to participation.

Powerful also implemented the Capital Credits Lookup Tool, which highlights one of the clearest differences between a cooperative and a traditional utility. Paulding Putnam’s members are owners, and margins may be returned through capital credits. The lookup tool turns what was once a manual PDF-based process into an interactive search. Members can enter their name to see whether they may have unclaimed capital credits. Together, the Co-op Connections form and Capital Credits Lookup Tool encourage online engagement, reduce routine inquiries and reinforce Paulding Putnam’s cooperative values in practical, everyday ways.

Expanding the Website’s Role as a Resource

Paulding Putnam also wanted its redesigned website to feature current content that reflects its services, voice and role in the community. Powerful and Paulding Putnam collaborated closely to identify communication goals and areas where visitors would benefit from clearer guidance. Together, the teams selected three pages for content curation: Economic Development, Streaming 101 and the Safety Center. Each page supports a different audience while extending Paulding Putnam’s practical, neighbor-focused tone.

For the Economic Development page, Powerful helped Paulding Putnam shape a broad topic into a clear path for businesses considering expansion, relocation or investment in the region. The page introduces the cooperative’s role as a local partner, then guides visitors through industrial sites, financing opportunities, incentive programs, data center resources and regional advantages. Powerful organized the information around the questions a business is likely to ask and added clear next steps throughout the page. The result gives Paulding Putnam a strong way to communicate the value of its local relationships, dependable infrastructure and community-first approach.

Powerful also helped Paulding Putnam develop the Streaming 101 page as a companion resource for its expanding fiber internet service. Since some visitors may be exploring streaming for the first time, the content avoids industry language and starts with the basics: what streaming is, what equipment is needed, how internet speed affects the experience and what to expect when making the switch. A frequently asked questions section addresses common concerns in one place. By breaking the topic into approachable sections, Powerful helped Paulding Putnam turn an unfamiliar subject into a useful guide that supports confident decisions at home.

The Safety Center brings another important area of Paulding Putnam’s work into focus. Powerful collaborated with the cooperative’s team to gather related resources and present them in a format that is easy to scan when time matters. Visitors can explore electrical safety demonstrations, tree trimming information, emergency tips, storm preparation guidance, outage resources and links to local emergency management agencies. Across all three pages, Powerful paired content strategy with Paulding Putnam’s established tone and priorities. The curated pages give the cooperative a strong foundation for sharing current information while helping visitors find relevant answers with less effort.