JCS/TEL-LINK OBSERVES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

The past two years have been memorable ones for JCS/Tel-Link.

In 1998, the Cape Girardeau communications company was selected as "Small Business of the Year" by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

This year, JCS/Tel-Link, formerly Johnson Communications Services Inc., observed its 40th anniversary.

JCS/Tel-Link actually came into being in 1987, but Johnson Communications was established as a small family business in 1959 by the late Charles W. "Sonny" Johnson, as an authorized Motorola Service Center for installation and repair of Motorola two-way radio equipment in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

In 1970, the company, under the name of J&S Communications, served as the first paging, interconnect, marine radio and telephone answering business in Southeast Missouri.

In 1986, Kathryn Johnson Swan, a daughter of the founder, and W. Reginald Swan, purchased the company.

In August 1987, JCS founded Tel-Link, offering 24-hour answering service, wide-area paging service and portable-mobile telephone interconnecting service.

The company, which now installs and services all types of radio communications equipment, now employs 26 people. It moved to 1213 N. Kingshighway, from its original address at 2750 Adeline in September 1985.

The company is the largest locally owned paging company and acts as an agent for six additional paging carriers, offering local, regional and nationwide paging.

Representing Motorola and Kenwood, JCS/Tel-Link offers a complete line of two-way radio equipment for business, industrial, agriculture and personal use.

The organization represents Ameritech as the first cellular dealer in Southeast Missouri; American Mobile Satellites as satellite telephone dealer and C-Spec as dealer for WAN (wide-area Internet networking.

The leasing division of the company provides equipment, tower space or air time usage.

Three years ago, the company introduced an auto sound divisions, featuring Orion, Panasonic, Premier and Focal.