CenturyLink

CenturyLink, Inc

Formerly called	Central Telephone and Electronics, Inc. Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. CenturyTel, Inc.
Type	Public
Traded as	: CTL S&P 500 Component
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1968
Headquarters	Monroe, Louisiana, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Glen F. Post, III (CEO) William Owens, Chairman
Services	Fixed-line telephony, Fiber-optic broadband and fixed-line internet services, digital television, network services, /Prism TV, and Internet hosting service
Revenue	US$ 17.900 billion (2015)
Operating income	US$ 2.605 billion (2015)
Net income	US$ 878 million (2015)
Total assets	US$ 47.604 billion (2015)
Total equity	US$ 14.060 billion (2015
Number of employees	43,000 (2015)
Subsidiaries	CenturyTel companies Embarq Qwest Savvis
Website	centurylink.com

CenturyLink, Inc. is an American telecommunications company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. It provides communications and data services to residential, business, governmental and wholesale customers in 37 states. A member of the S&P 500 index, the company operates as a local exchange carrier and Internet access provider in U.S. markets and is the third-largest telecommunications company in the United States in terms of lines served, behind AT&T and Verizon. It also provides long distance service.

The earliest predecessor of CenturyLink was the Oak Ridge Telephone Company in Oak Ridge, Louisiana, which was owned by F. E. Hogan, Sr. In 1930, Hogan sold the company, with 75 paid subscribers, to William Clarke and Marie Williams, for $500. They moved the switchboard to the Williams family front parlor. In 1946, the Williams' son, Clarke McRae Williams, received ownership of the family's telephone company as a wedding gift. In 1947, Clarke Williams learned the telephone company in Marion, Louisiana was for sale. With a loan from business associate Joe Sydney Carter, Clarke purchased the Marion Telephone Company and eventually made it his base of operation as he grew his company through more acquisitions. CenturyLink still maintains offices in the former headquarters building. The company remained as a family-operated business until it became incorporated in 1968.

By 1967, Oak Ridge Telephone Company served three states with 10,000 access lines. That year the company was incorporated as Central Telephone and Electronics. Clarke M. Williams served as president and chairman of the board. Between 1975 and 1972, Clarke gradually moved his headquarters from Marion to Monroe, Louisiana, to access the larger employee base and to be near the airport.