An impressive career at Palmerton Telephone Company has come to an end.

After 45 years of continuous service, Tom Lager, vice president of operations and general manager of Palmerton Telephone Company, has retired.In celebration of his last day on the job, Lager was honored at a luncheon earlier this month in the PenTeleData conference room.Lager graduated from Penn State University in 1969 with an associate degree in engineering, which he said "was all theory, no practical experience."His storied career with Palmerton Telephone Company began in February 1970 after he was hired by Claude Reinhard as a combination man."When I came here, I had a lot of theoretical knowledge, but little practical experience," Lager said. "Luckily I had a lot of good teachers, a lot of good men that I learned from, and I wasn't afraid to crack a book."Lager continued in that capacity until 1976, at which time he was named outside plant and equipment engineer, a position he remained in until 1981.From there, he was named manager of corporate development and planning, a position he held until 1988.Lager then became assistant manager and continued in that capacity until 1999, when he was named general manager.In 2005, he also added vice president of operations to his list of accomplishments.Over the decades, Lager said he's "seen so many changes in this industry.""When I started, we had step-by-step electromechanical switching, 10-party lines and open wire in the rural areas. We climbed poles regularly."Lager said, "Today, we are using computers and routers with Voice over Internet Protocol and Ethernet connections over fiber-optic lines, and most of the outside plant personnel have bucket trucks."As he reflected on his career, Lager said he's "relieved from the burden of management.""I won't really miss the job, but sure will the people I work with," he said.Lager resides in Jim Thorpe with his wife, Diane.He has a son, Nathan; a daughter, Angela; and three grandchildren "who I intend to spoil."Lager said he plans to keep busy in his retirement."There are miles of stream that need to be fished, and acres of ground that need to be hunted," he said. "And my wife has a long to-do list."