Tell us a brief history/background of your organization.

The Hawk Family Foundation was established in 2006, and is staffed by Administrator Maggie Hawk, and a Board of 2 personnel (Ann and Dave Hawk).  The Foundation became more structured in its giving in 2020 / 2021 when bringing on its first administrator, Susan Jefferies. They are housed in Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, where they’re kind enough to include the Foundation in fun traditions like the birthday club.  There is also always amazing chocolates in the break room!

Please detail the impact that your organization has on NEPA

In 2023, the Hawk Family Foundation worked with 115 nonprofit organizations, serving those organizations that address vulnerable populations (59% of grants awarded), Education (28%) and Community and culture (13%).  We try to partner with both nonprofit organizations and other funders to provide opportunities for individuals in our area. 

How did your organization come to work with Leadership Lackawanna?

The Hawk Family Foundation has been a sponsor of Leadership Lackawanna and the Core Program for several years, and Susan has participated in the Executive program.

What are your organization's best practices?

As far as best practices, the foundation tries to get to know all of the organizations that we partner with.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization.

Penn State Scranton initially came into being in 1951 as part of the General Extension division of Pennsylvania State College. Its first home was the Longfellow School Annex at 1625 Wyoming Ave in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which it occupied until June 1968. Originally named in memory of Worthington Scranton (1876–1955), a prominent industrialist and civic leader of northeastern Pennsylvania, the campus is one of 24 Penn State facilities throughout the Commonwealth.

In 1953, The Scranton Center began offering associate degree programs and the need for more adequate facilities led the University’s Board of Trustees to support the local Advisory Board in establishing a campus. In 1962, the Advisory Board purchased the campus’ present site in Dunmore and it opened in September 1968.

Today, the campus offers 14 bachelor’s degrees, four associate degrees and the first two years of more than 275 Penn State degrees. It also provides professional and workforce development programs through its Center for Business Development and Community Outreach, and operates the Scranton LaunchBox in South Scranton, which provides free services and support for prospective entrepreneurs and business owners.

Please detail the impact that your organization has on NEPA.

Penn State Scranton continues to evolve in order to meet the higher education and workforce needs in NEPA. The campus now offers 14 Penn State bachelor’s degrees in fields in which the local community expressed a need. The most recent addition, the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, was developed at the campus after regional industrial leaders met with Penn State Scranton administrators, expressing a true need for engineers. The biology and science degrees can be earned as a precursor to medical, pharmaceutical, or veterinarian school, and, along with the nursing degree, complements the offerings of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and the large, and still growing, healthcare industry and demand for medical professionals in NEPA.

The campus also is committed to making a college degree affordable, and each year awards over 170 scholarships, while also offering the option of earning a big name Penn State degree close to home, without the added costs of attending a campus outside of NEPA. To that end, students attending Penn State Scranton have access to all of the University’s resources, including its vast library system, student services and technology.

 How did your organization come to work with Leadership Lackawanna?

 Penn State Scranton has been involved with Leadership Lackawanna for more than 20 years and over that time dozens of administrators and staff members from various departments on campus have participated in both the CORE and Executive Leadership programs. Participants include Associate Director of Admission Terri Caputo; Director of the Center for Business Development and Community Outreach (CBDCO) John Drake; CBDCO Education Program Specialist JoAnn Durdan; Director of Strategic Communications Amy Gruzesky; Assistant Financial Officer Christine Healey; Associate Dean for PSU Commonwealth Campus Libraries  Jennie Knies; Program Coordinator of Human Development and Family Services/Teaching Professor Janet Melnick, Ph.D.; Michele Nicoteri, Student Services staff assistant; Director of Student Services and Engagement Matt Nied; Director of Development Christine Ostroski; Coordinator of Student Activities Nicole Paolicelli; Alumni Development Specialist Joel Perkins; Professor of Information Sciences and Technology Alan Peslak, Ph.D.; Assistant Director of Student Services and Engagement Dharti Ray, currently an LL board member; Assistant Director of Athletics Sara Rinkunas; Mar Tsakonas, administrative support assistant, athletics; and many others who have since retired or gone on to pursue other opportunities.

What are your organization’s best practices?

 Our university mascot is the Nittany Lion, and we also have a Nittany Lion Shrine on our local campus that is a replica of the Nittany Lion Shrine at PSU’s University Park campus. Over the years, we’ve had many alumni come back to do engagement photos, wedding photos, and photo shoots with their young children at the shrine, and our mascot has made appearances locally at alumni events and community events such as the annual Scranton Jaycee’s Santa Parade.

Each year, our Chancellor’s Cabinet, along with faculty leaders, meet for an annual daylong retreat which can include brainstorming sessions on current issues/challenges; SWOT analysis; overview of upcoming opportunities; and/or training on new university initiatives, programs or systems; group sessions designed to facilitate conversations and communication among all members; as well as informational presentations from various campus departments.

 Please share anything else that you would like to highlight.

 Over the past decade, Penn State Scranton has not only grown in the number of academic programs it offers but has also expanded its campus facilities. In 2018, it purchased the former Grainger Building on the corner of the O’Neill Highway and University Drive and converted it into the Engineering Building, which now houses classroom, lab, and office spaces for the new Mechanical Engineering degree, as well as our Police Services and Center for Business Development and Community Outreach (CBDCO). The Dawson Building underwent a series of renovations resulting in the IST Active Learning and Innovation Lab; an art studio; a new computer lab; new suites for the HDFS, IST, and Science programs; a music room for the campus’ chorale and jazz band; a “One-Button” video recording studio; a Media Lab with computers and software for digital editing; and a virtual reality “Immersive Lab” that utilizes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) software to give students a unique learning experience.

 In 2023, the campus embarked on a major $13.1 million renovation and expansion of its Library/Nursing Building, with construction expected to be complete in early 2024.  The library currently serves 250-400 students per day and in an average semester, students check out and use its textbook reserves over 1,000 times. The new Library Nursing Building will feature expanded study areas, an updated instruction classroom, as well as ADA compliant restrooms, new HVAC system, a more accessible lobby area, a public elevator, a lactation room and enhanced site connections to the campus’ walkways.

 The lower level will be expanded in order to allow for the consolidation of the nursing program into one area on campus and provide additional room for nursing faculty, teaching spaces and labs, including patient simulator labs, and a new lower level entrance that will improve ADA accessibility to the building and increase the nursing program’s visibility on the campus.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization.

 Benco Dental is the nation's largest family/privately-owned full-service distributor of dental supplies (instruments, ceramics, composites, etc.), equipment (chairs, cabinetry, etc.), and technology (digital imaging, CAD/CAM, etc.). Headquartered at our state-of-the-art Silver LEED Certified facility in Pennsylvania, we have just under 1,500 associates that serve our customers in 46 states. 

We are, first and foremost, an innovation company—from pioneering dental e-commerce, to bringing cutting-edge products to market that other distributors won't tackle, to pushing manufacturers to innovate. Our mission reflects that: We drive dentistry forward through our innovative solutions and caring family culture.

On the most basic level, Benco Dental provides an important service to dentists and dental laboratories by providing all of the products that aide them in treating patients, all from one single source. This includes everyday dental supplies like gloves and artificial teeth; inventory management tools; installation and servicing of dental equipment—including preventive maintenance and DIY tools. Product ordering is often done through a combination of in-person visits with field sales reps, telephone conversations with our contact center associates and inside sales teams, and also online via benco.com and our mobile app.

Benco Dental is also a solutions provider which, combined with the above product offerings, encompasses virtually everything dentists need for the entire lives of their practices. For example, aspiring practice owners can tour one of three CenterPoint Design showrooms - complete practice planning superstores. Dentists can browse equipment and technology in simulated real-world clinical environments, try the products and tech hands-on, and collaborate with our design team on the architecture, space planning, finishes and furnishings of their offices. We also offer consulting on all aspects of operating a dental practice, continuing education opportunities, financial planning, placements, risk management and even preparing a practice for sale when a dentist is nearing retirement.

As an independent, family-owned company, Benco takes full advantage of our freedom to reinvest more profits back into the business as we grow in scale, reach and revenue. We have the luxury of thinking long term across years, even decades. We're continually transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in customer satisfaction, transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in customer satisfaction, infrastructure, human resources, technology, training, green initiatives, productivity, efficiency, research, data analysis and artificial intelligence. Customers more readily identify with Benco Dental thanks to a brand that stands for doing what's right for dentists and associates, and always being on the side of dentistry.

What impact has your organization had on NEPA?

 One after another, Benco Dental firsts have become industry standards. We were first to add equipment specialists to our team in the 1960s. First to leverage the power of upstart shipper UPS in 1974 with dentistry’s first hub-and-spoke distribution network for faster, more efficient product delivery. First to offer in-house design and space planning in 1978. First to launch automatic electronic ordering in 1988. First to offer Windows-based supply management in 1995. First with dentistry’s original loyalty program, BluChip rewards. First with CenterPoint in 2010, the design/equipment superstore that changed the way dentists try and buy equipment. First with Painless Marketplace in 2016, dentistry’s most complete ordering solution. And our innovations keep coming!

In 2018, we adopted the Innovation Index as one of Benco’s key metrics. First articulated by 3M in the 1980s, it measures the percentage of products sold that were introduced in the previous three years. Last year, our score was nearly 22 percent. That means one of every five dollars our customers spend with Benco is on what's newest...exciting, considering most dental consumables haven't changed in years.

Benco Dental has a comprehensive portfolio of owned brands, from Sterling soft tissue lasers to PRO-SYS sonic and manual toothbrushes to dozens of others across thousands of SKUs. We travel the world, seeking out inventive manufacturers not yet in the US market. Our Benco Brand team delivers famous-name quality on everyday items at substantial savings.

Benco publishes the award-winning Incisal Edge magazine, a glossy dental life-style magazine with a circulation of 130,000.

The Benco Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the dental health and quality of life in our local communities and around the world. Annually the foundation supports over 100 charities and donates hundreds of thousands of toothbrushes to children and families in need.

Benco offers associates the opportunity to support their local community through volunteerism. We match those hours for the Associate Emergency Fund, a paid time-off fund available to associates experiencing a hardship. On average, Benco participates in more than 100 unique volunteer activities. “Giving Back” is not just what happens at our Home Office location; it has taken hold throughout Benco across the country.

Associate interests from their local community drive the volunteer activities Benco chooses to participate in such as walks and events supporting the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, the Red Cross, the LUNGevity walk and our most popular Benco Boosters event each year World Smile Day.

Benco participates in numerous community service programs on a continual basis through our Community Boosters Committee, which is a group of generous associates from various departments of the company. Examples of Benco’s community support include the following initiatives: Red Cross Blood Drives, participation in charity bowl-a-thons, Christmas in July benefiting CEO, SPCA, Blue Chip, Keep A Breast, Ronald McDonald House, Brighter Journeys, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Salvation Army, community charitable walks and many more!

 How did your organization come to work with Leadership Lackawanna?

 Benco Dental has actively engaged with Leadership Lackawanna as part of its commitment to associate growth and community partnerships. We recognize the value of programs like Leadership Lackawanna, which align with our core values and promote servant leadership.

One notable Benco family member who participated in the Leadership Lackawanna program is Elizabeth Warrick. Elizabeth graduated from the program in 2020 and subsequently assumed new supervisor responsibilities at Benco Dental. Her participation in the program has contributed to her personal and professional growth, highlighting the success that Benco associates can achieve through their involvement with Leadership Lackawanna. Elizabeth shared, “As a member of the Benco family and a second-generation Leadership Lackawanna graduate, I am proud to be a part of these fantastic organizations. Completing the core program contributed to the growth of my leadership skills, which enabled me to further develop my responsibilities at Benco. Having shared values of empowerment and community give back, Benco and LL have given me the opportunity to continually engage in a professional network, while making valuable contributions to my company and my community.  Now as an advisor to the program, I hope to encourage and inspire others with my experience.”

What are your organization's best practices?

At Benco we work hard but have fun while doing so!

We have a long list of events and activities that our associates participate in during the year such as March Madness, a Horseshoe Tournament, Halloween Costume Contest with ‘Halloweiners’ for lunch, Breakfast with Santa, Annual Winter Appreciation Gala, Spring Fling, Annual Summer Picnic, and much more!

In addition, each year we host customer service week in the fall. During this week, we extend prizes to members of our contact center team (and any customer-facing team member) as a ‘thank you'. Prizes are large and small and can include gift baskets, massages, free lunches, ice cream and awards of additional paid time off. The week is highly anticipated each year with daily themes, such as superheroes and sports teams.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization.

FNCB Bank, locally-based for over 113 years, continues as one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's premier community banks — offering a full suite of personal, small business and commercial banking solutions with industry-leading mobile, online and in-branch products and services. After starting with one location in Dunmore in 1910, FNCB Bank has grown to 16 locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, employing 230 people and serving more than 30,000 customers. FNCB remains dedicated to the communities we serve with an on-going mission to make your banking experience simply better.

 What impact has your organization has on NEPA?

As a community bank we believe it is our responsibility to help transform the communities we serve and help them grow and prosper. With a distinguished history of community involvement, FNCB Bank has always made a local impact. We dedicate our resources, both people and financial, to help make the places where we live and work better, not only for current generations, but also for generations yet to come. Annually, we donate more than $500,000 to over 200 community organizations involved in a wide variety of activities, including scholarship organizations, veteran’s services, affordable housing, community development, education, senior citizens, cultural enrichment and women’s issues.

 How did your organization come to work with Leadership Lackawanna?

FNCB Bank is a long-time supporter of Leadership Lackawanna’s programs including Core and Fundamentals. Through the skills and business relationships developed through Leadership, our participants have become better leaders and members of the community. Past FNCB graduates include: Stephanie Abraham, Mike Cioffari, Bridget Connor, Dave Jones, Walt Jurgiewicz, Amy Kelley, Sara Matusinski, Karen Smith, Ted Kowalick and Jennifer Thomas.

 What are your organizations best practices?

FNCB Bank is committed  to remain a 100% locally-based community bank serving the needs of Northeastern Pennsylvania guided by a 7 word mission statement – “To Make Your Banking Experience Simply Better.” This commitment has served us well allowing us to not only survive, but to grow and prosper. In recent years, FNCB was named one of the Top 200 Community Banks in America and the Best Bank & Best Place to Work in the Scranton Times-Tribune Readers’ Choice Awards. We look forward to serving the needs of NEPA businesses and residents for many years to come.

1.      Tell us a brief history/background of PNC.

PNC’s local roots in Lackawanna County can be traced back to the First National Bank of Scranton which opened for business on October 14, 1863. The bank was first housed in a 17-foot by 50-foot rented room on the ground floor of a three-story hotel on the corner of Lackawanna and Wyoming Avenues, not far from where the Scranton Administrative office is today.

  2.      What impact has PNC had on NEPA?

The PNC team is committed to leading by example in Northeast PA, with Regional President Pete Danchak setting the standard for community and industry involvement. He has chaired the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne County’s campaign twice; with the local leader of PNC Asset Management, Debbie Kolsovsky, chairing the campaign as recently as last year. PNC’s resources and standing as a national main street bank, with a local focus guided by Pete Danchak, enables the local team to support a range of charitable sponsorships in addition to providing funding for a variety of organizations and causes through the PNC Foundation that help strengthen communities across NEPA. Notably, the bank is a proud sponsor of PNC Field, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Mohegan Sun Arena, all of which are key economic development drivers in the region.

 Volunteerism is also at the heart of the bank’s community focus. Employees are encouraged to become involved in non-profit organizations as board members and contribute their time and expertise to a range of community initiatives. Advancing the cause of high quality, early childhood education through PNC Grow Up Great is a signature philanthropic focus. Through this initiative, the bank has developed partnerships with several early childhood education organizations in the area.

  3.      How did PNC come to work with Leadership Lackawanna?

We are longtime supporters of the Chambers of Commerce across the region and of programs like Leadership Lackawanna that encourage community pride and advocate for leadership along with providing the skills and networking to help Northeast PA flourish. A number of PNC employees have completed this program – including PNC banker Kyle Gattuso who will graduate from the core program this spring. Angela Mariotti currently serves on the board.

 4.      What are PNC’s best practices?

At PNC, we continue to focus on connecting with our clients and communities—in person—where we live, work and play. As a national main street bank, PNC values the trusted relationships we’ve established with clients and the local community. Financial services is rooted in personal relationships and that is why the PNC team is Northeast PA and across the country are committed to understanding client objectives, empowering customers to manage their finances anytime, anywhere. That’s the power of a national financial services franchise brought to your street and your fingertips.

 PNC’s culture has always fostered talent and encouraged employees to take advantage of internal opportunities to grow and strengthen their skills and to take advantage of the opportunities offered at a Fortune 500 company like ours. Now, because of our size and the flexible work environment afforded many positions, there are even more opportunities to succeed at PNC.

 5.     What else would you like to highlight about PNC?

PNC’s national main street bank model is a key differentiator. In practice, this approach comes to life within our markets where we deliver the capabilities of a large scale, leading financial services institution at the local level. At the heart of this model is locally-based decision-making, led in Northeast PA by PNC Regional President Pete Danchak, who is responsible for bringing the full scope of PNC’s capabilities and resources to customers and communities where we live and work. Across PNC, the Regional President is supported by on-the-ground teams of bankers, advisors and specialists who build and nurture long-term relationships with our customers by delivering solutions that address their fundamental banking needs. This regional structure is complemented by our coast-to-coast network of more than 2,500 branches that serves millions of consumers and small businesses.

How was the credit union started?

Penn East Federal Credit Union was chartered on May 3, 1938 as “Scranton, Pennsylvania Teachers Federal Credit Union” and was awarded charter number 2742. On June 28, 1974, the name was changed to “Scranton and NE Educational Federal Credit Union”. The final name change occurred on December 21, 1994 when the credit union changed its name to “Penn East Federal Credit Union”.

The founder was Mark Raymond who ran the credit union from its founding in 1938 until his death in 1973. Upon his death, the management of the credit union fell to his wife, Mildred Raymond, who ran the credit union from 1973 through 1980. The Raymonds ran the credit union from the living room of their home.

What can I expect from the Credit Union today?

From those modest beginnings, the credit union has grown to be a full-service financial institution and the third largest credit union in Lackawanna County. Penn East Federal Credit Union now has five locations and a community charter. Anyone who lives or works in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties can join the credit union.

Where can I learn more?

https://penneastfcu.org/

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?

Fidelity Bank has a strong history as a community bank that has been serving its community for over 120 years. Today, Fidelity Bank operates dozens of branches located throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Northampton counties, along with the Fidelity Bank Wealth Management Minersville Branch in Schuylkill County. With a full-service Client Care Center serving as a fully digital branch, Fidelity Bank is able to assist clients who prefer to fulfill their banking needs remotely through telephone, chat, mobile, or online. Additionally, Fidelity Bank offers a full-service Wealth Management Division, a Mortgage Center, and an array of personal and business banking products and services.

 The Bank provides 24 hours, 7 days a week service to clients through its branches, online at www.bankatfidelity.com, and through the Client Care Center at 1-800-388-4380.

 What is an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. e.g., your company mascot or pet, a fun outing your company held, the unorthodox way your leadership team brainstorms, the unusual ways your team communicates, etc?

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fidelity Bank moved to drive-thru and appointment-only branch banking as needed, and implemented improvements designed to provide greater assistance to our clients, both digitally and through our Client Care Center. The safety and well being remained top-of-mind, and the Bank moved quickly to implement innovative ways to utilize technology to do just that. In addition, the Bank ensured that no Fidelity Banker would have to chose between keeping themselves and their families safe; not a single Banker lost their job during this time.

 Fidelity Bank provided several rounds of bonuses for our client-facing Bankers in great appreciation of their continued focus on serving our clients. Every Fidelity Banker remained unwavering in their commitment to provide an extraordinary client experience.

 How is your organization a leader in your industry?

Fidelity Bankers take pride in serving as trusted financial advisors to their clients. Because of this, Fidelity Bank continues to earn prominent accolades in the banking industry. Recently, the Bank has been recognized as one of the “Top 200 Community Banks in the U.S.” for the 8th consecutive year by American Banker, it’s earned ‘Top Customer Ratings of Pandemic Performance,’ by Banking Northeast, has been ranked #1 community bank mortgage lender in Northeastern Pennsylvania for 12th consecutive year, and voted “Best Bank” by readers of the Times Tribune eight times, and by The Morning Call readers for the first time.

How is your organization a leader in the community?

While Fidelity Bank strives to deliver the best in banking, one thing has never changed – its commitment to the communities it serves. In 2021, Fidelity Bank provided over $1.8 million in philanthropic support to organizations, groups, schools, universities, and clubs throughout the community. Additionally, Fidelity Bankers provided over 3,137 volunteer hours through the Bank’s Volunteer Time Off Program, a program that provides bankers with paid time off to volunteer for countless nonprofits and other community organizations in our area. The program allows relationships to be built between the Bank, its Bankers, and the community and organizations they serve.

Tell us a little about your organization.

Benco Dental is the nation's largest family/privately-owned full-service distributor of dental supplies (instruments, ceramics, composites, etc.), equipment (chairs, cabinetry, etc.), and technology (digital imaging, CAD/CAM, etc.). Headquartered at our state-of-the-art Silver LEED Certified facility in Pittston, Pennsylvania, we have just under 1,500 associates that serve our customers in 46 states. 

 We are, first and foremost, an innovation company—from pioneering dental e-commerce, to bringing cutting-edge products to market that other distributors won't tackle, to pushing manufacturers to innovate. Our mission reflects this focus: We drive dentistry forward through our innovative solutions and caring family culture.

On the most basic level, Benco Dental provides an important service to dentists and dental laboratories by providing all of the products that aide them in treating patients, all from one single source. This includes everyday dental supplies like gloves and artificial teeth, inventory management tools, installation and servicing of dental equipment—including preventive maintenance and DIY tools. Product ordering is often done through a combination of in-person visits with field sales reps, telephone conversations with our contact center associates and inside sales teams, and also online via benco.com and our mobile app.

Benco Dental is also a solutions provider which, combined with the above product offerings, encompasses virtually everything dentists need for the entire lives of their practices. For example, aspiring practice owners can tour one of three CenterPoint Design showrooms - complete practice planning superstores. Dentists can browse equipment and technology in simulated real-world clinical environments, try the products and tech hands-on, and collaborate with our design team on the architecture, space planning, finishes and furnishings of their offices. We also offer consulting on all aspects of operating a dental practice, continuing education opportunities, financial planning, placements, risk management and even preparing a practice for sale when a dentist is nearing retirement.

As an independent, family-owned company, Benco takes full advantage of our freedom to reinvest more profits back into the business as we grow in scale, reach and revenue. We have the luxury of thinking long-term across years, even decades. We're continually transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in customer satisfaction, transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in customer satisfaction, infrastructure, human resources, technology, training, green initiatives, productivity, efficiency, research, data analysis and artificial intelligence. Customers more readily identify with Benco Dental thanks to a brand that stands for doing what's right for dentists and associates, and always being on the side of dentistry.

What are some interesting, fun facts about Benco that make it a great place to work?

 At Benco we work hard but have fun while doing so!

 We have a long list of events and activities that our associates participate in during the year such as March Madness, a Horseshoe Tournament, Halloween Costume Contest with ‘Halloweiners’ for lunch, Breakfast with Santa, Annual Winter Appreciation Gala, Spring Fling, Annual Summer Picnic, and much more!

 In addition, each year we host customer service week in the fall. During this week, we extend prizes to members of our contact center team (and any customer facing team member) as a ‘thank you”. Prizes are large and small and can include gift baskets, massages, free lunches, ice cream and awards of additional paid time off. The week is highly anticipated each year with daily themes, such as superheroes and sports teams.

 How is Benco a leader in your industry?

 One after another, Benco Dental firsts have become industry standards. We were first to add equipment specialists to our team in the 1960s. First to leverage the power of upstart shipper UPS in 1974 with dentistry’s first hub-and-spoke distribution network for faster, more efficient product delivery. First to offer in-house design and space planning in 1978. First to launch automatic electronic ordering in 1988. First to offer Windows-based supply management in 1995. First with dentistry’s original loyalty program, BluChip rewards. First with CenterPoint in 2010, the design/equipment superstore that changed the way dentists try and buy equipment. First with Painless Marketplace in 2016, dentistry’s most complete ordering solution. And our innovations keep coming!

In 2018, we adopted the Innovation Index as one of Benco’s key metrics. First articulated by 3M in the 1980s, it measures the percentage of products sold that were introduced in the previous three years. Last year, our score was nearly 22 percent. That means one of every five dollars our customers spend with Benco is on what's newest...exciting, considering most dental consumables haven't changed in years.

Benco Dental has a comprehensive portfolio of owned brands, from Sterling soft tissue lasers to PRO-SYS sonic and manual toothbrushes to dozens of others across thousands of SKUs. We travel the world, seeking out inventive manufacturers not yet in the US market. Our Benco Brand team delivers famous-name quality on everyday items at substantial savings.

Lastly, Benco publishes the award-winning Incisal Edge magazine, a glossy dental life-style magazine with a circulation of 130,000.

 How is Benco a leader in the community?

 The Benco Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the dental health and quality of life in our local communities and around the world. Annually the foundation supports over 100 charities and donates hundreds of thousands of toothbrushes to children and families in need.

 Benco offers associates the opportunity to support their local community through volunteerism. We match those hours for the Associate Emergency Fund, a paid time-off fund available to associates experiencing a hardship. On average, Benco participates in more than 100 unique volunteer activities. “Giving Back” is not just what happens at our Home Office location; it has taken hold throughout Benco across the country.

 Associate interests from their local community drive the volunteer activities Benco chooses to participate in, such as walks and events supporting the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, the Red Cross, the LUNGevity walk, and our most popular Benco Boosters event each year World Smile Day.

 Benco participates in numerous community service programs on a continual basis through our Community Boosters Committee, which is a group of generous associates from various departments of the company. Examples of Benco’s community support include the following initiatives: Red Cross Blood Drives, participation in charity bowl-a-thons, Christmas in July food collection benefiting CEO, volunteering at the SPCA and Blue Chip Animal Refuge, and fundraisers for the Keep A Breast Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Brighter Journeys, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Salvation Army, community charitable walks and more!

Organizational History

 The Greater Scranton YMCA was founded in 1858 and relocated to Dunmore from Downtown Scranton in the early 1970s. At this time, membership and programs were offered to women and girls and the facility became a full-fledged family organization. When the local YWCA ceased its operations in Scranton in the 1980s, the Greater Scranton YMCA offered to incorporate its remaining members into its roster. 

 At the Y, our most important goal is to keep our facility available to the kids and families who need it most, as giving kids a safe and nurturing place to go benefits everyone and makes the community we love a better place to live. As a charity, we work every day to address community needs and ensure that all are welcome and that no one is turned away for an inability to pay.

 The Greater Scranton YMCA’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and for all. Here, strengthening our community is our cause! 

 The Y is the organization that:

• met the practical and spiritual needs of young men flocking to London during the Industrial Revolution.

• has served the military and military families in every U.S. conflict since the Civil War.

• inspired the formation of the U.S.O., Peace Corps, and Father’s Day.

• met immigrants coming off the boats at Ellis Island to offer services and support in making a new life.

• began the first night of school and English as a Second Language course.

• invented group swimming lessons, basketball, volleyball, and racquetball, and gave them to the community.

• provided quality and affordable child care when women began joining the workforce in droves.

• began values education at a time of social unrest.

Tell us an interesting fact about your organization.

Basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and group swimming lessons were all invented at the Y!

 How is your organization a leader in the community?

The Greater Scranton YMCA has remained relevant for more than 160 years. We promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility for all. The Greater Scranton YMCA has stood as a landmark and anchor in the greater Scranton region since its inception. The Y continuously provides individuals and families with access to essential programs and services for those who may otherwise be unable to take advantage of all the Y offers. As always, no matter how our community changes, the Y will adapt in meeting those changes.

 The Greater Scranton YMCA will always serve all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay. As a charity, the Y works every day to ensure that all are welcome. We provide quality, affordable childcare, and after-school and summer camp programs and open all of our programs to working families. Here, older adults have every opportunity to connect with one another.

Organizational Highlights

The Greater Scranton YMCA recently completed major renovations to its facility in Dunmore! Projects included the creation of a commercial kitchen and teaching kitchen and the overall renovation of our existing Welcome Center. These projects will allow us to better serve our members and community, as well as serve more healthy meals to children, adults, and families from our community who are in need. 

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?

 Keystone Mission began its work in the NEPA community in 1995. A pastor moved from California to start a ministry with individuals experiencing homelessness. For 10 years, the pastor and other community members served meals and food from the back of a box truck on the weekends. In 2005, Keystone Mission purchased the 8–12 W. Olive St., location and introduced distribution programs. 2008, the organization expanded to Wilkes-Barre after a generous donor gifted the 290 Parkview Circle location to Keystone Mission. 2008–2019 the organization had several programs aiding men and women experiencing homelessness and the low-income families. The Board of Directors decided to re-focus on the original mission of Keystone, providing help and hope to men and women experiencing homelessness in NEPA. Entering 2022, Keystone Mission now provides Emergency Shelter, Code Blue in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Mobile Outreach on the weekends, Day Center at 12 W. Olive Street, and the 15-bed male Transformation Center which opens spring 2022. The programming is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ seeking opportunities to build life skills in the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness.

 Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. e.g., your company mascot or pet, a fun outing your company held, the unorthodox way your leadership team brainstorms, the unusual ways your team communicates, etc.

 This past October, CEO & Executive Director, Justin Behrens held Keystone Mission’s second annual REAL TALK event. Behrens will sit outside for 24-hours straight to educate and engage with the NEPA community on homelessness. He will answer questions about the myths and negative stigmas surrounding the subject. The past two years the engagement with the community has increased significantly and allowed good conversations with political leaders, business leaders, individuals experiencing homelessness, and more.

 How is your organization a leader in your industry?

 Keystone Mission is an award-winning non-profit organization. The organization has been featured on NBC News and advocates for men and women experiencing homelessness. The CEO & Executive Director, Justin Behrens sits on the National Summit of Homelessness at the White House where he advises law makers regarding homelessness in our country. Most recent, Keystone Mission was accredited by The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). To be accredited by the national financial organization is extremely tough because of the high standards the board of directors for ECFA have established for organizations and ministries.

 How is your organization a leader in the community?

 Keystone Mission won the 2021 Non-Profit of the Year Award through the Scranton Chamber of Commerce. The organization is dedicated to be advocates in the community for men and women experiencing homelessness. Justin Behrens, CEO & Executive Director sits on the advisor board for the community and helps determines which organization should receive federal grants. A few months ago, Keystone Mission received notice regarding the HLA Grant from the Pittsburg Bank that will go to the 15-bed Transformation Center. Most recent, Keystone Mission partner with Restored Church to provide temporary emergency shelter for the fire victims at the Genetti Apartments. As of date, 15 individuals have been housed.

 Keystone Mission is an award-winning, faith-based local non-profit organization with locations in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Recently, Keystone Mission was accredited with ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). We are also a mission member with Citygate Network and a 95% rating with Charity Navigator.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?

Noble Biomaterials is a global leader in antimicrobial and conductivity solutions for soft surface applications. The company produces advanced material technologies designed for mission-critical applications in the performance apparel, healthcare, industrial, and emerging wearable technology markets. Its flagship brands, X-STATIC®, IONIC+™, and CIRCUITEX®, are used by world-class licensees to provide odor elimination, infection prevention/management, biometric monitoring, and conductive protection benefits. Our headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and we have a network of offices across Europe, Asia, and South America.

 Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business. e.g., your company mascot or pet, a fun outing your company held, the unorthodox way your leadership team brainstorms, the unusual ways your team communicates, etc.

In 1997, when Joel Furey and Bill McNally founded Noble as an intelligent materials company, they focused on selling silver fiber technology for its antimicrobial properties. After spending two years developing the technology and conducting clinical testing for use in medical devices, the first commercial success arrived in the form of a no-stink antimicrobial sock liner designed for hikers and skiers. It won the Backpacker Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, setting Noble’s technology and the company on a path of innovation and success that continues to this day.

 How is your organization a leader in your industry?

Noble’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been swift and focused. We immediately ramped up independent testing on our Ionic+ Permanent Antimicrobial technology, proving that our extruded filament works on contact against SARS CoV-2 (the coronavirus), as well as the H1N1 influenza strain, drug-resistant bacteria, and other pathogens. Within 10 minutes, there’s an 83% reduction in virus viability; within 30 minutes, 92.57% of the virus is no longer viable; and within an hour, the number rises to 99.15%. This means that when Ionic+ is integrated into the manufacturing of cloth masks, personal protection garments, wound care products, and other soft surfaces, it actively eliminates pathogens in real time. As you can imagine, this has been a real game-changer.

 How is your organization a leader in the community?

 On a global scale, our products are used by consumers, corporations, and governments around the world to protect, save, heal, and improve lives. Here at home, we contribute to the wellbeing of our local community by taking care of our employees. Our people are integral to our success. In a word, they’re our ambassadors. Although many companies talk about work-life balance, we actually offer family-friendly work schedules that enable our team members to spend quality time with their loved ones. Our policies and attitudes empower our employees, resulting in higher productivity, lower absentee rates, and reduced turnover.

1.What should we know about Penn State Scranton?

Penn State University initiated academic services for the Scranton area in 1923 with the establishment of an Extension Branch School, which offered evening technical institute programs. In 1951, The Scranton Center was established and offered day and evening technical programs until 1953, when the courses were redesigned as associate degree programs. During the 1950s, The Scranton Center began planning for a permanent campus outside of the city to serve a larger area and its growing educational needs. A public fund-raising campaign was instituted to solicit funds from labor, business, industry, former students and friends. The Center's board then purchased land and began planning the new campus.

In 1968, those efforts paid off and the campus was established at its current location along the O'Neill Highway in Dunmore with the construction of the Dawson Building.

Since that time, five more buildings have been added: the Library, the Study Learning Center, the Multipurpose Building, the James D. Gallagher Conference Center, and a Business Building.  In 2018, the campus purchased the former Grainger Building, located on the corner of Ridge View Drive and the O'Neill Highway, which will house the campus' new Mechanical Engineering degree program, starting in Fall 2021. The campus also has its own cross-country track, and soccer, softball and baseball fields.

In addition to its physical growth, Penn State Scranton has evolved from its origins as a two-year, commuter campus to a full-service campus that offers 13 bachelor degrees, four associate degrees and the first two years of  over 275 Penn State degrees. Penn State Scranton now offers local students the ability to get an internationally-recognized, big-name degree close to home, while also being affordable and accessible with one of the lowest tuition rates in northeastern Pennsylvania. We provide students with all the resources of Penn State, along with high-quality academics and a world-class, supportive faculty that prepares them for the future.

 Our David and Ann Hawk Student Success Center provides tutoring and other academic services to help students be successful and our campus awards over 170 scholarships to qualifying students each year. We have a continuously growing number of active student clubs, as well as PSUAC and intramural athletics and a student services staff that provides a variety of activities for our students throughout the year - from lunch-time concerts to games that award winning students prizes to movie nights and gaming events.

 Penn State Scranton also prides itself on being a welcoming campus with an increasingly diverse population, and  events highlighting cultural diversity such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, MLK Day of Service and Cinco de Mayo.

2. What’s something interesting to know about Penn State Scranton?

The current and popular Nittany Lion mascot, familiar to so many people regardless of whether or not they attended Penn State, was modeled after the Pennsylvania mountain lion, but the original mascot was actually an African Lion; however, before the Nittany Lion there was Old Coaly, a pack mule from Kentucky who came to State College with his owner, Piersol Lytle. Lytle's son, Andy, was a laborer working on Old Main, the first building constructed at the main University Park campus, and recruited the mule for help in hauling the stones that were used to build Old Main from the local rock quarry to the construction site. When construction ended after six years, the University decided to buy the mule they'd grown to love, and Old Coaly became a symbol of Penn State pride for the student body.

3. How is Penn State a leader in its industry?

 Penn State is a leader in higher education, with a name that is recognized globally, and carries out its mission of teaching, research, and service with pride and focus on the future. Our leadership in administration, faculty, and staff make our mission come alive every day. We strive to celebrate diversity in all aspects of our educational and operational activities, and our strategic plans are designed to result in ongoing improvements that help prepare future generations of leaders.

4. Is Penn State a leader in the community?

 Penn State Scranton makes a high-quality college education both accessible and affordable, with one of the lowest college tuition rates in the region. Over 90% of our students are from within our five-county service area in northeastern Pennsylvania, making us a true community institution of higher education. In addition to our 13 bachelor degrees and four associate degrees, we also offer a wide range of continuing education programs including AutoCAD, e-commerce, human resources, real estate, supply chain management, technology, customized training programs for businesses or schools and summer programming for youths and teens.  In 2018, we established the LaunchBox in South Scranton, a business pre-incubator that provides educational and technical support for aspiring entrepreneurs and facilitates networking opportunities for faculty, professionals and students who are passionate about building a vibrant community in downtown Scranton and the surrounding area.

Tell us a little about your organization.

Benco Dental is the nation's largest family/privately-owned full-service distributor of dental supplies (instruments, ceramics, composites, etc.), equipment (chairs, cabinetry, etc.), and technology (digital imaging, CAD/CAM, etc.). We’re headquartered at our state-of-the-art Silver LEED Certified facility in Pittston. We are, first and foremost, an innovation company—from pioneering dental e-commerce, to bringing cutting-edge products to market that other distributors won't tackle, to pushing manufacturers to innovate. We drive dentistry forward through our innovative solutions and caring family culture.

How many locations and employees does Benco have?

We have just under 1,500 associates that serve our customers in 46 states along with 5 distribution centers. Benco has 3 state-of-the-art showrooms. Benco’s CenterPoint Home Office Showroom is one-of-a-kind. As the largest dental showroom in the United States, it has 25 working operatories. The sample operatories are equipped with state-of-the-art dental equipment and a recently added OneVisit Suite for both customers and associates to view digital dentistry at its peak. The showroom has become so popular with customers that we opened a “CenterPoint West” dental showroom in Costa Mesa, California in 2012 and a third CenterPoint Showroom in Dallas, Texas in 2015.

Has Benco won any awards or achievements?

Benco has consistently been certified as a Great Place to Work by FORTUNE and the Great Place to Work Institute. In addition, in 2016-2018, we placed within the top 30 businesses as a Best Workplace in Healthcare. Previous accolades include local top company to work for highlights as well as organizational contributions.

 Tell us about your two top products?

 Benco Dental’s private label division, Benco Brands, offers an extensive line of innovative and award winning dental products. Our nationally distributed natural extensions® brand of dental exam gloves, offered in latex, nitrile and chloroprene, provide a protective solution for the hands of every customer. Our PRO-SYS® brand of oral care products, which includes our award-winning Variosonic® Power Toothbrush and our uniquely designed manual toothbrushes, offer our customers’ patients solutions for their oral care. In addition, our PRO-SYS® brand cares for the oral care of individuals worldwide through our PRO-SYS® Buy One, Give One program which gifts one toothbrush for every Tapered or Antimicrobial toothbrush sold. To date, Benco has donated over 1 million toothbrushes (and counting) to people in need.

 Do you have any job opportunities?  What would you tell job seekers?

 Candidates interested in a career with Benco Dental can go to benco.com/careers. The Benco Careers site allows candidates to review open positions, complete an online application and attach a resume. Even when there are no open positions that interest a candidate, he/she can submit a resume to a Benco 'Talent Network'. Examples include Sales & Field Service (both by geographic district), Finance, Marketing, Purchasing, Culture & People, Information Technology, Contact Center, Interns, etc. The idea behind the Talent Networks is to allow interested candidates to submit their resume for future opportunities. The Culture & People Talent Specialists review these submissions on a regular basis to be prepared when opportunities develop. Also, you can find our job openings on Indeed, LinkedIn, and similar sites. Benco participates in a number of Job Fairs (in person and virtual), and hosts a Job Fair at the Home Office each year.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?
FNCB Bank was established in 1910 as The First National Bank of Dunmore. After 70 years of operating in one location at Dunmore Corners, the Bank expanded to Scranton (1980) and Dickson City (1984). In 1988 the bank became First National Community Bank, a name they held until 2016 when they changed their name to FNCB Bank. FNCB Bank now serves the personal and business banking needs of Northeastern Pennsylvania with 17 offices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties.

Tell us an interesting fun fact about your business.
At our main branch at Dunmore Corners we have three interesting pieces of “lawn art” paying homage to popular sports programs. Leading the group is a life size Dunmore Buck. Next to the Buck on South Blakely St. is a Penn State Nittany Lion that has become a popular place to snap selfies. Finally, if you need a rest, have a seat on a bench constructed from the bleachers at the original Notre Dame Stadium.

How is your organization a leader in your industry?
As a 100% locally-based community bank, we take pride is having digital solutions that match much larger banks – with excellent customer service. FNCB provides both individual and business customers with a comprehensive suite of digital banking platforms, including user friendly online and mobile banking platforms that allow customers to open accounts, apply for a mortgage, pay bills and transfer funds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from their computer or mobile device.

Through our alliance with AllPoint, customers have access to a network of over 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide. We provide customers with a variety of mobile wallet alternatives including Apple Pay®, Google Pay®, Samsung Pay® and  Zelle. We also provide customers with the ability to receive fraud alert messages and manage where, when and how their debit card is used through the mobile application, CardValet®.

How is your organization a leader in the community?
Many of the not-for-profit and community outreach organizations within our market area have been severely impacted by the ongoing pandemic. In 2020, FNCB provided assistance to many organizations in our community to help them bridge the widening financial gap the COVID-19 pandemic has created.

FNCB established a charitable foundation to make a difference in our community. The foundation provides grants to qualifying organizations ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Qualifying organizations under the program include organizations that provide a direct service or affordable housing to low- to moderate income individuals, promote youth and educational opportunities, enhance the cultural or economic development within our market area, and improve the quality of life or meet a specific unmet need in the communities we serve. In 2020, we provided direct financial support, including awards under our foundation and participation in the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC), totaling approximately $500,000.

 In addition to financial support, our employees are actively lending a hand, giving generously of their time and talent in the community. With restrictions limiting traditional volunteer activities, our team developed several unique initiatives to give back, including “Team Lunch Fridays” from area restaurants, delivering lunch to essential workers and conducting fundraisers for families during the holiday season.

HISTORY
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management.

For more than 160 years, the company has been committed to providing clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. PNC is proud of their longstanding history of supporting not only their customers but also local communities, employees and shareholders.

COMMUNITY IMPACT
PNC has woven itself into the fabric of the community, and their dedicated commitment comes to life in the form of philanthropic donations, economic development, support of the growth of the local economy and its businesses, and the generosity of our employees who are passionate about giving back to their community.

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture.  Through its signature cause, Grow Up Great, PNC has created a $500 million, multi-year, bilingual initiative to enhance early childhood education and school readiness.

In Northeastern Pennsylvania, PNC is distinguished in the marketplace by not only providing exceptional products and services, but also by taking an active role in the community and economic development work that makes the region strong.

How was Allied Services founded?
Allied Services was founded in 1958 as an “alliance” in Scranton of three local nonprofit organizations which needed to pool resources together and incorporate synergies of each along with addressing community needs. Since those early days, Allied Services Integrated Health System has evolved into the largest post-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing provider in northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as one of the top employers in the region, providing human services, home care, personal care, palliative and hospice care, physical rehabilitation, skilled nursing, home healthcare, service coordination, vocational training and employment, behavioral health services, independent living and developmental services.

How is your organization a leader in your industry?
As a leading nonprofit healthcare and human services provider, our primary goal is to reinvest in our people, our facilities and our services to provide the highest level of mission-driven care with every service we provide in the community.

What’s something the general public might not know about Allied Services?
What may be a surprise to many, despite our 55 visible locations where our employees provide compassionate care and critical services, our greatest number of employees deliver care in the homes of hundreds of vulnerable people including seniors, Veterans, those with disabilities and many others who require personal care at home, palliative care, home health and hospice care. We have many rewarding employment opportunities in homes from entry level In-Home direct care workers (no training or advanced education required) to nurse practitioners (highly educated and advanced training) delivering palliative care.

How was the Credit Union started?

Penn East Federal Credit Union was chartered on May 3, 1938 as “Scranton, Pennsylvania Teachers Federal Credit Union” and was awarded charter number 2742. On June 28, 1974, the name was changed to “Scranton and NE Educational Federal Credit Union”. The final name change occurred on December 21, 1994 when the credit union changed its name to “Penn East Federal Credit Union”.

The founder was Mark Raymond who ran the credit union from its founding in 1938 until his death in 1973. Upon his death, the management of the credit union fell to his wife, Mildred Raymond, who ran the credit union from 1973 through 1980. The Raymonds ran the credit union from the living room of their home.

What can I expect from the Credit Union today?

From those modest beginnings, the credit union has grown to be a full-service financial institution and the third largest credit union in Lackawanna County. Penn East Federal Credit Union now has five locations and a community charter. Anyone who lives or works in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties can join the credit union.

Where can I learn more?

https://penneastfcu.org/

About Benco Dental

Benco Dental is the nation's largest family/privately-owned full-service distributor of dental supplies (instruments, ceramics, composites, etc.), equipment (chairs, cabinetry, etc.), and technology (digital imaging, CAD/CAM, etc.). Headquartered at our state-of-the-art Silver LEED Certified facility in Pennsylvania, we have just under 1,500 associates who serve our customers in 46 states.   We are, first and foremost, an innovation company—from pioneering dental e-commerce, to bringing cutting-edge products to market that other distributors won't tackle, to pushing manufacturers to innovate. Our mission reflects that: We drive dentistry forward through our innovative solutions and caring family culture. At the onset of a global pandemic in 2020, that mission inspired Benco Dental’s response to the needs of our customers and dentists nationwide.  On the most basic level, Benco Dental provides an important service to dentists and dental laboratories by providing all of the products that aide them in treating patients, all from one single source. This includes everyday dental supplies like gloves and artificial teeth; inventory management tools; installation and servicing of dental equipment—including preventive maintenance and DIY tools.  During the Covid-19 crisis, Personal Protective Equipment was in short supply, and Benco Dental took proactive steps to keep our customers supplied and informed.  Product ordering is often done through a combination of in-person visits with field sales reps, telephone conversations with our contact center associates and inside sales teams, and also online via benco.com and our mobile app.  Benco Dental is also a solutions provider which, combined with the above product offerings, encompasses virtually everything dentists need for the entire lives of their practices. For example, aspiring practice owners can tour one of three CenterPoint Design showrooms - complete practice planning superstores - via a virtual visit from their living rooms, with the help of 3D Matterport models. Dentists can browse equipment and technology in simulated real-world clinical environments, try the products and tech hands-on, and collaborate with our design team on the architecture, space planning, finishes and furnishings of their offices. We also offer consulting on all aspects of operating a dental practice, continuing education opportunities, financial planning, placements, risk management and even preparing a practice for sale when a dentist is nearing retirement. As an independent, family-owned company, Benco takes full advantage of our freedom to reinvest more profits back into the business as we grow in scale, reach and revenue. We have the luxury of thinking long term across years, even decades. We're continually transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in customer satisfaction, transforming the company and expanding our offerings to be the most agile and responsive partner we can be. That means investing in infrastructure, human resources, technology, training, green initiatives, productivity, efficiency, research, data analysis and artificial intelligence. Customers more readily identify with Benco Dental thanks to a brand that stands for doing what's right for dentists and associates, and always being on the side of dentistry.

 
What’s something intersting about Benco Dental that readers might like to know?

Benco Dental consistently creates new channels of communication with our family of associates across the U.S. During a global pandemic, this included a monthly virtual Town Hall meeting and two virtual State of the Company updates to help associates stay connected and informed.  At Benco we work hard, but have fun while doing so!  We host a long list of well-received events and activities that our associates participate in during the year such as March Madness, Halloween Trunk or Treat and many more. In response to social distancing guidelines, Benco Dental created a virtual Saturday Entertainment Series for associates that has included a cooking demonstration from celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani, magic and comedy with Denny Corby, and music and inspiration provided by Carnegie Hall headliner and TED Talk presenter Mike Rayburn. In addition, our individual departments presented virtual games, happy hours and other opportunities for connection.  Each year we host customer service week in the fall. During this week, we extend prizes to members of our contact center team (and any customer facing team member) as a ‘thank you”. Prizes are large and small and can include gift baskets, massages, free lunches, ice cream and awards of additional paid time off. The week is highly anticipated each year with daily themes, such as superheroes and sports teams. Creating a caring family culture for our associates is central to who we are. Benco Dental honors the individual contributions of associates with Quarterly Service and Recognition Awards.  From the Great Depression to the Agnes flood to the current pandemic, our company has been through a lot in nine decades. Yet, for us, loss and adversity reinforce the same lesson again and again: it's people who matter most. Annually, our Founders Day events include a ceremony in remembrance of Benco associates who have died. 

How is Benco Dental a leader in its industry?

With dentistry shut down at the outset of the pandemic, answers were in short supply for dentists. Our company’s top priorities expanded to include educational resources for our customers, and immediately we began hosting three to five "Coping During Crisis" webinars each week, reaching as many as 1,000 viewers in one Zoom event.  Experts, including guests from the American Dental Association, shared knowledge on topics such as: human resource obligations and how to handle layoffs and furloughs, new and pending federal legislation and how they affected dental practices, effective leadership during a crisis, strategies to pivot into telehealth, how to properly shut down dental equipment for an extended period of time, among others. We supported our customers in their practice re-opening phase with options to improve air quality and obtain the correct Personal Protective Equipment with a second webinar series "Back To Business, Building Confidence for the New Normal". Today, we provide an expanded portfolio of topics with “Gateway 2021, Crossing the Bridge in Dentistry.” One after another, Benco Dental firsts have become industry standards. We were first to add equipment specialists to our team in the 1960s. First to leverage the power of upstart shipper UPS in 1974 with dentistry’s first hub-and-spoke distribution network for faster, more efficient product delivery. First to offer in-house design and space planning in 1978. First to launch automatic electronic ordering in 1988. First to offer Windows-based supply management in 1995. First with dentistry’s original loyalty program, BluChip rewards. First with CenterPoint in 2010, the design/equipment superstore that changed the way dentists try and buy equipment. First with Painless Marketplace in 2016, dentistry’s most complete ordering solution. And our innovations keep coming!  In 2018, we adopted the Innovation Index as one of Benco’s key metrics. First articulated by 3M in the 1980s, it measures the percentage of products sold that were introduced in the previous three years. Last year, our score was nearly 22 percent. That means one of every five dollars our customers spend with Benco is on what's newest...exciting, considering most dental consumables haven't changed in years. Benco Dental has a comprehensive portfolio of owned brands, from Sterling soft tissue lasers to PRO-SYS sonic and manual toothbrushes to dozens of others across thousands of SKUs. We travel the world, seeking out inventive manufacturers not yet in the US market. Our Benco Brand team delivers famous-name quality on everyday items at substantial savings. Lastly, Benco publishes the award-winning Incisal Edge magazine, a glossy dental life-style magazine with a circulation of 130,000. 

How is Benco Dental a leader in the community?

To assist the communities we serve, Benco Dental donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 crisis to first responder organizations on the local level. We provided more than 40 boxes of masks, gloves, and cleaning solutions to support the efforts of police, ambulance personnel and firefighters.   The Benco Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the dental health and quality of life in our local communities and around the world. Annually, the foundation supports over 100 charities and donates hundreds of thousands of toothbrushes to children and families in need. In 2020, the Benco Family Foundation distributed PPE to Medical Teams International, Global Smile Foundation, Geisinger Medical Center, and Maternal and Family Health Services. In addition, key contributions included supporting the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks with 70,000 toothbrushes and providing local Food Pantries across the country with dental hygiene kits and gloves.  Benco offers associates the opportunity to support their local community through volunteerism. In 2019, associates volunteered over 3,640 hours and we hope to continue same number of hours when restrictions created in response to the pandemic are lifted. In 2020, we matched 424.50 hours for the Associate Emergency Fund, a paid time-off fund available to associates experiencing a hardship. Each year, Benco participates on average in 100 unique volunteer activities, provides supplies/donations for six different causes and collects monetary donations through unique fundraisers. “Giving Back” is not just what happens at our Home Office location; it has taken hold throughout Benco across the country.  In years past, associate interests from their local community drive the volunteer activities Benco Dental chooses to participate in, such as walks and events supporting the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, the Red Cross, the LUNGevity walk and our most popular Benco Boosters event each year, World Smile Day.

What else should readers know about Benco Dental?

Over the years, we have demonstrated our ability to adapt and pivot. For example, when a pandemic in 2020 introduced unprecedented challenges, Benco Dental responded to ever-changing demands and did not skip a beat when caring for our customers and associates.  We introduced COVID informational webinars, and secured desperately sought-after PPE for both customers and non-profit organizations in need. Benco created an environment of safety, consistency and connection for our associates. As Benco grows, we strive to keep the small family-owned business culture alive by focusing continuously on our associate’s well-being, education and engagement. 

1.       Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?

Fidelity Bank has built a strong history as trusted advisors to customers served, and is proud to be an active member of the communities it serves. With 21 branches located throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, Fidelity Bank offers full-service Trust & Investment Departments, a mortgage center, and an array of personal and business banking products and services. The Bank provides 24 hour, 7 day a week service to customers through a variety of digital banking tools, branch offices, online at www.bankatfidelity.com, and through the Customer Care Center at 1-800-388-4380.

2.       Tell us an interesting and fun tidbit about your business?

Fidelity was the first bank in the region to introduce a drive-thru! We continue to be a leader, building one of the first “green” bank branches in West Scranton, and the only community bank in Northeastern PA to offer a mortgage app that allows you to apply for a home loan, construction loan, or refinance right from your mobile phone or tablet.

3.       How is your organization a leader in your industry?

Because of the hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing clients the best advice and service, Fidelity Bank continues to earn accolades. These include: 5 Star “Superior” rating from independent industry watchdog, Bauer Financial, for 5th consecutive year; “Top 200 Community Banks in the U.S.” for 6 years in a row by the American Bankers’ Association; #1 community bank mortgage lender in Northeastern Pennsylvania for 8th consecutive year; The Times Tribune’s 2019 Readers’ Choice for “Best Bank”; and Forbes Magazine “Best-In-State Banks” for client experience, ranking third.

4.       How is your organization a leader in the community?

In 2019, Fidelity Bank provided over $802,000 in philanthropic support to organizations, groups, schools, universities and clubs throughout the community and 3,370 hours to help a countless number of Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Northampton County non-profit and community organizations.

Tell us a brief history/background of your organization?

Like so many great American success stories, NET Credit Union’s (NET) story begins with a small group of concerned citizens, a modest amount of start-up funds, and a dream of a better future for their families, friends and neighbors. In 1941, a group of concerned citizens wanted to create a stable, safe place for the working people of Scranton to save and invest their hard-earned money.  The philosophy of the credit union was to make credit available to people of lesser means through a national system of cooperative credit, thereby helping to stabilize the credit structure of the United States.  Today NET exists to help its members succeed financially through cooperation and teamwork.

Tell us something fun your company offers its employees?

Once a year, we hold a family event to which all employees are invited to bring their families. We change it every year…one year it was a Penguins hockey game, another year it was Knoebels. It’s always fun to be able to meet everyone’s family members.

How is your organization a leader in your industry?

We continually reinvest in technology and focus on improvement.  With the tight-knit management team and staff leading these changes, NET continues to grow each year. In our industry, we’re recognized by peers and considered an Award-Winning Financial Institution: 

2016

• Excellence in Consumer Lending by Credit Union National Association

• Leader in Financial Literacy by Pennsylvania Credit Union Association

• 5 Star Rated (All Quarters) by Baurer Financial

2017

• Exceptional Marketing Ideas by Card Services for Credit Unions

• “Out and About” Marketing Award by Pennsylvania Credit Union Association

• 5 Star Rated (All Quarters) by Baurer Financial

2018

• 5 Star Rated (All Quarters) by Baurer Financial

• Leader in Financial Literacy by PCUA

• Exceptional Marketing Ideas by Card Services for Credit Unions

2019

• “Out and About” Marketing Award by Pennsylvania Credit Union Association

• Diamond Brand Awareness Award by Credit Union National Association

• 5 Star Rated (All Quarters) by Baurer Financial

How is your organization a leader in the community?

The community is very important to NET and we have branded our efforts: #netcares.  You can see all we do in the community by searching this hashtag on your favorite social media. In addition, NET is making an effort to work with members in our community, one-on-one, to help them increase their credit scores: https://www.netcreditunion.com/creditscore/. Our community has recognized these efforts: 

2017

• Best Credit Union by Times Shamrock Readers’ Choice

• Best Exterior Renovation by SAGE - Greater Scranton Chamber of COmmerce

2018

• Best Credit Union by Times Shamrock Readers’ Choice

• Best in Community Development by SAGE - Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

2019

• Best Staff Award by Times Shamrock Readers’ Choice

2020

• Readers’ Choice Best Credit Union Award  by Times Shamrock Readers’ Choice

Tell us something interesting about NET?

Like most credit unions, NET has an exclusive membership.  It’s important for NET to partner with other local businesses to extend the credit union membership to the businesses’ employees, and we hope to partner with even more businesses: https://www.netcreditunion.com/preferred-partnership/