Benco Dental

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.