If not, you might be working in the wrong place.  Thanks to innovative practices and commitment to its team, Benco Dental was named one of Pennsylvania’s ‘Best Places to Work’ for 10 of the past 11 years.

A profit-sharing program that increases with each employee idea put into action. Annual horseshoe and basketball tournaments and associate appreciation events. Onsite access to a fitness center, quarterly massages and wellness programs such as mobile mammograms, cholesterol screenings and self-defense training.

If workplace benefits such as these reflect a company’s heartfelt commitment to its employees, it must seem like Valentine’s Day year round at one local business. Benco Dental, a family-owned dental supply company headquartered in Pittston, offers these employment perks, among many others, which help warrant its status as the #17 Best Place to Work in Pennsylvania among large-sized companies (more than 250 U.S. employees).

Benco Dental was recognized in late 2013 at the PA Best Places to Work Awards Program at the Lancaster County Convention Center, where more than 1,000 attendees experienced festivities such as a surprise marching band and cheerleaders and an appearance from the Governor.

Representatives of Benco Dental attended the Best Places to Work Awards Program in Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 5, 2013. Shown, seated, from left, are: Steve Brecher, CFO; George Rable, VP, Culture & People; Michelle Waschek, Culture & People Culture and Events Coordinator. Standing: Lou Mangino, VP Operations; Rachel Schneeberger, Culture & People Talent Specialist; Florence Marchesano, Culture & People Talent Specialist; Julia Amendola, Culture & People Talent Specialist; and Lynn Bachstein, Culture & People Director of Continuous Improvement.

Representatives of Benco Dental attended the Best Places to Work Awards Program in Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 5, 2013. Shown, seated, from left, are: Steve Brecher, CFO; George Rable, VP, Culture & People; Michelle Waschek, Culture & People Culture and Events Coordinator. Standing: Lou Mangino, VP Operations; Rachel Schneeberger, Culture & People Talent Specialist; Florence Marchesano, Culture & People Talent Specialist; Julia Amendola, Culture & People Talent Specialist; and Lynn Bachstein, Culture & People Director of Continuous Improvement.

“This marks the 10th time in 11 years that Benco has received this recognition, and the #17 ranking ties our 3rd best showing over the years. As in past years, we will analyze our results and develop an action plan to continually improve Benco,” said George Rable, Vice President Culture & People.

Continually improve, they do. Associates at Benco receive recognition every five years for their continued dedication to the company. They benefit from a reward system, which allows those with exceptional performance to redeem BluChips® for gift cards from a variety of vendors. The company enables employees to purchase convenience services onsite, such as oil changes for their automobiles, even postage stamps. An emergency fund for hardship is established with donations from company-wide events.

“Thank you to all associates who took the time to complete a survey for the contest. It is this feedback that helps make Benco a great place to work,” said Rable.

He references one portion of the Best Places to Work assessment process, the Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey which consists of approximately 78 statements that employees respond to on a five-point agreement scale. The survey also includes two open-ended questions and seven demographic questions. Results are analyzed according to eight Core Focus Areas: Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training, Development and Resources, Pay and Benefits and Overall Engagement.