Nation’s largest privately-owned dental distributor welcomes Chief Operations Officer

An accomplished leader in pharmaceutical distribution on an international level shares his commitment to the customer-first philosophy as a new member of the senior leadership team at Benco Dental. Tom Hart joined the nation’s largest privately-owned dental distributor earlier this year as Chief Operations Officer, and in his new role assumed responsibility for customer operations, which encompasses distribution operations and the company’s service dispatch and equipment coordination.

Prior to his time at Benco, Hart spent 14 years at McKesson Corporation, one of the world’s largest medical supply distribution companies. There he held a variety of leadership roles, most recently as VP of Specialty Distribution Operations. During his tenure at McKesson, he channeled a passion for protecting the nation from a very difficult flu that claimed several lives and worked with the Center for Disease Control to deliver two major programs: CDC Vaccines for Children and the H1N1 nationwide vaccines distribution. Hart and his wife Rhonda have relocated their family, including two of their six children, from Memphis to Northeastern Pennsylvania.

From day one, Hart has been reaffirming the Benco Dental customer-focus philosophy among the company’s distribution team across the U.S. and thinking beyond the box. He’s been gaining fresh perspectives from dental practice owners during co-travels in the field, connecting with the people behind the packages that Benco delivers — and in the process — achieving the shared goal of an improved patient experience.

Within his first six months at Benco, Hart championed an Idea Tank contest in the spirit of ABC’s Shark Tank, that aims to inspire associates to share their visions for new processes, business solutions and customer experience enhancements. This same spirit of fun and friendly-competition fueled a home office fundraiser earlier this year to benefit a Christmas in July food drive hosted by the United Way of Wyoming Valley. Benco’s inaugural Pie-the-Manager contest garnered sweet results: $1095 raised in three days by Benco’s Customer Operations team.

For more information, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.

During a Pie-the-Manager contest at the home office this summer, Hart’s direct reports Tony Smigelski, Director of Inventory Control and Returns (shown) and Lisa Fuller, Director Contact Center at Benco, demonstrated good sportsmanship to benefit the United Way of Wyoming Valley’s Christmas in July food drive. Michelle Lees (shown) won pie-throwing rights in a raffle to raise funds for the cause.

Benco Chief Operations Officer Tom Hart inspires a spirit of fun and friendly competition among his team, in the name of community support. During a Pie-the-Manager contest at the home office this summer, Hart’s direct reports Tony Smigelski, Director of Inventory Control and Returns (shown) and Lisa Fuller, Director Contact Center at Benco, demonstrated good sportsmanship to benefit the United Way of Wyoming Valley’s Christmas in July food drive. Michelle Lees (shown) won pie-throwing rights in a raffle to raise funds for the cause.

About Benco Dental

Benco Dental, headquartered in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is the largest privately-owned dental distributor in the United States, offering a full array of supplies, equipment and services to dentists across the nation.  Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and focused on its unique mission to “deliver success, smile after smile.”

Within the past 88 years, the company has grown from a single downtown location to a national network that includes five distribution centers, and three design showrooms.  Those design showrooms, one at the company’s Pa. headquarters, one in Southern California, and one in Texas, feature North America’s largest selection of dental equipment and technology, as well as a hands-on dental design experience, to assist dentists in the planning and construction of a new office.

Benco, which has been named one of Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma for the past three years, one of the NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women for the second consecutive year, and Pennsylvania’s Best Places to Work® for 12 of the past 14 years, is proud to feature a highly skilled team of more than 400 professionally trained sales representatives and over 300 factory-trained service technicians. For more information, visit Benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.