Experience CenterPoint: First Annual Educational Event and Open House March 24-25, 2011

Join us on March 24-25, 2011 at CenterPoint, Pittston, PA for the First Annual Educational Event and Open House at CenterPoint.

Spend time in our state-of -the-art showroom and visit our X-ray suite. Plus, earn up to 30 CE Credits! Enjoy hor d'oeuvres and live music at the Open House on March 24th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm..

For seminar registration, please call 800.462.3626, ext. 1.
For early registration discount, please RSVP by February 1, 2011..

Join our Facebook event..

CenterPoint In The News

Benco Dental opening the CenterPoint showroom is making headlines in Northeast Pennsylvania. Tabbed "A Dental Dynamo" by one local paper, the importance and impact of Benco Dental's new headquarters extends beyond the dental industry into the local community. Here's a look at some of the local press coverage...

The Times Leader
The Citizens' Voice
The Scranton Times-Tribune

A Day To Celebrate: The Grand Opening of Benco Dental CenterPoint

After years of planning, construction and installation, Benco Dental has at last opened North America's largest dental equipment showroom, CenterPoint. It was a grand event with over 300 guests, including vendors, customers, associates and media members. All in attendance listened to eloquent words from the Cohen family and witnessed Chairman Larry Cohen cut the ribbon on Benco Dental's new headquarters, Northeast distribution center and showroom. The event began with a reception in the CenterPoint lobby followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony, lunch with a live jazz band and tours of the spectacular facility.

Vendors, customers and executives alike all mingled in a new, luxurious lobby at Benco Dental.

Benco Dental guests at CenterPoint enjoyed a catered lunch to the music of a live jazz band.

Mario Giovanelli leads a tour through CenterPoint, explaining all the innovations, features and advantages that coincide with CenterPoint.

Chairman Larry Cohen, with his wife Sally by his side, addresses the crowd of more than 300 partners and countless associates.

President Charles Cohen and Executive Vice President Richard Cohen were all smiles after officially embarking on a new frontier for Benco Dental.

The CenterPoint Showroom Goes Digital

A lot can happen in a week! Since our last post, the CenterPoint X-ray suite has transformed from nothing more than walls, paint and carpet into a functional, efficient display, fully equipped with 2D, 3D and cone beam digital imaging units. While there’s still some finishing touches yet to be completed in the 13-unit exhibit, this week’s progress was a major step in the right direction. In the days to come, look for updates from our handpiece cutting station, digital operatory and a sophisticated technology suite. Thanks to the hard work of many, Benco Dental is well on its way to unveiling CenterPoint – the new standard in equipment shopping.

Progress thus far on the digital imaging suite, which will soon contain 13 digital 2D and 3D imaging units.

It's scattered wires right now, but soon this will be CenterPoint's comprehensive display of dental-specific network and technology solutions.

A view from inside a nearly completed Midmark operatory. The hallway you’re peering down will include several sterilization displays, specialty suites and more operatories.

It’s far from complete, but here’s a look into another showroom operatory. The most noticeable difference is obviously the pool-liner flooring. Every operatory is more than just equipment options. Each one is a display of the latest design trends and most innovative technologies.

Here’s a look into one of our several specialty suites. This one in particular is the oral surgery suite, which will contain, in addition to the OS-specific equipment, all the supplies an oral surgeon will call on during a procedure.

Setting the Stage for the CenterPoint Experience

Spring 2010 is drawing near, which means Benco Dental will soon be cutting the ribbon and opening the doors of North America's largest dental equipment showroom. CenterPoint is receiving equipment as Benco Dental Service Technicians from all over the country have traveled to Pittston, Pennsylvania, installing dental equipment in most of the 25 fully functional operatories at CenterPoint. While some operatories are already complete, there's still plenty of work to be done, including completing CenterPoint's one-of-a-kind digital imaging suite.

Progress thus far on the digital imaging suite, which will soon contain 13 digital 2D and 3D imaging units.

In-progress DentalEZ operatories

Hu-Friedy's interactive display amid several soon-to-be-completed operatories.

A Pelton & Crane Stericenter.

A Pelton & Crane Operatory with Helios operatory light and rear cabinetry layout

Construction meetings #13 and #14

We continue to have some dramatic changes at the new CenterPoint building. As of yesterday, the steel for the offices is about 95% completed including welding the trusses and putting down the metal corrugate flooring to hold the concrete which should be poured within the next two weeks. This first picture shows the final area that the steel is being erected which is the west side of the showroom. The following pictures will give you a better view of the trusses, "K" bracing and a side view of the office area facing North from the warehouse (where the new warehouse mezz will be constructed starting mid-August).

The main duct work is already completed on floor two and they are beginning to install ducting on the first floor under the decking. Next, Mericle will be dropping in the sprinkler system and main electrical pulls. From the warehouse end, we should begin to see delivery and contruction of the pick mods in about four weeks. The schedule is tight and needs close coordination for both Benco contractors and Mericle contractors. We are also awaiting the delivery of a new generator along with the transfer switches coming in shortly. Back at the Bear Creek facility, Keith is already testing the new Shoretel phone system.


Our biggest focus right now is tying up some loose ends with the finishes and making some changes to include an expanded area for x-ray displays so we can really showcase our expertise in both this area and digital technology. Along with the regular showroom areas, this will truly be a "one-stop-shop" for our customers to view our full line of equipment (the BIGGEST line in the industry!). Chuck, Rick and Larry are really starting to get excited about this - seeing their dream go from a drawing to reality - and we are all just as excited as they are!!! Keep tuned for continuing updates - this is neat stuff!

Construction Coordination Meeting #12

As mentioned, a lot of activity at the job site this week with the office mezz steel delivery as you can see by the included pictures. Here's one where Mike Mangan and Bob Hunt are standing by a rather large beam that will be used to clear span the Summit training room - it gives you a good perspective of how large some of these beams are. (Mike was smiling because he just told Bob to try and move the beam)

Steel began to arrive Monday of this week and by Wednesday 6.17.09, we saw it all staged. About 10% of the steel was already erected and crews were busy bolting them together. The area below is in the Purchasing/Marketing area. (No Paul, you can't move in yet!) There are steel beams everywhere you look. Keith Budurka commented that "it is amazing they know which ones go where" because when you look closely, beams have several unique designs depending on where they are going. But each beam has a number and bar code on it and it is as simple as matching them up to the print and dropping them where they are shown. You can see one of these labels at the end of the front beam.

The coordination team also discussed some open items we have in the showroom and with the warehouse mezz system (a whole separate 3-story system) and cafeteria kitchen. Mark Hasaka is working on some changes to the showroom including the area where we will show off our line of digital x-rays and the audio/visual for the training area and boardroom. Keith and Mike continue to review the final electrical drawings and office lighting zones right down to the location of the switches. Sue Evans has been working with a company called ILS to get the cut sheets for our reception area desk and kitchenette located near the training room and along with Deb Hammaker, checking out some regs for the x-ray area. Scott Smith has been reviewing the data requirements for the showroom area and just finished up on his prints. We are really getting into the finer details now.

Mike also met with the Warehouse and TIS team this week as we continue to test and refine the logic behind our "pick-to-tote" system and coordinating how totes will be routed through about 2 miles of conveyor. Again, there is a lot going on simultaneously including Don Stephens wrapping up the capital approval.

Here are some additional progress pictures:

Truckin' Along

Everyone is hard at work at the new CenterPoint Location as the shell continues to be stripped for windows surrounding the office area. If you look closely at this week's pictures, you'll also notice that the elevator shaft has been put into place. Also, COMING SOON, we'll be seeing periodic updates from Lou Mangino, VP of Operations, for an inside look at the progress of CenterPoint. Enjoy.....

This is the northwest corner of the building. Much of the sheet metal needed to be removed to make way for the masonry and several new windows. This area will house the showroom on the first floor and Design, Customer Service and Service Dispatch on the second floor.

The future front lobby entrance. This area will receive a canopy and improvements to match the existing front corner. If you look closely you can see the elevator shaft and some of the duct work inside.

Here's the northeast corner and again masonry and windows are being added. The first floor front office area will house the Marketing and Purchasing groups. The remainder of the floor level will feature a 60' x 74' lunchroom, directly outside a 72' x 24' outside eating area, and directly across the parking lot the smoking area. Additional parking will be added the entire length of the building. The second level will be home for the TIS groups.


The west side where eight dock doors are being removed, masonry and windows are being added for the conversion into office space.

*Thanks to Sharon Fiorini for the pictures and Mike Mangan for letting us know what we're looking at!

Firing On All Cylinders!

Things are moving along and everything is on schedule! As of last week, the building exterior of our future home has been stripped where windows will be installed. Indoors, the office space and warehouse areas are starting to take shape. Take a look for yourself. Click the photos to see a full size image.