Employee benefits agency has seen change — and growth
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When Swift Kennedy and Associates began in 1921 in DuBois without the "associates" attached, medical insurance as an employee benefit had not yet become the industry standard that it is today. Functioning primarily as a Property and Casualty agency, the business reformed its efforts to serve the needs of employers and their employees in 1996.
Swift Kennedy and Associates now offers employee benefits to include health, dental, vision, life, disability and Medicare insurance. Swift and Kennedy also specializes in compliance, WRAP Docs, COBRA, Online Benefit Administration, ACA Reporting, and Consolidated Billing.
"I have always enjoyed working in the employee benefits industry," Jerry Calistri, president of the company, said. I started at the Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund working with both active and retired state employees and moved to Geisinger."
William English is the Agent Development Manager at the Williamsport branch at 330 Pine St. in Downtown Williamsport. English worked as an Employer Services Representative at Geisinger and was promoted to regional sales and operations manager. Given his experience, he was recruited by Swift Kennedy & Associates to lead their brokerage firm in 2001.
"We have saved businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars on their benefit offerings," Calistri said. "These savings allow them to allocate money for expansion, equipment, or bonuses. Success stories like these keep the job exciting."
When English began at Swift Kennedy, there was one office in DuBois. He has watched the company expand to what it is today: four offices in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia.
"There are now 27 employees and policy holders and 38 different states," Calistri said. "Helping employees grow with the business is exciting. This business isn't for everyone, but when you get the right people in the right position, it is truly special what we can accomplish."
Employee benefits is an ever-changing field. English and his coworkers have to keep track of legislation, compliance changes, mergers, and funding options, to name a few.
"You must be at your best every day to grow your business and maintain your clients," Calistri said.
Looking back, Calistri said that the growth of the business he has witnessed first-hand has been a natural growth, but they'd like to see one deliberate step in a new direction.
"To date, our growth has been organic as we expanded into new regions," Calistri said. "While organic growth will continue to be apart of our growth pattern, we are also looking to acquire some operations in the Mid Atlantic Region."
"Employers who have yet to speak with Swift Kennedy, certainly welcome the opportunity to show you how 'We Do Benefits Differently' "