Pros
Benco is in a very recession resistant industry. They are always growing. Its a stable place to work. Your satisfaction can vary widely depending on the department, job title, and manager. There are some outstanding individuals that work there. If you are in the correct area's it can be rewarding and fun. If you are also looking for a stable 9-5 job and just want to get a list of duties and go home at the end of the day, this could be a good place to work. The company has many actives, community service projects, luncheons, etc to try to keep spirits up. Its not usual for a company of this size. There is also an excellent brainstorming program that allows employees to suggest ideas that do get reviewed by senior management and the owners. Generally, Senior management was approachable and knows you by name.
Cons
This is a company struggling with its growth. Many processes are procedures are simply outdated for the size of the company. Many things don't flow right. If you check PA's Best Places to work ranking, you can see that Benco debuted very high on the list and steadily went down in rank at the years when on, until they failed to rank in 2008. Over the past 3 years, almost all management and senior management has been hired externally from larger companies. They've given up on trying to grow talent on the inside, and now prefer to buy it off the shelf. There is a melting pot of management styles from all different companies, and I would expect it to be this way for many years before it becomes uniform again. Departments are very siloed. Its a battle to get things done if you need to involve a different department or group. You have to be stubborn accepting a new project or duty because you will own it forever even if it doesn't belong to you or your department. Arguments with other departments on responsibility and procedures often get in the way of doing your job. I would describe the culture as "our way or the highway." You are going to be told what projects you will be doing and how you will be doing them. In my time there, I was never asked the simple question "what do you like doing?" There are often too many hands in the pot when it comes to management. Many associates get work and projects from multiple managers and directors. In many areas there are defiantly too many bosses. As far as motivation and rewards, it seems that Benco will take a one size fits all approach. As a professional staff, you may get rewarded in a manner that is more suited for a warehouse worker or call center rep. At the professional staff level, this can seem a bit insincere.