PHOTO PROVIDED Hartman Group employees pride themselves on the company’s focus on serving customers and the community.

By MARK MARONEY

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A big heart welcomes guests in front of the Hartman Group on Sycamore Drive in Loyalsock Township.

The heart is part of the company symbol on the signage and is not there by chance.

It is an integral part of the insurance agency’s philosophy and can be seen in bright red at the front entrances to the company’s parking lots at 1720 Sycamore Road and the branch at 1051 Shiloh Road in State College, as well as on their front doors.

The heart symbolizes the daily work of the agency’s more than 34 employees.

“We are motivated every day by three main pillars: our customers, our employees and our community. We love them all,” said Michael P. Gaetano, President of The Hartman Group, a proud member of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.

The heart is also a symbol of a vibrant and lively independent insurance agency made up of professionals, young and old, who are dedicated to their work – providing the best insurance services and insurance advice to their loyal and sometimes first-time clients.

Management expressed for this article that it was a true honor to be considered as the cover story for this month’s Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Chamber Connection.

A long-standing tradition of excellence

Since 1932, the agency has had a deep appreciation for the community it serves, said Gaetano along with Mark Sitler, vice president of the Hartman Group.

For those who do the math, that’s 92 years of providing our customers with the best property and casualty insurance, the best risk management for businesses – large, medium and small – and the best individual insurance protection.

Even though the agency is now in its fourth wave or generation of leadership, it has remained true to its core principles: hard work, knowledge and integrity.

“For us, it’s about the important, valuable service that always rests on three main pillars: our customers, our employees and our community,” said Gaetano.

This, along with a commitment to leadership and strategic planning, are components that make The Hartman Group a successful company and service provider to North Central Pennsylvania.

Gaetano and Sitler said some people may be familiar with the location of the agency’s former office, which was long located in downtown Williamsport on William Street.

Today the company is located in a modern building on Sycamore Road, just off Four Mile Drive.

The move takes into account the growth of their business and offers the agency’s numerous clients good access to the infrastructure as well as sufficient parking facilities.

“Don’t get me wrong, we still love downtown Williamsport and are grateful for all the years in the downtown office,” he said. However, this new office building provides the agency with room to grow and a more efficient floor plan to continue providing the best insurance service in the Susquehanna Valley.

Growth of the company

Today, the Hartman Group team consists of an exceptionally motivated group of employees.

“You, the employees, are our cornerstone,” noted Sitler. “We are a family and value mutual support,” he said.

This pride is reflected in the fact that the agency regularly receives awards from its co-insurers.

“We are very proud to be recognized as one of the best independent insurance agencies in the country for the third year in a row,” Sitler added.

The Hartman Group is part of an elite class of independent insurance agencies across the country that participate in the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) or Big “I”) Best Practices Study Group.

Only 282 of 40,000 agencies in the United States receive such an honor.

The Hartman Group has been nominated and selected three times based on its operational excellence.

The agency does not receive such awards on its own, as it has only received them by providing the evaluating insurance agencies with accurate analytics and data that confirm the company’s commitment to efficiency and providing quality insurance services to all clients.

“The awards confirm our efforts and support our continuous efforts to improve every year,” said Sitler.

When asked what these executives expect from someone who wants to work for the insurance agency, they answered without hesitation.

“A university degree is desirable, but not always necessary,” emphasized Gaetano.

In addition, the company seeks out and hires individuals who demonstrate a stronger work ethic, acquire necessary knowledge through listening, researching and learning, and possess integrity.

As part of its commitment to clients, the agency is proud to be an integral part of the community, whether through volunteer work, serving on various committees or participating in civic initiatives.

“We give something back,” Gaetano said, adding that when he sees employees who have been working for many years, experienced and loyal employees, at a company picnic – like recently at Knoebels Grove – and he sees that they now have children and grandchildren – that means “We contributed to their lives.”

“We have excellent employees,” He said those with an incredible work ethic, who are skilled in communication, many of whom have an affinity for numbers and figures, which is critical to the insurance industry, and who “A game” – They come to work each day with energy and a willingness to serve their community and do their job to the best of their ability.

It’s truly a team effort, said Gaetano, who is humble but proud to have served as chairman of the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce for two years and to have served on many boards.

“Once again, it is our customers, our employees and our community,” he said. “It’s what drives and motivates us to go to work every day.”