Amado worked for more than a decade in the restaurant business bussing tables, washing dishes, and cooking, but grew restless and craved more of a challenge. A friend suggested he put his name in at a nearby manufacturing company with a reputation for promoting from within. Some 20 years and several promotions later, Amado, 51, now supervises 300 people across three shifts at East Penn Manufacturing, the second-largest lead battery producer in North America.

“You don’t have to go to college or have manufacturing experience to get a great job here,” said Amado, who immigrated to Pennsylvania from Mexico as a teenager. “I would never have thought I could be in management without a college degree. I never thought I would be able to own my own house. They treat us like family here.”

Amado is living proof that the American Dream is alive and well in the small town of Lyon Station, 75 miles north of Philadelphia, where East Penn is based. Since it was founded by a father-son team in 1946, East Penn has grown to more than 10,000 employees, many of whom make it their career and consider themselves “lifers.”

“I want to stay here until I retire,” said Moises, who has worked on the assembly line since he moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic 18 years ago. “They have good benefits, and the job has helped me support my family. I love that this is a family-owned business that believes family is important.”

According to research and surveys of business owners, family-owned companies typically put customers and employees before short-term profitability. They are likely to invest in their employees and promote from within, giving them higher rates of retention than their publicly traded counterparts.

“They treat me well so why would I ever leave?” asked Harriet, who moved to Pennsylvania from Ghana about 15 years ago to be with her future husband Sam, a 19-year East Penn employee. Harriet and her husband are among 130 or so married couples working at the company. “The paycheck is good, we have some of the best health benefits in the area, a 401K with good employer contributions, and the family picnic. They give to the United Way and also protect the environment by recycling batteries.”

Employees, she says, pay the company back with their loyalty, which has allowed the company to continue to grow.

Across America, the typical manufacturing employee stays in a job for about five years, according to a 2020 study from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. But at East Penn, almost half of the employees have worked there for more than 10 years and about a quarter have been there 20 years or more.

Employees say in addition to the paycheck, they appreciate the opportunities East Penn offers. Since joining the company in 1993, Teresa has worked on the factory floor, in inventory control, and driven a forklift. Most recently, she landed a job as a manufacturing skills trainer, a recently created position designed to standardize the training process for select jobs on the battery finish line that she says allows her to draw on her previous experience at the company.

Saundra said shortly after she joined the company in 2013, she volunteered to be on the United Way Committee. She loved raising money from the employees and seeing the impact their contributions and those from the company had on the community. She has run the campaign since 2016, and the company provides someone to cover her shift on the assembly line from August to November to free her up to raise money fulltime during those months. The company even sends her out to lend her talents to other companies.

Dawn said when she wanted to leave the assembly line for a job less physically taxing, she was grateful management worked with her to find a job that was a better fit. She has worked as a lunchroom custodian for the last 22 years, bringing her total tenure at the company to 30 years.

She said one of the newer employees asked if it was worth staying so long at one company. Dawn said she told her: “Yes, it’s worth it. We bought a house, we have nice cars, have taken vacations, It’s a good place to work.”

Before passing away in 2015, at age 89, East Penn co-founder DeLight Breidegam Jr. spent a lifetime crafting a corporate culture that put employees first, prioritizing benefits, safe working conditions, a family atmosphere, and plenty of opportunities for advancement. The company strives to keep his legacy alive.

“Good employees and our family-focused culture continue to be at the heart of the company’s success,” said Chris Pruitt, president and CEO. “We strive to create opportunities for career advancement that allow our employees to grow and experience a variety of roles, while also being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle.”

“I was able to buy my first home for my family and I have two cars—something I never thought could happen,” said Victor, who has worked on the assembly line for about two years. “One thing I can say about East Penn is that they take care of their employees.”