PEOPLE POWERING
THE WORLD

Since day one, this family of employees has been at the heart of what makes our company special. A father and his son may have started this dream, but it took a powerful force of amazing individuals to make it a reality.

Marcus

Marcus knows something about giving back. In addition to being a 13-year employee, he also volunteers with the United Way and became a Loan Campaign Specialist for East Penn. “As a child I grew up in poverty and didn't have much money to be able to do many things, my parents did the best they could for us. I had the Olivet Boys Club which kept me out of trouble and focused on school. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to help. It also put things into perspective for me and allowed me to view life in a different way.“

Clay

“I take personal pride in my job. We are not just making batteries for one purpose. We make batteries for our children, family members, and the military, and they depend on our batteries to work and to be safe.”

Kristy

“I have only been here two years but have seen on multiple occasions the way we get together to help anyone in need,” said Kristy. She also gives the company high marks for giving back to the community. “I always look forward to the annual toy drive and turkey donations that help families in need,” said Kristy, who moved to Pennsylvania from Puerto Rico with her family when she was three. Kristy says she aspires to one day be a leader. She is thankful for the advice and encouragement she gets from the leaders who have helped her in her job.

Willie

“When I was a teenager, I felt like I belonged here,” says Willie Stump who recently celebrated his 40th anniversary. “I knew the Founder, I knew his daughter, and now I know the grand kids.

Willie joined the company in 1982, right after high school. His two younger brothers, recruited to East Penn by Willie, have each worked at the company more than 30 years. Willie says he has recruited two dozen people to the company.

Willie has seen many advances in technology and equipment making jobs more automated and less physically taxing. The company Founder DeLight once told him that the company that stands still goes nowhere. He believed in putting money back into the business, and Willie can see that his same philosophy still lives on today.

Magdelyn

As a single parent, Magdelyn had one goal in mind when she came here from the Dominican Republic: providing a good future for her daughter. When she started working at East Penn, she had the opportunity to enroll in the ESL (English as a Second Language) class, and from there she believed doors would open for her and her daughter. Magdelyn currently helps prepare batteries for the company’s customers, and in her words is “thankful for a stable job, and great benefits for my family.”

Moises

“I want to stay here until I retire!” Moises moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic 18 years ago when he needed a job and was hired by East Penn. “They have good benefits and have helped my family. I love the fact that this is a family-owned business that believes family is important.”

Moises, who works in A2, is a worship leader and very involved in church affairs. “East Penn is always helping organizations throughout Berks County,” Moises said. And the company has a heart when it comes to helping employees in need, too.

Perry

Perry worked in the stock room when he was 16, but never dreamed he would end up with a career at the company. Company Founder DeLight Breidegam suggested he consider Moravian University. Because his father worked at East Penn, Perry was eligible for the Breidegam Family Scholarship. He applied and was accepted.

Today, after several years of working for the company, Perry’s plans are to retire from East Penn. For the last two years, Perry has been the Director of Technology.

Empowered People

Living the American Dream While Making Lives Better, One Battery at a Time.

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.”

Empowered Lives

As a long-time employee of East Penn, Tim really believes the company is all about family. After all, his wife and son work here as well! As a part of the Kutztown community, Tim clearly remembers East Penn’s founder, DeLight Breidegam Jr., speaking at his son’s high school graduation, and asking the students to stand up if they knew anyone that worked at the company. “Almost every student in the class stood up. It really gave me a good feeling – I felt like we were in this together”.

"Family means everything and being that this is a family-owned business means a lot to me. We see our co-workers every day and we feel like family.” – Diana, Automotive Plant #2, 2nd Shift Finish line Leader

Nguyen came to Pennsylvania at the age of 10 from Vietnam and started at East Penn 13 years ago. From the beginning, his path to growth was quick, and today he is a Foreman in Automotive Battery Plant #4. “East Penn gave me a chance to show that I can lead a department to be successful.” Even more importantly, East Penn is where Nguyen met his wife. “I love working for East Penn. I’m able to help support my parents and family, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity.”

As a single parent, Magdelyn had one goal in mind when she came here from the Dominican Republic: providing a good future for her daughter. When she started working at East Penn, she had the opportunity to enroll in the ESL (English as a Second Language) class, and from there she believed doors would open for her and her daughter. Magdelyn currently helps prepare batteries for the company’s customers, and in her words is “thankful for a stable job, and great benefits for my family.”

Marcus knows something about giving back. In addition to being a 13-year employee, he also volunteers with the United Way and became a Loan Campaign Specialist for East Penn. “As a child I grew up in poverty and didn't have much money to be able to do many things, my parents did the best they could for us. I had the Olivet Boys Club which kept me out of trouble and focused on school. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to help. It also put things into perspective for me and allowed me to view life in a different way.”

“I take personal pride in my job. We are not just making batteries for one purpose. We make batteries for our children, family members, and the military, and they depend on our batteries to work and to be safe.” – Clay, a 40-year veteran of East Penn.

Victor joined the East Penn team two years ago, starting out as a Machine Operator in S1 Pasting. Today, he works as a Post Burner in A3 Assembly. He says he loves working at the company and he appreciates that East Penn truly values and cares for employees.

Through his career at East Penn and his own determination, Victor has accomplished more than he thought possible, like providing a first home and two cars for his family. And he’s not done yet. Victor has been inspired by his coworkers who have encouraged him to keep growing and take advantage of many opportunities.

Teresa started at East Penn in 1993. Her first job was in the industrial department as a floater and material handler. She admires that the company champions women in the workplace and gives them the support and networking opportunities to succeed. She was invited to participate in one of the Lean-In Circles and found it inspiring and insightful. She was asked to join the United Way committee, another growth experience, she said, that allowed her to watch people lead. “There is so much room for advancement and to learn and grow.”

Saundra wasn’t sure what to expect when she joined East Penn in 2013. After a bad experience while working at another manufacturer, she was nervous but decided to take a chance and join the team. She’s glad she did! Shortly after she started, Saundra began volunteering to be on the United Way Committee. She has been running the campaign since 2016, which is a full-time job between August and November.

Richard, one of our truck drivers, has racked up enough mileage during his time at East Penn to drive across the country over 200 times (That’s over 5 million miles). This accomplishment didn’t happen overnight. Richard has been driving for East Penn for almost 47 years! We asked this seasoned vet if he has any advice for the younger generation of employees coming in, and here’s what he had to say: “Pay attention to today, focus on today, live in the moment. Be safe on the road, take one trip at a time. You can depend on us to be here for the future.”

Empowered Employees

We offer a competitive package to prospective employees that begins with our commitment to fair compensation. We also respect the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

Our eligible fulltime employees in the U.S. are offered company-paid life insurance and short-term disability insurance, as well as health insurance including coverage under our medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision plans, and our employee assistance program. They are also eligible to participate in the East Penn Manufacturing Company 401(k) Savings Plan.

Our eligible fulltime employees in the U.S. receive paid vacation, paid personal days and paid company holidays.

Empowered Careers

Employees enjoy long, fulfilling careers at our company. About 39 percent of our co-workers have over a decade of service with us, and 16 percent of these employees have over 20 years tenure. We have 157 employees with 40 or more years with East Penn, including three who have been part of the East Penn family for more than 50 years.

Explore Careers

Empowered Women in the Workplace

East Penn prioritizes the recruitment, development, and promotion of women. Through our Women’s Leadership Initiative, we seek to increase opportunities for women in the East Penn family to build their networks, increase their professional confidence, and open opportunities in engineering and production, traditionally areas with low numbers of women.

women’s
book club

Available to emerging leaders. East Penn maintains a library at our Lyon Station headquarters campus, as well as access to free webinars.

exploring leadership
women’s preview

Internal workshop run by female supervisors that aims to open pathways to leadership opportunities and teach others how to market their skillset beyond their current roles.

Lean-in
circles

An open environment to network and develop with other women. The program is open to women currently in management or professional roles. We had 50 women participate in Lean-In Circles in 2021.

EMPOWERED WORKPLACE – HEALTH AND SAFETY

The people of East Penn are truly the heart of the company. Providing a healthy and safe workplace for all our employees, particularly those who work in our manufacturing facilities, is paramount. The concept of health, safety, and wellness at East Penn expands beyond physical health – East Penn has long been committed to preventing workplace illness and injury and continually improving our occupational health and safety performance – to include mental, emotional, and financial health. We believe in protecting each employee’s entire wellbeing, so they can bring their best selves to work.

Commitment to Health and Safety

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Empowered to Have Fun

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The East Penn family celebrates together in many ways. We have a whole week dedicated to employee appreciation, special meals, open houses, employee contests and drawings, annual gifts, special days for kids and retirees. We also hold annual company picnics, including one that’s at an amusement park attended by over 11,000 Pennsylvania-based employees and their family members.

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