PITTSTON – Longtime local businessman born in Pittston and educated at West Pittston High School, Sandy Insalaco is being recognized by the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) as the first recipient of the Titan of Industry Award.
Insalaco, 85, has been chosen for the inaugural award during a dinner honoring him at Banks – A Waterfront Venue, Friday, April 12. Master of ceremony will be journalist and educator Ed Ackerman.
“The Titan of Industry Award recognizes and honors the titans of an industry who paved the way with their leadership, innovation, and outstanding achievements,” Michelle Mikitish, GPCC president, said. “The award celebrates business excellence, acknowledging established giants that continually push the boundaries of excellence, setting standards that inspire others to reach greater heights.”
After high school graduation, he joined his older brother Michael in the grocery business. Two years later he became a partner with Michael and operated a small grocery store on S. Main Street, Pittston, and opened their first supermarket in 1966.
“Michael was eight years older than myself, he was one of the hardest workers I ever saw,” Insalaco said, when asked who were his biggest influences in life. “Forget the part that he was my brother, but as a business partner, he was phenomenal. He motivated you, he worked hard, never asked you to do something that he wouldn’t do himself.”
Insalaco’s other influences where his parents Leonard and Concetta and two high school teachers in Ester Curtis and Margaret Clelland.
“My mother raised eight children and my father worked in the mines and on the farm and you talk about work ethic, they had it without a doubt,” Insalaco added. “I took a business course in high school and Esther Curtis and Margaret Clelland were really teachers, they where not there just to take home a pay and they motivated me to do my best.”
A few years after joining Michael in the family business, brother Leonard and Vincent along with brother-in-law Leonard Dixon joined the company. Eventually, the company grew to 14 supermarkets and employed 1,700 people in Northeastern Pennsylvania when it was sold in 1993.
“I was in my early 50s when we sold the supermarkets and Mike was approached to sell,” Insalaco recalled. “My kids liked the real estate company we owned and the real estate company allows you a different quality of life where you don’t have to get home after 9 p.m., or day before Christmas and you can’t enjoy the holiday, and with real estate you can plan your meetings and the holidays you can stop working a few days before and you can really enjoy your family.”
The real estate company Insalaco speaks of is the Insalaco Development Group with a portfolio that includes retail strip centers, grocery store anchored shopping centers, medical facilities, office buildings, and industrial locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
Insalaco was responsible for site selection, financing and development of the real estate properties while active.
At age 62, Insalaco invested in Nature’s Way Purewater Inc., which was a small beverage bottler. He eventually became president of the company and changed the name to US Hydrations.
“I started working with Mike at the store when I was 13 years old part time, and we sold when I was 53 so I had 40 years at retail,” Insalaco explained on why he went into the bottling industry. “So I had experience at distribution and I also learned how to select new items so I became aware through the years of what works and doesn’t work. So I felt very comfortable looking into the beverage industry but I wanted to do something that others were not doing.”
The company grew from six to 145 employees and is now one of the largest bottlers in the United States where he now serves as chairman of the board.
Today, US Hydrations bottles over 2,000 bottles of beverage per minute and occupies over one million square feet of warehouse space in four facilities located in Greater Pittston. Their products go to all 50 states and Canada.
Over his lifetime, Insalaco always believed in giving back to the community through his philanthropy.
“When you start supporting the community, once you get embedded into the community like that, it’s hard not to have customer loyalty,” Insalaco said. “We’ve enjoyed helping the cheerleaders, Little Leagues, the police department, the fire department, the ambulance associations.”
Insalaco has been a firm believer in education and has heavily invested in Misericordia University.
In 2009, the Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall was dedicated. The building is wireless $7 million technologically smart learning environment. The hall houses the Assistive Technology Research Institute, classroom/conference space, and a contemporary art gallery.
The main level of the 28,500-square foot building has four classrooms/conference rooms, a café, and a 2,600-square-foot art gallery. The lower level has three classrooms, a music ensemble room, several practice areas, a fine arts classroom, and the Business Department Offices.
InterMetzo Café is on the main level of Insalaco Hall allowing students and staff that need to eat or to relax at the café tables.
“I believe if you are going to change the world, you are going to do it through education, I feel very strong about that,” Insalaco emphasized. “When I got on the Board at Misericordia, I saw how passionate these teachers, it’s not just a job for them. They are dedicated with outcome based results, they truly care.”
While at Misericordia, he worked on Capita Campaigns to raise money for several initiatives to improve and grow the University. He has served 16 years on the Board of Trustees of Misericordia University where he was Chairman for five years and currently serves as a Trustee Emeriti.
Over the years, Insalaco has served on many boards such as the Board of Directors of United Penn Bank in Wilkes-Barre, chairman of Landmark Community Bank, chairman of the Board of Affiliated Food Distributors, Inc.
Insalaco was married to Marlene Nardone for over 50 years until her passing in 2017. They have two sons, Sandy Insalaco, Jr., and Michael Insalaco along with five grandchildren, twins Rachael and Dominica, and triplets Julia, Santo III, and Stephen.
During his free time, Insalaco currently helps nonprofit organizations in fundraising.