EXETER — Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) officials opened the 99th annual dinner meeting at Fox Hill Country Club by talking about the organization’s 100th anniversary that will be celebrated in 2020.
“We have a little thing called the 100-year celebration coming up,” Richard Kazmerick, GPCC president, said. “That’s significant and intimidating. What do you do, where do you start?”
Kazmerick noted plans are in motion for the 100th celebration that will happen on June 20, 2020, with a large party in the hangar of Aviation Technology at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
“It’s going to be wonderful and we are going to have a roaring 1920s theme for that night,” Kazmerick said. “Huge event for us, 100 years, and we certainly hope for a lovely turnout that night.”
Participants may dress in period costume for the event which will feature everything from fedoras to flappers. There will be jazz music and maybe even a Charleston contest.
The headliner of the dinner meeting Thursday was the crowning of Pride Mobility Products Corp. as the 2019 Outstanding Business of the Year Award.
“Pride has been a factor with friends who have worked there, other folks that have done business there and a major benefactor to the community and a very stable and moving force to this community,” Kazmerick said.
“Always a big name in Pittston, always a major contributor, always has someone on our board,” Kazmerick said of Pride Mobility. “The chamber and Pride have a very, very close relationship going back 30 years, at least since the start of the company.”
“This year it’s Pride … we try to vary between the size of the organizations but really someone who represents the epitome of a great chamber member and a great community representative,” Michelle Mikitish, GPCC executive vice president said. “And certainly Pride epitomizes all that.”
Scott Meuser, Pride Mobility chairman and CEO, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“I want to thank the chamber … and the whole board for giving us this award,” Meuser said. “We appreciate this recognition very much. The time is pretty good, too, because it all sounds good on paper, like it was a straight shot from small to big with no problems in between, But you know what, it wasn’t. A lot of ups and downs and I’m pleased to tell you we are on an upswing, a real good upswing.”
Meuser said the company hasn’t had more innovative products like the present time.
“I want to say a long overdue ‘thank you’ to the chamber,” Meuser said. “As we were growing that company, we grew 200-fold from 1988 to 2003, 15 years, and we were growing so fast and the chamber was an unbelievable partner; they just didn’t help us, they were relentless. What a difference you (chamber) made.”
Meuser went on to also thank Tom Amico (banking), the late Jack Grimes (GPCC) and Atty. Joe Burke, who has been Pride’s legal council for three decades.
“Without the support of the chamber, we wouldn’t be the company we are today,” Meuser added. “The way the people should look at the chamber is, that I don’t think a community or a growing business could have a better partner and you should all be really proud of that. The legacy of this organization and Pride is living proof; that’s how we built it, with your help and we’re never going to forget that.”
“Pride Mobility is a great American success story and isn’t it a tribute to the Greater Pittston community that the American success story is happening right here in our midst?” Atty. Burke said. “All the folks affiliated with leadership and all the folks affiliated with Pride are thrilled about how this company has grown in our region and elsewhere. We’re not only thrilled about it, we’re inspired about it because the work has been outstanding and that’s helped drive our success.”
Founded in 1986, Pride had 20 employees and $2 million in sales. Scott Meuser became president and his brother Dan took over sales in 1988.
By 1997, sales topped $100 million on the shoulders of the company’s Jazzy scooter.
With the success of its Quantum division featuring the iLevel power chair, Pride has over $500 million in sales in 80 countries becoming the world leader in their field.
Pride Mobility Products Corp. currently has operations in Exeter and Duryea.
