In 1852, Rockwood, Hazard & Company purchased, from the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, a stone building erected in 1829 on the site of the present Broadway structure of the Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank. This was the beginning of a private bank known as the “Savings Shoppe”.
Today, JTNB operates through six offices. They continue to prosper and pride themselves on being a true community bank with personal banking services.
JTNB had been a PenTeleData customer for many years when they upgraded their connection speeds in 2019, but at that time, they didn’t want to add the expense of upgrading their existing PBX phone system. That changed in early 2020 when their old Cadillac phone system began to breakdown. James Lordi, I.T. Manager at JTNB, reached out to us to learn more about PenTeleData’s Business Voice Services and compare it to what they were using. We helped them decide what could best suit their needs and bring their branches together to one system. We were able to provide an entirely new system at a fraction of the price of having a new PBX in every branch and would save money over the long term too. Soon after that discussion, our Sales Engineer and I.T. Services visited the main branch to survey the location. About a week later, COVID-19 restrictions began, and we couldn’t continue to survey the rest of the branches. We had to wait until restrictions were lessened to continue and determine what was needed, from phone equipment to racks, UPS, cabling, and other key details.
Once the quote was complete, it didn’t take them long to decide to move forward with installation. It was a win-win situation. JTNB gained a lot of flex and features that were missing from their PBX and PenTeleData continued a solid relationship with a reputable local business. Sometimes, good things take time, but teamwork always prevails!
When asked about his experience with our staff, Mr. Lordi explained, “We work closely with our Commercial Account Executive and anytime there are any concerns, they are addressed right away. In fact, there was recently a fire that affected service to our Nesquehoning branch. We were back up and running within an hour of me calling. PenTeleData knows that our communications are an integral part of our operations, and we appreciate that they’ve always got our back.”
Craig Zurn, President and CEO of JTNB, shared, “We are the oldest community bank in Carbon County. Staying current with technology is important to us staying relevant, so having a strong partner like PenTeleData is important. They’ve been with us for a long time, which speaks volumes of our partnership. Many of these relationships have become almost personal and we’re on a first name basis with everyone from the top management on down. The personal touch hasn’t been lost and as a community bank, that’s a priority to us. It’s a commitment that I personally find refreshing. PenTeleData has been part of our success in the past, in the present, and will be in the future.
