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By M. PAUL JACKSON michaelj@leader.net
Thursday, March 20, 2003 Page: 1C
HANOVER TWP. – AdvancePCS, the country’s largest health improvement
company, officially opened its doors Wednesday, in what business leaders and
legislators said could mean a new future for Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The company, a mail-order pharmacy business, opened in October in the
Hanover Crossings business park. Its official opening included a
ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
“You can’t help but think what they’re really bringing to the community,
when you have a company like this coming here,” said Steve Barrouk, president
of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry.
The company, headquartered in Texas, is the largest mail-order pharmacy
operation in the country. It serves about 75 million health plan members.
During the event, local business leaders and legislators praised the
company’s decision to settle in Luzerne County.
The business has hired about 200 employees. An additional 600 employees
could be hired over the next three years, officials said.
The hirings could change the economic makeup of the area, officials said.
“This is a catalyst for a new Northeastern Pennsylvania,” state Rep. John
Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, said. “This will prove to ourselves that we can create
family-sustaining jobs. We can compete with the world.”
The jobs include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, data entry employees
and facility maintenance workers. Pharmacy technicians earn between $9 and $12
per hour.
Doug Hertel, AdvancePCS human resource manager, declined to say how much
the company’s pharmacists earn. According to the state Department of Labor, a
pharmacist earns as much as $70,000 annually.
The new, $30 million facility opened during a weakened economy and as the
country prepares for war with Iraq. Senior AdvancePCS officials said neither
the war nor the economy would hurt the company.
“I feel very confident,” said Jon Halbert, the company’s vice chairman.
“We have 75 million Americans we cover under our programs.”
Chamber officials worked for two years to woo AdvancePCS to the region.
Mericle Commercial Real Estate built the 176,000-square foot facility
before any tenant was found in 2000. The chamber believed it had an agreement
with AdvancePCS – then called Advance Paradigm – but a merger between Advance
Paradigm and PCS Health Systems put those plans on hold.
In September, the chamber received a $1.25 million grant from the state for
continued construction of the business park.
AdvancePCS, closed on Nasdaq at $29.33 a share Wednesday, down 40 cents per
share or 1.35 percent.
The company reported a 19 percent growth in revenues last year to $11.5
billion.
AdvancePCS will process about 500,000 prescriptions weekly from the Hanover
Township site, according to the company. The company also offers prescription
discount cards for the uninsured or under-insured.
M. Paul Jackson, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7134.