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Customer Stories

"First Commonwealth has always been a bank we could talk to and they listened."

By: Ann M. Benzel, President
Benzel's Bretzel Bakery, Inc.

On November 18, 1911 a youthful Adolph Benzel stepped from a boxcar at the Altoona, Pennsylvania train station with his family and all his worldly belongings. After working for other bakers across the state, he decided to begin baking pretzels according to that special family recipe. He soon acquired a 75 square foot building with a bakery oven and Benzel's Bretzel Bakery was born. Today, Adolph Benzel's exact recipe is still being used in the production of almost 50 million pretzels daily. From generation to generation, the business continued to grow and gain customer loyalty.

"First Commonwealth® has always been there for us... in good times and bad, during periods of growth as well as during some periods of instability in bad economies," explains Ann Benzel, President of Benzel's Bretzel Bakery, Inc. "We have a great relationship with the people at First Commonwealth. Not only do they obtain and provide immediate answers to our questions, but they are always there to help with our problems, large or small."

"For almost 100 years, our focus on producing the finest quality of pretzels, and providing unparalleled customer service has set us apart. This is the same kind of customer service we receive daily from First Commonwealth. Having a relationship with people who know me and my business is my favorite thing about working with First Commonwealth. They're not only my bankers, they're my friends."

Ann M. Benzel, President Benzel's Bretzel Bakery, Inc.

5200 Sixth Avenue Altoona, PA 16602

814.942.5062 pretzels@benzels.com
www.benzels.com