ETA Benefits Group, an employee benefits and advisory firm, dedicated its recently renovated Nesquehoning office on June 25, while also celebrating 15 years of business.

Joe Pilla of Nesquehoning started the business in 1999 as the only operator working from home, then gradually expanded to meet the needs of the community.In 2001, he opened his first office in a Keystone Opportunity Zone-designated property in downtown Tamaqua and soon hired a team of advisers to join him.The office was not equipped to meet with customers, however, and the more ETA Benefits Group expanded, the more Pilla considered finding a new location.He had his eye on Hometown, just outside of Tamaqua, but couldn't find anything to meet his needs.In August 2012, while driving through Nesquehoning, he noticed a for sale sign on the First National Bank building on Catawissa Street. He thought the location of the historic building made for a perfect opportunity."Why not take a chance at winning the bid and moving the business to my hometown?" Pilla said.His bid, placed at a weeklong online auction, along with about 10 other bidders, proved successful.By October 2012, the building was his, and renovations started immediately.The property at 75 E. Catawissa St. has been standing for 100 years, beginning as First National Bank of Nesquehoning in 1914. It changed hands a number of times since then and closed in 2011 under Bank of America's ownership.Despite the building's age, "Everything was intact," Pilla said.On Jan. 2, ETA Benefits Group opened the doors of its new main office and continues to use the branch office in Tamaqua.Pilla and his team postponed the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the summertime when weather would cooperate, planning to also acknowledge the business's 15th birthday.Pilla attributes ETA's success to his family, his employees and his clients."We don't just sell a policy and call it a day," he said. "We will answer questions and sort through any issues that inevitably crop up. It's that extra level of service that sets us apart."The new location has further improved ETA's success, allowing Pilla and his team to personally meet with private individuals.The business, he says, is now more organized, thanks to the cooperation of his employees."The pile on their desk got a little bit bigger," he said of the new responsibilities that his team took on.Regarding the future of the business, Pilla said he doesn't plan on opening a new office anytime soon, but hiring a professional to work from home would be a more likely option when it comes time to expand further.