Zippo Heating Things Up at BRMC

By Stephanie Timblin
Senior Communications Specialist
Upper Allegheny Health System


Zippo has been heating things up for 80 years. Now they’re doing it large-scale, with a $750,000 donation to Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) to modernize the hospital's boiler plant.

"We are extremely grateful to George Duke and Zippo for this very significant gift to our community hospital," said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Bradford Regional Medical Center and its parent company, Upper Allegheny Health System.

"Zippo and members of the Blaisdell family have a long history of tremendous generosity to BRMC and the community. Their notable giving over the decades has made so many things possible at BRMC,” Finan said. “Zippo’s faith and confidence in the hospital means so much to all of us. It is both motivational and inspirational in terms of our desire to work even harder to provide our community with high quality and personalized health care."

George Duke, Zippo owner and chairman, is encouraged by recent information coming from the Bradford hospital. “The news that BRMC operated in the black last year is a strong testament to the job Tim and his staff are doing. Their commitment to upgrading the facility is a direct result of getting the organization on a firmer footing."

“In addition,” Duke said, “several people who have received services at BRMC recently have expressed to me very positive comments about the quality of their experience when they were at the hospital - further endorsement of the fine job Tim and staff are doing to provide our area with a first-class medical facility.”

The hospital's current boiler plant is nearly 60 years old. "It's a part of the hospital that patients never see but having a modern, efficient, and state-of-the-art boiler plant is essential to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all we serve,” Finan explained. “This gift will provide a very significant and positive impact to our facility and fills a critical need at BRMC. The plant is currently well beyond its useful life and its replacement is essential.”

Duke noted the irony of the current situation. “In 1954, my grandfather, Zippo founder George G. Blaisdell, provided an air conditioner for every room in the then newly-remodeled hospital. Now, nearly 60 years later, we’re going to heat it up rather than cool it down.”

“On behalf of all the patients and community members that we serve, BRMC is tremendously grateful to Zippo for its continued generosity to our hospital,” Finan said.



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