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EDWARDVILLE &#8212; To Robert Bilbow, life is a juggling act with three balls: business, health and family.The business ball, he said, is made of rubber and, should it be dropped, will bounce back. Both the family and health balls, he said, are made of glass &#8212; delicate and fragile. Should they be dropped, there is often no way of fixing him.With that mindset, Bilbow, of West Wyoming, who opened Cartridge World in the Gateway Shopping Center in 2004 and steadily built his business into one of the top franchise locations in the Northeast, said the family-first model has served him well.With a strong retail base and an even stronger business-to-business model, Bilbow said he serves hundreds of businesses and organization in the Wyoming Valley.In 2003, selling medical supplies for a company that operated out of Colorado, he was often on the road.Although his wife, an ultrasound technician, seems to weather his absences well, his daughters, Morgan and MacKenzie, now both in college, didn&#8217;t do as well.&#8220;I would pick up the phone and the girls would be crying because they missed me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It felt like I blinked an eye and my girls had grown up and I didn&#8217;t want to blink my eyes again and they were in college.&#8221;After careful research about the franchise, Bilbow was on his way to Adelaide, Australia in 2004 for training in operating the franchise.&#8220;My girls cried when I got on the plane,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But, I knew that I was coming back in two weeks and that I would be more available to them for the rest of our lives.&#8221;For the last 12 years, Bilbow has kept his word, both to his family and to his customers.With free pickup and delivery to businesses, Bilbow also occasionally makes a home delivery himself.&#8220;I made a delivery on my way home for a $20 purchase,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I value my customers; it&#8217;s not about the money that they spend.&#8221;As Bilbow makes his way through the store, it is evident he knows and values his four staff members, two who work part time and two who work full time.As one staff member mentions a possible family emergency, Bilbow said, &#8220;Do you need to go home? Is there anything that I can do?&#8221;Bilbow&#8217;s love for simplicity and pragmatism extends to his business model.If someone comes to the store to refill a cartridge that&#8217;s still half full, Bilbow advises them to wait to have it filled.&#8220;Its a flat rate to refill a cartridge,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, if we&#8217;re refilling one that is already half full, that&#8217;s a waste of money.&#8221;In the long term, Bilbow&#8217;s honesty and concern for the customer has paid off.Although, he said, business is cyclical and sometimes flat, in the long term, it has continued to be profitable throughout its history.The business offers a variety of services, including printing, copying, faxing; sales, including printer cartridges, paper and supplies; next day delivery and maintenance of products.An eco-friendly recycling program aims to reduce the business global footprint, reducing landfill waste and providing an opportunity for businesses and individuals to save money.As Bilbow looks to the future, he is cognizant his business affords him an opportunity to support his family, to give back to the community and to enjoy life.A member of the Kingston Rotary and a participant in events like Candy&#8217;s Place Spin4Life, Bilbow seems to have his priorities in order.Should he forget those priorities as he sits behind the desk in the back room of the business, his dog Murphy, a Maltese, a fluffy white ball who follows him around as he works, will remind him.Where did you go to college? Johnson CollegeWhat was your major?Biomedical Equipment TechnologyWhat was your first job out of college?I worked for Cobe Lavatories, a Denver-based medical equipment manufacturer, servicing hospitals and blood centers on the east coast.What has been the best advice you received in business?Surround yourself with the best people I can and give them an opportunity to flourish. We always do what is best for our customers; without our customers we have no business.If your business had a limitless budget, what would be three things you would do differently?- Community services/events- My employees- AdvertisingWhat do you love about the Greater Pittston Area?Close-knit families.Tell us about your family.My wife&#8217;s name is Maureen and we have been married for 28 years; we have been blessed with two beautiful daughters, Morgan and MacKenzie. Morgan is a senior at Temple University and currently applying to graduate schools for Occupational Therapy, MacKenzie is a senior at Wyoming Area and will attend the King&#8217;s College Physicians Assistant Program in the fall.What&#8217;s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?Thank God for my wife, daughters and family and then go for a run.What&#8217;s the last thing you do at night before you fall asleep?Give my wife and daughters a kiss goodnight and pray that God will always keep them and my family safe and healthy.What other small businesses do you frequent the most?McCarthy Tire &amp; Walter&#8217;s Hardware.<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bob Bilbow of Cartridge World in Edwardsville. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL013016CartridegeWorld.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bob Bilbow of Cartridge World in Edwardsville. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Geri Gibbonsggibbons@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</shirttailMeta></div>

Bob Bilbow of Cartridge World in Edwardsville knows how to balance business, health and family