Keeping it in the Family: How Lafayette Hill Family Dentistry Has Grown with Help From WSFS

Dr. Jessica Hershman, DMD and her father, Dr. Hal Hershman, DMD, first purchased their own dentistry practice in 2013 from another local dentist who was ready for retirement.

As fate would have it, another area dentist was preparing for retirement in the next two years, and the Hershman’s would soon purchase that practice too. From there, the father-daughter duo, as well as Jessica’s husband Brad, continued to build and grow Lafayette Hill Family Dentistry.

“We’ve been cruising along for more than a decade now, providing a fun and comforting environment for dental care,” said Jessica. “Now my father is nearing retirement, and Brad and I were also looking to diversify our own retirement plan, so we started exploring real estate options where we could own our building, bring our two offices under one roof and build additional revenue streams.”

Having worked with WSFS for their banking needs for nearly a decade, Jessica, Brad and Hal turned to WSFS’ Ed Morris, Vice President, Small Business Portfolio Relationship Manager, to help with their lending needs for the purchase.

“We’ve always tried to bank with local bankers due to the customer service, personal touch and the importance of relationships,” said Jessica. “That is so important to our business too. Being a small business, we like to support other local companies.”

Leaning on their relationships at WSFS throughout the process, Lafayette Hill Family Dentistry began searching for its next office space. After two years searching for the perfect location, they settled on a 6,000 square-foot mixed-use building that will feature a 3,000 square-foot dentistry practice on the ground floor and apartments for rent upstairs.

“WSFS has been very supportive through the years,” said Jessica. “We walk through any questions we have about our business with them. Brad has gotten to know Ed as they’ve worked together on loans, and I’ve worked with two different banking office managers nearby to help with our banking needs.”

“They’re all very helpful and responsive. You get to see the same people you’ve built relationships with through the years,” she added.

“WSFS has been supporting local businesses for nearly 200 years, so we understand the importance of relationships and local decision-making in helping small businesses to thrive. We’re thrilled to work collaboratively with Lafayette Hill Family Dentistry to help them grow and achieve their goals,” said Ed.

The new location, which is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2024, will mark the next chapter for Lafayette Hill Family Dentistry as it continues to provide key dental services to its community, as well as for Jessica, Brad and Hal as they look to continue to evolve and grow the business.

“So, I went from starting the business with my dad, to now advancing the business with my husband,” said Jessica. “With the new location, we’re going from just business owners to also becoming landlords as we look to unlock additional revenue streams. It is a very exciting time and we look forward to continuing to provide innovative and exceptional dental care to our patients.”