North Central Sight Services

What North Central Sight Services does

North Central Sight Services, Inc. (NCSS) is a Williamsport, Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization founded in 1957 (as the Lycoming County Association for the Blind) and incorporated in 1964. The organization operates a social enterprise business model in which revenue from five core commercial service lines—Customer Support Center (call center), Document Shredding & Storage, Sip for Sight Water Coolers, Assembly/Packaging/Distribution, and SKILCRAFT products manufactured under the federal AbilityOne Program—cross-subsidizes mission programs serving blind and visually impaired individuals across Central Pennsylvania. NCSS is a member agency of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and UniqueSource Products & Services, and its SKILCRAFT products reach federal buyers through GSA Global Supply, military Base Supply Centers, and authorized national distributors.

NCSS's service portfolio is delivered from a 68,000 sq. ft. facility with seven loading docks, modern inventory tracking, and an Assistive Technology Lab. Operations are ISO 9001:2015 certified and document destruction is HIPAA, PCI, and I-Sigma compliant. Mission programs include vision rehabilitation, assistive technology evaluations (191 performed in 2024), free Pre-K and Kindergarten vision screenings (2,835 in 2024), independent living support, and peer groups, with 75% of industry operations employees and 31% of all NCSS employees being blind or visually impaired. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dennis Gilbert and led by President/CEO Kim Zimmer.

NCSS's commercial customer base spans Pennsylvania state and federal government (under the AbilityOne Program and UniqueSource contracts), small and mid-sized commercial clients purchasing call center, shredding, water, and fulfillment services (including Natural Waterscapes, Creative Benefits, and Journey Bank), walk-in shredding customers, and individual donors/grantmakers (notably First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania). Revenue streams combine professional services fees, SKILCRAFT product sales through government procurement, monthly Sip for Sight subscriptions, $10 Functional Vision Clinic exams for income-eligible children, and philanthropic donations/grants, with EIN 24-0814118 and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency recognition.

Name

North Central Sight Services

Legal name

North Central Sight Services, Inc.

Website

https://ncsight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

North Central Sight Services is a Pennsylvania nonprofit social enterprise that delivers document shredding, SKILCRAFT manufacturing, call center, bottleless water cooler, and assembly/fulfillment services to fund vision rehabilitation, assistive technology, and employment programs for blind and visually impaired individuals across Central Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Enterprise Services (Vision Rehabilitation and Business Services)

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Low Vision Rehabilitation (HLAKAKAJ), Computer Access & Alternative Input (Switch, Eye Gaze, Head/Mouse, Keyboards) (EDAKAIAD)

Keywords

• Vision rehabilitation services
• Document shredding services
• Assembly packaging services
• Assistive technology services
• Social enterprise programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Williamsport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Business Services Revenue: Social enterprise business solutions including document shredding and storage, customer support center, bottleless water coolers, and assembly/packaging/distribution services. Revenue from these services funds community programs and creates employment for visually impaired individuals.
2. AbilityOne Program / SKILCRAFT Products: Through the AbilityOne Program, NCSS manufactures, packages, and distributes SKILCRAFT products to the State of Pennsylvania and Federal government. Products available on Federal Procurement List and through Pennsylvania State Use program.
3. Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from individuals and grants from foundations including First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania support community programs and services.
4. Vision Services Programs: Fee-based eye care assistance programs including Functional Vision Clinic exams at $10 for income-eligible children and income-based assistance for glasses through the REC program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

North Central Sight Services is a nonprofit operating a social enterprise model that delivers commercial business services — including call center support, document shredding and storage, bottleless water coolers, assembly/packaging/distribution, and SKILCRAFT products through the AbilityOne Program — to government and commercial clients. Revenue from these services funds person-centered vision rehabilitation, prevention of blindness, assistive technology, and eye care assistance programs for blind and visually impaired individuals across Central Pennsylvania. The organization employs 75% blind or visually impaired workers in its industry operations and operates from a 68,000 sq. ft. facility in Williamsport, PA.

Product overview

North Central Sight Services operates as a nonprofit organization offering vision rehabilitation services and social enterprise business solutions. The product portfolio includes five core business service offerings: Customer Support Center (professional call center services), Document Shredding & Storage (secure destruction and storage), Sip for Sight Water Coolers (bottleless water systems), Assembly Packaging & Distribution (ISO-certified fulfillment services), and SKILCRAFT Products (AbilityOne program products). These commercial services fund the organization's mission of providing prevention of blindness programs, rehabilitation services, and employment opportunities for individuals with visual impairments across Central Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sip for Sight: A registered trademark of North Central Sight Services. A bottleless water cooler service that provides filtered water systems for offices, with proceeds supporting the mission of NCSS. Each unit prevents the use of roughly 200 five-gallon jugs annually.
• Sip for Sight Water Coolers

Products and services

• Customer Support Center
• Document Shredding & Storage
• Sip for Sight Water Coolers
• Assembly Packaging & Distribution
• SKILCRAFT Products
• Vision Screenings (Prevention & Education)
• Functional Vision Clinic Exams and Eye Care Assistance Programs
• Vision Rehabilitation Services (Independent Living, Adjustment to Blindness)
• Assistive Technology Evaluations and Devices

Quantifiable outcome

• 191 assistive technology evaluations and demonstrations performed annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UniqueSource Products & ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnership with UniqueSource Products & Services to offer document shredding services for Commonwealth agencies. NCSS became sole provider of shredding to state agencies in 12 counties. UniqueSource facilitates expansion of NCSS services and focuses on employment for Pennsylvanians with disabilities, employing approximately 2,000 persons with disabilities each year.
• Bellefonte Library (Centre County Library System)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022NCSS donated $10,000 worth of assistive technology devices including desktop video magnifiers, handheld devices, large print keyboards, and software licenses. Desktop devices available for on-site use; handheld devices available for 7-day loan.
• Natural WaterscapescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSS provides fulfillment services including warehouse storage, repackaging, and shipping of pond and lake treatment products for Natural Waterscapes. Currently employs 8 people for packaging and labeling/shipping operations. Distributed 2,778 units of products last year.
• National Industries for the Blind (NIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough NIB partnership, NCSS participates in the AbilityOne Program manufacturing, packaging, and distributing SKILCRAFT products. NIB provides advocacy, public policy support, and employee award programs including Peter J. Salmon Award and Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award.
• Journey BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bank partnership for community events including welcoming Little League participants from Grand Slam Parade in Williamsport.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alphapointe: Alphapointe is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides comprehensive vision rehabilitation services and operates AbilityOne-mandated business services including manufacturing, contact center, document shredding and warehousing — a near-identical social-enterprise model serving blind/visually impaired individuals, making it the most direct peer to NCSS.
• Lighthouse Guild: Lighthouse Guild is a New York-based nonprofit providing vision rehabilitation, assistive technology, vision health services and employment programs for people with vision loss — closely aligned mission and service mix (rehabilitation + programs + assistive tech) to NCSS.
• Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Vista Center is a California nonprofit offering vision rehabilitation, assistive technology training, and social services for blind/visually impaired individuals — comparable rehabilitation-first nonprofit model to NCSS's programs side.
• NewView Oklahoma: NewView Oklahoma is a statewide nonprofit providing employment, rehabilitation, and assistive technology for Oklahomans who are blind or visually impaired, including AbilityOne manufacturing — directly comparable mission, geographic model, and service portfolio to NCSS.
• Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI): IBVI is a Wisconsin-based AbilityOne/NIB agency that manufactures SKILCRAFT products and runs commercial business services (assembly, packaging, contact center) while employing predominantly blind/visually impaired workers — directly comparable operating model to NCSS.
• Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI): CABVI operates an integrated social enterprise in Cincinnati producing SKILCRAFT/AbilityOne products while delivering vision rehabilitation, assistive technology, and community programs — a regional nonprofit social enterprise directly paralleling NCSS's structure and revenue model.

Others

• National Industries for the Blind (NIB): NIB is the central nonprofit agency coordinating the AbilityOne Program for the blind, of which NCSS is a member agency. NIB sets policy, advocates, and routes SKILCRAFT work — an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• UniqueSource Products & Services: UniqueSource is a Pennsylvania nonprofit network coordinating AbilityOne/state-use opportunities for agencies serving Pennsylvanians with disabilities, and is NCSS's strategic partner that facilitated its Commonwealth shredding contract — enabling/partner rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Lions Clubs International: Lions Clubs International is the largest global service organization focused on vision (including prevention of blindness, vision screenings, and assistive services) — a much larger incumbent operating broadly across NCSS's mission space rather than competing in NCSS's specific region or service lines.
• Prevent Blindness: Prevent Blindness is a national nonprofit focused on vision screening, eye health education and advocacy — a broader incumbent whose mission directly overlaps NCSS's Prevention of Blindness programming and screening activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncsight
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NCSight
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncsight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncsight
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncsight

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Central Sight Services