Monday, August 29, 2011

Surviving the Storm


How did you fair through the wrath of Hurricane Irene?  Leading up to the storm, many of our local east coast customers placed orders to help them prepare for whatever damage would occur in the hurricane.  Late last week, our warehouse was shipping out strand and aerial hardware like crazy!

Comstar weathered the storm just fine.  Our office and warehouse is located in an industrial park at the top of a hill.  Businesses just down the road though suffered some serious flooding. The Perkiomen Creek flows through Collegeville and after the hurricane, it became a raging river!   The bridges crossing the creek were closed for most of the day on Sunday but fortunately were opened again by Monday morning so we have no disruption in shipping or receiving product.
Comstar remains committed through the cleanup process to be here for whatever you might need.  We have a solid stock on aerial strand as well aerial hardware.  Our shelves are stocked with splice cases and our yard is filled with HDPE, PVC, fiber optic cable and handholes.  Let us know what you need and we’ll work to turn around your order as soon as possible!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Roll out the red carpet – Comstar Supply Definition Movie Premier


Have you had a chance to check out the brand new video on our website?  The Comstar Supply Definition video is the first in a series of videos we are having produced to highlight our company and the products that we sell.

In this short film, you’ll get a glimpse into Comstar Supply, learn about our company history, mission and goals and how we strive to provide the best customer service possible.  You’ll see the faces of Comstar (can you recognize and match up voices with names?) and glimpse into the workings of our office and warehouse!

Stay tuned for more videos in the near future including a special series on how to use some of our most popular products! 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Poleline Hardware Guide

Here's another handy tool you can use as a reference when you are purchasing pole line hardware.  This graphical depiction of a telephone pole is courtesy  of http://www.hubbellpowersystems.com.

The telephone pole diagram notes the proper applications and uses for various pole line hardware which we stock and sell.   You can note the proper placement of everything from cable extension arms to machine bolts and anchors and guy guards!

If you have a question or need any poleline hardware, give us a call and someone from the sales team will happily help you out.  We stock most of the items that you will need for your aerial applications and in most cases we can ship same day or next day, depending upon when the order is received!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Proper Knots for Pull Tape

While doing some research for our upcomming video on how to tie a knot in pull tape, I came across this graphical demonstration from A-D Technologies showing the proper way to splice two lengths of pull tape together as well as the proper method for tying off pull tape to a swivel.

It's important to use proper knots with your pull tape so you maintain the pulling strength of your tape.  Use this graphic as a reference and stay tuned for a video demonstration of how to use both of these techniques in the field!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Life of an Order

Orders are taken very seriously here at Comstar Supply.  From the moment you talk to your outside sales, call into the office, or place an order via our website, we give strive for nothing less than perfection.

If you live in the north eastern part of the United States, there’s a good chance that you have an outside sales rep covering your area.   We have an outside sales rep covering the Maryland and Virginia area as well Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.  Recently we expanded our outside sales rep coverage to New York and New England.   Our outside sales force is very hands on and knowledgeable about our product line and the equipment we sell.  They are available for demonstrations and instruction if needed.  They are a tremendous resource for our local customer base and are able to handle your orders personally.

Back at the office, Comstar has a strong and personable inside sales team.  These are the people answering your questions over the phone, the faces you’ll meet if you stop in the office.   The inside sales team is knowledgeable and proactive in handling every order that crosses their desk.  Website orders are handled by the inside sale teams as well. The inside sales team works with the outside sales reps as well as the warehouse and manufacturers to make sure that your order is completed properly.

Once your order is established and if the item is in stock, it’s passed off to the warehouse.  Comstar’s warehouse is staffed by a group of hardworking and dedicated workers who strive for one hundred percent accuracy.  Most orders are filled and shipped same day.  The warehouse personnel handles all custom cuts and parallels for innerduct  and fiber orders.   They also arrange for all deliveries ranging from orders sent on the fleet of Comstar trucks to those shipped LTL and via UPS.  Comstar delivers locally to customers in the greater Philadelphia area. 

Sometimes the item you order is not available at our facility.  Fortunately, we work with a great group of manufacturers, many who happily drop ship product directly from their facilities to your location. These orders are always processed quickly so that there is no hold up in your order.

The billing end of your order is handled by our accounting department.  They strive to have a seamless paperwork process that insures that your order is billed in a timely and effective manner.  

Ultimately, everyone here at Comstar is dedicated to making sure we offer the highest level of customer service.  We strive for perfection and when there is a problem, we work tirelessly to make things right for you. We value the relationships that we have established with our customers over the year and love developing new relationships with our new customers.  

So give us a call – let us help you out with your next outside plant project!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Chat it up!


Have you noticed the new chat feature on our website?

The new chat will enable Comstar Supply to be available for immediate assistance while you shop on our website.  Not only will customers be able to contact us directly during business hours but the Comstar Supply sales associates will also be able to reach out and initiate conversations with customers who are online. Look for the chat bubble at the bottom of the screen on our of website pages!

So if you see a chat window pop up, rest assured that there really is someone behind those words!  We are excited to reach out, say hello to our customers and of course, offer our assistance!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Snow Day Stock Up!


If you live or work in the northeast part of the United States, there’s a good chance you are snowed in today and can’t make it out to jobsite.  Instead of calling today a wash, consider sitting down with a hot cup of coffee and spend some time on www.comstarsupply.com stocking up on some outside plant essentials.

Our warehouse has a constant stock of the commodity items that you use everyday.  Consider duct plugs – We have an extensive inventory of everything ranging from temporary poly pull plugs to the more permanent expanding blank plug style duct plugs.  We also keep stock on triplex plugs as well as simplex plugs for your fiber optic applications. 

Looking for couplers?  Pick your favorite!  For PVC applications, we stock the standard style slip couplings in a range of sizes.  For HDPE applications, consider using either moonlink couplers or reverse threaded aluminum couplers.  If you’re looking for a compression style coupling, we maintain a solid inventory of both E Loc and Double E Loc couplers as well as Comfit couplers.  Joining pipe together has never been so easy!

Need to proof your duct? Don’t forget about the wide range of mandrels that are available through www.comstarsupply.com.   We provide aluminum test mandrels, wooden mandrels, flexible steel mandrels, and wire brush mandrels.

Don’t forget about your birdies and missles!  Our warehouse stocks foam carriers (a.k.a. mice) and  inflatable line carriers (a.k.a. balloons) as well as the plastic missile style line carriers and the rubber cone style missiles.   We keep all sizes in stock and in most cases, we’re able to ship same day to your location!

So if you’re stuck inside because of the snow, stay warm and do some shopping!  Your order from www.comstarsupply.com will be handled promptly and professionally by our staff and you can rest assured knowing you’re stocked up on your outside plant essentials!