Evolving Times Call for New Beginnings

The matriarch of Comstar Supply (as well as my family), and one of the original Founders of Comstar, Gwen Punchard, is a former history teacher and has an affinity for Winston Churchill. Last week, she sent us a note with a famous quote from Churchill after winning “The Battle of Egypt.” 

“Now this is not the end,” wrote Churchill. “It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

This quote holds true as our nation continues to make progress in its fight against COVID-19 and is also relevant to Comstar as we have settled into new routines and business operations.

We continue to take the lead of Pa. Governor Wolf in regard to safety measures for our existing staff at the office, and in preparation for other employees to rejoin us, which we hope will be some time mid-May. We have made several changes to our daily operations to get ready for our full staff’s return. From wearing masks at work, to hand sanitizing stations, to staggered breaks, to weekly anti-bacterial, electrostatic spraying of our offices, Comstar remains committed to the health and well being of our employees and customers. 

I wrote our staff recently that this is by far the longest I’ve been in the office in years without customer travel or an off-site event, but the additional time has been beyond valuable to me. 

I’ve spent countless hours talking with vendors, customers, manufacturers, and leaders in other industries, about the impact this is having, and will have, on businesses around the country. Compiling the lessons learned from these conversations has led me to believe we need to be even more creative and opportunistic as we all emerge from the current situation. And while I believe this to be true, I also know that I don’t have all the answers. 

Each of us has been impacted in a different way due to the work constraints we’re currently under. You’ve all been patient with us as we met customer demand during a difficult time for our nation. So, I’ll challenge you the same way I did our employees - if you have any suggestions on how we can work better together please feel free to respond to this note with any encouraging ideas.

In the meantime, we remain committed and vigilant on ensuring your success by providing the knowledge, materials, equipment, and experience needed at your greatest moment of need. These past few weeks have only encouraged our resolve, and we look forward to working with you as we arise from this fight victorious.

Best Regards.

Chad Punchard
President, Comstar Supply