OFF THE TOP

As I hope many of you know, 2019 marks the 25^th anniversary of Comstar Supply. It’s quite the journey to think back to the single-wide trailer my dad first occupied and called himself Comstar Supply. With 3 product lines and a pocketful of contacts my dad started a business that has grown into 2 locations and nearly 50 full-time employees.

You’ll be able to read the full story about the inception of Comstar shortly, but in the meantime, we’ll celebrate not only 25 years, but the life and memory of my father, with the second Quinquennial Earl S. Punchard Golf in late September. While the golf tournament honors his name, all profits generated by the tournament are donated directly to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Our first tournament in 2014 raised more than $100,000 making it the largest, non-affiliated CHOP fundraising event in its history. With the support of vendors, suppliers, and customers, the goal is to raise $250,000 this year. So, if you would like to contribute and help us reach our goal, simply visit http://espchop.org/sponsorships to make a donation.

Raleigh, NC warehouse

In addition to these two milestones in 2019, there have been a number of other exciting things happening at Comstar this year. We’ve expanded our operations in North Carolina, adding headcount to our Raleigh location to support new customer demand in that area. We’ve added new sales and technical resources in Philadelphia dedicated to find the best solutions for our customers network construction challenges. And we’ve completed an expansion project at our headquarters location to nearly double our office space.

Beyond that we feel the telecom industry has rebounded slightly this year as we move towards 5G and beyond. What’s looming is the last-mile fight between pole owners and incumbents on one side vs. network operations and upstart carriers looking to build network. With regulation and labor shortages continuing to be an issue, we remain committed to introducing new technologies and tools that can help overcome new challenges our customers are facing. So, an exciting couple of months ahead for sure as we celebrate Comstar's 25th anniversary.

As always, a sincere thank you to our customers, suppliers, manufacturers and partners - and of course the employees of Comstar. I look forward to a strong finish to the year together!

Chad Punchard
President, Comstar Supply