BXMagazine.com - S A Comunale

Large enough to meet your needs, small enough to care

Comunale employees share a can-do attitude, sense of urgency and the ability to approach problems logically

According to founder Steve Comunale, S. A. Comunale's success and growth all comes down to a simple set of rules of operation for all employees:

Have a can-do attitude. Employees will do whatever it takes to get the job done, with no one sitting behind a desk and pointing to a job description as an excuse for inaction. While Steve Comunale is always available to customers, believing that this is vital in the construction industry, he also enables his staff to take on the responsibility needed to get the job done and meet client needs. "No one is allowed to say no," he says. Can-do means that the company can run with a relatively flat hierarchy, reducing costs and overhead and adding to the firm's competitiveness.

Have a sense of urgency. Comunale's next rule of business allows for faster response time, better scheduling and more personal attention to customers. Someone is available 24/7. And if a customer wants work done in another area, Comunale is willing to travel to get the work, and to put an office there to support it if the market seems worth it. "There are no one-shot deals," says Comunale. This identification with customer needs leads to repeat customers, with Comunale asked to bid on further projects.

Be able to categorize and prioritize concerning projects. This means that each specific customer need is understood clearly and approached logically, and thus it is solved more quickly and completely. This emphasis on staff autonomy also gives employees a sense of ownership, enhanced by profit sharing and pension plans that motivate and inspire. Many of those at Comunale share the name.

Some examples

How does this work? Here's a case in point: Acme Foods, a division of Albertson's, switched its plans for materials handling in a new 1,500,000-sf warehouse to one that was more efficient. At the same time, they determined to move the completion schedule ahead a month to meet consumer demand. There were seven trades represented, and six of their project managers said "No way" when asked to revamp their work to meet the new needs. Only Comunale said "No problem." It redesigned the 47,000-rack head sprinkler system, had drawings approved in three weeks, and had the pipe delivered five days later. Four months later, Acme moved in.

Here's another: Comunale had 34 days from the handshake agreement to deliver a fire protection system for the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY. It took 6,000 work hours, but the 10.23 miles of pipe and 4,500 sprinklers were in service within that time, and tested two days later

Training is key

Giving employees this much responsibility means a thorough training program. "This is talent-poor industry, and you have to train," says Comunale. "We bring in good people and develop them into future leaders." Training is meant for everyone, from office staff to superintendents and project managers. And much of this is safety, with an in-house director that visits all sites. "We do most everything in-house," he says. This control even extends to vehicle maintenance, where the 24-hour-a-day shop services 250 trucks. "We hate to have to rely on others if there is a problem. This way, we can react more quickly. We can maintain control of our destiny." bxm

Whatever it takes

Now in its fourth decade, the firm's growth, based on the old can-do, is astonishing

Steve Comunale grew up in a construction family, with dad and grandfather both residential plumbing contractors. "I am the third generation in the industry," he notes. After graduation from OSU in 1973 and with experience working for his dad, Steve decided to start his own contracting business in commercial and industrial plumbing, S. A. Comunale. At first, the going was rocky, as Comunale established itself within the industry. A job for Goodyear Tire and Rubber proved a breakthrough and gave needed credibility, with the company becoming known in Akron and Cleveland.

The challenge

After five years' worth of hard work, Comunale received a challenge in the form of a simple question from the owner of an apartment complex under construction: can you build and install a sprinkler system? "Sure, we can do that," said the owner, figuring it would be similar to plumbing and heating work.

With that addition to its focus, the next two years saw the firm listed on Weatherhead's fast growth track. Fire protection now accounts for 80% of its work, with mechanical contracting accounting for the rest. "We've grown from $300,000 a year to a $140 million corporation," says Comunale. "We now have 850 employees, 120 in the office," he adds.

Comunale's field work prepared him for the life of action he has today. "I like the action," he says, "bidding, getting the contracts, getting the job done." His corporate plane travels five days a week and can land up to four times a day to take him and the other employees to the far-flung job sites the work takes them to, say Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to Reading to Lewiston, ME.

What now?

Future plans include adding new markets, either through acquisition, as has been done before, or by startup, but no growth for the sake of growth. A good plan, says Comunale, is essential to remaining on top of things, and that plan must be based on knowing where you want to go and how to get there. As the company grows beyond its 91,000-sf headquarters and manufacturing plant in Barberton, it will take on a national focus. It now has sales offices, some started from scratch, some purchased, in Cleveland, Toledo, Fremont (OH), Norton (OH), Columbus, Cincinnati, Marion, Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Phillipsburg ( NJ), Warren (OH), Philadelphia, Johnstown, Reading (PA), Detroit and Atlantic City. This means that it can service national accounts with speed and precision. New line additions would include the alarm and detection business. The business is still growing, with the fourth generation now involved in preparing for that growth. bxm

An impressive portfolio--

all market niches

The S.A Comunale portfolio shows that the firm goes everywhere and does everything to serve customers in a variety of ways. Here's an example:

Northeast Ohio

Peter B. Lewis Building, Cleveland
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland
Lerner Research Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
Wolstein Research Center, Cleveland State Univ., Cleveland
Pinnacle residential and parking, Cleveland
Crocker Park mall, Westlake, OH
Akron Aeros Ballpark, Akron, OH

Northwest Ohio

First Third Stadium, Toledo
Walgreens Distributing, Perrysburg, OH
Abercrombie & Fitch Office Campus, New Albany, OH
Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, OH

Southern Ohio

Sun Chemical retrofitted warehouse, Cincinnati
Procter & Gamble offices, Cincinnati

Michigan

Detroit Metro Airport, Northwest Terminal expansion, Detroit
747 hangar, Detroit Metro Airport
Comerica Park, Detroit
Ford (Lions) Stadium, Detroit
Westin Hotel, Detroit
General Motors paint shop, Delta Twp., MI
Chrysler World Engineering plant, Dundee, MI
Hatci office complex, Superior Twp., MI

Western Pennsylvania

David L Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh
Steelers Stadium, Pittsburgh
T. J. Maxx Distribution Center, Pittston, PA
Wal-Mart, Latrobe, PA
Wal-Mart distribution center, Pottsville, PA
Penn State University main, Mt. Alto and Hazleton campuses
Great Wolf Lodge resort hotel, Pocono Twp., PA
Wakefern distribution center, Allentown, PA
Hershey Hockey Arena, PIttsburgh, PA

Eastern Pennsylvania

Comcast Tower offices, Philadelphia
St. James Apartments, Philadelphia,
Phillies Stadium, Philadelphia
Tioga Marine Terminal, Philadelphia

New Jersey

St. Joseph's Medical Center, Reading, NJ
Chubb Insurance, Readington, NJ
Costco distribution center, Monroe Twp., NJ
Barnes & Noble distribution center, Cranbury, NJ
Tropicana Hotel, Atlantic City,
Borgata Casino, Atlantic City
The Pier retail mall, Atlantic City
South Jersey Hospital, Vineland, NJ

Other

U.S. Census Bureau offices, Suitland, MD
NIST Advanced Measurement Lab, Gaithersburg, MD
Palisades Mall, W. Nyack, NY
Acme Foods distribution center, Denver, PA
K-mart distribution center, Manteno, IL
Wal-Mart distribution center Lewiston, ME

Retail

Borders, Dick's Sporting Goods, Toys R Us, Sam's Club, Grainger, Eckerd, Cost Plus World Market, Circuit City, Gabriel Brothers, Target, Mervyns, Bon Ton, Rugged Wear House, Kohls, and The Home Depot. bxm

A full-range of services

S. A. Comunale offers an extensive number of possibilities

S.A. Comunale offers full-service fire protection systems, designing, fabricating, installing, maintaining, repairing and inspecting systems for every type of building, including automated fire sprinkler systems, special hazard systems, underground fire lines, alarms, fire pumps and extinguishers, alarm detection systems, backflow prevention devices and hydrant flushing, as well as anti-freeze, halon and foam systems.

The firm prides itself on developing "a sense of urgency" in each employee, ensuring that customers get the kind of support they need. It also teaches customers how to work with the equipment and installation, so they can handle emergency situations on their own. This comprehensive approach means that a client can have all of its protection needs met by one company, allowing for maximum coordination, timely response and economical service.

The Big Job Division serves customers by traveling to do work for them as far away as Florida, Chicago and Lewiston, ME. The National Accounts Service and Inspection Division offers these services to such customers as Borders Books.

Comunale's Mechanical Division focuses on plumbing and HVAC installation, while its Service Division concentrates on servicing these components after installation. The Fabrication Division does just that, fabricates pipe. But the largest of its divisions is the core Fire Protection Division, a $100 million part of the firm.

S.A. Comunale also offers a nationwide 24-hour emergency service for its fire protection systems, minimizing downtime for customers and preventing further damage.

In addition, the firm's HVAC hotline serves the local community for all of its services that offers 24-hour response within two hours of the call. bxm