service administrator

labor and delivery technician

fire sprinkler technician

driver

S.A. Comunale

The president constantly wants change just for the sake of change, whether it's a good idea or not. Managers and supervisors will do their best to avoid him when he's walking around the multiple buildings.

There is usually a cost of living adjustment every year, but it does not keep up with inflation AT ALL; you will technically be making less money every year and they do not give raises unless you are promoted, but good luck even getting THAT. 

They give employees no incentive to care if the business grows or does well. During meetings and company events leadership will say "when the company does well, YOU do well" but that doesn't actually happen.

There is no real communication between departments.

They will promise you new positions or compensation, but never follow through. Instead, they will continue adding more and more responsibility to an employee, but never increase their compensation. Basically, they will "dangle a carrot" in front of you.

They definitely take care of the field employees (even ones that come in with literally ZERO experience) with a high hourly wage and a revenue based commission plan, however, they seem to forgot that support teams are the ones that actually make the field work possible.

Upper management will use up all available space with unnecessary material and equipment. They do not leave any physical space for the ebb and flow of work. If they see empty floor space, they fill it, and then a month later when a large load of material comes in from a branch location or vendor, they will belittle you because you have no place to put it.

Drivers haul material (mostly pipe) and company owned equipment. OTR schedule is mostly Sun-Thurs/Fri. Sundays are only if you have to head out for Monday’s delivery due to distance. When starting Sunday, typically only work Friday if it’s real busy. Norton shop covers the eastern side of the country. Trucks are day cabs w/ 45’/48’/53’ flatbed and conestoga, step decks, and drop deck trailers,  as well as stake body straight trucks. You’re in hotels for all overnight trips covered by the company and given per diem. Typically an absolute minimum of two overnights a week, but can be the whole work week. Well maintained vehicles/equipment since they have their own repair garage.

Driver supervision is solid and is very flexible given enough notice, but also understanding when last minute emergencies occur. Effective communication by the driver is what will make or break them. Company phone, tablet (ELD), and credit card.

Biggest con is not great PTO. No vacation time for the first year. You can take time off but it’ll be unpaid until then. Drivers average probably 50-70hrs/week, paid weekly. Hours depend on driver preference (when possible) but company needs may take priority. 

Good place to work. Good benefits with options to choose from. Take company vehicle home daily. They are not fond of giving raises. Negotiate high in your starting pay because you likely wont get a raise unless you’re a trainee and still have to get all your licenses. You get to schedule yourself as a tech which if you are organized, you can really take advantage of your days. They will randomly drop work on you the last week of the month and pressure you to get it done before the 1st of the next month. There are many opportunities to grow in the company if you are a good employee. They provide tools to technicians but sometimes its like pulling teeth to get just the basics. Over all, the company is not perfect….but trust me when I say there are much worse companies to work for and even with the flaws they have here, I can see myself being here for a while longer assuming they continue to treat us well.

There is no such thing as a typical day—it’s always a matter of sink or swim. The only question is what kind of chaos will unfold. Will it be equipment failures, downed vehicles, or an outdated computer system refusing to function? If it’s not technical issues, it’s management speaking to employees in a condescending manner. If not that, then it’s a coworker inserting themselves where they don’t belong, spreading misinformation, and costing the company thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, management overlooks the employees who actually keep things running, instead praising those who create problems or take credit for others’ work. They insist they’ll address the toxic behavior, yet nothing changes. Reporting to HR only creates more problems, and contacting corporate leads to pointless investigations and finger-pointing. The idea of leaving is tempting, but the pay and benefits make it a difficult decision—one that comes at the cost of mental health, trading well-being for financial stability.

The president appears to have an unyielding desire for change, irrespective of its merit, prompting managers and supervisors to actively evade him as he roams through the various buildings.

While there is typically an annual cost of living adjustment, it woefully fails to keep pace with inflation, resulting in a gradual decrease in real income each year. Moreover, the company is reluctant to provide raises unless one attains a promotion.

The support staff and employees receive little motivation to invest in the company's growth or success. On the other hand, field employees enjoy a generous hourly rate alongside a commission plan tied to revenue.

Regrettably, effective communication between different departments remains virtually non-existent.

Although they may dangle the prospect of new positions or increased compensation, these promises often prove empty and unfulfilled.

I did head relocates which is no new pipe expect where a sprinkler head needs moved.  I would have to start a drawing by setting it up.  Placing the sprinkler heads where they should go and plotting that.  Submitting the drawing to my boss for approval.  Then start connecting your heads to your brachline.  You then label your pipe sizes and pipe cuts.  You do your details for the riser and how the arm over is to look.  

I learned a lot.  They trained us in construction terms and pipe terms.  They taught us how to do a proper field survey.  

Management was trying to train in another way not just throwing a new designer into a big project.  They were trying to make sure we knew what we were going and we were doing our best.

Mostly doing head relocates.

Field surveys were my favorite part of the job.

During my tenure at S. A. Comunale, I have had the opportunity to grow personally as well as advance my career.  I have learned so much about the fire protection industry through self-learning as well as formal training offered by the Company.  I am now able to pass some of that knowledge along to our customers as well which is very exciting.  Having been here 11 years, I have seen the culture of the workplace change in a very positive manner.  As we grow, there is more consistency with processes and polices which helps keep the team focused.  I really enjoy my job, and look forward to going to work each day!!

It seems no matter how much work or good you do for this company, management will always want more. Some of the managers aren't very good at managing. There's no such thing as a merit raise in this company no matter how long you've been here or how your numbers look. They'll give every excuse as to why you're not getting a raise. If applying, better get what you want pay wise. As of now, workload is impossible to keep up with. There are jobs that's two months behind and jobs will keep getting assigned to you. Some managers aren't very organized and very forgetful. 

No training, managers run wild and do whatever they want, say whatever they want, talk down and downgrade anyone they want, while they themselves have no idea what they’re doing. The lack of training is mind blowing. People who have been here for years and are in positions of power lack knowledge on how to do their own jobs, and only got the job because they have been here for so long. Could be a great place if they got their management under control. Pay is ok, but dealing with all the chaos and lack of everyone else’s training, they should be paying the people that fix everything more than what they do. Definitely needs improvement, it’s a stressful place to work, because you are left to sink or swim. 

When attracting new talent, they will pay pretty well, but this is definitely the kind of place that has made "job hopping" popular. If you're there more than a few years, you'll start losing money because they don't give raises and the cost of living adjustments do not come even close to meeting inflation.

They provide no real training on systems in the office. You just have to figure out their ERP/MRP/CRM software on your own. Field technician training seems ok, but is still pretty lacking.

Do not believe anything upper management tells you; they will tell you what you want to here so you don't quit.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Service administrator 1 salary reported	$28.00 per hour
Labor and delivery technician 1 salary reported	$26.00 per hour
Fire sprinkler technician 1 salary reported	$37.50 per hour
Driver 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour

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