Black Box specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of voice at data networks.

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Black Box, headquartered in Lawrence, Pa., specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of voice and data networks. Louis A. Gorga, director of operations in Pittsburgh, says Black Box is a “single source” for its clients‘ complete business communications needs from voice systems and convergence technologies to data networks and networking equipment.

Black Box’s unique footprint, comprised of more than 101 U.S. locations and 41 additional offices around the globe, provides its clients with cost-effective national and global infrastructure deployments, in addition to offering global service and maintenance capabilities that are among the best in the business. To give its clients a variety of options, Black Box has formed partnerships and strategic relationships with voice communications technology providers such as Nortel, Siemens Corp. NEC, Cisco and ShoreTel.

In addition to offering its systems, “we’re able to support all those different manufacturing brands,” Gorga says. Black Box’s clients appreciate the company’s ability to do so. “[They] are coming to us and saying, ‘We don’t want to work with six or eight or 10 or 15 suppliers,’” Gorga says. “‘We want a single source for our products and services.’”

An Austere Beginning
Gene Yost and Dick Raub founded the company in 1976, with the “idea to sell data communications products by direct marketing,” Gorga says. The first catalog offered 32 products on 17 pages. The company now offers more than 118,000 data networking products through its catalog, which has a length exceeding 900 pages, and its Web site.

Gorga says the catalog is known at Black Box as “the Big Book.” It features voice and data networking and communications products, as well as technical reference information.

The company backs up those products with a free technical support hotline, a hallmark of the company since its inception. “More than three decades later,” Gorga says, ”Black Box has evolved into a global company. We’re doing business with over 175,000 clients in 141 countries. We have 142 offices around the world, speaking 23 languages. We also produce catalogs in eight different languages.”

Military Expertise
Black Box serves clients in the public and private sectors, including retail, finance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, transportation, recreation and hospitality. The company also serves government clients, including the military.

In August 2007, the Marine Corps System Command selected Black Box as its prime contractor for a telecommunications infrastructure at the Marine base in Quantico, Va. Black Box will upgrade the infrastructure with transmission products and voice over IP capabilities.

“Black Box is very excited to assist the Marine Corps in improving its ability to communicate through this advanced infrastructure project,” says Jeff Murray, vice president of Black Box’s Federal Division. “Black Box has been a long-time partner with the Marines, and it is an honor to be able to continue this tradition.”

Bringing Value with Tech Support
More than 80 percent of Black Box’s customers are repeat clients, Gorga says. He notes that customers praise Black Box for continuing to offer its product-based free technical support hotline 24/7, 365 days a year.

“Our perspective is to provide [added value] for the customer,” Gorga says. “We felt, over the years, that not charging for that service was the best value for our customers.” While some companies provide solutions to their customers through Web-based databases, Gorga says that Black Box has stayed committed to its direct approach.

In addition, Black Box offers technical support for its voice and data services clients, 24-7, 365 days a year. This includes on-site maintenance, long- and short-term staffing, and emergency services. Black Box also staffs multiple U.S.-based call centers, which receive more than 36,000 calls a month.

Exciting Work
Gorga has spent 19 years with Black Box. “I’m an IT professional,” he says. “Over the years, I’ve taken on more operational responsibilities for the company from a global perspective.” During his time at Black Box, Gorga says he has enjoyed watching new technologies emerge and evolve. “It’s exciting to be part of that,” he states.

Gorga adds that Black Box is focused on a “team” culture, where all its employees are considered critical. “Along the way we’ve had some very good senior management, guidance and direction,” he says. “[But] it takes all of the 4,439 team members [to execute our model].”