Wooden spools in Collegeville

A college town with a cable house

Collegeville is a small borough on the Perkiomen Creek, best known for Ursinus College. Around it, the boroughs and townships of the Perkiomen Valley, among them Upper Providence, Lower Providence, Trappe and Skippack, have filled with new housing, business parks and retail since US 422 was built through the valley. That growth keeps electricians busy, but the most unusual thing about Collegeville, for the reel trade, is that Allied Wire & Cable, a family-owned wire and cable distributor, has its headquarters at 101 Kestrel Drive here.

Why a distributor matters

Wire and cable leaves a distributor on reels. Some of those reels come back as returns; many become the customer's problem once the cable is used. A wire house nearby means plenty of contractors in the area buy cable by the reel rather than the box, and the empties sit at their shops in Collegeville, Oaks, Royersford and Audubon until somebody moves them. Those shops are among our most regular pickups in the western part of Montgomery County.

Types of reels from the Perkiomen Valley

The housing developments along US 422 and PA 29 produce mainly small material: plywood spools from NM cable, small nailed reels from service entrance and underground feeder cable, and the odd plastic spool. Business parks around Oaks and the Collegeville interchange add mid-size reels from warehouse and office work. Agricultural and equestrian properties further up the valley sometimes have old reels that have stood in a barn for years; we check those for rot and loose staves before calling them reusable.

Routes

US 422 is the main road: it links Collegeville to King of Prussia and I-76 to the east, and to Pottstown to the west. PA 29 runs north–south through the borough and up the valley toward Schwenksville; PA 113 runs from Phoenixville through Trappe toward Harleysville. Ridge Pike carries local traffic toward Norristown. For New Jersey runs, a truck takes US 422 to I-76 and crosses at the Ben Franklin, or heads up to the Turnpike and over the Delaware further north.

Pairing pickups

Collegeville sits between Phoenixville across the river and Norristown downstream, and a truck working one of those towns can usually stop here on the same day. Small requests, a handful of spools from a homeowner or a single reel from a farm, are collected that way rather than with their own trip.

Returnables from distributor customers

Contractors who buy from a distributor may be holding reels that the distributor or the cable maker expects back, sometimes with a deposit. Look for stencilled names, serial numbers, a deposit tag or a phone number on the flange. We set those aside and tell you what we find; it is your call whether to return them yourself or let us list them. The returnable or one-way guide explains the signs.

Buying in 19426

Students and staff at the college sometimes want a reel for a table or a stage set, and gardeners in the valley ask for spools to hold hose. We deliver to Collegeville addresses when we are working in the area; see spool tables and farm and garden reels.

Ursinus campus projects

Ursinus College has renovated residence halls, science buildings, athletic facilities and its performing arts centre over recent years. Campus construction uses fibre, data, fire alarm and power cable and leaves a steady supply of reels. College facilities staff and contractors can arrange pickups during breaks.

Perkiomen Trail and creek-side homes

The Perkiomen Trail follows the creek north from Oaks through Collegeville toward Green Lane, and homes along the creek have docks, sheds and garages. Floods occasionally carry debris, including old reels, onto the banks.

Expo centre and events

The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks hosts trade shows, gun shows, car shows and festivals. Exhibitors use portable cord and temporary power, mostly on rental reels, but permanent upgrades to the hall leave reels we can collect.

Trappe's historic churches

Trappe, just upstream, keeps Augustus Lutheran Church, one of the oldest Lutheran churches in continuous use in America. Historic congregations sometimes upgrade lighting, sound, heating controls and alarms; electricians then leave neat spools behind. Sextons, wardens and building committees may phone or email anytime.

Questions

Do you collect at the college?

Yes, through facilities or the contractor on the job. Give the building and the access point.

Do you also cover Trappe, Skippack and Oaks?

Yes, along with Royersford, Audubon and the rest of the valley.