CNC Machining Veteran Takes Over for Former Owners
CHARLOTTE, NC – May 23, 2023 – Compass Precision, LLC, a Charlotte-based manufacturer of custom, close-tolerance metal components for mission-critical applications, announced Tuesday that Dave Giampa has joined the company as President of Bergeron Machine, its newly acquired operating company in Westford, MA (Compass Precision Purchases Bergeron Machine (April 10, 2023) – Compass Precision, LLC).
Dave most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at Hanson Engineering and Machinery, a family-owned CNC machine shop in Danvers, MA. Previously he was General Manager at Fall Machine in Somersworth, NH, and before that Director of Operations at Magellan Aerospace in Haverhill, MA. In each of these assignments, Dave successfully introduced new procedures to improve productivity and yields, including implementing the use of electronic tablets on the factory floor to collect real-time data for the ERP system.
“We considered dozens of candidates for the President of Bergeron job,” stated Compass CEO Gary Holcomb. “Recruiting and selecting top management talent is very important to us. With Dave, we got our guy for Bergeron.”
Dave replaces former Bergeron owners Mark Kelly and Sidney Kuo who jointly filled the general management role at the company. Mark and Sid will be departing Bergeron this fall after serving transitionary management positions for about six months.
“We are very appreciative of Mark’s and Sid’s contributions in getting Dave up to speed,” explained Bill Canning, Compass’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer to whom Dave reports and himself a recent hire at Compass (Compass Precision Adds Chief Operating Officer (April 18, 2023) – Compass Precision, LLC). “Fortunately for all of us, Dave comes to us with a robust background in all types of CNC machining, including precise Swiss screw machining that represents the core of Bergeron’s capabilities.”
Prior to taking on manufacturing management positions, Dave began his career in quality. He served in quality assurance roles with several New England companies. Dave steadily moved up in responsibilities within the quality function, then transitioned over to a manufacturing operations manager position with SIG Sauer in Newington, NH about ten years ago. Earlier, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, MA with a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
“I was excited about the Compass opportunity at Bergeron from the first moment I learned about it,” said Dave. “Compass has a decentralized management philosophy. Guys like me get to run companies on a highly autonomous basis, with support for accounting, HR, legal, marketing, and new business development coming from corporate. This is exactly what I want to do at this point in my career.”
Dave joins a select group of CNC industry veterans within Compass. Among the dozen or so top managers in the company, virtually all have significant “chip making” experience. Many have started their own companies or served in general management roles at other CNC machine shops. Compass prefers to retain general managers at the firms it acquires. When this is not possible, usually because of retirement, Compass recruits entrepreneurially oriented replacements and strives to maintain or improve productivity, quality, and customer service levels.
“We never want a customer to complain about Compass acquiring its favorite CNC machine shop,” asserted Gary. “We only buy really good shops, then work hard to make them great shops. I have confidence that Dave will do exactly that at Bergeron.”
Compass Precision was formed in October 2019 when the company acquired Advanced Machining & Tooling, Quality Products & Machine, and Tri-Tec Industries, all located in the greater Charlotte area. In August 2020, Compass added Gray Manufacturing Technologies in Denver, NC as its first add-on acquisition. Seven months later, Douglas Machining Services in Winona, MN became Compass’s second add-on acquisition in March 2021. R&D Machine in Oldsmar, FL and Strom Manufacturing in North Plains, OR were acquired in April and July 2022, respectively, becoming Compass’s third and fourth add-ons. Finally, the company closed its fifth add-on acquisition last month, adding Bergeron Machine in Westford, MA to the mix.
Together, Compass’s operating companies serve a diversified group of blue-chip customers in the aerospace & defense, space, semiconductor, medical, industrial automation, power generation, telecommunications, and specialty industrial markets.
For more information on Compass, its business, and its leadership team, please contact Gary Holcomb, Compass’s CEO, at [email protected].