Tri-Tec’s Ivan Rico Becomes Compass Precision Employee of the Month
Lots of employees take unique paths to their roles at Compass Precision, but none of those paths may be more extraordinary than the way Ivan Rico became the lead CNC lathe operator at Tri-Tec Industries, LLC.
Now more than a decade into his tenure at Tri-Tec, Compass Precision has named Ivan its Employee of the Month for November. Ivan is the 20th employee, including the fourth selection at Tri-Tec, to receive the honor.
Ivan’s road to earning recognition as Compass Precision’s Employee of the Month is unprecedented based solely on the fact his life began in a different country more than 2,000 miles away from Charlotte. Ivan grew up in Columbia and moved to New Jersey in 2000 to earn a high school degree.
After school, he began a career in CNC machining and manual lathes at Phyllis Precision in New Jersey. Ivan worked in the Garden State for six years before relocating to North Carolina to work at Petty Machines in Gastonia.
Two years into his tenure at Petty, Ivan heard about an opportunity at Tri-Tec from a friend. He started at the Compass operating company in March 2011. Ivan has served as the lead CNC lathe operator throughout his time at Tri-Tec.
“I have it good here,” Ivan said. “I like my job. I really enjoy what I do.”
With his 11-year work anniversary coming in March 2022, Ivan will have spent half his time in the United States at Tri-Tec. The Compass operating company has benefited both from a business and team-building perspective because it hired Ivan.
“He’s always happy and has a positive attitude with everyone around him,” said Dennis Jenkins, Tri-Tec Production Coordinator. “He’s always the one cracking jokes and trying to have a good time and make everyone’s day a little easier.”
Ivan came to America with his wife, Mireya. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in October.
The couple have two grown sons, Juan Pablo (26) and Michael Angelo (22), and two cats, Peppa and Luca. Peppa has been with the family for four years while Luca is only six months old.
In his free time, Ivan enjoys riding bicycles and motorcycles. He also likes working to improve the bikes he rides.