Transplanted New Yorker Strengthens Company’s Quality Function
After graduating with a two-year civil engineering degree from SUNY Broome Community College, Joe Fabrizi moved to Charlotte, NC without a job offer. Little did he know the consequences of that decision.
Joe’s first job in Charlotte was at Willyard Company, where he learned to run parts on CNC machines.
With that opportunity, Joe discovered he was a better fit for a career in CNC manufacturing than civil engineering. As a result, he’s been working in CNC machining for the last 30 years.
For the last year and a half, he’s been employed at Quality Products as the company’s Quality Manager.
”Joe has been terrific,” explained his boss and Quality Products President Kevin Farmer. “I have done the Quality Manager job myself and it isn’t easy. Joe came in here and quickly strengthened our quality area. What a great hire.”
Joe worked for Willyard for three years before joining Vanguard Pai Lung (then called Vanguard Supreme). His first quality manager position came during his second stint at Vanguard Pai Lung.
Other than one year as quality manager at Whelan Machine & Tool in Louisville, KY, Joe has spent his entire adult life working in the greater Charlotte area.
At Quality Products, Joe manages the quality department. He is responsible for dealing with any internal and external issues that arise along with material certifications and QRP packages. He also conducts contract reviews and attends production meetings.
Early in his tenure, Joe expected the Compass operating company to make some minor tweaks in the quality department as he settled into his role. But more than a year into his tenure, the only change he’s found necessary to make was the layout of the inspection lab.
“Quality is pretty much the same wherever you go,” Joe said. “It’s just learning how the company works and how they like to do things and doing things that way. In this case, it’s the way Kevin wants it done, the way Quality Products wants it done, and it’s been great.
“Everyone here is a pleasure to deal with. Kevin’s great to work for, and it’s going really well.”
Within the first few months of starting his role at Quality Products, the company went through an ISO audit. Joe described the audit as challenging, but Quality Products passed it without any infractions.
Joe handed a lot of the credit to the quality department as a whole.
“My two quality inspectors [Bob Lipka and Steve Caplinger] are great,” Joe said. “They come into work every day. They have good attitudes. They catch most everything that they inspect.”
Joe added in addition to the quality inspectors, working with all the Quality employees is his favorite thing about being at the Compass operating company.
“A lot of really good people here,” Joe said. “They’re easy to get along with, everyone works together, it’s kind of like a big, happy family. You may have your little, minor disagreements, but at the end of the day, we’re all working towards the same goals.
“The people are really good to work with here.”
2022 was a big year for Joe. On top of beginning his tenure at Quality Products, his wife of four years, Alicia, gave birth to the couple’s first child – a daughter named Sophie.
Joe spends most of his freetime with Alicia and Sofia. He also has two grown sons, Ben and Cam, who share an apartment in uptown Charlotte. Both Ben and Cam have jobs at Bank of America in separate departments.
Joe also enjoys playing pickleball and basketball. He likes woodworking as well.