Compass Precision – Meet Our Team
Gary Holcomb, President & CEO
Gary is President & CEO of Compass Precision, LLC, joining the company in October 2019 in conjunction with its acquisitions of Advanced Machining & Tooling, Quality Products & Machine, and Tri-Tec Industries. He previously served in general management roles for several metal manufacturing firms, including Coining, Inc., a precision metal stamping firm that grew from $13 million to $65 million in revenue over seven years while Gary was CEO.
Earlier in his career, he was General Manager of Dynamet’s Forged Products Division, a Pittsburgh-based titanium CNC machining & forging shop where he learned many of the successful strategies being employed at Compass. Gary graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Paul Wilhelm, Vice President & CFO
Paul joined Compass in February of 2020 as Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. Like Gary, he has a strong CNC machining industry background. Paul worked for Paragon Metals from 2016 through early 2020, most recently as the firms’ Chief Financial Officer. Paragon machines tight-tolerance, precision-engineered metal components for the automotive industry.
Previously, he served in various accounting and finance roles for several other Charlotte-area manufacturing companies including IntraPac International, a speciality packaging company manufacturing plastic, laminate, tin and aluminum products. Paul has a BS in Business Administration and an MS in accounting, both from Georgia Southern University.
Jim Miller, VP Sales
Jim became VP Sales at Compass Precision in March 2021, moving from Orange County in Southern California. He has spent 25 years in the machining and fabrication industry. In his previous role, Jim served in a similar capacity as VP of Sales for Crenshaw Die & Manufacturing.
On two different occassions in his career, Jim started his own manufacturing company. His second venture — CJ Precision Manufacturing — grew to $1 million in sales in its first three years. In 2015, he sold the company to Crenshaw, where he worked for nearly six years before joining Compass. Jim graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA.
Bill Canning, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Bill joined Compass in March 2023. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Global Operations at Arrival Automotive, a UK-based manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles. Prior to that position, Bill was Vice President of Operations and Program Management at Mahindra genZe, a manufacturer of electric moped and e-bikes.
Bill has general management oversight responsibilities for Quality Products and Compass’s two latest acquisitions – Strom Manufacturing and Bergeron Machine. In addition, he provides managerial and technical support to all Compass operating companies.
He began his career as a tool & die maker for Troy-MI based Henze Industries before graduating from Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Under his watch, the firm’s custom CNC machining and fabrication unit grew from $1 million to $10 million.
Great team… great facilities… great supplier…
