Quality Products Adds New Key Management Position
Charlotte, NC – May 20, 2025 – Some employees arrive at a Compass Precision operating company seemingly destined to work in CNC machining. For others, they fell into their role only to then thrive in a new industry.
It’s a little bit of both for one of the company’s newest employees.
Quality Products & Machine, one of Compass’ two operating companies in Charlotte, officially announced Tuesday it has hired Teja Mantena as its new business development manager.
With Teja’s arrival, Quality Products has created a new managerial position. Teja will work directly with Quality’s Scott Zagora, who has worked 12 years at the operating company and currently serves in estimating & business development.
”Quality Products’ business is growing quickly,” explained Vice President & General Manager Dustin Jones. “On some days, we are absolutely buried with quote requests and customer communications. Teja will help us with that a lot. In fact, he already has.”
Teja Mantena is new to Compass but not completely new to the management team at Quality Products. Teja worked a few years with Quality Products engineering manager Alan Silva at Mecha Inc. in Raleigh, NC. Alan recruited Teja to the new position with the Compass operating company.
Alan made the introductions. Then, Dustin sealed the deal.
“Dustin definitely made a big impression on me,” Teja said while expressing he felt a little stagnant at his previous job. “Here, I saw how quickly everything moved. How efficient the team is, and just the general pace and growth that the company is experiencing and how the team is supporting that.
“That was really impressive to me.”
Teja Mantena started at Quality Products on April 14. In his first month, he has interfaced with a lot of the operating company’s customers and begun estimating. Teja has also slowly begun processing purchase orders, ordering material and supporting operations in any other way he can.
“Teja is exactly the type of new employee we seek,” stated Bill Canning, Compass’s Chief Operating Officer. “He is smart, eager to learn, and motivated to contribute in many ways.”
When fully integrated, Teja said he will focus on the customers in aerospace & defense while Scott will primarily serve the power generation and space customer markets.
Teja already has several things he loves about working at Quality. He said he enjoys the customers and his co-workers the most. Teja is trying to help his new co-workers in any way possible.
“With everything being so busy, I’m also trying to give a helping hand wherever I can.”
Teja added that the capabilities at Quality have really opened his eyes to new processes he didn’t previously work with at Mecha.
As is the case with so many Compass employees, Teja loved working with his hands as a kid. He also joins the long list of company employees that possess an affinity for cars. Teja works on cars as one of his main hobbies at home.
But the new Quality business development manager originally planned to go to graduate school for computer sciences after earning a degree in chemistry and nutrition.
Teja began working at Mecha. on a part-time basis. The role was supposed to help Teja save for graduate school, but his plan changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. After putting school on hold, Teja decided to begin working at Mecha on a full-time basis.
Over about seven years with the Raleigh company, Teja earned several promotions. When he departed, he was the company’s VP of Business Development.
His immediate goal at Quality is to make all the customers he interfaces with turn the Compass operating company into their primary vendor for sheet metal and CNC services. Teja also wants to continue growing in the field.
“Learn more about the industry, make relationships here and continue to support my co-workers,” said Teja.