Bill Canning Joins Compass Precision Management Team
CHARLOTTE, NC – April 18, 2023 – Compass Precision, LLC, a Charlotte-based manufacturer of custom, close-tolerance metal components for mission-critical applications, announced Tuesday that manufacturing industry veteran Bill Canning has joined the company as its new Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.
Bill joins Compass from Arrival Automotive, a UK-based manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles including delivery vans and transit buses. As the company’s Vice President – Global Factory Operations, he was responsible for worldwide factory operations and logistics. During his nearly three-year tenure with Arrival, Bill was based in Charlotte but traveled extensively to the company’s four manufacturing sites in North America and Europe.
Prior to Arrival, Bill worked seven years in Ann Arbor, MI for Mahindra genZe, an electric micromobility business that was part of the Mahindra Group, a diversified multinational conglomerate. As the firm’s Vice President – Operations & Program Management, he oversaw domestic manufacturing and the launch of five e-moped product lines and three e-bike platforms.
“We searched long and hard for a guy like Bill,” explained Compass CEO Gary Holcomb to whom Bill reports. “We wanted someone with broad discrete parts manufacturing expertise. But we also needed that person having successful experience in precision CNC machine shops like ours serving demanding industries like aerospace, defense, space, medical, telecommunications, power generation, and semiconductors. In Bill, we got our guy.”
Regarding the need for CNC job shop experience, Bill began his career as a tool & die maker at Troy, MI-based Henze Industries before graduating from Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. During his fifteen years at Henze, he worked his way up to Vice President. His accomplishments there included oversight of the firm’s custom CNC machining and fabrication unit that grew from less than $1 million to $10 million in revenues from aerospace & defense, power generation, and medical markets.
“After working a decade for larger firms, I was looking for a more entrepreneurial opportunity,” stated Bill. “I am highly attracted to Compass’s business model consisting of numerous decentralized P&L units supported virtually by Compass services including accounting, finance, HR, digital marketing, and new business development. It’s a great strategy for today’s environment.”
In his new role as Compass’s Vice President & COO, Bill is assuming general management oversight responsibility for the company’s most recent acquisitions: Strom Manufacturing in North Plains, OR (https://compassprecision.com/compass-precision-purchases-strom-manufacturing-july-11-2022/) and Bergeron Machine in Westford, MA (https://compassprecision.com/compass-precision-purchases-bergeron-machine/). He will have similar responsibilities for additional acquisitions. In addition, Bill will play a role in supporting the growth and development of all parts of Compass, wherever his skills are needed.
“Bill’s background will be useful to us in many ways,” said Gary. “For example, he has directed the implementation of several new ERP systems. This experience will be put to use as we move forward to implement a common ERP platform across many of our companies.”
Bill joins a small group of CNC industry veterans at the helm of Compass. In addition to CEO Gary Holcomb, this group includes Jim Miller, Vice President of Sales, and Paul Wilhelm, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
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 earlier this 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, medical, industrial automation, power generation, telecommunications, semiconductor, and specialty industrial markets.
For more information on Compass, its business, and its leadership team, please contact Gary Holcomb, Compass’s CEO, at gary.holcomb@compassprecision.com.