Meet the New PMPA President, Victor DaCruz
MEET THE NEW PMPA PRESIDENT, VICTOR DACRUZ
In October 2019, at the Annual Meeting held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the PMPA installed its new president, Victor DaCruz of DACRUZ Manufacturing. Victor is eager to continue the hard work of outgoing president, Mike Reader, of Precision Plus Inc. #pmpa
Author: MILES FREE, Director of Industry Research and Technology, PMPA
At the PMPA Annual Meeting held in October 2019, outgoing president, Mike Reader, handed the president’s gavel to incoming president, Victor DaCruz, and Victor’s year as PMPA president began.
Victor’s involvement in the precision machining industry began as an apprentice in the 1970s making Jacobs Chuck Parts. In 1981, at age 24, Victor and a business partner founded C&M Screw Machine Products, Inc., which had two New Britain Model 60s in a 2,000-square-foot space, which expanded to 10,000 square feet in 1983. In 1992, they opened a second facility in West Union, South Carolina, which eventually lead to a separation between the two partners in 1994.
In 1995, Victor’s wife, Betty DaCruz, joined Victor working as office manager and they embarked on a new beginning of modernizing. In 1998, they added CNC technology and their first CNC Swiss in 2001. In 2005, they bought a 33,000-square-foot building in Bristol, Connecticut, where they are located today. The business grew and progressed until the Great Recession, when almost all North American manufacturers had a great reset. In 2009, the company joined the PMPA, where they encountered others in the precision machining industry. Following the lead and inspiration of their fellow PMPA members, Victor and Betty invested in new technologies and completely modernized their business transitioning from mostly older multi-spindle equipment to primarily CNC Swiss and mill-turning centers. Modern and better equipped, the business began to thrive. Rebranding of the company followed, and as Victor became more active in PMPA, he soon found himself nominated for second vice president of the association.
Today, the rebranded DACRUZ Manufacturing provides timely precision manufacturing through effective processes and a confident, collaborative workforce. The company produces highly engineered, high precision, critical components for the fluid power, automotive, energy, aerospace and medical markets. Using a variety of CNC Swiss machines and CNC multi-axis turning centers, DACRUZ parts range from 1-mm to 70-mm diameter. For higher volumes, a variety of multi-spindle New Britains and Acmes help economically deliver large quantities.
One of the more interesting features of the DACRUZ facility is its focus on lowering its carbon footprint by incorporating renewable energy with a roof mounted solar panel array of 922 panels. Additionally, the company works with its local utility company on a comprehensive energy-saving initiative.
In addition to pledging to honor and respect the values and ideals of the association, Victor’s personal passion and personal mission is to:
- Help implement PMPA’s new Managed Services Agreement with long-time strategic partner, Gardner Business Media;
- Rebuild our Chapters with local meetings to drive increased engagement and grow that sense of what it means to belong to PMPA;
- Continue to integrate the talent and energy brought to PMPA by its NextGen cohort, as well as build participation in the Women of PMPA across all levels of membership.
- Continue to support staff efforts to provide concierge service such as a statistical or financial requests, regulatory issues, technical or material problem or finding a source for some obscure, but necessary tool, gage or component.
PMPA staff, along with our member participation on our topical ListServes, allows PMPA members to stay up to date on the latest issues that our shops face. ListServes tackle such issues as California Prop 65, European RoHS, or understanding industry wage rates by market, shop size or process.
Just as Victor and Betty worked together to build their life, business and family, Victor sees the opportunity for PMPA members, technical members, and everyone in our industry to build their companies and careers around the idea of PMPA and Gardner making our work “Better Together.”