JA-V Industries of Upland, California, is a small, veteran owned job shop. When the original owner of JA-V Industries decided to retire and sell the business in 1990, Glenn Schierhold – the shop supervisor of 15 years – had an opportunity to buy the business and make a dream come true. However, that dream involved a company that had no CNC capabilities or computers. The customer base was shrinking and the eight employees were offered no benefits. The greatest challenge was debt.

Glenn’s 10-year goal was to restructure JA-V Industries and make a positive difference in the lives of the employees. In just 7 years, he has far exceeded his goal. The company now has advanced CAD/CAM and state-of-the-art CNC mills, lathes and machine centers. This equipment allows JA-V to produce complex, close-tolerance parts in a variety of configurations with precision. Operating values and controls provide assurance of the requirements of MIL-I-45208A. State-of-the-art computers allow tracking a part from quotation to invoicing. On-time deliveries of quality parts and competitive prices have attained new customers and reinforced relationships with existing customers. In addition, the debt was paid-in-full 2 years early.

Jon Mansfield nominated JA-V Industries for the Small Business Supplier of the Year for Lockheed Martin Skunkworks in 1998. Jon said that the company has demonstrated its ability and willingness to function as a team member. The JA-V team assisted LMSW in nine purchase orders on one project that consisted of more than 99 different parts and assemblies, totaling over 2800 parts. The project experienced more than 2,000 engineering change notices on mechanical parts alone. Through the company’s effective coordination, JA-V stayed current with all changes, and either met or exceeded schedule requirements.

JA-V Industries takes great pride in providing the highest quality standards in the working relationships with its customers. By continually staying current with the latest technological advances while maintaining quality workmanship and customer service, JA-V Industries can be assured a bright and prosperous future for years to come.