2020 was an interesting year. While we were all adjusting to life in a pandemic, at NCC, we were so blessed to have an extraordinary team of committed, fantastic co-owners here with us through it all. We are thrilled that despite 2020 worldly obstacles, we've expanded our team to support our customers.
One of our most important long term goals is to make our world a better place by creating a positive employee experience. While this is not always easy, and our ridiculous volume in 2020 made it impossible at times, our phenomenal new hires this year will help support our mission (for more details on our culture, visit our Career Center) and our core values that build our culture:
It’s time to introduce you to the new employees brought on this year!
Juan Vargus, the man with the million dollar smile, joined the fabrication department in March as an entry-level Machinist/CNC Programmer. Like all of us, Juan is in control of his own destiny and we are stoked to see how he blossoms here at NCC. Juan will be working under the direction of Dane Bauer.
Prior to joining our team, Juan was working as a machinist for Wescott Steel. He has manual machining experience which is rare for his experience level. He has been taking night courses in Montco’s CNC technology program, focusing on more in-depth CNC programming.
Montana joined NCC as a member of the Supply Chain team in June. She is a Customer Service Representative, working closely with Collin Miller. Montana is working with internal as well as external customers, filling the receptionist and corporate travel coordinator roles. With the addition of Montana to the team, Ashley Tamburino was able to transition to help with Glide-Line Customer Service, which is growing every year.
Montana most recently worked as a security professional and was recognized by that team for Phenomenal Performance. Recognition from the leadership team is proof she already shares our core values. She is currently attending Lehigh Carbon Community College, and as a conversation-starter, Montana will happily talk to anyone about her pets, including a variety of reptiles and interesting insects!
Stuart joined NCC as a member of the Mechanical Engineering team in July. With previous conveyor design experience, most recently at CHL as a Mechanical Designer, Stuart easily fit in on his new team. Stuart’s energy and passion are directly in line with the core values we all hold sacred and will help guide him through all of the opportunities that lie ahead.
Kyle joined NCC as a member of the Mechanical Engineering team in July. We were particularly thrilled to welcome Kyle because of his most recent experience: he worked for Intralox as a Spiral Application Engineer. He is a great addition to our team. Kyle was our first full time remote Mechanical Engineer as he hails from Decatur, Georgia. Kyle embodies our core values, and we’re thrilled that he’s joined us to use his talents here at NCC!
Nicole joined the Standard Assembly Cell in September as an Assembler, reporting to Daniel Mercado. She will be assisting us on Glide-Line / Optical conveyors and devices. Nicole fits right in with our team and we are excited to welcome her and help our team grow.
Nicole’s last employer was at Plastic Dip Molding Inc. where she was a machine operator with her main responsibilities being programming, loading and unloading the machines, as well as cutting and finishing of the materials.
We’re thrilled to welcome Erik Bronander to the NCC employee-owner group! Erik technically came on board in October, but already in September he had started making an impact in his role in Business Development. He began bringing us new applications almost immediately. Erik brought with him a lifetime of packaging experience as his family owned Scandia Packaging in Clifton, NJ and he has worked in packaging most of his career. He is one of the most familiar faces in packaging, and is incredibly well-networked.
Erik has specific expertise in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications and has technical specialties with fillers, serialization, vision, labeling and even conveyors. Much of his career has been with packaging line integrators in this space.
Erik will work out of his home in New Jersey but will visit the office as needed. We are developing a business unit around his experience, network and skillsets. More to come in the future!
Phil came onboard in October as the Glide-Line Director of Sales. Phil reports to Craig Newberry and is working remotely from his home in Williamsburg, VA. He is ultimately responsible for all Glide-Line sales.
While Phil was new to the team this year, he is not new to NCC. Phil previously worked for Brecoflex, Habasit, and most recently Slideways. All these companies have been vendors to both NCC and Glide-Line over the years. We are excited to have Phil on the team and we will all grow from the experience and skills he brings to the table.
Brandon started in October and works on the System Assembly team as a System Assembly Technician. When choosing to join NCC, he was impressed with the people he met: everyone seemed genuinely happy and expressed how much they enjoyed working at NCC. Brandon moved to the area from Saxton, PA where he worked as an Automotive and Diesel technician. His strong mechanical background has already been a huge benefit to us out here on the floor.
Brandon is already enjoying working here. He adds, “We are constantly building and testing new designs for companies and it really makes everyday exciting.”
Ben joined NCC as a contributing team member for the Core Sales and Apps team. He is a primary resource for Engineering-Only projects run by the Sales and Apps team, as well as other normal Sales and Apps Engineering duties. He works remotely from Neenah, Wisconsin.
Many of us know Ben from his previous employer, Arrowhead Systems, where he had been for 17 years. His experience as an Applications Engineer, Applications Engineering Manager and as well as a Regional Sales Manager made him a hire we were thrilled about. What really made this a great match was his character and how aligned his values are with ours. We are ecstatic to welcome him to the team, as he brings a deep knowledge of tabletop, beverage, jar, and bottle handling systems.
In November, we were excited to welcome Julio to the role of Electrical Foreman. Julio came to us with over 20 year of diverse industrial experience including electrical, mechanical, welding, and PLC programming. His former positions include Electrical Lead Tech at Lux Global Label and Maintenance Supervisor at Accupac, Inc. We’re happy you’re here!
Jason joined the Sales & Apps team in November. He grew up in Kentucky and started on the floor in fabrication at SpanTech, a conveyor manufacturer. From there, he moved into mechanical engineering. He ran the engineering department for four years before moving into a Sales/Applications Engineering role. In total he was at SpanTech for 14 years before leaving to pursue additional interests. We welcome him and his experience with open arms and have big plans for Jason!
While at SpanTech, Jason received multiple awards, including six Chairman’s Awards (for leadership, large project success, international sales achievement three times, outstanding product development), and the Most Innovative Design Award.
He is AutoCAD- and Solidworks-savvy. He is a problem-solver and a hands-on guy, and per the Predictive Index, he is an Analyzer… “intense, with high standards and a disciplined and reserved personality.”
Jason is immersed in engineering, and will be exposed to project management, building expertise in sanitary NCC-built equipment. With his engineering background, he will have a strong understanding of design implications and address them as early in the process as possible. Welcome, Jason!
John French joined the NCC village this November. John has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Buffalo and his PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. He has spent most of his career at Blueprint Automation, a major manufacturer of automation solutions in the case packing and package handling industries. John has 22 years of experience and knowledge to bring into NCC both externally facing and internally focused. He has lived through lots of packaging and integration challenges that we know and love. John’s most recent position was VP of Projects and Aftermarket Service but he has also held positions directing the Sales and Marketing department of Blueprint during which time the company's sales grew 9 out of the 10 years since 2000.
John's new position is the Director of Systems Engineering and he will be reporting to Jason Link. He will have the Sales and Apps team, as well as the Project Management team reporting to him and will also be on the Senior Leadership Team. Welcome, John! We are thrilled you're apart of our team.
This December, we welcomed Lore as a new Finance and Admin department team member. Her focus is to take certain functions with Payroll/Human Resources and Benefits Enrollment/Information. She will also be taking a transactional role around Accounting/Financial functions.
Lore has an MBA from DeSales University and also has a PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. She spent the last roughly 15 years at DeSales University as a Director of Programs, as well as an Online Instructor. As her resume describes, Lore is “detail-oriented and experienced in project management, financial management, marketing, web design, annual reporting, digital media, and customer service.” We are excited to welcome Lore to the team.
We welcome our new team members and their experience to our team and couldn’t be more enthusiastic about them choosing NCC for their talents. Let’s make it a great 2021 together!
Here is some important information to know about us if you’re interested in joining our team. From a cultural perspective, we’re a unique company. First, we are driven by the 5 following core values:
People that fit our core values love working at NCC. We’d love to learn more about you if you think you’d be a great fit!