After three years of building our business, it was time to expand. As a new business, one of the more challenging tasks is
hiring the right people. With the VRI and university population nearby, Bellingham gave the company a great deal of confidence in the work pool and our ability to continue improving the value provided to customers.
So in early 2001, Pro CNC moved north. Our world-class 20,000-sq/ft facility has white painted floors and looks more like a scientific laboratory than your average dark and greasy machine shop. Later that same year, Pro CNC was recognized as the
14th Fastest Growing Private Company in Washington State according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. Since that recognition in 2001, Pro CNC has been ranked as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Washington State 4 more times, and recognized nationally on the
INC 5000 twice. As Pro CNC has continued to grow, our dedication to the founding principles has also grown. Strong believers in
continuous improvement, Pro CNC seeks out the most high tech manufacturing equipment, software and business practices to maximize quality, flexibility, efficiency and lower overall costs. Lean Manufacturing and 5S practices have resulted in a shop that remains impeccably clean and efficient with fully documented and traceable systems. As an
AS9100 Rev C /ISO-9001:2008 certified machine shop, Pro CNC customers are assured of consistent excellence now and in the future.
When Paul Van Metre, Kelsey Heikoop, and Darcy Hughes attended Western Washington University in the early 1990's, they all joined the university's Vehicle Research Institute (VRI). Associated with the Department of Engineering Technology, the VRI is a research organization performing vehicle design, prototype construction and consulting for government and private industry. The focus of their team was to conceive, design, fabricate and compete Formula SAE style racing cars. Their team’s car won the Goodyear Outstanding Performance award and placed fourth overall out of 87 universities; the VRI's best finish ever in the Formula SAE competition. Through the process, the team gained valuable hands-on experience using advanced CNC machining and turning methods. The bond formed continued as they embarked on a new career as business partners.
Discovering that much of the industry longed for the service and flexibility of a small business coupled with the skill and technology synonymous with larger corporations, Pro CNC quickly became recognized for superior quality and technical prowess. By consistently evaluating the way we ran our business and focusing on our internal efficiencies, Pro CNC was able to consistently increase throughput and repeatability. This resulted in the ability to continually provide customers with reduced costs and improved service and quality. All of which were stated principles from the beginning!