Capacity Ep.9 - Matt Soucie of CAMM Metals
In this episode of the Capacity podcast, Fulcrum CEO Sunny Han interviews Matt Soucie, the President of CAMM Metals. CAMM Metals is a precision sheet metal fabricator located in East Windsor, Connecticut specializing in fabrication, laser cutting, machining, waterjet, and welding. CAMM Metals prides itself on creating high quality precision parts for the aerospace, military, industrial machines, and medical industries.
Matt never intended to make a career out of manufacturing. He took a part time job at his father’s shop after quitting a position in door to door sales, and still likes to joke that he’s “between interviews”. At the time, the shop was quite young. His father had started it only a year and a half earlier out of his garage.
In the early years, the shop took on the simplest jobs they could find. They didn’t yet have the machines other shops in the area had, but they consistently reinvested the profits in order to upgrade their capabilities. As they grew, CAMM Metals was able to take on more complex jobs and become more discerning in their choice of customers. Matt learned to prioritize repeat work and be proactive in looking for and accepting the type of jobs that aligned with the shop’s priorities, moving away from their reputation as “the guys who will do anything.”
After nearly 30 years in manufacturing, Matt has learned the most important thing in the business is quality. CAMM Metals has built their reputation on the quality of their parts and credit the reputation for high quality with their success.
Matt has a wealth of experience to share. Tune into the episode to hear his perspective on navigating work relationships with family, being a leader during difficult times, the impact of process engineering on the productivity of the shop, the trade offs between buying a machine and hiring another worker, and creating a positive work culture.