Baltimore, MD, June 27, 2022 – Zentech Manufacturing is pleased to announce that Rich Fitzgerald has joined the business as Chairman of the Board. Rich has 26 years of executive management experience in electronics manufacturing and distribution. Rich brings significant experience in the areas of customer service, operations, quality, supply chain, design and engineering.
Most recently, Rich was the Chief Operations Officer of SMTC Corporation, and has also held senior leadership roles at Avnet, Qual-Pro, CTS, and Intel. Rich serves on the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) National Board of Directors and leads the finance committee. Prior to his career in the electronics industry, Rich honorably served as an Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, earned a BA in Business Management from the University of Maryland Annex, and attended the Center for Creative Leadership’s LAP Executive Leadership Program. Rich has also made a significant personal investment into Zentech.
Steve Pudles, Zentech’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We have been looking to recruit a hands-on, operationally oriented leader. I have known Rich for over 20 years and am confident that his ethics and commitment to customers will be a tremendous asset to Zentech. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to deliver world class, exceptional customer, supplier, and employee outcomes.”
Thom Hansen, Zentech’s Chief Operating Officer, who worked with Rich at SMTC, commented: “It is truly a great opportunity to work alongside Rich again. His tremendous leadership skills and customer focus will be an excellent complement to our management team.”
About Zentech:
Zentech Manufacturing is primarily focused on the defense, aerospace, and medical industries, specializing in the manufacture of highly complex electronic and electromechanical assemblies. The company has locations in Baltimore, MD, Richardson, TX, and Bloomington, IL and maintains key certifications which include ISO 9001:2008, ITAR (US State Dept.), AS9100 (aerospace), and ISO 13485 (medical). In addition, Zentech is a certified IPC Trusted Source supplier for Class 3 mission-critical electronics, is IPC-1791 Trusted Assembler certified and IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum QML certified.