Manufacturing Day 2026: 168 Years of Experience and the Next Generation at ABACORP!
Why Manufacturing Day matters to us...
Every first Friday in October, shops across the country open their doors, share their stories, and remind people that American manufacturing is alive and growing. This year Manufacturing Day falls on October 2, and at ABACORP CNC Machined Parts in Moorpark, California, we're celebrating the people who make it happen.
Manufacturing still carries an old image for a lot of people: dark, dirty, and stuck in the past. That's not what you'll find on our floor. You'll find 3- to 5-axis machines holding tight tolerances, a collaborative robot working alongside our machinists, and a quality system built to AS9100 standards. Most of all, you'll find a team that pairs decades of hard won experience with a real commitment to training whoever comes next.
168 years on the shop floor...
Together, ABACORP's management team brings more than 168 years of manufacturing experience. That depth shows up in every quote, every setup, and every part that leaves our building.
Kim Frankel, President, CEO, and Co-Founder. Kim has worked in manufacturing since 1990 and co-founded ABACORP in 1994, building it into a women-owned precision shop serving aerospace, defense, automotive and medical device customers. She specializes in streamlining operations, building strong business structures, and developing leaders. She is also passionate about giving back through job creation and community outreach.
Rob Frankel, President of Engineering and Innovation and Co-Founder. Rob has been a machinist since 1975. Five decades in, he is still the person the team turns to when challenges arise. The processes and techniques he has refined over his career help us deliver high-quality parts efficiently and competitively, with function and finish that exceed expectations.
John O'Weger, Director of Planning and Procurement. With more than 40 years in manufacturing and 15 with ABACORP, John keeps production flowing and delivery schedules on track. Through strong leadership strategic planning and exceptional time management he coordinates procurement and production priorities to ensure the right materials and outside vendors are available to yield the highest quality product.
Efrem Escobar, Chief Operating Officer. Efrem, holds a master’s degree in Materials Science from California State University, Northridge, and brings 26 years of leadership experience in high performance manufacturing. As Chief Operating Officer, he combines deep technical expertise with strategic and operational leadership to drive performance across the organization. His ability to align people, processes, technology, and business objectives has strengthened operational efficiency, elevated manufacturing excellence, and created a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Fletcher Burgdorf, Director of Shop Floor Operations. Fletcher brings 15 years of manufacturing experience, combining a strong background in sales with the hands-on expertise of one of our top machinists. His unique understanding of customer expectations, engineering requirements, and real-world machining challenges allows him to bridge the gap between customer needs and production. His leadership helps ensure every job moves efficiently through the shop, meets exacting quality standards, and delivers the precision and reliability ABACORP is known for.
Sharing with the next generation...
Experience only matters if it gets passed on. Manufacturing Day is about inspiring the people who will run our shops in 10, 20 and 30 years, and we take that seriously every day of the year, not just in October.
Right now that looks like Sean, a machinist in training who is learning setups, programs and inspection side by side with people who have been doing this for decades. It looks like Owen, a mechanical engineering intern getting the kind of shop floor education no classroom can fully provide: seeing how a design decision changes cycle time, cost and quality once it reaches a machine.
It also looks like Kailee, who just graduated with her mechanical engineering degree and is already managing our Tool Room operations. Beyond tooling, she is getting hands-on experience in every area of the shop, from programming and setups to production and quality. That combination of engineering education and real machining experience is exactly what the next generation of manufacturing leaders needs.
Our own leadership team is proof of where that path can go. Rob started as a machinist in 1975 and now leads engineering and quality. Fletcher, one of our top machinists, now directs shop floor operations. Efrem was promoted from within to COO. If you're a student, a career changer, or someone who likes solving problems with your hands, manufacturing has a place for you.
What modern manufacturing looks like in Moorpark...
Walk through our shop and you'll see what precision manufacturing looks like today:
3- to 5-axis milling and CNC turning for tight tolerance parts in aluminum, steel, stainless, brass and plastic.
Automation that supports people, including our OB7 collaborative robot, which handles repetitive work so our machinists can focus on setups, problem-solving and quality.
A quality system you can trust. We are AS9100 certified and ITAR registered, so our aerospace, defense and medical device customers know their parts and their data are handled to the highest standards.
Finishing done right, from deburring to final inspection, because function and finish both matter.
Technology keeps changing. What hasn't changed since 1994 is our focus on making parts right, delivering them on time, and treating every customer like a long term partner.
Happy Manufacturing Day!
To our team: THANK YOU. Every part we ship carries your skill and care. To our customers: THANK YOU for your confidence and trust. And to anyone thinking about a career in manufacturing: come see what we do. It's precise, challenging, and rewarding work.
Follow ABACORP on LinkedIn and Instagram to see more from our shop floor, and if you have a project that needs precision CNC machining, request a quote or reach out to our team. We’d love to hear from you. Call us at 818.772.7671 or email Kim@abacorpcnc.com.
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