ControlTek Manufacturing Management Team
Andy LaFrazia, ControlTek President
Growing up in the family business, Andy received an early education in electronics manufacturing he later complemented with Engineering and MBA degrees at Oregon State University and Washington State University. Following a seven-year stint as an active Air Force Civil Engineering officer stationed at bases in the U.S. and England, Andy returned to ControlTek to serve as VP of Operations and VP of Engineering. Several years later, he took over as President of ControlTek following the 1999 retirement of ControlTek Founder George LaFrazia.
Under Andy’s leadership, ControlTek has continued to improve electronic engineering and manufacturing capabilities to better assist ControlTek customers across a broad range of industries, from consumer products to highly technical and regulated industries including Medical and Aviation/Space and Defense (ASD).
From direct involvement in ControlTek’s everyday activities to guiding the strategic direction of the organization, Andy continually goes the extra mile to strengthen and build our partnerships with customers, vendors, and employees.
Andy continues to give back to his community today. In 2007/2008 he was activated and deployed to Iraq as the Air Force Site Commander for heavy construction at Al Asad Airbase. In 2017, he retired from the Reserves as Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the 446th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He also maintains an active role as business/engineering and student mentor for Washington State University-Vancouver and Oregon State University.
In his free time, Andy enjoys spending time with his wife, two kids and small dog as well as playing tennis and flying.
Stacey LaFrazia Smith, ControlTek Principal
Stacey LaFrazia Smith is Principal at ControlTek. As Principal, Stacey brings her passion and commitment to ControlTek by working to build long term relationships that bring value to organizations, customers and the community. Her focus on relationships and organizational connections deepen the network of support throughout the regional manufacturing community.
Her commitment to continuously improve ControlTek’s culture is evident in the company’s strategic goals, which include living by the company’s core values.
“By living ControlTek’s core values everyday, we reinforce the enduring partnerships with our employees and community. Our culture makes us a better company for our customers.”
Previously, Stacey served as Vice President of HR and Marketing, where she pursued a cultural and wellness transformation that put the needs of employees and customers at the forefront of every decision. Today, ControlTek credits much of its success to its culture, where every employee is empowered to solve the right problem to ensure customer success.
Today, it is Stacey’s passionate dedication to the continued success of ControlTek customers and employees that make her an asset to the ControlTek team.
“Our whole purpose is to be one of the good guys. By creating greater visibility and security for our stakeholders, we can make sure we understand what they need to be successful and where we can provide the most value.”
As a lifetime athlete, 3-time Ironman, mother of two boys and three dogs, Stacey has the fortitude and grit to bring her vision to life. That vision is based on deepening existing relationships, serving as an expert resource for larger organizations, and creating a sales trajectory towards doubling ControlTek’s footprint in the region.
Sean P. Neill, ControlTek Vice President of Operations
Sean joined our team as a Program Manager in 1996 before moving on to Operations Manager and then Vice President of Operations in 2003. From 2007-2008, he served as ControlTek’s acting President while Andy was stationed in Iraq with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. In 2012, the LaFrazia family asked Sean to join them as ControlTek’s joint owner.
Sean’s entrepreneurial spirit makes him a passionate supporter of our start-up customers, assisting with operations strategy, strategic planning, and supply chain issues. His understanding of the pressures faced by larger customers makes him highly effective at matching those needs with ControlTek’s services.
Sean’s efforts have led to greater productivity and efficiency throughout ControlTek, from lean manufacturing and ERP implementation to internal process improvements.
Sean credits much of that success to educational experiences (he holds a B.S. in Anthropology from Oregon State University and an MBA degree from University of Oregon), that helped him realize the importance of cross discipline cooperation and problem solving.
“At ControlTek, that means utilizing our internal electrical engineering, manufacturing, and quality engineering resources and our external suppliers and customers to solve problems and discover new solutions.
Sean is particularly proud of the expert-level staff that can be found at every level of the organization as well as the impressive range of capabilities ControlTek offers customers.
“I think we are very good at what we do and work hard to improve every day. We strive to understand our customers’ businesses so that we can help solve their problems... And that is how we make our customers successful.
Outside of work, Sean loves watching his two girls grow up, nights out with his wife, golf games, beers with buddies and all things Oregon State sports. Go Beavs!
Dennis Frey, Engineering Business Manager
With a professional background that includes a degree in Electrical Engineering, product and project management expertise, and a stint in Uganda with the Peace Corps as a computer instructor, Dennis brings a depth of knowledge to his role as ControlTek’s Business Manager.
As business manager, Dennis’ efforts are focused on ensuring positive interactions between customers and ControlTek’s design team. That means not only working closely with customers to define the scope of projects and maintain clear communication throughout the relationship, but also interacting with the teams at ControlTek to ensure projects are completed on time with ControlTek’s high quality standards.
“What really sets ControlTek apart is our focus on quality. Whether it's design, manufacturing, or test, each aspect of a project goes through rigorous processes to ensure that all requirements and industry standards are met. This extends to our customer as well. We strive to create a partnership with customers and to make sure that their goals and needs are met in order for us to form long lasting relationships.”
An adventurous spirit with a “say yes” approach to life, Dennis has gotten to explore wonderful places, meet fascinating people, and enjoy amazing experiences all over the world. He is excited to bring this same approach to building partnerships at ControlTek.
In his “off” time, Dennis is also an avid runner, having completed 20 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and a Ragnar race. He hopes to join a Hood to Coast team in the future. He also regularly volunteers at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
Dale Dillenberg, ControlTek Production Manager
"For ControlTek's Production Manager, the morning begins with the daily standup. It's an informal meeting with Team Leads to review the status of work in process and team goals such as product output, quality standards and training. The daily standup is a key communication tool for understanding where we are at and where we will be at the end of the production day." - Dale Dillenberg, Production Manager
New to ControlTek in 2003, Dale brings over 20 years of production management experience to our team. Dale is able to apply his encyclopedia of knowledge and experience in the electronics manufacturing industry to his job everyday. Whether establishing long term quality measurement systems or ensuring on time delivery, Dales leadership style empowers his staff to meet customer demands on a daily basis. In his time away from the office, Dale enjoys working and relaxing on his five acres in the country.
Joe Herz, ControlTek Manufacturing Engineering Manager
Joe has been helping ControlTek create longterm partnerships that focus on the success of our customers for more than 10 years, and came to ControlTek with 20 years of electronics manufacturing experience working in various electronic market segments that include consumer products, telecom and semiconductors.
Joe’s deep industry knowledge makes it possible for him to assist customers by identifying potential design pitfalls that can drive the cost of production up and reduce a project’s yield. Early detection and elimination of these issues creates an environment ready for optimal production, helping our customers reduce their time to market and avoid costly delays during manufacturing. The expertise of Joe and of his manufacturing team have played a crucial role in ControlTek’s progression to becoming a competitive and highly sought after electronics manufacturing service provider.
When Joe isn’t on the production floor, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and three children, playing guitar or under the hood of an MG sports car.
LeRae Henry, ControlTek Quality Manager
When it comes to Quality, ControlTek Quality Manager LeRae Henry really knows her stuff.
That’s in large part due to the invaluable knowledge and experience she’s gained throughout her career across a wide range of manufacturing processes. She began her own quality journey working for a small Silicon Wafer Refurbishing Company. There she worked first in the polishing department, before moving into the clean room and then on to shipping. She also worked as a sales admin inventory specialist and production scheduler before taking on quality control. In 2015, LeRae joined ControlTek as our Quality Control Specialist.
“Working in the Quality Department gave me the chance to study and learn the skills that would allow me to eventually transition into the Quality Manager position. Today, I’m excited to support ControlTek in this role and continue to strive for a solid QMS foundation for the company.”
LeRae’s contribution to ControlTek’s recent AS9100D:2016, ISO9001:2015 and ISO13485:2016 upgrade was invaluable. During the process, she was also able to add additional knowledge of regulations and requirements to assist our aerospace and medical customers.
LeRae loves the positive values and small company feel of the ControlTek, where leadership invests in employees to help them succeed and, by doing so, help the company succeed. As our Quality Manager, LeRae is dedicated to the process of creating quality product for customers and making sure employees understand how they influence product quality.
When she’s not working, LeRae enjoys spending time with her husband, watching sports and movies together or playing outdoors with her dog, a fetchaholic who can run for hours! She also enjoys reading, crafting, and baking goodies.
