Steven McClure is CEO of PACON Mfg, Inc., a precision machining company specializing in mission-critical, complex-geometry components, which he acquired in 2013. He began his career as a semiconductor engineer designing RF and microwave circuits for projects including the Superconducting Super Collider and work at Hughes Aircraft, now part of Raytheon and Boeing, before moving into product and executive management roles.
Over that career, McClure watched the semiconductor industry shift toward digital cellular and optical networking while manufacturers increasingly moved production offshore, an experience that shaped his approach to running PACON. He developed what he calls Precision Machining 4.0, combining best-in-class CNC machines with Industry 4.0 technologies and Lean Manufacturing principles, built around what he describes as a relentless focus on meeting customer requirements consistently and predictably.
Under his leadership, PACON earned Modern Machine Shop Magazine's "Top Shop" designation, produced more than 50 components for NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Perseverance, including parts of the MOXIE apparatus, and manufactured components used in more than 2,000 digital PCR systems that supported COVID-19 vaccine development. McClure credits the continuous improvement ideas of Deming and Shewhart as foundational to how he transformed the company.
