Made in Connecticut: Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts

Each month, we profile a Connecticut manufacturer, showcasing the ingenuity and innovation driving the state’s economy. For March, we spoke with Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts owner and president Leland Licciardi. The company is located in Winsted. 

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When was your company founded? 

1944

How many employees work for your company?

We currently have 23 employees with plans to grow. 

What products does your company manufacture? Who are your customers?

At Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts, we specialize in manufacturing custom, precision-machined parts. 

Our state-of-the-art CNC machines can process bar stock up to 2.00” diameter and parts up to 5.50” in diameter. 

Whether our customers need 100 or 100,000 parts, we have the expertise to deliver. We utilize materials such as aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, nickel, steel, stainless steel, specialty alloys, plastics, and many more. 

In addition, we offer a wide array of secondary services to complete our customers’ parts utilizing our trusted network of partners.

Many of our customers have been with us for decades, and we’re always eager to welcome new partnerships. 

Fairchild’s Leland Licciardi

From plating, passivating, and heat treating to grinding, broaching, electro-polishing, stamping, and laser marking—we’ve got our customers covered. 

Our Quality Management System is ISO 9001:2015 certified and we have a track record of delivering quality parts on time. 

Fairchild proudly serves a broad spectrum of industries across the U.S., including aerospace, defense, fluid and air control systems, HVAC, communications, electronics, measurement and instrumentation, medical, and oil and gas. 

Many of our customers have been with us for decades, and we’re always eager to welcome new partnerships. 

Why did you choose manufacturing?

I began my professional career as a manufacturing engineer at Lockheed Martin on the PAC-3 CLS missile program. 

I found myself in a fast-paced environment, where every day brought forth new challenges. 

From navigating manufacturing and supply chain issues to adapting to engineering design changes, and addressing unforeseen production downtime, the environment demanded constant problem solving. 

I worked at Lockheed Martin for eight years, wearing many different hats (project engineering, program management, etc.) and spending my last five years on the F-35 program in the aeronautics business unit.

I had interned there and saw this as an opportunity to pursue a new personal challenge in the industry. 

Licciardi

In 2020, I found out the owner of Fairchild Auto-Mated Parts was looking to retire. In college, I had interned there and saw this as an opportunity to pursue a new personal challenge in the industry. 

In 2022, I took over as president and owner of Fairchild. 

At Fairchild, we have a high-energy atmosphere, where each day is an opportunity to innovate and contribute to the growth of the organization. 

The manufacturing environment is stimulating and allows me to leverage the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career to satisfy customers, improve our internal operations, and make the business a great place to work.

What makes your company unique?

We have strong partnerships with our customers and vendors as well as a steadfast commitment to quality. 

At Fairchild, we prioritize understanding the unique needs and requirements of our customers and quickly prove we can be relied on to deliver parts on time and to the quality that is expected. 

We prioritize understanding the unique needs and requirements of our customers.

Licciardi

Our executive team has worked at larger OEMs and intimately understand how critical a supplier’s performance is—we strive to never put our customers in that position and always work closely with them to quickly resolve any issues. 

Further, we look for ways to improve their component’s manufacturability, reducing their costs in the long run. 

It is these relationships that have earned us a loyal customer base despite our small size.

Why did you choose Connecticut?

Founded in 1944 by engineer Roger Fairchild in Southington, Fairchild quickly became a vital manufacturer of machined components during World War II. 

Leveraging his expertise in high-speed automatic screw machines, Fairchild met the urgent demand for millions of machined components crucial for the war effort. 

Connecticut was a prime location to be near the screw machine makers and convenient for shipping to Europe. 

In 1946, Fairchild moved the business to Winsted. A devastating hurricane in 1955 flooded the city and the plant, leaving 28” of silt, mud, and ruin, but Fairchild cleaned up the facility and has proudly called Connecticut home ever since.

What is the greatest advantage to operating in Connecticut?

Connecticut provides proximity to countless manufacturing partners across a variety of industries. 

These relationships are critical for our business’ growth and for building a network of trusted suppliers. 

In addition, Connecticut is highly convenient from a shipping perspective with access to major cities like New York City and Boston, which helps minimize our cost of shipping and improve lead times.

Where do you see your company in five years? Ten years?

Our leadership team has been developing strategic plans to invest in new machining technologies, grow our capacity, and optimize our internal operations. 

We have already overhauled our web presence, streamlined internal processes, invested in new machinery, and are now taking steps to transition our Quality Management System to meet the AS9100D standard. 

We aim to be an industry leader in quality and on-time delivery while leveraging cutting-edge technology and keeping our costs affordable for our customers.

What’s the main thing policymakers could implement to make your company more competitive?

Policymakers could further support small businesses by investing in their growth through tax incentives, communicating about state initiatives—including funding assistance or workforce talent programs—and growing the skill labor pipeline for manufacturing. 

The single biggest factor in delivering on our contracts is our labor force. We need employees with a strong work ethic who are trained in manufacturing.