In March 2013, Larry Shirk was appointed vice president of manufacturing by the board of directors at Campbell Scientific. In his new position, Larry not only assumes manufacturing management responsibilities, but he also takes on broader responsibilities as a corporate officer.
Larry’s previous positions, both at Campbell Scientific and with other employers, have equipped him with the knowledge and experience to meet the challenges of his new role. Company president Paul Campbell expressed the board’s confidence in Larry’s appointment by saying, “Larry has been with the company for many years, and those who know Larry recognize that this is a natural step for both the company and Larry.”
Larry began working at Campbell Scientific in 1987, when he was a student at Utah State University. In his first position, he worked in manufacturing and operated the wave solder machine. He became enamored with electronic manufacturing processes, leading to his next position in 1991 as a manufacturing engineer. In 1993, Larry received his CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) designation from the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).
After working here for ten years, Larry decided to explore other electronic manufacturing opportunities. These opportunities included working as a production manager and director of engineering at an electronic manufacturing service (EMS) company that handled medical, military, and other types of products. Larry was broadly exposed to manufacturing processes and systems, and he developed an appreciation for the diversity of electronic manufacturing.
Larry missed, however, the Campbell culture. He said, “I missed the value system and culture that Campbell Scientific has developed, which is based on individual accountability, respect, responsibility, and an unprecedented attention to customer service. The company values and respects the individual in and out of the company. The individual, in turn, provides that back to the company. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
In 2007, Larry returned to Campbell as the quality manager. He established a calibration lab and consolidated the in-house calibration standards.
Because of his experience in manufacturing engineering, Larry was asked to augment the manufacturing engineering role in production. Today, Campbell Scientific has a manufacturing engineering group that is advancing its capability in providing support for the sustainment of legacy products, new product introduction, manufacturing-process implementation and support, product-test development, and continued process-improvement efforts.
As the new vice president of manufacturing, Larry feels an increased responsibility to maintain and sustain the Campbell culture. He said, “We have unique products, and we’re a global company. We help people all over the world make educated decisions with the instruments we design and manufacture. It is imperative that we sustain our corporate culture and that we continue to provide great service and products to our customers, as well as a fantastic work environment. It’s a win-win situation. That’s really why I’m here.”
