Vip Rubber and Plastic Announces Retirements and 3rd Generation Succession
- Bernardyne Campana named President of Vip Rubber and Plastic.
- Albert Perez named Vice President of Aerospace
- Cindy LeClair named Vice President of Marketing.
- Martin Perez named Technical Expert
- Howard Vipperman to step down as President and will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board
Vip Rubber and Plastic, a La Habra, CA based, and family-owned manufacturer of quality rubber and plastic parts, announced today that the current President Howard Vipperman is stepping down to usher in the third generation of the Vipperman family for continued growth. Vip was founded in 1961 by the patriarch of the family, also named Howard Vipperman (Sr.) and his wife Bernardyne. Having moved into the role of President in 1979, Howard is no stranger to generational change.
Howard says, “We have been working towards succession for the better part of 10 years and it is clear that the next generation is ready to go. I am pulling back from the day to day operations of Vip but remain a resource and mentor to all.” According to Howard, he will actively work on machinery acquisition, and is available for consultation at any time.
Howard will remain the Chairman of the Board and mentor as the third generation settles into their roles. This will facilitate a smooth transition and as Vip Rubber and Plastic continues its growth as well as its outstanding service to customers. In an increasingly complex business environment, it is extremely difficult for family-owned companies to reach third generation leadership. Vip’s succession plan was intended and executed to create the next generation leaders as well as make the transition as seamless as possible for both customers and employees.
Bernardyne Campana, Howard and Kathy’s niece, has assumed the role of President as Howard steps back. Bernardyne holds two degrees in mathematics and a Masters of Business Administration with honors from University California Irvine. She is also the creator of the custom Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system that is used company-wide.
In taking over as President, Bernardyne is keenly aware of the responsibility for both Vip Rubber and Plastic’s customer base as well as its 200 plus employees and their families. She views the transition as a legacy to the traditions set forth by the company’s founders that continue through today.
“I have worked very hard to prepare for this position and have been working towards it quite steadily for over ten years, and we are completely on track with our 10 year vision and plan.” said Bernardyne . “But it isn’t just me, I have brilliant people around me that have been contributing to our success for many years. Our people are our strength and together we will reach new heights. We have incredibly good relationships with our customers and suppliers as well and this is a hallmark of Vip. We value the relationships that we have and together with all interested parties, we will be successful.”
While continuing to serve its commercial markets and client base, Vip Rubber and Plastic has moved into new and challenging markets such as aerospace, where the company’s market share is expected to grow extensively.
In regards to the aerospace growth, Bernardyne says “We will all work to bring this to the next level and beyond. We are in an extremely good position right now and I expect for our sales to increase dramatically in the aerospace sector. Our job going forward will be to increase sales and manage our growth. Our production team has shown time and time again that if we have it, they can ship it.”
Additional third generation changes include Albert Perez as the Vice President of Aerospace for Vip Rubber and Plastics and has been an important part of Vip’s growth for over 25 years. He started in Customer Service and later moved to sales in the Southern California region. Albert has worked in aerospace for the last 10 years and has been a significant force in Vip’s evolution to ISO and AS9100. He has worked with production to implement the procedures for creating perfect aircraft parts and Vip’s excellent Customer Service including on-time delivery performance.
Cindy LeClair, granddaughter of founder Howard Vipperman Sr., is in the role of Vice President of Marketing. Cindy has piloted the company’s marketing efforts, developing a brand new website for the company, aimed at reaching new customers and improving the company’s online and digital presence. Cindy has been with the company for almost 10 years, and carries a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Chapman University.
“I am so excited to be a part of this company, having the privilege to help keep this company strong. We all have a deep love for what we do, and for our customers,” said Cindy. “My role in marketing will be to advance our visibility online, and help customers via our website and other avenues. We want to meet our customer’s needs by evolving with the global increase in online activity. I will work to meet the needs of our customers in all areas, always making sure our customers feel like family.”
Cindy believes the second generation has done an excellent job strengthening this company for 58 years. “They have much to teach and are imparting their knowledge onto us in many ways. I am so grateful to partner with the second generation, helping us to be successful for another 58 years and beyond.”
In further changes, Martin Perez has been named Technical Director for Vip Rubber and Plastics. In relating to his new role Martin stated:
“We have a great team here at Vip that has laid a great foundation. Our ability to work together has help us meet many challenges in manufacturing. Custom manufacturing relies heavily on technical experience to provide quality materials that can be processed and meet end use applications. I am looking forward to continuing working with the new and experienced team members to keep Vip Rubber’s innovations going. Our customers are changing and we need to change with them.”
As the third generation of the Vipperman family takes on the challenges of today’s business climate, many other second and third generation family members will remain in critical roles to allow the company to continue to provide their customers with the service they have come to expect.
Kathy will remain as CFO and Tom LeClair will stay on as Vice President of Sales. Dean Gillespie will stay on as Vice President of Technical Sales. Additionally, Lisa Perez will continue in Accounts Receivable and Brent Westbrook will continue as Sales Manager. Peter Joneleit will continue in outside sales for Aerospace, local accounts in the LA area as well as international accounts. Peter, who is Howard’s son in law is excited about the future, “I am encouraged by our growth in capability with complex aircraft parts and new partnership with Boeing. I would like to see this develop significantly in the near future and also continue to support commercial manufacturing as well.”
Peter expressed his gratitude by saying “The second generation was a tremendous time of growth for Vip with all-star leadership by people like Howard, Kathy, Tom, and Dean. The next generation also has its budding stars within the family like Bernardyne, Albert, Cindy and Martin (our chemist). It’s definitely a big transition but the new generation already has many years of experience. We have, and will, continue to benefit from wisdom from the previous generation. As we break sales records regularly, the future is looking bright for the new generation at Vip.”
About Vip Rubber and Plastic
Vip Rubber and Plastic is a 58-year-old company founded in 1961. The company produces rubber and plastic parts for industries including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, energy, mass transit, medical and military as well as extensive custom builds and applications. Based in La Habra, CA, the company operates a facility in Minden, NV and today employs over 200 people. Vip Rubber and Plastic’s experience extends beyond manufacturing with quality certification capabilities, excellent customer service and an on-site lab with custom compounding capabilities. Vip Rubber and Plastic parts are used by industries throughout the world and the company considers its market strength and growth to be a direct result of their committed and family managed operation.
Congratulation on the Succession! Their have been many changes over the last few years in our industry, as you know. Having worked with everyone at VIP since the late 80’s, I am glad to see you doing so well in the climate we have been dealing with this last ten or so years.
I hope for much continued success for everyone!!
Dana and the team @ AMT
Dana, thank you so much! We really appreciate you and your company.