Larsen Manufacturing Lead Inspector Honored as 2024 Inspector of the Year from ASQ’s Inspection Division

The ASQ Inspection Division has selected Larsen Manufacturing PPAP Lead Inspector, Jair Velazquez Abundez, as the 2024 Chuck Carter International Inspector of the Year.  Velazquez will be presented his award and duly acknowledged during the Inspection Division’s annual membership meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024, in San Diego, CA, in conjunction with ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement.

Velazquez has worked at the Larsen Manufacturing Stamping Plant in Mundelein, IL, since 2018.  He had no previous experience as an inspector, but he was a quick and detailed learner.  Beginning as an Incoming Receiving Inspector, Velazquez has since been promoted to Quality Lab Inspector Leve 2 (2019), PPAP Lead Coordinator Level 3 (2021), and finally to Jr. Quality Engineer in 2022.

Velazquez helped Larsen Manufacturing develop better inspection techniques and improved record-keeping. He was a natural when he learned how to use the micrometer and caliper to inspect coil material, bar stock, and metal sheets as well as outside services that included welding, heat treating, and plated parts.  Over a short period of time, Velazquez became qualified to use gage blocks, gage pins, thread gages, height gages, drop indicators, torque wenches, optical comparator, CMM touch probe, T-Hawk Scanner, and a FARO Arm with a touch probe and laser scanning capabilities.

Velazquez has a college degree in Computer Graphics & Programming, graduating in 2003 from Bacheller’s College located in Mexico City.  He is married with two daughters.  When time permits, he enjoys tennis, soccer, mountain biking, and hiking.

The Inspection Division has offered the Inspector of the Year Award since 1974. For a list of the previous award recipients, an award application, or additional information about the ASQ Inspection Division and the award, visit https://my.asq.org/communities/files/folder/158/217.