Custom Automation Solutions
- 30 Years and running – Automating the Bay
- Our niche is in small to medium, turnkey manufacturing solutions.
Shop & Assembly Services
- “Cut Above” Fabrication
- Manual & CNC Machining
- Precision Welding
- Sheet metal forming and welding
Custom Automation Solutions
Here’s our 3 step process:
Our niche is small to medium, turnkey manufacturing solutions.
Identify
Discuss issue & define goals.
Design
Strategic prototypes, iterate & repeat.
Execute
Fabricate, assemble, install & train.
Lab Automation
Automating lab equipment is a specialty of ours.
We have partnered with dozens of companies across a variety of industries to develop custom equipment when off the shelf doesn’t cut it. Medical, Foods, Home Goods, Automotive, Plastic Injection and Agriculture.
If you’re curious what an automated lab can do for you, we think you’ll be surprised. Call us for a free consultation.
Automated Manufacturing
30 Years of experience building new and modifying existing manufacturing equipment.
Whether you’re just starting out, growing, or wanting to modernize, we can help. Our team is well practiced at quickly understanding your specific needs and targeting a path forward. Our goal is in forming partnerships and becoming a part of your team.
Prototypes
Prototyping is a key part of every custom project. It’s built into our design process and deeply woven into our culture.
We utilize our shop, experience, and graveyard of old parts to prove concepts at key times during development.
Whether you’re planning to use us for scaling your idea or not, consider calling on us for the prototype phase of your project.
Fixtures
Fixture design and fabrication is critical to optimizing any repetitive process.
CVM designs and fabricates fixtures for manual assist processes, end of arm tooling, and all automated system requirements. We use metals, plastics, and molding compounds as required and know how to integrate into the most complicated systems. Call us today with any fixtuing need.
Equipment Modifications
Retrofits, modernize, tooling changes, line integration
Sometimes a slight modification is all you need. We are experienced with modifying all types of manufacturing equipment, including custom, off the shelf.
Semi-Automated Equipment
Optimizing an operator with the right tool is often the best step forward.
Space or budget restraints, safety, throughput, or general efficiency can all be ..
30 Years and running – Automating the Bay
Shop & Assembly Services
We’re a job shop too! Loyal customers know us for quality, quick turn, and excellent customer service. Our “A player” machinists, welders and formers are truly the best around.
Contract Manufacturing
Hire us for your next quantity order of parts, fixtures, or machines. Our niche is in being efficient at low to mid size quantity builds using our fine tuned trade processes in fixturing, project management, in house expertise.
Shop Services
Machining – CNC and Manual
Welding – Precision, sheet metal, exotic materials
Forming – Sheet metal, rolled, odd
Assembly services
Spare Parts Program
Unhappy with your current supplier? Contact us about our spare parts programs. One off odd parts, reverse engineere, or complete supply programs tailered to your needs.
Strong relationships with established long time vendors allow fast dependable turn and quality.. We’ll match your pace!
Our Products
FruitFirm® 1000
Fabric Saturators
Clean Room Pass Throughs
Our Team

Gustavo Arroyo
Controls EngineerGustavo brings decades of electrical and mechanical machine design experience to CVM, supporting the entire group with guidance and execution of our projects' controls systems.
Gustavo Arroyo
Controls Engineer
Bachir Gharbi
Shop AssistantBachir began his career in IT but quickly found a passion for the mechanical side of things by prototyping and tinkering with DIY projects at home. He join's CVM as a shop helper to learn and grow in the machine building industry.
Bachir Gharbi
Shop Assistant
Scott Isler
Mechanical EngineerA decade of building electro-mechanical props as a master magicians assistant and high end Las Vegas shows brought Scott to learn the love for making things. He decided to make it official with by completing a masters in Mechanical Engineering before and moving to the Bay to Join CVM. We're thrilled to have such a creative mind as part of our diverse engineering team.
Scott Isler
Mechanical Engineer
Jim McMillin
Vice President, EngineeringJim has over 30 years of experience in machine design, manufacturing operations and engineering / project management. With a Mech Eng degree from GMI/Kettering, Industrial Eng from Michigan, and MBA from SJSU, he is skilled at bringing creative designs that address operations needs to fruition on time and in budget. When he is not on the job, you can find Jim leading Scouts through the wilderness and growing their leadership skills.
Jim McMillin
Vice President, Engineering
Bob Switek
Founder & CEOBob, Founder and CEO of CVM, graduated from Purdue University in Mechanical Engineering in 1972. He held several engineering positions with Clorox, Thiokol, Union Carbide, and Bechtel before beginning his consulting practice in the late 1970’s. In 1991, he founded CVM Inc., quickly finding his calling as a hands on leader, and manager of the company in addition to designing and building custom machines. Bob has stepped out of the day-to-day operations, but still gets his hands dirty with design concepts and council to the team as necessary.
Bob Switek
Founder & CEO
Toby Switek
PresidentToby manages day-to-day operations with focus on creating a healthy environment to promote sustainability and growth for the company and it’s employees. He joined CVM after spending over a decade in marketing and business development roles for entertainment and marketing companies and is thrilled to bring that experience to the family run organization and transition it to the next phase of its life cycle.
Toby Switek
President
Garrett Gersten
Sr. Mechanical EngineerGarrett has 14 years of experience in a broad range of engineering design, manufacturing, and project
management, including 6 years in aerospace and 7 years in industrial machinery prior to joining CVM. He
holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA.
Garrett Gersten
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Doug Fahrney
Manufacturing SpecialistDoug has over 40 years of experience in the shop environment. He has considerable experience in manual and CNC machining and programming. He has spent the last 10 years managing the Clorox R&D shop, responsible for difficult, unique experimental parts as well as fabrication of parts used in production machines. His duties at CVM include responsibility for the day-to-day management of the machine shop, CNC programming, machining, scheduling, planning and estimating.
Doug Fahrney
Manufacturing Specialist
Paul Widergren
Fabrication Project ManagerPaul is the fabrication shop lead-man: Another multi-talented craftsman with excellent skills in welding, sheet metal and fabrication. He is also skilled in fabrication design; competent in both AutoCAD and SolidWorks. Paul has been with CVM since 1995.
Paul Widergren
Fabrication Project Manager
Doreen Fanua
Administrative AssistantDoreen joined CVM in 2014. She is your first point of contact when walking into CVM. Doreen provides administrative support to the CVM team.
Doreen Fanua
Administrative Assistant
David Paterson
Sr. Mechanical EngineerDavid has over 30 years of mechanical and manufacturing engineering experience in fabrication, tube bending, aerospace, defense, and medical industries. He enjoys the challenges placed before him in all mechanical engineering platforms, especially incorporating robotics and designing custom-built equipment to expand a company’s capabilities. David has a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University and extensive training in tube laser cutting, robotic programming, and lean manufacturing. He’s also an award-winning homebrewer and looks forward to sharing his talents with CVM co-workers.
David Paterson
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Brandon Abad
Sr. Mechanical EngineerBrandon has over 8 years of high-volume production manufacturing experience. He has spent this time working with precision CNC equipment, a variety of forming machines, and automation ranging from simple pneumatic cylinders to complex multiple-robot systems. He uses his wholistic view of manufacturing which includes maintenance, cost, human interfacing, ease of manufacturing, and process robustness to influence every project he works on.
Brandon Abad
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Cory Alden
Machine Shop SupervisorCory started with CVM in 2006 as a shop helper. He then successfully completed CVM’s machinist apprenticeship program, and was quickly contributing at a journeyman level as an integral part of the shop. His tribal knowledge of our customers, process, and team makes him a terrific asset to CVM, now working as shop supervisor to the machine shop. He's not an office guy, so he makes sure to still get out and burn hours operating manual and CNC mills and lathes as well as assembling tools and machines.
Cory Alden
Machine Shop Supervisor
James Blackburn
Engineering TechnicianGrowing up in a shop environment, James is another member of our team that’s been automating, machining, fixing things since well before he could drive. He comes to CVM with years of experience assisting manufacturing industries with technical solutions and out of the box problem solving. He’s an asset to CVM with experience from shop to CAD.
James Blackburn
Engineering Technician
Marty Turkington
Fabricator/MachinistMarty has been a metal worker since 1972. He is a fine craftsman with a wide range of skills, including journeyman machinist, welder, fabricator, and woodworker. Marty has been with CVM since 1996.
Marty Turkington
Fabricator/Machinist
Craig Thaxton
Sr. MachinistCraig joined CVM with a background and experience well aligned with CVM's equipment and core competencies. He's done everything from owning his own shop (15yrs) to starting up and supporting state of the art new shops around the bay. His broad experience allows him multitask on machines, train junior and apprentice machinists, and solve the complicated day to day problems our customers challenge us with. As CVM's Sr. Machinist, he welcomes anything we (or you) can throw at him.
Craig Thaxton
Sr. Machinist
Chad Felipe
Machine OperatorChad began working at CVM in 2012 after over 25 years in the custom motorcycle industry, part of which as owner/operator of his own shop. He now spends time operating and programming CNC & Manual Mills and Lathes as well as assembly of machines, prototypes, and fixtures. Additionally, Chad's impressive shoe collection is the marvel of any modern day fashionista, and somehow he keeps them clean all day making chips. A true pillar of CVM.
Chad Felipe
Machine Operator
Richard Gomez
CNC OperatorRichard joined CVM with 9 years experience in a CNC shop managing a team of operators, setting up and running equipment. A fast paced and efficient worker, CVM’s variety of work is allowing him to branch out and quickly come up to speed on new equipment, skills, and process. A valuable member of the team willing to jump in on whatever the task.
Richard Gomez
CNC Operator
Art Des Roches III
FabricatorArt joins CVM with years of balanced fabrication experience spending time jumping from mig and tig welding to forming, rolling, fixturing, and tutoring aspiring minds. His curiosity in building things helps keep him inspired to constantly learn new things which helps CVM do what we do best, do what's never been done before.
Art Des Roches III
Fabricator
Maeni Schmed
Sr. MachinistMaeni is a tool maker by trade, with broad shop experience at all levels and in several large and reputable companies. He's a vital asset at CVM being able to tap extensive experience in: manual and CNC machining, CNC sheet metal forming, design, CAD, and general custom automation.
Maeni Schmed
Sr. Machinist
Dominick Luzader
Shop AssistantDominick joined our team in the spring of 2019 with enthusiasm and and excitement to learn everything he could. He immediately added value with his energy and is fast growing valuable skills allowing him to bounce around the shop assisting wherever needed.
Dominick Luzader
Shop AssistantShop Tour
Street View
Front Door
Main Lab
CAD Drawing Room
QC
Manual Mills
CNC Area
Manual Mill Area
90 Ton Press
Marty Tinkering
Notcher & Shear
Older Proto Trak Lathe
Marty on the Mill
Mig & Tig Welding
New Proto Trak Lathe
Table Saw
Material Storage
More Storage
Spare Parts
Order Consolidation
Our Customers

Career Opportunities
Controls Engineer
CVM Inc, custom machine builder located right at the 580/680 interchange in Pleasanton, is actively looking for an experienced Controls Engineer or Technician to join our fast paced team. We have been successfully building custom equipment for Bay Area tech, medical,...
Engineering Technician
We're Hiring aEngineering Technician. Reports to VP, Engineering.Job DescriptionThis position will support the growth of CVM’s 30-year custom machine building department by collaborating with an experienced team and proven processes. This position requires hands-on...
Mechanical Engineer
We're Hiring aMechanical EngineerJob Description Manage the lifecycle of manufacturing automation equipment, including scope development, conceptualizing, prototyping, fabrication, and commissioning. Project management accountability for assigned projects to manage...
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