Empire
West Inc. Company Information: Our team of experienced employees takes extreme pride in the quality of the work we produce. Each and every one of us has a direct interest in the efficient operation of our facility, the quality of the products we provide, and the satisfaction of our customers. |
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| Customer Service Department | |
| Rachel Larman Rachel loves customer service. She started working her father's store front at the age of 14 and by the age of 23 was managing a full service cafe. While running the cafe full time, she obtained a certification in Human Resources at Santa Rosa Junior College. In 2007, Rachel joined our team. She is always ready to answer questions and enthuse about the benefits of using Ceilume Smart Ceiling Tiles (even when she's not at work). Her other passion is horses and can usually be found at the ranch or on the trail training with her Arabian horse, Mystic Kid. |
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Sonya Yonash Sonya Yonash was raised in the plastic business and has worked for Empire West on-and-off since she was sixteen. Now in her 30's she manages the Customer Service Departments both for Empire West and their proprietary line of ceiling tiles, Ceilume: The Smart Ceiling Tile. Sonya's passions away from work include film (she received a Bachelor of Arts for Film Studies from Chapman University in 2003 and ran her own non-profit film society/festival for 2 years), decadent food and relaxing with friends and family. |
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| Accounts Payable & Receivable | |
| Chris Deem Chris Deem came to work at Empire West twenty-five years ago with eight years of finance experience already under her belt. Over the years she has proved an invaluable member of the EW team. As Empire West’s Controller, Chris handles all payables, receivables and payroll (she has said that the only time she’s popular is every other Friday…payday!) as well as countless other vital aspects of Empire West’s financial day to day. Chris also has quite the talent for music (she has been playing piano since she was eleven!), and loves to read in her spare time. |
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| Production | |
| Helmut Jordt Since joining the team in 1984, Helmut Jordt has worked in every aspect of Empire West, from entry level manufacturing, to his current position as Production Manager. His long experience as our Quality Assurance Manager, coupled with his extensive knowledge in Tooling and production techniques, gives him the unique ability to manage a wide range of manufacturing disciplines to meet customers exacting needs. Helmut prides himself and his crew on delivering Quality parts, on time, at exceptional value. Away from work, Helmut is an incurable collector of vintage Pinball Machines and coin operated memorabilia. He is also an avid hiker on the Pacific coastline. |
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| Jerome Johnson Jerome Johnson began his thirty-one year relationship with Empire West when he was hired as the Foreman in 1973. Since then Jerome has become Empire West’s Materials Manager and works tirelessly on plant & building maintenance. His dedication and work ethic make Jerome an essential part of the Empire West Family. In his spare time Jerome likes to fish and is a Hawaiian escapist. |
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| Jose Guzman Jose Guzman started with Empire West in 1992 as a parts manufacturer. He has since been promoted to production department supervisor, and is enjoying the opportunity to learn a new aspect of the business. In his spare time, Jose loves to watch and play soccer and spend time with his wife and five kids. |
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| Maintenance | |
| Steve Malone Steve Malone came to Empire West in 1985, from a bio-medical company as a service manager. Specializing in machine design and maintenance, Steve completed a two-year electronics program at Chabot JC. He then went on to cut his teeth working for electronic companies doing various technical jobs before coming to our rescue. Currently, Steve maintains Empire West’s equipment, designs and builds new machines, and programs 5 and 3 axis routers for trimming parts. When not messing with our machines, Steve likes messin’ with cars. He recently finished restoring a Sunbeam Tiger and a Chevy Cameo, and is currently working on a 56 GMC and a Datsun 240Z. |
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| Management & Support | |
| Rich Yonash Rich Yonash, CEO and Director of Research and Development, purchased Empire West Plastics in the 1970’s when it consisted of one machine and a crew of two workers, and was located in Petaluma, CA. He moved the company to Graton in 1981. Rich majored in Engineering and Computer Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and with this experience he was instrumental in the design and construction of our custom manufacturing equipment. These days he leaves the day-to-day running of the organization to Ed Davis and the other skilled staff members, and focuses on technical advances and bringing new projects to fruition. In his free time he and his partner, Carol, enjoy hiking, backpacking and travel of all types – especially chasing solar eclipses. |
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| Ed Davis |