QPC COMPANY PROFILE
QPC Fiber Optic is an optical technology company based in Southern California, serving customers worldwide since 1999. We design and manufacture fiber optic connectors, fiber optic cable assemblies, and custom fiber optic products for use in harsh environments. Our connector product portfolio includes QPC’s proprietary connector lines, industry standards, modified standards, and full engineered customs. We are one of the few companies in our industry that welcomes low initial volume custom product development projects. Our team is able to draw upon QPC’s extensive design experience and leverage our in-house manufacturing capabilities to allow us to design, prototype, manufacture, and deliver solutions in weeks, not months. Effective March 2016, QPC was acquired by its Senior Management and has enhanced its focus on technical product development and target market growth.
Our customer base is 1st and 2nd Tier Defense System Integrators, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), High-End Equipment Rental Houses, and Cable Assembly / Harness Manufacturers. QPC’s business is diverse, with 50% Military / Aerospace (Air, Land, and Sea), 25% Broadcast (Mobile Video Broadcast, and Pro-Audio), and 25% Industrial (Oil & Gas, Mining, Marine, Scientific, and Medical). QPC has a global network of Manufacturers’ Representatives, Value Add Re-Sellers, and Stocking Distributors to assure our customers will have local points of contact and multiple support options.
Downloads
QPC Fiber Optic Company Brochure
QPC Leadership Team
Steve Wilkes
President & CEO (Co-Owner)
Steve has over 20 years of experience working in the optics, photonics, and interconnect industries. He has held technical, management, and executive positions with Corning, Delphi Connection Systems, and Fiberguide Industries. In each of these roles, Mr. Wilkes built and led strong teams that delivered consistent profitable growth on a global basis with a focus on delighting customers, innovative new product development, and operational excellence. Steve has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He has been an advisor to several technology businesses and is currently serving on the Board of Director for Bay Cities Metal Products and Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Originally from Bay Head, NJ, Steve now lives in Laguna Niguel, CA with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys exploring the outdoors, photography, SCUBA diving, and is an award-winning BBQ pitmaster.
David Olsen
Chairman & Senior Advisor (Co-Owner)
Dave joined QPC in 2017 following a 42-year career with Exxon Mobil Corporation, where he held technical, supervisory and executive positions in engineering, project management, environmental & regulatory affairs, operations, public affairs, corporate planning and commercial negotiations. In the decade prior to joining QPC, he was Exxon Mobil’s lead negotiator on several multibillion-dollar international upstream projects. Mr. Olsen’s responsibilities at QPC cover a wide range of areas including safety, compliance, quality, finance and human resources. He has an Sc.B. in Engineering from Brown University, an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a registered Professional Engineer in California. Originally from the Boston area, Dave now lives in Corona del Mar, CA with his wife, Stefanie. They have three married daughters, all of whom reside in southern California. Dave and Stefanie enjoy daily beach walks at Crystal Cove and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Karsten Grubert
Director of Sales, International & Key Accounts
Karsten Grubert began his career with QPC in 2006. Originally brought on-board as a Professional Trainee, Karsten was soon promoted to Project Manager, Director of Quality Control and eventually got involved in Sales and Product Management. His focus is developing and growing relationships worldwide with emphasis on North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. He manages and coordinates harsh environment optical / copper interconnect products and projects. He has deep knowledge in fiber optic connectivity and connector design. Born and raised in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Karsten attended the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt and graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. (Dipl. Ing. Elektrotechnik - Energietechnik). He now resides in Mission Viejo, CA with his family.
Bill Lepior
Director of Sales, Americas
Bill has over 40 years of experience working in the Fiber Optic, Semiconductor, Machine Vision, and Computer Automation industries. He has held technical and management positions with Xycom, Cognex, Siemens, and Fiberguide Industries. In these roles Bill has led sales and engineering teams that developed new products, secured multiple patents, steadily achieved profitable year on year sales growth and formed strong customer relationships. Bill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Engineering from The Ohio Institute of Technology. Originally from Michigan, Bill spent over thirty years living near California’s Silicon Valley before recently relocating to Texas where he resides with his wife. Bill has a daughter in CA, a son in TX, both with families and a son of their own. When not working, Bill enjoys classical music, photography and woodworking.
Lori Baldovin
Customer Service Representative
Lori has over 10 years’ experience working as a Customer Service Representative. She has worked at a major car rental agency where she learned that the customer’s first and last impression may come from the Customer Service Representative. She has also worked at a manufacturer where she discovered both detail and communication are crucial in assisting the customer from the development of an idea, to the final product. Lori currently resides in Orange County with her husband and two boys. She enjoys traveling, skiing and running.
Kelly Castron
Accounting AR /AP & Sales Support
Kelly has 20+ years working in Customer Support and Accounting. She has held positions at First American Title in Sales/Customer Support and at Tempo Industries in Accounting. She has been with QPC Fiber Optic since February 2013. Kelly was born in Pasadena, CA and currently lives in Mission Viejo, CA and is married with three daughters. One of Kelly’s hobbies is making wine with her husband, using grapes from a friend who owns an urban winery in San Diego. Kelly also enjoys hiking, working out and spending time with family.
Chris Nesselroad
Director of Engineering
Chris has 35 years working as an engineer in a variety of fields. He has experience in all phases of product development ranging from component design to engineering management. Chris has worked in several industries including oil field equipment, metrology, chemical handling and tooling as well as 18 years in the connector and fiber optic industries. He holds a BSME from Cal State University Fullerton and is a California registered Professional Engineer. Chris was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Southern California for most of his life. Married with two sons and three granddaughters, he enjoys Sailing and Sailboat racing.
Yessica Canizalez
Production & Purchasing Manager
Yessica has been with QPC for 19 years and has contributed to many areas of the business including production, warehouse, shipping / receiving, accounting, purchasing and operations. As one of QPC’s first employees, Yessica has extensive customer and product knowledge. She was promoted into a leadership role in 2014 and has continued to take on more responsibility as the company has grown. Yessica enjoys working with her team to achieve a balance between cost, efficiency, and quality. Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico, Yessica now lives in Mission Viejo, CA with her husband and 3 kids. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Ramzy Zora
Process Engineering & Quality Manager
Ramzy brings with him over 15 years of experience to QPC Fiber Optic in the telecommunication sector, where he successfully established businesses that provided value-added wireless communication services to Fortune 500 companies. Thereafter, Ramzy launched a startup into a large-scale eCommerce enterprise in the telecom space that later would award him one of eBay’s top 200 fastest growing sellers in the US, earning him a trip to Washington DC to meet with eBay’s CEO Meg Whitman. Ramzy would go on to head up asset management for a large family office whose investments focused on commercial real estate development. He negotiated and closed multimillion-dollar property sales while project managing multiple company initiatives. Ramzy earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He lives with his wife Marlene in Ladera Ranch and together enjoy caring for and mentoring youth in the community.