Biography

Mr. Fridley, a lifelong Texas native,  began his post college career in the rough and tumble oil fields of central Texas working first as a Drilling Foreman and later as a Production Engineer. He thrilled at bringing in the "black gold" after days and weeks of arduous and oftentimes dangerous work. It was here that he began to learn the valuable lessons of serving his customers who had invested vast sums of capital in hopes of ultimately serving the hungry U.S. economy.  It wasn't until the oil "bust" in the early 80's that Mr. Fridley entered the arena of  electronics manufacturing and began to apply these lessons in earnest. For the next 20 years he honed his skills in providing  "customer delight" in engineering positions ranging from Product to Manufacturing to Supplier Quality. For Mr. Fridley, these were crucial formative years that would forever transform his attitude to that which he fervently practices to this day, an absolute dedication to serving his customers.  Before establishing Customer Support Engineering, Steven Fridley was a senior executive with Chi Mei Optoelectronics U.SA. Inc.With over 25 years experience in high tech manufacturing, Mr. Fridley brought with him a wealth of knowledge to Chi Mei.  In his most recent position as Senior Customer Service Manager he worked extensively with Maquiladora and Pacific Rim customers, building robust relationships, establishing trust and acquiring a knack for conversational Spanish along the way. In his first position with Chi Mei as Global Quality Account Manager, Mr. Fridley was instrumental in securing a coveted supplier position to a major player in the global PC market. Throughout his career with Chi Mei, Mr. Fridley gained a reputation for building “supplier/customer relationships” and “developing world class quality systems and processes”. He is known for his extensive knowledge of global manufacturing processes, quality analysis and bringing the customer back into the “black”.

 

Mr. Fridley understands the value and urgency of ensuring an uninterrupted material supply for his manufacturing clients. He has saved his clients millions of dollars in potential lost revenue by coordinating and managing simple to complex product rework and sorting operations. He is an expert in training all levels of engineers and managers in material handling, the quality sciences and process improvement. Mr. Fridley also has extensive experience in the logistics of material movement and shipping, both domestically and overseas. His successes have earned him accolades from his customers as a trusted business partner.

 

Mr. Fridley has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and has earned prior certifications as A.S.Q. Certified Quality Engineer and Certified Quality Auditor. He is a published author featured in Quality Progress Magazine, served on the Austin Quality Council Board of Examiners and completed Dell Computer Black Belt Training.