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Universal NDT - our NDT lineage and knowledge base
• 1979 - LEONARD GARCIA ENTERPRISES (LGE) was founded by Leonard Garcia, Jr. LGE was the largest industrial x-ray film processor service company in Southern California.
• 1983 - Universal NDT was founded by 2 previous owners of URESCO. Universal NDT, followed the same business model and even derived most of its name and half of its logo from URESCO (Universal Reliability Equipment Supply COmpany). URESCO was founded by Leonard Garcia, Sr., Bob Schultz, and Jim Simpkins in 1961 as a company focused on NIST traceable calibration, manufacture, repair, and sales of NDT equipment, accessories, and supplies. URESCO was sold to Ardrox in 1980. In 1987 Ardrox became Brent Chemicals and sold off the equipment manufacturing and calibration line to Gould Bass, a machine shop. Brent Chemicals eventually became Chemetall Oakite, and is now owned by BASF.
• 1996 - LGE was purchased by Universal NDT and brought its younger management, service capabilities, and employees to the company.
• 2002 - NWHW was purchased by Universal NDT. John Higgins was a friendly competitor that performed NIST traceable calibration, repairs, and sales of Magnetic Particle Units and Fluorescent Dye Penetrant Inspection Systems. Higgins founded WHT in 1974 with partners Frank Wall and Gene Till (a URESCO serviceman that worked for Leonard Garcia, Sr.) WHT later became WHW after the death of Till, then NWHW (North-WHW) after the split with Wall.
• 2007 – Universal NDT signs a 10 year, non-compete, contract with Test Equipment Distributors (TED) for the accessory and supply distributor segment of our business. This allowed Universal NDT to focus on the NIST traceable calibration, manufacture, repair, and sales part of our business.
• 2010 - On-Site Metrology Laboratory Services, a new business segment for Universal NDT, was kicked off. We contract our employee/s to run, or help run, our customer's Metrology Department.
• 2017 - Universal NDT starts its accessory and supply distributor business back up again, representing many manufacturers of NDT Equipment, Accessories, and Supplies.
• 2018 - JS&P Enterprises was purchased by Universal NDT. John Pileggi was a friendly competitor that was the Southern California Authorized MAGNAFLUX Service Center and performed NIST traceable calibrations. John founded JS&P Enterprises in 1978 after years of being a Magnaflux Service Technician.
• 2018 - Magnaflux appoints Universal NDT as an Authorized MAGNAFLUX Service Center. Both Joe Garcia and Michael De Leon became certified technicians later in the year.
Our Outstanding Employees
JOE GARCIA - President, General Manager, Sales Manager, Service Manager, and Equipment Manufacturing Manager: Joe began his IRS taxable career in 1987, servicing industrial x-ray film processors for LGE, but had years of prior knowledge pre-mixing Developer and Fixer for delivery, reclaiming silver from spent fixer, and shucking interleaf paper from x-ray film prior to reclamation. Joe earned a minor in Spanish from the Universidad de Granada in Spain in 1993 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Cal State Long Beach in 1994. In 1995 he began NIST traceable calibrations on Magnetic Particle Units and Penetrant Inspection systems, and repairs on Wet Horizontal Magnetic Particle Units and Fluorescent Dye Penetrant Inspection Systems. In 2004 he was recognized as being part of Three Generations of one Family to serve as a Chairman for the Greater Los Angeles Section of the ASNT, and was a member of the ASNT's 2005 Board of Director's Selection Committee. Previously, Joe was our Quality Manager, and wearing the hats of the other Managerial positions keeps his life busy and his hair thinning.
NEVA GOLSCH - Office Manager, since 2000. Having worked in the Construction, Aerospace, and Technical Systems Industries, as well as owning a small business for 18 years, Neva brought us office management experience that began in 1969. Her great sense of professionalism and well-rounded knowledge of business has made her the hub of our office.
MICHAEL DE LEON - Quality Manager, Sales Technician, NIST traceable Calibration Technician, and On-Site Metrology Laboratory Services Technician. Michael earned an Associate of Science degree in Mathematics and Physical & Biological Sciences from Citrus College in 2012. Since 2019 Michael has volunteered his time with ASNT's STEM outreach program. He keeps our Quality System in compliance with ISO 17025 and our Calibration System in compliance with ISO 10012, ANSI-Z-540 and Mil-Std-45662A. He started working with us in 2016.
MAURICIO SEGOVIA - On-Site Metrology Laboratory Services Lead Technician. He helps run our customer's Metrology Dept. and provides training for our technicians. His knowledge and professionalism keeps our customer's employees happy and their equipment In Tolerance. He started working with us in 2012.
LIZ PORTILLO - Film Processor Repair Technician and NIST traceable Calibration Technician. Her pleasant attitude and outgoing personality makes her extremely liked by our customers. She started working with us in 2012.
EDGAR CARRILLO - On-Site Metrology Laboratory Services Lead Technician and NIST traceable Calibration Technician. He helps run our customer's Metrology Dept., and being very mechanically inclined makes him a 'multi-tool' employee. He came to work with us in 2015.
KEVIN RAMIREZ - NIST traceable Calibration Technician, Mag Unit and Penetrant System repair technician. His years of work experience in the swimming pool and construction industries brings great repair knowledge to our team. He started working with us in 2015.
NICK PACHECO - Service Coordinator, NIST traceable Calibration Technician, and On-Site Metrology Laboratory Services Technician. He sets our service schedule and works with our customers to help them comply with their specification requirements. He started working with us in 2018.
MARIAH GONZALEZ - Quality Clerk and Filing Clerk. Her attention to detail and willingness to pitch in, makes her an excellent addition to our office. She started working with us in 2018.
VICKI ALAMILLO - Accounts Receivable, Service Coordinator, and Secretary. Vicki earned an Associate of Science degree in Human Resources from Mt. San Antonio College in 1990. She worked 20 years in Human Resources and Accounting for a large corporation, and 10 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Her years of experience quickly added even more professionalism and thoughtfulness to our office activities. She started working with us in 2019.
NOAH HOLMBERG - NIST traceable Calibration Technician. His years of experience working alongside his Dad, a contractor, building computers, and building bicycles, brought him to us with excellent mechanical skills. He's also learning how to weld in his spare time. He started working with us in 2020.
NAM HUA - X-ray Repair Technician (Independent Contractor): Nam has been an industrial x-ray service technician since 1987. He has been certified on Philips X-ray equipment and has a wealth of knowledge from all these years working exclusively on industrial x-ray units such as Philips, Seifert, Pantak, Gemini, Faxitron, Gulmay, Comet, Balteau, Sperry, Andrex, Lorad, Fein Focus, and Yxlon x-ray equipment.
LEONARD GARCIA, JR. - Retired in 2010: Lenny started his NDT career in 1963, working for General Inspection Labs. and later at Cedtech Labs., as a Level II inspector in X-ray, Magnetic Particle and Fluorescent Dye Penetrant Inspections. He served our country during the Vietnam wartime, stationed in Germany with the Army. He was a founding owner of Cedillos Testing with Art Cedillos, then left to help with sales and service at URESCO, Inc. and later moved on to WMW Associates as a sales and service associate. During this time he earned an Associate of Science degree in Quality Control from Rio Hondo College, with a minor in Business Administration. In 1979 he founded LEONARD GARCIA ENTERPRISES (LGE) which was the largest industrial x-ray film processor service company in Southern California. In 1996, LGE was bought by Universal NDT, and they moved into the LGE offices in Upland. In 2004 he was recognized in 2004 as being part of Three Generations of one Family to serve as a Chairman for the Greater Los Angeles Section of the ASNT, and in 2018, he was recognized for his 50 years membership in ASNT. His many years of experience in the NDT industry as both an inspector and mostly as a sales and service professional, make him an indispensable owner of the corporation.
LEONARD GARCIA, SR. - Died on Jan. 13, 2005 at the age of 85. Leonard started his NDT career in 1938 at Ansco Films (the American arm of Agfa, which later merged with GAF), then in 1942 moved on to Ferro-Spec Labs. where he became the Magnetic Particle and Fluorescent Dye Penetrant manager. During his stretch at Ferro-Spec he got drafted by the Army during World War II and was stationed in Japan. In 1961 he ventured out with 2 colleagues to establish URESCO, Inc. a company originally founded to be a 3rd party auditing firm for Douglas Aircraft Co., but soon became a premier manufacturer, distributor, repair, and calibration provider of Fluorescent Dye Penetrant Inspection Systems, Magnetic Particle Units, Industrial X-ray Units, and Ultrasonic equipment. In 1980, URESCO was bought by Ardrox, and he once again ventured out with a colleague to establish Universal NDT, Inc. in 1983. Leonard brought the Tri-Con Wash Gun into the industry, after seeing it being used at a Gardening Supply / Nursery Store. He and a bunch of other old timers, sat around drinking in a hotel room during an ASNT conference and 'established the minimum dwell times' that are now penetrant inspection standards. He taught many NDT classes in both English and Spanish, helped establish the Materials Science Dept. at Don Bosco Technical Institute in 1956, was on the advisory committee that helped establish a curriculum in NDT at Cerritos College in 1978, he was elected a Fellow of the ASNT in 1974, served as a National Director from 1975-1978, served on many of the National organizing committees for ASNT, was recognized in 2004 as being part of Three Generations of one Family to serve as a Chairman for the Greater Los Angeles Section of the ASNT, posthumously received the ASNT Mentoring Award in 2005, and in 2019 was included in the first class of Tree of Knowledge Honorees for the Memorial Installation at ASNT's International Service Center. His contribution to NDT is well documented in the hearts and minds of the many friends, colleagues, customers and students that will always hold him in such high regard.
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