The company has many clients in the ag sector, and also produces aftermarket parts for the automotive industry. Photo by Frank Lopez

A women-owned manufacturer in Fresno is in expansion mode with a new building and equipment to help meet demand.

Fast Trak Metal Fabrication in Fresno provides services for pre-production and engineering laser cutting, CNC press brake forming, assembly and welding.

The company was founded in 2009 with only laser cutting, diversifying its offerings over the years to become a full-service contract manufacturer.

Today, the business is run by CEO and Owner Ferol Garcia. Co-Owner Blake Casares is Garcia’s sister. Blake’s husband Eric Casares is chief operating officer.

Fast Trak Metal Fabrication specializes in flat laser cutting of sheet metal and plate metal using mainly carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

The company processes about 1 million pounds of aluminum and stainless steel each year, Garcia said.

They recently expanded their services with tube laser cutting.

“We couldn’t do that before, so we are excited about that, and we have been really promoting that since we got a new machine in December,” Garcia said.

A new building went up in early 2024, doubling its original footprint from 26,000 to 52,000 square feet. The facility on Marks and Dakota avenues sits on 3 acres of land.

The new building had the tube laser cutter installed last December and still has plenty of free space to expand into, Garcia said.

Garcia comes from a background of manufacturing, with her grandfather and father having their own manufacturing companies. Her father helped with capital when Fast Trak first started out.

Laser cutting technology has evolved to the point where machines went from being able to cut through an eight inch of steel to 1 ½ inches. It has become the primary way manufacturers cut and fabricate sheet metal.

Getting workers up to speed is easier these days, thanks to technology.

“Training is always a factor, but they are trying to make all these machines, whether a laser or press brake, very intuitive — like a smart phone,” Garcia said.

One reason the machines are growing more automated and intuitive is because the labor pipeline in the manufacturing field has thinned out, she said.

More people are choosing to go to college than pursuing careers in the trades, she added. More experience workers are retiring, so equipment makers are trying to build machines that are easy to operate.

One of the laser cutters they have in the shop costs about $750,000, with their newest laser coming with a price tag of more than $1 million dollars.

Garcia said it is time consuming to find job candidates. Through a partnership with Career Nexus, which works to match young people with jobs, candidates are filtered and sent on for interviews.

Partnerships with such organizations open a pipeline to local schools and technical programs, and has been a key to finding talent, she said.

She said Fast Trak is a lean shop with only 10 employees, so it’s important for workers to be cross-trained.

The company has a sweet spot, serving clients that have production parts, but not enough to do it themselves in house. Many customers are in the ag sector, for original builds or replacement parts, as well as aftermarket parts for the automotive industry.

They also make parts for things such as wheelchairs and guitars.

Garcia said they are always on the lookout for manufacturing tax credits, and while California regulations may make it difficult for some businesses, there are advantages in the state with different methods for depreciation or with equipment services.

Investment made into machinery is an integral part that helps manufacturers grow, she said.

“Our capacity is there to do so much more, and I’m really hopeful that with our new machine, and with the good work that we do, we are pushed to our limits on production and what we could do for our customers,” Garcia.

She said they are in it for the long haul, with a long view vision for the business’s future.