An Interview with Tammy Frazier, American Data Plates Inc CEO: ‘With the Technical Capability and Highly Skilled Staff, We always Produce Parts that are Unsurpassed in their Performance, Durability, and High Quality’

“Our customers rely on our professionalism, superior quality products, and promptness.”

American Data Plates Inc manufactures data and nameplates for defense, aerospace, transportation, medical, and energy industries.

The company is based in Palmdale, California.

Tammy Frazier, American Data Plates Inc CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Q. Explain your services in brief.

American Data Plates, Inc. specializes in providing data plates, nameplates, and labels for aerospace. We pride ourselves on producing the best quality products with raw materials for our customers. With our facility of versatile equipment, products delivered by us are manufactured with a zero-tolerance rejection level from the drawings to the finished product. With the technical capability and highly skilled staff, we always produce parts that are unsurpassed in their performance, durability, and high quality. Our customers rely on our professionalism, superior quality products, and promptness. We have delivered exceptional quality beyond expectations for over 26 years now. We handle your needs with our most diverse manufacturing line, skilled, and knowledgeable staff to ensure your product is completed with strategic precision.

Q. What motivated you to reinvent the industry you are in? And what are the challenges addressed by your products/services?

I believe resuscitating any industry is a great way of recognizing its full potential. Learning about the unexplored areas paves the way for reinvention, in other words.

That said, we have been slowly making our way into the new century and producing more efficiently that it not only helps us as a producer but also our customers. We make sure everything is up to date; in particular, the temperatures are at a safe number considering we store our materials and chemicals to a certain degree. Ensuring we check all of our materials every day is vital to make a product that is worth buying.

Q. Labels make it easy for bar code scanners and computers to recognize the product item and vendor name. But when a label is damaged or non-existent, it poses problems. How do you address this issue?

The labels/data plates are made according to the drawings our customers share with us. Then our graphic artists take care of the artwork followed by the thorough check-up carried out by the management. Only then do we proceed to produce the part. Some customers share what would go on the plate; in this situation, we simply recreate it from scratch and send it to them for approval.

Q. Developing high-quality products/services needs the support of high-level talent and dedication. How did you manage to form your dream team?

I took over this business with my partner to ensure this place takes off and leads up to its potential. Having our already skilled employees is a plus and making sure our new ones have the training that is needed for the job. Good communication is a must for effectiveness in our workplace so everyone clearly articulates their message to other team members. Being able to trust one another gives confidence, which further bats for meeting advance team objectives. Having a good attitude and commitment helps to minimize dissatisfaction among our team members. You can't be serious all of the time either. Always make sure you give positive reinforcement throughout the day for each employee.

Q. What other CEOs do you look up to? Why?

I look up to all of the lady CEOs out there. Sometimes, it's not easy for them to lead a business considering several factors. We as women are very busy; running a household, taking care of family, and working a day-to-day job. I believe being a woman CEO has a positive impact on any community. Unfortunately, there aren’t many women CEOs in the world, so to make it this far to lead a business is a great accomplishment for any woman. Becoming a CEO shows that we can handle things as good as men, if not better!

Q. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting, what would it be?

My advice would be to always go with your gut instinct and always stay humble. Take charge and own your development. To see yourself as a leader isn't easy at first and then you get comfortable and know your worth. It gives you more confidence to do your job and be better at it every day. Being prepared to deal with the everyday walk of life and handle it professionally. Just do it and do your best. We all make mistakes but we can all learn from them and get better at whatever it is. Don't let anyone push you around just because they are weak. Last but not least, take time for yourself. You can't take care of anything or anyone else if you’re not doing well.

Q. What do you think is the most memorable moment in your career?

The most memorable moment in my career is signing on the dotted line with my partner (on my birthday) and officially taking over the company. I have never owned a company before so it was a little scary. It took a while to get everything situated and get comfortable in this role. We have owned it for a year now and it has been a lot of new experiences. It’s exciting and a little nerve-racking because you don't want to step on anyone's toes but you know it's for the better of the company. It was a feeling of a great accomplishment to get this far and know that I can handle all of this and bring it to new heights. To be able to show everyone how far I have come from where I began will help women all around.

Q. Tammy Frazier, a Formidable Entrepreneur: In Her Own Words

I grew up in the small town of Rosamond, California. We didn't have much but we always made it work. I always performed well in school until I fell in with the wrong crowd. I was homeschooled for a few years and went back to having good grades. I graduated when I was 16 and went off on my own. I had planned on going to college but that fell through when I got into drugs. I was arrested and went to jail after a few years and that was the scariest moment of my life. I overturned my life when I found out I was pregnant with my beautiful son. I have been sober since and started working at American Data Plates, Inc. when he was five.

I started from the bottom and worked my way up to office manager. After a few years, I have taken over the business with my partner. We have since built it up and plan to keep building it up.

“We handle your needs with our most diverse manufacturing line, skilled, and knowledgeable staff to ensure your product is completed with strategic precision.”