After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2007, Nick Vettraino spurned the family business, packed up his freshly minted psychology degree, and moved to Connecticut, where he took a job with ESPN.
After two years of compiling statistics and information for sports broadcasts, the 24-year-old became homesick and decided to move back to metro Detroit.
“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do,” he says.
The family business, KLA Laboratories Inc. in Dearborn, was an option he hadn’t explored. His uncle, Matt O’Bryan, is the president, CEO, and second-generation owner of the 95-year-old company.
KLA integrates advanced technology solutions for wireless networks, DAS, IT networks, A/V technologies, network cabling, and audio/visual productions. From its headquarters in Dearborn and offices in Las Vegas and Irvine, Calif., the company services customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Local clients include Comerica Park, Ford Field, and Little Caesars Arena.
“My uncle said, ‘Why don’t you come over and see what we’re about?’ So I started off in the warehouse, learning the business from there — organizing, cleaning, getting material out to job sites, (and) scheduling installation teams,” Vettraino recalls. “I think it was a broad way for my uncle to share all the different aspects of the company and just see what I could do with it.”
One year later, in 2011, Vettraino was promoted to operations manager. In 2015, he coordinated the opening of the company’s new technical engineering center, which doubled KLA’s capacity.
Vettraino is also credited with leading the digital transformation of many of the company’s operational disciplines including purchasing, labor scheduling, travel, expenses, and field project management.
During COVID-19, he directed the switch to working from home, the company’s response action, safety protocols, and coordinating the field team for critical infrastructure workers. In 2020 he was promoted to executive director of operations, planning, and strategy. Last May, he was named vice president of operations.
Even as he was moving up the corporate ladder, Vettraino found time for another passion: football. For 14 years, he was a defensive line coach for the Brother Rice High School football team; during that period, the Warriors won three consecutive state titles. He stepped back from football after last season to spend more time with his 7-year-old son, Felix.
Vettraino, who played defensive end in high school, says he never lost the urge to be part of the game. “I like being part of the team, and I miss that competition aspect. (I enjoy) … working together with other people on something that I like doing — whether it’s at work or outside of it,” he says. “Those are real drives for me. I really like the Xs and Os of football, trying to figure out what other teams are doing, and seeing what we can do to beat them.”
The post 30 In Their Thirties: Nick Vettraino, Vice President, Operations, KLA Laboratories Inc., Dearborn appeared first on DBusiness Magazine .
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