John's Journey
Every great company is built on the dedication and growth of its people. This month, we’re proud to spotlight John Culbert, whose career journey reflects a deep commitment to craftsmanship and leadership.
John began his professional path in Michigan at a manufacturer of carbide cutting tools and wear parts. Starting as a form grinder, he steadily advanced to a supervisory role, managing a team of four. His early hands-on experience in precision manufacturing laid a strong foundation for the technical expertise that would define his career.
From there, John transitioned to a company specializing in bar and restaurant equipment, where he operated a 110-ton press brake before moving on to the advanced P4 panel bender. This role sparked his interest in programming and automation, leading him to complete G-code training to effectively operate and program complex machinery.
Driven to expand his skill set, John later began designing custom equipment using SolidWorks, eventually earning certification in the software. His growing proficiency in design and process development naturally led him to the quality department, where he focused on writing and maintaining work instructions, conducting quality inspections, and partnering with vendors to resolve technical challenges.
His career path took him to Arizona, where he joined InterLnX as an electronic assembler. Demonstrating both initiative and leadership, John quickly moved from a level I assembler to level II, and then to cell lead. Along the way, he earned his CIT certification, enabling him to train staff to IPC-A-620 standards.
Today, John serves as Operations Manager, overseeing all aspects of production, shipping, and receiving. In this role, he ensures seamless daily operations, coordinates cross-departmental efforts, drives continuous improvement initiatives to align with company goals all while upholding the highest standards of product quality and team performance.
When asked what he values most about InterLnX, John highlights the company’s family-oriented culture.
“I appreciate working in an environment where employees are valued as individuals,” he says. “That sense of respect and teamwork is what makes this company special.”
With his blend of hands-on experience, technical expertise, and leadership, John continues to be an integral part of InterLnX’s success, helping drive excellence at every level of operations.
Meet Our Newest 3D Printer
Bringing the new Bambu Lab H2D in-house is a big step forward for us. Together with our X1 Carbon, it gives our team greater speed and flexibility to prototype and refine designs. We've printed countless tools and gadgets to improve various processes and cut down lead times. This new printer is optimizing multiple aspects of our workflow, from build time efficiency to general organization and 6s improvements, which leads to even quicker turnaround for our customers.
Our team continues to find creative ways for continual improvement through 3D printing. One recent example is our new custom crimper storage system. We designed and printed modular trays that interlock with each other. Each crimper has a clearly labeled home, making it easy to find the right tool and know exactly where it goes when the job’s done. Because the trays lock together, they can be rearranged or moved to any shelf as our tool inventory grows. We’ve also implemented foam shadowboards with cutouts for 3D-printed specialty tools, keeping everything neatly organized and easy to account for during builds. Another small but effective upgrade: we printed box-style holders for consumables used in epoxy work. These holders keep all the necessary items stored right at the point of use, so instead of gathering supplies from multiple stations, team members can grab what they need and get right to work. These simple, low-cost improvements save time and reduce clutter to better our workspaces.
Here's a video showing off a few recent time-lapsed print jobs.
CMMC Level 1 Accomplished
After nearly a decade of warnings, Nov. 10 marks the official start of mandatory compliance with federal cybersecurity standards for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, defense contractors must now meet specific certification levels tied to new contracts: ▶ Level 1 (Starting Now): Requires self-certification for 15 basic cyber hygiene controls from NIST SP 800-171. ▶ Level 2 (By Nov. 10, 2026): Requires a third-party assessment verifying compliance with all 110 controls. ▶ Level 3 (By Nov. 10, 2027): Introduces advanced certification, often assessed by the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center. While the standard (NIST SP 800-171) has existed for years, the enforcement begins now, meaning defense contractors must prove compliance or risk losing eligibility for future contracts. InterLnX began its CMMC compliance journey at the beginning of 2024 and we're proud to announce we have completed our level 1 attestation and are well on track for completing level 2 certification next year. We’re not dragging our feet. Cybersecurity requirements in the defense industry are tightening fast, and we want to be ready, not just for compliance, but because it’s the right thing to do for our customers, our partners, and our own business.