Vartan Akrabian purchased RJ Enterprises in 2000. In that time, he has transformed RJ from a legacy widget maker into a leader in 5th axis machining. The new Okuma M560V 5 Axis was running its first production run on the day of our visit. Based on that smile Vartan is clearly a fan.
Vartan Akrabian purchased RJ Enterprises in 2000. The 400sq.ft. space in Gardena, Ca. came equipped with an old beat-up CNC mill and an older CNC lathe. Vartan’s father-in-law knew the owner wanted to retire and saw potential in the small operation. “I spent 22k for RJ Enterprises and probably over paid,” explains RJ’s CEO Vartan Akrabian. “The original owner had only customer, Raytheon. That’s it. The only parts being made were ancient legacy widgets. When I bought RJ I had no CNC experience, only semi manufacturing involvement in software and electronics. I came in on the first day, turned on the compressor, and flipped on the switch for the mill. It went up, made a whoo whooooo noise and died.” Some might see that as an omen, but Vartan took it as a challenge. “That was my first day,” chuckles Vartan. “Thankfully I had a few connections and was able to get the machine fixed and add a customer or two. My father-in-law and his friend were my first employees and they worked for free. I remember they had these competitions on who could make more parts in the day. These guys were nuts. They wouldn’t go to the bathroom or stop for lunch just to beat each other in production. All while not getting paid. That first year was interesting to say the least.”
As an AS9100 and ISO9001 certified supplier RJ Enterprises has a well-equipped quality lab full of brands like Keyence, Mitutoyo and Renishaw.
Soon after taking over RJ, an opportunity arose in the form of powder metal. “I did a little tooling work for a buddy Craig Pollen, and he had a powder metal company,” tells Vartan. “Powder metal is an old, but proven technology. It’s everywhere in engines, cars, locks, tools and industrial type uses. Basically, you control the metal properties, and it is cold pressed into a shape. It is a cheap way to make parts, and he needed someone who could put the finishing touches on things like drilling, tapping, and minor machining. Simple low-cost stuff, but high volume. I landed him as my first long term contract, and we were set for thousands and thousands of parts. It was enough for me to upgrade my equipment and move into a 1000sq.ft. building. In 2006 I bought the building we are in now. It is 6000sq.ft and I never thought we would fill it. At that time, we were 90% invested in powder metal work. The 2008 economic crash hit and it nearly killed me. Eighty percent of my business went away overnight. I wasn’t taking a paycheck so I could keep my employees. I didn’t know what we were going to do. I called in favors, reached out to everyone I knew, and generally went into survival sales mode. It was a lesson learned, and I made a big shift in my business model. Today we are diversified. No one industry controls more than 10-20% of my business at any time. I sleep better, and I’ve been able to grow RJ thanks to more advanced industries. We still have powder metal jobs, but we are deep into aerospace, defense, musical instruments, commercial, industrial, food, art, space, lawn and garden, you name it. We earned our AS9100, ISO9001 certifications and are ITAR registered, and we haven’t looked back.”
The last few years have been prosperous at RJ Enterprises, allowing Vartan the luxury of buying the right tools for the right job. “Lately every customer wants complex, ultra tight tolerance, 5 axis parts,” touts Vartan. “Quantities range from 20 a year to 200,000. Sizing is all over the place too. I’ve been able to win bids and subsequently make large capital investments to support the work. Initially I get a machine for a certain job, run the ROI on it, and then look at how we can sell spindle time after that job is delivered. To keep up with demand I’ve added three Okuma 5 axis mills and two DMG Mori NLX mill-turns, all in the last year.”
With nearly 24 CNC milling and turning centers RJ Enterprises’ Gardena, Ca. facility is packed in tight. A new 20,000sq.ft. building is coming online in 2026.
RJ’s Gardena location is wall to wall CNC. With mills and lathes packed in tight, it’s a mixture of different brands and different sizes. With very little room to expand, Vartan opened a second location in nearby Arleta, Ca. out of pure necessity. It is 8000 more square footage and has 6 machines and 4 employees. Arleta is considered his advanced manufacturing center specializing in 5 axis milling and complicated mill-turn parts. Most of Vartan’s newest machines reside there like the Okuma M460 5 axis, and the big Okuma MU5000 5 axis. It also houses a Matsuura MX 520 PC4 5 axis, a DMG Mori NLX2500 SY and a NLX 1500 SY mill-turn. “Our most complex parts are being done in Arleta,” tells Vartan. “I like the Okuma mills. I chose them because of how they are built, and the service I get during and after the sale from their distributor Gosiger. Nothing against other brands, but the Okuma construction impresses me. The weight of the casting, the lack of vibration, and I like the gantry style 5th axis. The X moves, the Z moves and the bottom is separate. The MU5000 is a beast of a machine tool. All our big parts get run on it. It has a work envelope of 700mmx500mm and some of our parts use up all the space. With a highly rigid double-column structure and low center of gravity trunnion table there is nothing this thing can’t machine. We punish it with super alloys and heat-treated parts all day / every day, and it just wants more. The M460 is a compact, high-precision 5-axis vertical machining center designed for shops like mine that need versatility and productivity in a small footprint. Full 5-axis simultaneous machining ensures excellent accuracy and Okuma’s thermal stability design keeps performance consistent throughout long runs.” Vartan liked the 460 so much that he just installed an Okuma M560V 5 Axis at the Gardena location. It was running its first parts when CNC West Magazine was on site for the interview. “I added the 560 here because I wanted it close to me,” jokes Vartan. “I sold a couple older machines to make room, and right now it is running a highly complex 5 axis aerospace item. It is a little bigger than our 460 and offers us a tad better flexibility because of its size. This particular job is a good quantity and each part has a run time of about 3 hours, so it will earn its keep very quickly.”
The Arleta, Ca. building is home to his most advanced machining centers like this DMG Mori NLX2500 SY. There is also a DMG Mori NLX1500 SY. Dropping finished parts is a big part of Vartan’s vision for RJ’s future.
All the reasons Vartan likes the Okuma mills are the same reasons he chose DMG Mori when it came to mill-turns. “The DMG Mori NLX line is engineered and built for precision and productivity,” adds Vartan. “Both machines are super adaptable and can handle anything we throw at them. The SY model comes with a sub spindle for complete part machining. The integrated BMT turret and high-speed driven tool spindle improve milling performance and deliver a fantastic surface finish. Both our 2500 and 1500 have bar feeders and run for hours unattended, just churning out finished part after finished part.”
Vartan used to believe he didn’t need fancy multi-axis machines to do a good job. But ask him now and he’s changed his tune. “The next five years for us will be about automation, robotics, and lights out operations,” explains Vartan. “I own a Swiss turning house in Tennessee with 40+ Citizen Swiss screw machines. They practically run 24 hours a day with very little human interaction. Bar goes in and finished parts are dropped. I want that here too. I wasn’t always in the position to buy the machine I wanted or even the machine I needed. In the early days I was stubborn and would run a widget in 5 ops if I had to. It inspired creativity from me and my team. We made great parts, but not always in the most efficient way. We’re all better machinists for it, but now the jobs are getting so complex, the competition is close, that any small advantage you have are worth the cost. I’ve got a new building coming online hopefully by fall of 26. We will consolidate everything into a single location and to be honest with you not everything will be making the trip. I love our fleet of dual pallet Brother Speedio R450X1 mills, and our Takisawa TCC-2000 and TCC-1000 are worth their weight in gold. The Doosans, the Matsuura, and the Kitamuras are all probably on the keep list, but regardless of the brand any basic 3 axis vertical will probably be sold and replaced with a 5 axis.”
Vartan claims he is a dull guy. He doesn’t gamble, doesn’t drink, he invests everything into his family and in his businesses. He might be confusing dull with humble because there is nothing dull about RJ Enterprises. “Serving the industries that we do it is easy to see why I take pride in our work,” concludes Vartan. “But for me, one of the best parts I get to talk about is making a dryer for French fries. Try and explain to the layperson what CNC machining is and see the blank look on their faces. They don’t know how many widgets go on a satellite, but everyone in California loves In-N-Out Burger. We make a few different things for them, but any time I say I help make their fries crispy it always brings a smile. We’ve come a long way over the last 26 years and I’m excited to see what the next few will bring.”
The Okuma MU5000 is a RJ Enterprises’ largest 5 axis milling center. It has a work envelope of 700mmx500mm, and they use all of it running large heat treated and super alloy 5 axis parts.