Gene Tompkins

Gene Tompkins spent more than five decades perfecting the art of sanitary and mechanical fabrication. His career began in an era when every weld was laid by hand and every fitting was measured by eye — a discipline that forged an uncompromising standard of quality that he passed on to everyone around him.

Gene's expertise spanned the full range of food and beverage processing systems: dairy lines, juice and water processing, CIP (clean-in-place) systems, pasteurizers, custom tanks, and process piping. He became known throughout Southern California as the craftsman other fabricators called when a job demanded perfection.

Beyond his technical skill, Gene was a teacher. He believed that knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied, and he mentored dozens of welders and fabricators over his career — instilling in each of them the same pride in workmanship that defined his own work.

When his son John founded So-Cal Fab & Supply in 2004, Gene's influence was the invisible backbone of the company. His standards became the company's standards. His methods became the company's methods. The 100+ years of collective experience So-Cal Fab brings to every project begins with Gene.