the fastcut team
meet the guys that made your table
FastCut CNC was started as a family business; we all take pride in and are proud of what we do. We consider our customers part of that family. And our staff… they’re family, too. They’re committed to our vision and superior product quality. And we’re committed to them. Which is why we have an extremely low turnover rate.
RUSSEL GALLUP
Russel joined the family business in 2003 with a vision to build his father’s small company into a thriving and profitable business. He’s worked tirelessly to ensure that FastCut continues to deliver a standard of excellence that surpasses all competition. His proactive, entrepreneurial spirit was cultivated early at age 6 when he began helping his dad restore and sell old pedal bikes to finance his first dirt bike. Never one to shy away from getting his hands dirty, Russel started working on the oil rigs at 18, then ran a chainsaw on production operations in the logging industry. He has worked as a pipeliner in Northern Alberta and installed snow making equipment across North America, most notably at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. In fact, Russel’s wanderlust takes him all over the globe, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, France, Italy and South Africa. He is also a dedicated father whose son is the light of his life. Together they enjoy camping, fishing and dirt biking, snowboarding, wake surfing and troublemaking. Naturally skilled and a true jack-of-all trades, Russel is also a ticketed welder and experienced fabricator. Smart, funny and down to earth, Russel is FastCut’s passionate leader who genuinely cares about his team (the ‘family’), taking extreme pride in the work that they do together.
STEVE MELOCHE
Steve is the welder/fabricator at FastCut CNC, though his responsibilities don’t end at depositing metal. Whether it’s building tables, cutting surfaces, and any other welded components, Steve also has a hand in shop production flow, table operation, troubleshooting, and testing new product. Steve finished his Welding Level C in 2012 and continued to work at Fountain Tire retread in Kamloops BC. After learning every piece of equipment in the retread plant, Steve sought a more appropriate career, and started at FastCut CNC in January of 2013. Steve embraces the changes needed to keep FastCut CNC on the forefront of plasma technology. In his free time, Steve plays rugby with the Kamloops Raiders rugby club, and had a key role in their 2018 Div2 BC championship. Steve also enjoys building and selling gas and electric powered RC cars, trucks, and planes, working on, and customizing cars, playing the bass guitar, and shooting pool.
TAMIE YURKIW
Tamie is a wiring technician at FastCut CNC, where she provides the manufacturing and assembly of electrical wiring components. Tamie came to FastCut CNC in 2015 after raising her four children and owning her own successful business. Extremely organized and a hard-worker, Tamie is well suited for building and testing the wiring components for all of FastCut CNC’s plasma tables. And as the only female at FastCut, Tamie has earned the title of shop mom, and enjoys taking good care of the crew. Outside of work, Tamie can be found spending time with her family camping, fishing and anything else that takes her outdoors
TYRONE MCMASTER
Tyrone is a Mechanical Engineering Technologist at FastCut CNC, where Tyrone provides computeraided design and drafting (CAD), implements workflow and manufacturing processes, and is involved in new product development. Tyrone received his Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma from NAIT in 2013 and proceeded to work in the oil and gas industry for 4 years. In search of a new and exciting career, Tyrone joined FastCut in April of 2017. Possessing a keen eye for detail and a meticulous approach to his work, Tyrone has enjoyed the challenges and rewards of working with the exceptional people at FastCut to deliver the best CNC plasma machines possible. When not at work, Tyrone enjoys playing guitar, target shooting, and exploring the great outdoors with his girlfriend and their dog.
ANDY WILLIAMS
Andy is a CNC machinist at FastCut CNC and is responsible for in-house design and manufacture of components for FastCut’s range of CNC plasma cutting tables. Andy emigrated to Canada in 1992, having worked for 23 years as a CNC machinist in the aerospace industry in England. When not working, Andy can be found pursuing his hobby of building and running radio-controlled monster trucks. Andy also has a passion for craft beers and single malt whiskies from around the world.