Joe Silvestro is proof that high school robotics clubs can prepare students for future careers. He graduated from Southold High School in 2020, “a crazy time,” he said, to be stepping out into the real world. Two semesters at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in upstate Oneida soon helped him realize that college wasn’t for him, and he went to work for the Mills Canvas company in Greenport.
Now, five years later, Mr. Silvestro is a founding partner in a company called Talos 3D Fabrication in Southampton, which uses CNC machine technology to create cabinets, countertops, wine cellars, custom tables and other furniture, bathroom vanities, and many other types of custom-made elements for the home or business. He’s using the skills he learned in high school every day at work.
“I didn’t just want to have a job somewhere,” he said. “I wanted to be entrepreneurial.”
In March, the business marked its first full year in operation. Mr. Silvestro’s main partner in Talos 3D Fabrication is Ron Fisher, owner of Fisher Signs and Shirts on County Road 39 in Southampton. With Mr. Fisher’s skill on the numbers and logistics side of business, and Mr. Silvestro’s talent in the engineering and manufacturing aspects, the company is thriving.
“He understands technology,” Mr. Fisher said of his business partner. “This is an emerging field. He’s married the available technology with basic, old-school carpentry and added machine precision. . . . He is creating the evolution in the field. This is exciting. It’s technology that wasn’t available out here 10 years ago.”
The pair had to overcome some early challenges. Initially there was an effort to acquire an existing fabrication business, but when that fell through, they decided to step out on their own. There were also some complications upgrading the electrical infrastructure of their workshop space.
“We started putting feelers out to different builders and connections,” Mr. Silvestro said. “We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to do these big jobs, but once we got the electric, it was full-bore ahead.”
Matter Hackers, a seller of CNC machines, says this technology relies on computers to shape, cut, and engrave materials including wood, metal, and plastics. CNC milling machines “are available in a wide range of sizes and configurations, from compact benchtop models to large-scale industrial units,” according to Matter Hackers. In other words, it’s a dream machine for do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike.
After high school, Mr. Silvestro — who’s just 22 years old — even built a CNC machine from scratch on his own, thanks to his robotics club background and the experience he gained while working at Mills Canvas and with his father in the carpentry business.
“It gave me the insight into finding unique ways to resolve engineering problems,” he said. “I was always tinkering with something like watches or 3-D printing.”
The partners are now so busy that they are “bursting at the seams” and searching for a larger shop space, Mr. Fisher said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
The business can be found online at talos3dfab.com.
“If you can dream it in the world of furniture, millwork, and woodwork, we will bring it to life in three dimensions,” Mr. Fisher said.