When John C. Vecchi began his manufacturing career at Allegheny Ludlum Steel in Brackenridge nearly 80 years ago, he made history.
While serving as a tool-and-die apprentice, Vecchi helped build the world’s first carbide progressive die, an integral part of a process in which coiled metal is used to produce everyday, common parts.
In other words, he made everything from coins, to the tops and bottoms of batteries to the bottom of a light bulb.
It became the basis for Vecchi’s understanding of the industry. By 1974, he had founded his own company, J.V. Manufacturing in Harrison.
John C. Vecchi, of Harrison, died Dec. 27 at Concordia at Fox Chapel. He was 96.
After a 25-year stint at Oberg Manufacturing, Vecchi was ready to start his own business and founded J.V. Manufacturing with Sam Gruber. There they designed and manufactured carbide stamping dies.
Vecchi was president of the company from 1974 through 2009, when he retired.
“He always told us over those years ‘only by doing a good job today will we earn the right to do another job tomorrow,’” said his son Alan Vecchi who took over for his father as president of J.V. Manufacturing.
“Another one of his sayings was ‘if you’re going to (mess) something up, don’t take all day to do it,’” said Alan Vecchi.
The company expanded to the point where there are now two facilities in Natrona Heights that employ 110 workers.
But John C. Vecchi was more than the founder of a successful company. In 1980, when he moved his company to its current location on Burtner Road, he fixed up the abandoned Burtner Cemetery next to the property.
“The cemetery was just a mess,” said Vecchi’s youngest son Jim, a photographer and videographer in Pittsburgh.
“Through their own time and effort and paying other people, they cleaned it up because they felt it shouldn’t look like an eyesore. They did a lot of little things like that.”
Jim Vecchi said his father, a lifelong Pirates fan, had a very positive outlook on life.
“He didn’t dwell on what might go wrong,” said Jim Vecchi. “He was always looking at how things could work. And that was a great gift to everyone around him. My father always made me feel like I was capable and able and that I could do anything. It’s hard to get a better gift than that.”
Survivors include his children, John M. (Valerie) Vecchi, of Buffalo Township, Alan M. (Karen) Vecchi of Fawn Township, and James A. Vecchi, of Pittsburgh; grandchildren Jeremy (Sarah), Ryan (Melissa), Joshua and Katherine Vecchi.
He was proceeded in death by his wife, Amelia C. (Rocchietta) Vecchi, in 2015; brothers, Mario, Dario J. and Bruno Vecchi; and sister, Jean D’Eramo.
Visitation and funeral services were private.
