Andrew Adams

Founder & CEO, LightsOut CNC · Los Angeles South Bay

Andrew Adams is the founder and CEO of LightsOut CNC, an automated 5-axis machine shop opening in November 2026 in the Los Angeles South Bay. The shop is built to run lights-out: machines keep cutting overnight, without a crew on the floor.

Background

Andrew has 20 years of experience as an SBA business development officer and commercial lender. In that work, he helped small businesses, including manufacturers, get financing through SBA and bank loan programs.

His interest in CNC machining started before banking. Before finishing college, he worked at a CNC furniture manufacturing plant. He received raw materials, loaded machines, helped with setups, and ran CNC cutting and grinding equipment. He chose banking as the steadier path, but machining stayed with him. In 2026, he founded LightsOut CNC to build the kind of shop he wanted to see: automated, software-driven, and built for aerospace and defense work.

What he writes about

• Financing a machine shop, including SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and ROBS
• ITAR, CMMC, and other compliance rules for small defense suppliers
• Materials and machining basics for engineers and buyers
• Lights-out, automated production

Articles

• How to Finance a Machine Shop: SBA 7(a), SBA 504, and ROBS
• CMMC and ITAR for Small Machine Shops: What You Actually Need in 2026
• 6061 vs. 7075 vs. MIC-6: Choosing Aluminum for Machined Parts
• Aerospace CNC Requirements: A Buyer's Checklist
• 5-Axis vs. 3+2: What the Difference Actually Means for Your Part
• How Lights-Out Machining Reduces Lead Times

Connect

Andrew on LinkedIn · About LightsOut CNC · Upload a part for a quote