Manufacturing Happy Hour
Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers.
Hosted by industry veteran Chris Luecke, each week, we interview makers, founders, and other manufacturing leaders that are at the top of their game and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. We go beyond the buzzwords and dissect real-life applications and success stories so that you can tackle your biggest manufacturing challenges and turn them into profitable opportunities.
Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
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241: How NVIDIA and AI Agents Are Transforming Industrial Automation with Alvin Clark
We’re seeing a huge leap in potential when it comes to what AI can accomplish in industrial settings. Not only can it catch errors, it can provide intelligent insights to prevent them in the first place, reduce waste, save costs, and improve processes.
Recorded live from Automate 2025, we sat down with Alvin Clark, Senior AI Engineer at NVIDIA, to discuss AI agents in manufacturing and how they’re reshaping industrial inspections. We hear about all the different use cases of AI agents, including error detection and understanding the root cause of errors, saving costs, and even supplying training data to patch the gaps in “tribal knowledge” of manufacturing processes.
You’ll hear real examples of how AI agents have saved costs and reduced errors drastically when monitoring SOPs and how they can provide multimodal maintenance assistance. Alvin also takes us through how NVIDIA’s Metropolis works at helping developers create visual AI agents and why the next few years will see visual AI inspections take off in manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- Alvin shares his background in the AI space and why he saw potential in AI earlier than most
- Why 2012 was the real AI boom and how we saw a shift from the algorithm being king to data being king
- Alvin’s explanation for what an AI agent does in four stages
- How AI agents are evolving beyond capturing data to providing intelligence in industrial settings
- How vision inspection can perform not only real time error detection but also real time failure analysis
- Use cases for AI agents and examples of how Alvin has seen them most successful
- How AI agents could also address the skills gap and replace the multimodal “tribal knowledge” we’ll lose when people start retiring
- Alvin breaks down how Metropolis works to help developers build visual AI agents
- How simulation, training and data transform what AI agents can accomplish
- Alvin’s perspective on where manufacturers are in their industrial AI journeys
- The role of systems integrators in leading the AI revolution
- What the next phase of AI agents will look like
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Metropolis is a combination of models and tools that are used to build what we call vision analytics. So anytime you're looking at video images and you want to extract information from that, these are the tools that can help you do that.” - Alvin Clark
- “It's not really the ability to catch the error, it's the ability to, as quickly as possible understand the genesis that caused the error.” - Alvin Clark
- ”If I had to kind of describe an AI agent, it is a collection of one or more models that can perceive, reason, and potentially plan and then execute.” - Alvin Clark
Links & mentions:
- NVIDIA Metropolis, automating physical spaces and infrastructure with interactive visual AI agents and services
- AlexNet, a convolutional neural network architecture developed for image classification tasks, like identifying a cat
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
240: How AI Agents are Revolutionizing Safety and Operations in Manufacturing with Dunchadhn Lyons of Spot AI
Imagine having a tireless teammate watching your back 24/7, never missing a beat when it comes to keeping you safe. That’s exactly what AI agents in manufacturing are capable of today.
Spot AI uses cameras and AI agents to spot safety issues, send alerts, and collect data that can improve safety training in the future. Yes, a human could do all that. But who wants to spend 8 hours a day reviewing footage? In this episode, Dunchadhn Lyons, Director of Engineering, shares a real-world example of a safety manager freeing up time and reducing safety incidents by 40%.
He joins us at Batch Brewing for our Automate afterparty, along with this episode’s co-host, Jake Hall, aka The Manufacturing Millennial.
We explore how AI agents are transforming ordinary security cameras into intelligent safety monitors that can spot forklift near-misses, missing PPE, and operational bottlenecks before they become costly problems. Plus, we chat about how these "AI teammates" can capture and preserve the invaluable knowledge of experienced workers before they retire – addressing one of manufacturing's biggest challenges. Tune in for the full story and don’t forget to subscribe!
In this episode, find out:
- Dunchadhn breaks down the basics of what an AI agent in manufacturing is and how they’re designed to make our lives easier
- How Spot AI uses cameras as “AI teammates” to monitor for potential safety issues and use data for training
- How an AI agent could be used to fill in the gaps in knowledge after people start retiring in manufacturing
- Where Dunchadhn sees the future of AI agents headed and how Spot AI could expand beyond using cameras
- The best use cases for AI agents and Spot AI’s solution in manufacturing
- Dunchadhn shares an example of one workplace where they achieved a 40% reduction in safety issues
- How manufacturers can get started with improving safety with AI and why adopting Spot AI’s solution is simpler than you might think
- How to get buy-in from a team to use cameras for safety monitoring
- How Spot AI can also help businesses make operational improvements, with one example of a company avoiding millions in lost revenue
- Where can AI agents go in the future? Dunchadhn shares his predictions for the future of AI agents in manufacturing
- The best way to get more people onboard with AI agents
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "A 40% reduction in safety incidents means that people are safer. It means you can go to work, get your job done, and you can go to your family without having a fear of ending up in the hospital for a couple of weeks."
- "AI agents can serve as training mechanisms for other new human employees so that tribal knowledge is not lost."
- "These AI teammates are really about supporting humans, making humans safer, making humans more efficient, and augmenting human abilities. There's definitely no notion of replacement or monitoring."
Links & mentions:
- Spot AI, video AI agents for the physical world
- Batch Brewing, brewery and restaurant located in Corktown, Detroit, MI
- The Manufacturing Millennial, Jake Hall’s website
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
239: How to Build a "Customer Advisory Board" and Create a Frictionless Customer Experience with Mandy Dwight (Dwight & Co.) and Anthony Leo (IPR Robotics)
Without customer buy-in, even the most innovative robotics automation products can fall flat. But the approach most manufacturers take with new products is to build them first, then get feedback. In this episode, you’ll hear how one company flipped the script and did robotics product development the other way around.
Joining this episode is Anthony Leo, President of IPR Robotics, a robotics automation company, to explain how a customer advisory board became invaluable for uncovering exactly what customers need – before they even built the product. You’ll also hear Mandy Dwight, Founder of Dwight & Company, a marketing and sales company that works with automation companies to tell and sell their story to customers.
While they come from different areas of the sales cycle, both Mandy and Anthony share great insights into how products are transformed from ideas to implemented solutions. We hear about how to avoid customer prevention and friction in the sales cycle, how larger companies can act like startups, and the secrets to selling based on value, not just technical specs.
In this episode, find out:
- We talk about all the important food places and bars in the Boston and Detroit areas our guests come from
- How Anthony and Mandy first met and decided to start working together
- Why companies need to fully support those in R&D to drive product innovation
- How IPR’s Sawyer robot brought something new to the market at the time as a two-armed humanoid robot
- The different strengths that Mandy and Anthony bring to the manufacturing and product innovation space
- The top lessons they’ve learned from their previous experiences in the industry that they still use in their roles today
- Why the most important lesson Mandy learned as a marketing business founder is to listen to customers
- The importance of telling a company’s value story and selling beyond the tech spec sheets
- Why all stakeholders in the sales cycle need to understand the value story and how that can look different for each one
- Why Anthony built an advisory board of customers to get feedback and insights before starting development
- How large companies can use startup style tactics to fast-track product innovation
- What a “customer prevention team” does to remove friction from the buying process
- Why you sometimes need to build an ecosystem of partners to reduce friction
- The secrets to a great product innovation team and why silos in a company should be avoided
- Mandy explains more about what IPR Robotics does from her perspective as a marketer
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Instead of burning a bunch of cash trying to go through development, let's go find three to five customers that we think fit in the wheelhouse of the problem we think we found and ask them if they wouldn't mind being involved in the development of the product." – Anthony
- "A lot of founders tell the technical story... But a customer wants to hear value. How is this automation going to show up in my facility and really be a game changer." – Mandy
- "People buy from people at the end of the day. Some people are willing to spend more money with people they trust and solve problems... compared to saving 10, 20% and dealing with headaches the whole way through." – Anthony
Links & mentions:
- IPR Robotics, robotics solutions provider of peripheries, robot grippers, RTUs and more
- Dwight & Company, sales and marketing company for automation innovators and industry
- Detroit “Coney Wars,” decide whether you prefer Lafayette Coney Island or American Coney Island, and don’t miss Mudgie’s Deli while you’re in The D.
- Beantown Pub, classic American pub based on the famous Freedom Trail in downtown Boston
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
238: Scaling Smart: Warehouse Automation and Calculated Growth at Startups with Adi Dalvi, VP of Sales at OSARO
How does a startup scale? It all starts with a great product that solves a real problem. And sometimes that means taking the slow and steady road to startup success.
Recorded at Trillium Brewing in Boston, we sit down with Adi Dalvi, the VP of Sales at OSARO, a company that specializes in robot piece-picking and machine learning solutions to automate warehouse tasks. With minimal marketing in the early days, OSARO managed to grow and scale operations to deliver holistic systems to solve real warehouse challenges.
The secret? Rather than rushing technology and products to market and hoping someone bites, OSARO spent years perfecting products before deploying. We hear about how its founders, with backgrounds in industry, achieved calculated growth and targeted the right customers from the beginning.
Adi shares his view on the four types of people you need on your startup team, how OSARO set 3-step criteria for finding the right customers, and Adi’s approach to getting great case studies from customers.
In this episode, find out:
- Adi gives a breakdown of what OSARO does – developing vision software and machine learning to integrate with articulating arm robots in the warehouse
- What “calculated growth” means at OSARO and the importance of taking the time to develop products before deploying
- Why Adi wouldn’t describe OSARO as a startup anymore and instead a company in early-stage growth
- Why companies shouldn’t rush to get products out when they’re still in the research project stage
- The benefits of having founders come from industry
- The three-step criteria OSARO used to pick the right customers in the beginning
- How startups can extend their runway and keep investors updated with the progress
- Adi’s method for getting customer case studies in the early negotiation stages with customers
- What four types of founder backgrounds bring to a startup and why you benefit from having them all
- How OSARO managed to achieve growth without marketing in the early days by focusing on perfecting the product
- Adi’s advice for startups just trying to get early customers so they can grow and scale successfully
- The best part about running this podcast and how things have changed since going down the entrepreneur route
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Really testing your product, making sure it's robust with actual products that you're going to pick is very important as you move from very early company to somebody that can scale."
- "They wanted to have a deployable product before they actually deployed to a customer site... You don't want to deploy a research project into your customers’ warehouses where they're actually fulfilling orders for their customers."
- "What [someone with a VC background] brings is they’ve seen a lot of competing technologies and understand what those technologies are doing well and what they're not doing well."
Links & mentions:
- OSARO, manufacturer of robot piece-picking and machine learning solutions to automate warehouse tasks
- Adi’s Pittsburgh brewery crawl, including Grist House, Dancing Gnome, Pittsburgh Brewing Co., and Cinderlands
- Row 34, seafood restaurant found in Boston’s historic Fort Point neighborhood in the renovated Boston Wharf Company’s old warehouse
- Trillium Brewing, brewing company operating across multiple locations around New England
- Joe Fenti, Boston-based standup comedian
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
237: How Higher Education Is Shaping the Future of Manufacturing with MIT's Dr. John Liu
What role does higher ed play in making sure manufacturing thrives? Universities and other higher ed hubs are playing a leading role in shaping the future of this industry. And MIT is a prime example of this, with specialist courses to help graduates and professionals get the skills they need to bring new innovations to life.
We’re joined by the Principal Investigator of MIT’s LEAP Group (Learning Engineering and Practice), Dr. John Liu. As someone deeply involved in building much-needed programs, including the MicroMasters and TechAMP, we asked for his take on manufacturing today, what we can learn from history, and higher ed’s role in revitalizing the industry.
We also talk about the hot topic of globalization and offshoring and what research says about the impact on the U.S. as an innovator economy.
In this episode, find out:
- An introduction to LEAP Group and Dr. John’s role in researching and leading programs to help the future of manufacturing leaders
- How John’s career pivoted to the manufacturing side of tech
- What people should know about MIT’s history in manufacturing, including innovative practices and technologies we still use today
- What can we learn from history that applies to manufacturing in today’s AI-driven world?
- The impact of globalization and the conclusions that an MIT report came to about its impact on an innovator economy
- How manufacturing has changed since the report was published and what John would add that’s relevant today
- What is MIT doing to help educate and drive innovation across manufacturing and tech
- Dr. John explains his involvement in the MicroMasters program as its founder
- The four principles of manufacturing that remain universal and timeless
- How MIT’s programs differ from trade or regular tech schools
- How the TechAMP program differs from MicroMasters as a program for professionals already in the industry
- Dr. John gives an overview of MIT’s collaborations with the DoD and Manufacturing USA
- The important role that higher ed plays in reindustrialization
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "If we just continue to set up walls, we'll never learn and innovate. And so how do we, instead of setting up walls, reach across walls and learn from all the innovation that's happening?"
- "We lose our ability to innovate if we produce elsewhere. Why? Because when you actually are forced to go from prototype to make a lot of these things, the design changes in all these sorts of ways... That's a whole type of innovation that is not as celebrated in our country today."
- "No matter what age, what company, you always have to be able to control four things: manufacturing processes, manufacturing systems, the supply, the people and finances. Always these four."
Links & mentions:
- The Machine That Changed the World, a book written by MIT professors about finding success in automotive manufacturing, which led to the popularity of lean manufacturing
- Making in America: From Innovation to Market, a book written by MIT scientists, engineers and social scientists about rebuilding the industrial landscape in the U.S.
- TechAMP, a 12-month program at MIT LEAP Group to bridge the gap between technicians and engineers
- MITx MicroMasters, a program to accelerate your Master’s degree at MIT
- 165: Unlocking the Full Potential of Frontline Operations, Lean Manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 with Natan Linder, a previous episode with Natan Linder of Tulip Interfaces
- Miracle of Science Bar + Grill - Cambridge, situated next to MIT is a longtime local favorite known for its laid-back vibe, standout burgers, and rotating selection of craft beers
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
236: The Power of Decisive Leadership in Modern Manufacturing with Paperless Parts' Co-Founder & CEO Jason T. Ray
Sometimes indecision costs more than a wrong decision. Making decisions is a leader’s bread and butter, but during times of uncertainty or crisis, they often become more cautious and hesitant. The danger here is getting left behind while more confident, proactive leaders charge ahead.
Jason T. Ray, Co-Founder and CEO of Paperless Parts, is a regular on Manufacturing Happy Hour, so we compare some of the insights he made when he was last on the show to what he’s seeing in the industry today.
One of the big ones was on the skills gap – or “leadership gap” as Jason calls it. The good news is that this seems to be closing, with more manufacturing leaders taking advantage of the vast amounts of information and industry insights out there in the form of articles and podcasts. We hear Jason’s approach to great leadership in manufacturing and the positive changes he’s seen in the industry lately.
We also chat about scaling effectively, complying with CMMC, and how to avoid getting lost in the AI hype cycle.
In this episode, find out:
- The four pillars that are leading Paperless Parts to greatness and successful expansion
- Why the leadership gap (which Jason said last time was responsible for the skills gap) seems to be closing
- Positive changes Jason’s seeing when it comes to preparing younger professionals for leadership positions
- How to navigate through uncertain times and the important lesson he learned in the Navy that he still uses today
- The power of decisive leadership and what happens when leaders are overly cautious
- The leading indicators in the industry that Jason watches closely to help him make great long-term decisions
- The gap between data and information and why data alone is not enough to make good decisions
- How small to medium manufacturers can win government contracts and become CMMC compliant
- The common mistake shop leaders make about AI and why leaders should start with the low-hanging fruit that we know AI is great for
- The easiest ways to scale in today’s market and how to get your team onboard with a growth mindset
- Jason’s thoughts on the opportunities of reshoring and why we need to meet the right balance between global collaboration without dependence
- Jason talks about the Cutting Through the Noise videos series and why he aims to highlight the truly important insights in the industry for busy manufacturing leaders
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I think they're putting young people in their organizations in positions of responsibility. I think more and more they're realizing that these young professionals are ready to take on that responsibility and those folks are bringing new ideas in.”
- “I think it is such an important understanding of what the right level of global collaboration is where you have not fallen into dependence.”
- “When you're leading through a period of uncertainty that tends to lead folks to indecision. And that can waste a lot of people's time and shatter your team's confidence in your ability as a leader. The folks that are most successful at leading through a crisis lead with very decisive action.”
Links & mentions:
- Paperless Parts, quoting software for manufacturers to help part manufacturers streamline the quoting process
- Cutting Through the Noise, a new video series run by Jason that gets straight to the point on manufacturing trends
- The Tip Tap Room, Boston pub that serves a wide range of beers and inventive dishes
- NIST 853, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations, resources for CMMC compliance
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
235: How to Find Automation Talent Anywhere with Kyle Mahan, VP & GM of Wauseon Machine
What does it take to find the best talent in the manufacturing industry these days? When it comes to automation, you can use location (or lack of location) to your advantage. In this episode, Kyle Mahan of Ohio-based Wauseon Machine takes us through their approach to securing the best automation talent. We'll also hear some history on the organization, learn about Kyle's career, and share strategies for robotics and automation integrators.
234: From Pro Football to Craft Beer with Katie and Brandon Fields of Inside the Five Brewing Co.
It’s not every day that a former NFL player joins the podcast. And it’s not every day you see one make such a dramatic career pivot from pro football to craft brewing and small business ownership.
But that’s exactly what Brandon Fields did. When he was winding down his football career, he found his passion in brewing, starting out with a home brewing kit. He teamed up with his wife Katie and opened up Inside the Five Brewing Co., which has scaled to three locations and 120 team members as a full-service beer manufacturing empire.
Katie and Brandon wear many hats across each area of the manufacturing process – from the crafting itself to the sales side to distribution – even their kids get involved. Today, they run the business with a welcoming, inclusive, family-friendly vibe that keeps loyal beer fans sipping. Hear about their story from NFL to brewing, what it’s like running a small full-service business, their approach to managing talent, and developing their distinct branding. Also learn how beers like “Snap to the Face” and “Big Fat Boss Baby” get their names.
In this episode, find out:
- Brandon gives us the background on his time playing in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, plus the story behind the beer ‘Snap to the Face’
- What made Brandon decide to move from the NFL world into professional brewing
- The biggest lesson learned from Brandon’s NFL days that he applies to his life now as a small business owner
- How Brandon and Katie learned how to grow and scale a brewing business to three locations and 120 team members
- The most rewarding parts of manufacturing craft beers and experimenting with new beer flavors
- How Brandon and Katie’s kids get involved in the craft brewing life and inspired the names of some of their top beers
- The benefits of being a full-service manufacturer, managing the manufacturing, distribution, and sales
- A reality check on what the transition from NFL to brewing was like for Brandon and what he learned from Katie’s people management approach
- The strategy behind developing Inside the Five’s distinct branding and why it’s about more than just the visuals
- Why it’s important not to force a brand style that doesn’t feel natural
- How Inside the Five’s branding has added to their success by being a welcoming, family-friendly ethos that gets people to stick around for another beer
- Katie’s approach to managing the competition and why it’s key to focus on your own success
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You have to have that drive, that perfectionist in you to want to constantly do better... But it's that constant, “how can we improve?” Good is not good enough." – Brandon Fields
- “We're beginning to end in terms of product. So if you see it in a bar, our people sold it, made the sales pitch, got it there, gave it to them. So our hands are on it from beginning to end.” – Brandon Fields
- "Figuring out what does branding mean to me? Not just the logo, the slogan, the colors, the font, but what message do you want to send and how do you want people to feel when they're at your location?” – Katie Fields
- "A lot of people ask me about competitors, like when another craft brewery opens. The more the merrier, because our success is not based on what someone else is doing. If we're not successful, it means we need to change something.” – Katie Fields
Links & mentions:
- Inside the Five Brewing Co., a Northwest Ohio full-service brewpub with unique beers inspired by Brandon’s former NFL career
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
233: Manufacturing 101, On-The-Job Training, and Finding Fulfillment in Engineering Featuring Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Manufacturing and engineering are full of talented, passionate people. Just listen to literally any of these episodes for proof of that. But what is it that keeps people in this space motivated and fulfilled? Ask 10 different people, and you’d likely get 10 very different answers.
For this episode, we posed the question to three guests – Steve Ilmrud, VP of Operations for North America at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Jeff Van Horn, Owner & Sr. Project Manager at Industrial Technology Solutions Inc., and Randy Smith, a CNC Programmer & Machinist in the Aerospace and Defense Industries.
We explore the common threads throughout all their careers, paying particular attention to the art of metrology – how we measure things in manufacturing. Without accurate measurement, products wouldn’t make it out the door and manufacturers would be left with a bunch of scrap and route back to square one.
On-the-job training is another big focus of our talk, and we hear why we should prioritize proactive rather than just reactive training, plus how modern tools are shaping both training and production efficiency.
In this episode, find out:
- What is metrology? Jeff, Steve, and Randy give their own definitions in relation to how they’ve used it in their careers
- Why measuring things throughout a fabrication process is critical to reducing waste
- Real examples of how good metrology practice has helped manufacturers build the best products (and what happens when it’s not used)
- Why the right data and statistics are critical for improving reliability
- Leveraging metrology during on-the-job training to be more proactive than reactive to challenges
- How modern tools and technology can help manufacturers be more proactive and productive
- Working smart vs working hard and using the right technology
- The mindset shift that manufacturers need to adopt, both in training and production
- How focusing on the three Ps (people, parts, and process) has helped Steve stay focused and solve challenges
- The common themes that keep Jeff, Steve, and Randy motivated in their careers
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "You cannot wait to inspect all your parts, especially in the fabrication shops, when they're done. If you don't catch it during the process, it's going to end up in rework." – Jeff Van Horn
- "Regardless of the parts you're making or what you're doing, real-time inspection and feedback are really critical and it can save you a lot of time and time and aggravation." – Randy Smith
- "It comes down to people, parts, and process – the three Ps. Almost any challenge I've had in my career can be addressed through the three Ps." – Steve Ilmrud
Links & mentions:
- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, empowering makers to innovate and create without limit with solutions support optimization throughout the product lifecycle, specializing in metrology, production, and design & engineering
- Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600, the first ever direct scanning laser tracker that can digitally pinpoint and inspect large parts and surfaces that are simply out of range of traditional handheld 3D laser scanners, touch probes, or reflectors
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
232: AI Agents for Manufacturing 101 Featuring Composabl CEO & Co-Founder Kence Anderson
An AI agent can create. It can predict. It can analyze data. But for it to really drive change and enhance operations, it needs to take action. That’s the next step of machine learning and AI, says Kence Anderson, CEO of Composabl, a company that helps manufacturers create multi-agent AI systems.
Our discussion with Kence is probably one of the most important you’ll hear on the podcast lately. AI has been a big topic for a while now, but we dig further into how it can be applied at an industrial level to help manufacturers and engineers make decisions and solve problems.
We start with Kence’s overview of AI agents, specifically in manufacturing, and talk about what drew him to this industry. Kence talks about how companies can find a balance between capturing data and also using expertise from your team (and why it’s crucial to do this before they start retiring!)
In this episode, find out:
- What is an AI agent and how could manufacturers implement them to take action?
- Ways AI agents can take how engineers and manufacturers already use machine learning to the next level
- Kence explains how he first entered the manufacturing world with a mechanical engineering degree and roles in startups
- Why Kence believes that high-value technology needs methodology combined with a platform to enable widespread adoption
- 3 reasons why AI in manufacturing has always fascinated Kence
- Why AI agents need to be taught specific information and why this enhances rather than restricts how they work
- The importance of collecting data but also interviewing experts in your team to gain their unique knowledge
- Kence shares an example of how an extruder making Cheetos is way harder than just programming a machine
- How Kence uses simulations to enable AI agents to practice and learn tasks before they’re implemented
- Where does the AI agent live? Kence gives a detailed explanation of how AI agents are stored and communicate with wider internal systems
- Different ways AI agents can not only be taught but also teach others
- The steps manufacturers need to take to start using AI agents and why the first one should be to identify the high-value skills in danger of extinction
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “ The thing that moves the needle is decisions. And so, if you're predicting something, analyzing something, it's only to serve the purpose of making great decisions.”
- “ You can have an AI just look at your data and discover a bunch of stuff that you know Susan and Joe over there could have told you in 15 minutes. So there's this need to capture and codify high-value subject matter expertise, frankly, before it goes extinct.”
- “There's a hundred million engineers out there in an industry that if you empower them with the right tools, they'll innovate and engineer systems the same way as they have everything else.”
Links & mentions:
- Composabl, a platform that combines the power of Composite AI with expertise to design and deploy multi-agent AI systems for industrial environments
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: MEPs are at Risk of Losing Funding and Need Your Help
Today's bonus episode is all about MEPs, and actually a very urgent issue related to MEPs. For context, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions by helping small and medium-sized manufacturers grow, make operational improvements, and reduce risk.
To put it in more simplified terms - MEPs provide resources to small- and medium-sized manufacturers that allow them to adopt new technology, upskill and train their people, and ultimately create jobs in their area. Every state has one, they go by different names in different states, and it was recently announced that this program was being defunded.
Specifically, funding for 10 state MEP initiatives expired at the end of March, and the government’s controlling agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), chose not to renew them. This is a moving target, it could change (as it already has once by extending the deadline to the end of the fiscal year), and quite frankly manufacturers don't know what's going to happen. It hasn't been communicated as to why this cut is taking place, but the reality is right now is there is a concern across the manufacturing community that funding for the entire MEP initiative - across all 50 states - might get cut.
As a result of this action, a number of manufacturing podcasters got together to discuss the situation and actions that you, as manufacturers, can take to have your voices heard and say "This is ridiculous. My MEP has helped my business and community succeed for XYZ reason."
We cannot afford to lose a critical resource like this that so many small- to mid-sized manufacturers rely on. All this an more in today's episode.
231: Why VCs and Startups Are Betting on Manufacturing and the Midwest Featuring Drive Capital and Path Robotics, Live from Columbus, OH
What’s getting VCs to look beyond Silicon Valley in the tech startup scene? The Midwest is not just an up-and-coming place for investors to watch. It’s now a region that more investors are betting on. With companies like Path Robotics, the Midwest is taking its status as a manufacturing hub and merging it with the kind of innovative tech traditionally associated with the coastal cities.
For this episode, we hear from two sides of the conversation – from Andy Lonsberry, CEO of Path Robotics, and Nima Gard, the company's Director of AI, along with Nils Root from Drive Capital, a VC firm that operates in the Midwest manufacturing and tech scene.
They join us live from Columbus, Ohio to talk about what makes the region a hot spot for manufacturing innovation, why it’s not the “next Silicon Valley” (and doesn’t have to be), and what companies like Path Robotics are getting right. We also dig into the tech at Path Robotics and where AI fits into the future of new technological developments in the industry.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Columbus is seeing a wave of tech startups and VC interest
- Andy explains why Ohio was the perfect spot to build Path Robotics and how it’s using machine intelligence to specifically solve manufacturing problems
- How manufacturers can successfully decide what to focus on now and in the future
- The technology behind the scenes at Path Robotics and data is the number one biggest focus
- The secrets behind Path Robotics' 3x growth and where data fits into that
- What Andy’s most excited about building at Path Robotics and the importance of practical applications
- How Path Robotics closes the deal cycle faster, works with their CRO and isn’t afraid to disqualify leads
- What can other regions learn from Columbus and why the startup scene is increasingly seen as an exciting opportunity rather than a risk
- The skills gap in manufacturing and how AI will realistically change manufacturing jobs in the future
- How humans and robots can realistically interact, create value and solve problems together
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- ”Everyone still asks, 'when are you going to move to Silicon Valley? When are you going to move to the East Coast?' And the main reason is that the talent is here.” – Andy Lonsberry
- “More great world-class technology businesses will be built outside of Silicon Valley in the next 20 years than will be built inside of Silicon Valley. So Drive is just investing behind that thesis.” – Nils Root
- “One of the hardest things in robotics is data. Data is the bottleneck. The fact that we are not seeing a GPT moment in robotics is because we don't have enough data as we had for text and language.” – Nima Gard
Links & mentions:
- Drive Capital, a Columbus, OH-based VC that’s companies are proving that you can build a world-class technology company anywhere
- Path Robotics, providing precise robotic welding systems. No programmer required. Designed for precision, efficiency, and scalability.
- Makerspace Central is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Columbus, Ohio, providing innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) workshops for K-12 students in the Columbus greater region. Their culturally-relevant STEM experiences ignite students' curiosity to prepare them for a more tech-focused world, offering K-12 pop-up makerspace workshops and curriculum development consultation.
- Seventh Son Brewing, Columbus, OH-based brewery specializing in IPAs with a bright, rustic tasting room & visiting food trucks
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
230: Shark Tank, Advanced Prosthetics, and How PSYONIC's Ability Hand is Driving Accessibility for Humans and Robots Featuring PSYONIC CEO & Founder Dr. Aadeel Akhtar
Robotics is a cool field, no doubt about that. But what’s cooler than using it to change people’s lives?
When he was seven years old, Aadeel Akhtar met a girl in Pakistan with a missing leg. This kickstarted a fascination with helping people regain control over lost limbs and a decision that pivoted his planned career in medicine to robotics and prosthetics.
Today, he’s the CEO and Founder of PSYONIC, the company behind the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand. He’s on a mission to make this tech as accessible as possible, and we hear about the challenges of balancing philanthropic ventures with running and scaling a business.
Host Chris Luecke gets to try out the hand remotely in this episode and talks about the different use cases of bionic tech, from helping humans to helping robots. We talk about crowdfunding, getting investment, how the hand works, and what PSYONIC is working on right now to make the Ability Hand even better.
Plus, Aadeel is our very first Shark Tank alumni, so we get to hear about the nerve-wracking behind-the-scenes story of demonstrating the Ability Hand in front of the Sharks.
In this episode, find out:
- What PSYONIC does to help people regain mobility and control with bionic limbs
- The moment that kickstarted Aadeel’s passion for helping people with lost limbs and pivoted his planned career from medicine to robotics
- The challenges of funding R&D in bionics and making the tech accessible to as many people as possible
- What the early days of making prototypes and testing them out on the first patients
- What made Aadeel realize he needed to go into business and production rather than just researching bionics
- Why San Diego is PSYONIC’s chosen HQ and how it’s partnering with medical and biotech companies
- What PSYONIC is working on now to make bionic hands feel more natural for users
- Chris gets to remotely control the Ability Hand from across the country
- How Aadeel is working on making the tech accessible through Medicare and the Ability Fund
- Different ways Aadeel and PSYONIC have approached getting funding, from crowdfunding to venture capital to government grants
- The challenge of keeping up with demand and prioritizing accessibility while running a successful business that’s focused on the mission
- How PSYONIC helps both humans and robots with its tech, including NASA
- The biggest tech advances that have made this possible today, including micro controllers and AI
- What it’s really like being a contestant on Shark Tank and how Aadeel prepared for his pitch and eventual negotiations
- Why Aadeel is optimistic that bionics is becoming a bigger industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We're bridging both the neurotech side with the robotic side, with AI being the connecting piece between the two.”
- “We would be attaching the hand directly to your bones, muscles and nerves that are in your forearm to give them the most optimal control possible.”
- “Seeing the amount of interest at the intersection of neurotech and robotics and having big investors behind it shows this is an exciting field that's up and coming.”
Links & mentions:
- PSYONIC, supercharging humans and robots with advanced capabilities, including the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand
- Dr. Aadeel Akhtar on Shark Tank
- Robotics Summit & Expo, bringing together 5,000+ developers focused on building robots for aerospace and defense, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and other markets
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
229: Manufacturing Leadership in Indiana and Beyond: Live from Indianapolis, IN
We’ve been on tour for the past couple of months, recording live episodes in some of the manufacturing hot spots around the country. Indiana is our current stop, where Guggman Haus Brewing hosted us for an episode all about innovation, technology, culture, and, of course, Indiana’s manufacturing prowess.
Manufacturing makes up a huge portion of Indiana’s economy and culture, so we look behind the scenes at what the state is getting right to make it a manufacturing hub.
We welcomed Noel Hopkins, the Principal of Digital Growth at CliftonLarsonAllen and digital transformation expert, joins along with self-titled “private equity mercenary” Steve Martin, who sits on the board at Elevate Ventures. We also welcomed Kathy Miller, President and Co-Founder of YK2020 and OPSisters, plus co-author of the book Steel Toes and Stilettos.
Noel, Steve, and Kathy share their takes on local manufacturing and how it’s adapting to the rapid evolution of tech like AI. But it’s not just tech that’s shaping the industry. We also explore the human element of manufacturing and why we need leaders who are open to change and growth (even if it means making some mistakes along the way).
In this episode, find out:
- What can manufacturers learn from Indiana
- The role of digital transformation in manufacturing and the best ways to implement it
- Why leadership is key to driving transformation and the top characteristics good leaders need
- The challenges facing Indiana’s manufacturing industry from a private equity viewpoint
- Why you should always look at the problems facing your organization first, then find tech to solve it (not the other way around)
- Why fewer companies are using tech for the sake of it and are becoming more intentional
- Lessons learned from past experiences and why manufacturing is all about the people
- Areas where technology is making the most difference and how it impacts the people working with it
- How to build scale and transferability within organizations with the three Ps – people, planning, process
- The importance of having a vision and the ability to execute on it and why leaders are central to this
- Why hesitancy is the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now
- Innovation’s impact on psychological safety in the workplace, plus why we need to be open to making mistakes
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- ”If we create a culture that basically penalizes thinking, then we're never going to get any new ideas.” – Steve Martin
- “ I think the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now is pause or wait, or be overly cautious and risk falling way, way behind.” – Noel Hopkins
- “No matter what technology we're working with, what inventions, manufacturing is about people. And so, we can't lose sight of that.” – Kathy Miller
Links & mentions:
- CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), an advisory, audit, tax and consulting firm
- Industry Trends: Lessons Learned from Florida Manufacturing Days
- Guggman Haus Brewing, a family-owned microbrewery and coffee Haus in the northwest side of downtown Indianapolis
- Elevate Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Indianapolis
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
228: Industrial Marketing from SMBs to the Enterprise, Live from the 2025 Industrial Marketing Summit in Austin, TX
Manufacturers up and down the country are doing great work and naturally, you want the world to know about it – especially your potential customers. So we turn the spotlight on marketing in this episode to take a look at the folks who get the name out there for manufacturing companies big and small.
Recorded live from the 2025 Industrial Marketing Summit in Austin, TX, we sat down with…
- Rachel Cossette, Marketing Manager at Rogers Machinery Company
- Jenni Gritti, Senior Marketing Communications Consultant at Caterpillar Inc
- Jim Hessin, Regional Sales Manager at CADENAS PARTsolutions
- Greg Knox, CEO of Knox Manufacturing Solutions
- Steve Lamensdorf, SVP of CX at Icreon
- Kerry Nedic, Strategic Marketing Leader (Masoneilan & Consolidated Valves) at Baker Hughes
- Rich Ward, Director of Marketing at AcroMat
Rachel, Greg and Rich chat in part one about how to make marketing magic with a small team, with lots of actionable advice on sales-marketing alignment and revising strategies.
Jenni and Kerry give us the enterprise-level view of marketing with a conversation about balancing company policy with creativity, video and social media content, and getting leadership involved.
Finally, in part three, we talk to Steve and Jim about the technology we can use to power marketing and why sometimes we need to rip up the playbook and start new things from scratch.
All have slightly different experiences and insights to share from different areas of marketing, so no matter what type of manufacturing organization you’re in, there’s something in here for everyone.
In this episode, find out:
- How Rich helped to build the marketing strategy for AcroMat from the ground up
- How marketing can encourage salespeople to become amplifiers for the company and create content online
- What not to do as a B2B marketer and why good marketing is all about show, don’t tell
- How sales and marketing have become more aligned today and when marketing became a focus for Greg
- How to be effective with a small marketing team by focusing on priorities and boundaries
- Why regular communication is the most important way marketing and sales can work together
- How to get buy-in from leadership and why marketing can feel like a relay race
- Why you need to be a subject matter expert, not just a marketer, to earn respect both externally with customers and internally
- How marketers can make things happen in a large enterprise
- How to balance company guidelines with creativity in your content
- The tools and methods that enterprise marketers need to take more advantage of
- Why authentic video content is far more effective than clean and polished content
- The challenge of getting leadership willing to create content and share their stories
- Advice for marketers in manufacturing to cultivate stories and new ideas
- How new technology is empowering today's marketers
- Marketing technology that’s underrated and the challenges of adopting new tech in a disorganized system
- Tips for manufacturers to get over the hurdle of adopting new technology
- Why staying the same is the worst thing you can do in marketing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got.” – Jim Hessin
- “I found a lot of success in giving guys an iPhone, giving them some guardrails, and saying, 'go!' And that is the stuff that people really resonate with. It's incredibly authentic. These people are the experts. They say it in a way that makes sense for the audience.” – Jenni Gritti
- ”You have to align with your leadership. What you find important and what your boss finds important, you need to know what all those levels are because if it's something your boss cares about, then you need to care about it.” – Rachel Cossette
Links & mentions:
- Industrial Marketing Summit, the premier gathering for industrial marketers — organized for and by the industrial marketing teams at TREW Marketing and Gorilla 76
- Lustre Pearl, drinks & snacks in an old, converted home with a jukebox and huge backyard with picnic tables and games in East Austin
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
227: Are the Challenges Facing Rural vs. Urban Manufacturers Really That Different? Live from the Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference
When you imagine a rural versus an urban manufacturing company, that picture might look a bit different. But some things are the same. Both types of manufacturers face challenges, but do they face different ones?
The good news is that there are some incredible people and businesses in the industry who are on a mission to bridge connections, build up local communities, and train future talent to solve those challenges.
Live from the Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference, we sit down with three manufacturing champions to talk about the different challenges facing rural and urban-based manufacturers. We chat about the great work that companies and individuals are doing to raise awareness of the opportunities in manufacturing and connect the dots between businesses and future talent.
You’ll hear from Krisi Schell, Executive VP of HR at SRC Holdings Corporation, Chris Oravec, the Director at L&R Industries, and Manufacturing Happy Hour regular Drew Crowe, Founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance. Krisi, Chris, and Drew all bring their experiences of different sides of manufacturing, what they’ve learned about connecting with the local community and solving the talent shortage issue.
In this episode, find out:
- How to make a company people want to work for – Krisi explains SRC Holdings’ approach to building a company culture of businesspeople
- Why more organizations don’t open up their finances to the employees despite the positive impact on SRC Holdings
- Some background on SRC Holdings Corporation as a job saver and creator
- The benefits of organizations, particularly in rural areas, investing in the local community
- Krisi’s advice for manufacturing leaders to build their culture and community
- Chris gives us a backstory on his company as a family-owned, small-town manufacturer
- How L&R Industries manages to attract and retain talent by looking after its people
- The different ways L&R Industries gets involved with and gives back to the community
- Chris’ advice for attracting and retaining talent, plus building connections with other organizations
- What Drew has learned from traveling around the country to talk to manufacturers
- The different challenges for rural-based manufacturers vs. those in the inner cities
- Drew explains the two main parts of his mission – raising awareness and building connections between organizations and potential talent
- Strategies that are working for rural and urban manufacturers and how to get the right people involved to solve challenges
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Being conscious of what you give to the community is where you are able to build that brand and build those relationships and then attract the talent that you need.” – Krisi Schell
- “If you can get an employee to buy into, say putting a new product line in, they want to be involved in that project. And the company wants them to be involved. Your productivity is going to go through the roof.” – Chris Oravec
- “ When manufacturing left the inner cities, it almost took that middle class with it. And it took a lot of opportunity with it.” – Drew Crowe
Links & mentions:
- SRC Holdings, helping Original Equipment Manufacturers sell parts and whole goods through custom remanufacturing programs
- L&R Industries, producing large and complex heavy-duty industrial metal fabrications
- Drew ‘The MFG’ Crowe, inspiring the next generation of manufacturing leaders
- The Great Game of Business, written by Jack Stack; an open-book approach to management
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
226: Building a Community of Machine Shop Entrepreneurs Featuring Russell Winter, Founder of US MFG
When like-minded entrepreneurs sit down to swap stories, advice, and connections, it’s a major win for everyone. This is one of the great things about manufacturing because this industry thrives on collaboration, not just competition.
In this episode, we hear from Russell Winter, Founder of US MFG, who’s on a mission to connect entrepreneurs in the machine shop space together, while also acquiring shops from retiring owners that would have otherwise gone out of business. With the number of machine shops steadily declining, people like Russell are breathing new life into the space with technology and innovative ideas.
Russell shares his story of how he got started, how he chooses whether to acquire a new shop, the red flags to watch out for, and the two main things he looks at when accessing a business. We hear more about his efforts to build bridges in the community and his thoughts on inspiring the next generation of manufacturing business owners.
In this episode, find out:
- Russell shares an overview of how he buys machine shops and brings them together with software
- Retiring owners of machine shops who don’t have a clear succession plan often close their doors for good unless someone like Russell steps in
- How Russell decides which machine shops to acquire by looking at finances and culture to find red flags
- Why bringing people in with more experience is a huge part of succeeding in this space
- How Russell finds mentors and collaborates in his network
- Advice for entrepreneurs looking for business opportunities
- What led Russell to realize he needed to change the mission of US MFG to a more community-focused approach
- How do we create awareness in the next generation of manufacturing business ownership?
- The skills and knowledge we need to prepare young people for a future in manufacturing and business ownership
- Why shop classes in high schools are a growing trend and what this means for the industry
- How Russell’s company teaches important skills like financial literacy through his shops
- Russell shares the first major project he remembers manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The cool part about these shop classes is their instructors are often very mutual and collaborative with the industry that's around the high school. They'll have a board of business owners saying, 'This is who we're looking to hire. Can you teach them more turning work or a specific software?'”
- “Something that I've worked on developing a lot more is a mindset of trust but verify as opposed to just trust. Going over things with a fine-toothed comb, actual financials, and setting clear expectations at the beginning really pays off.”
- “There's a saying: if you want investment, ask for advice. And if you want advice, ask for investment. People are always going to give you advice because there's something to improve on, and if you're willing to take it and learn and grow and actually put it into action, then they're like, 'Oh, I see an investment here.'”
Links & mentions:
- US MFG partners with entrepreneurs to acquire, operate, and grow manufacturing companies within a collaborative network
- SCORE Business Mentoring, providing free business advice for starting or growing a small business through their network of 11,000 volunteer mentors in-person and online; part of the US Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Discourse Coffee, a music-driven coffee workshop in Milwaukee, WI, located in the same building as local, community-driven radio station Radio Milwaukee
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
225: From Enterprise Engineering to Owning a Small Manufacturing Business Featuring Amorphic Brewing Founder Ron Hockersmith and a BROADcast For Manufacturers, Live from Milwaukee, WI
What happens when a former engineering leader decides to open a brewery?
In the true spirit of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we talk all about beer in this episode. Recorded live from Amorphic Beer in Milwaukee, WI, we sit down with the Founder, Ron Hockersmith, to learn about what makes their beer special and the company a success even as the hype around craft beer fades.
We’re also joined by the brilliant hosts from A BROADcast for Manufacturers, Kris Harrington (CEO of GenAlpha) and Lori Highby (CEO and Founder of Keystone Click), for a 4-way entrepreneurial chat about manufacturing, engineering, leadership, and of course, beer.
In this episode, we take a look at the early days of Amorphic Beer and Ron’s career background before he stepped into the brewing world. Ron has taken all the great parts of leading a team from his engineering days and applied them to his business today, and it’s safe to say that’s been a great move for Amorphic. We hear about the team, the operations, the scientific approach to margins and recipes, and some surprising beer facts along the way.
In this episode, find out:
- A little background on Ron’s career and how he came from healthcare manufacturing and defense contracting to start his own brewery
- Introduction to the hosts of A BROADcast for Manufacturers podcast
- Why Ron opted for lean manufacturing principles without the formality to run his brewery
- What a background in engineering taught Ron about leadership and why he runs Amorphic Beer like an international engineering organization
- What makes the leadership and management of Amorphic Beer different and successful even as the hype around craft beer dies down
- Why trust in your employees is key to success
- Ron shares the main differences he’s experienced since working for himself vs. as an employee in a major organization
- Facts on beer, music, plants, and sports for the “I just learned that…” segment
- How recent tariffs on Canadian aluminum may have a huge impact on Amorphic Beer in the future
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "We run this like it's an international engineering organization."
- "Don't try and hire for the perfect team because you'll never find the perfect people to fit into the perfect cogs... Find what your people are very good at and then build your organization around that.”
- "No-one's ever worked for me that I don't trust. Doesn't matter if I'm working in defense contracting for GE or at the brewery, trust them, empower them to do the right things.”
Links & mentions:
- Amorphic Beer, Milwaukee WI brewery where beer is “engineered through scientific experimentation”
- A BROADcast for Manufacturers, a podcast run by Lori, Kris and Erin exploring stories and manufacturing insights that challenge the status quo
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
224: The Role of a State Chamber in a Manufacturing Ecosystem with Mike Johnson, COO Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Manufacturing is a hotbed of activity, interest, and innovation right now and states like Nebraska are leading the way. As part of our Made Here series, we toured Nebraska’s manufacturing heartland to hear stories from leaders, experts, and innovators who want to spread the word about the opportunities and community benefits of manufacturing.
We round off our Nebraska tour with Mike Johnson COO of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who shares a wider perspective on how manufacturing is impacting local communities, the economy, and the individuals who make it all happen.
We talk about why manufacturing opportunities are great for people from all walks of life, with some inspiring stories about women in the space becoming role models for future manufacturers. Mike also explains the role of a Chamber of Commerce and why we should celebrate and showcases manufacturing careers for the benefit of all. We hear a great example of Nebraska doing this with its annual competition for the coolest innovations in Nebraska – featuring a fire-breathing drone and an all-terrain wheelchair.
In this episode, find out:
- A summary of what we’ve heard and learned as we round off the Nebraska tour of our Made Here series
- We recap on the last time Mike was on the show and how perceptions of the industry have changed since
- Old perceptions of the dirty and dangerous stereotype of manufacturing are changing, leading more young people to consider it as a career
- Why rural Nebraska is writing a playbook for reinvigorating manufacturing and the impact this has on the economy and community
- The role of education institutions in training and encouraging more to consider manufacturing careers
- The best ways to connect with the local community and involve everyone in the manufacturing scene
- Why we’re seeing more women in manufacturing plus some inspiring stories from Mike
- How a Chamber of Commerce can act as a conduit for manufacturers to share their voice on what the industry needs
- The coolest things made in Nebraska, including a fire-breathing drone
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- ”The chamber of commerce is the conduit for manufacturers of any shape and size across the state to convene and partner on what the voice of this industry in this state needs right now.”
- “State departments are starting to see that when manufacturers automate, they make more stuff, more stuff made means higher wages are paid to people, higher multipliers than hitting the local communities. And so the state can see higher tax revenues and then in the future, lower tax rates.”
- “I think it's really important for young women to see that “I can do this” and I don't have to be a big dude to be able to do this type of work.”
Links & mentions:
- NE Chamber, delivering economic and workforce growth, a competitive business climate, and a network of leaders with the connections and know-how to help Nebraska businesses succeed
- Nebraska Manufacturing Competitiveness Study, January 2024
- Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
223: The State of Automation Halfway Through the Decade, Live from the 2025 A3 Business Forum
Take your mind back to five years ago. Many of us were celebrating the start of what we thought would be an exciting decade for automation. And well… it’s certainly been different and not quite how most of us expected.
Now, we sit squarely in the middle of a decade that has pushed automation and AI front and center of so many industries now. So how close were our pre-pandemic predictions on automation? And more importantly, where is automation headed next?
This episode was recorded live at the 2025 A3 Business Forum, co-hosted by Jake Hall aka the Manufacturing Millennial, and features five conversations with industry leaders helping to shape automation’s future. We look at robotics, AI, machine vision, motion control, and the broader tech and manufacturing industries, plus we swap predictions on the second half of the 2020s.
This week’s guests include:
- Peter Zafiro, General Manager at LinMot USA
- Christelle Keefer - Global Business Development Manager, Education at ABB
- Juan Aparicio - Founder & CEO at Reshape Automation
- David Dechow - Machine Vision & Automation Solutions Architect at Motion Automation Intelligence
- Alex Shikany - Executive Vice President at A3
Jake Hall will be joining us for Automate 2025 in May, so don’t miss the chance to grab tickets and learn more here.
In this episode, find out:
- Why 2025 A3 Business Forum is the perfect spot for a conversation about automation
- What the convergence of technologies has meant for automation’s applications in manufacturing and beyond
- Peter explains the biggest pain point that LinMot was experiencing and how automation became key
- The role of motion vision today and how it’s evolved with the help of automation
- Why now is the best time in history to be involved with automation
- How STEM education paves the way for the growth of robotics
- The biggest hurdles to getting education institutions on board with STEM
- Some of the top non-profit organizations to keep an eye out for
- How AI has developed over the first half of the decade
- Two ingredients that every successful application should have in the world of AI
- Examples of AI deployed successfully and where this is likely to change in the future
- How elements of vision tech have accelerated in the past 10 years
- Alex’s perspective on automation’s evolution throughout the first half of this decade
- The biggest things we’re looking forward to in 2025 and beyond
- What to expect at Automate 2025, which this episode’s co-hosts Chris and Jake will be attending in May
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "This is the best time there is in this industry. It's the convergence of all these technologies, whether it's robots, cobots, linear motion... the difference-maker will be how you introduce automation to your employees and make it easier to do more fun jobs." - Peter Zafiro
- "Schools are starting to realize that the students need to be exposed to STEM way earlier than just high school. High school is too late. College is too late. Let's get those kids exposed at an earlier age to the amazing field of manufacturing." - Christelle Keefer
- "Behind every robot, there are a lot of people. There are people selling the robots. There are people installing the robots. There are people maintaining the robots." - Juan Aparicio
- "No one I talk to thinks that automation is going to become less relevant or less important to their future plans in the next 10 years, 20 years. Almost every single CEO or leader of these companies has automation at the top of their list." - Alex Shikany
Links & mentions:
- A3 – The Association for Advancing Automation, North America’s largest automation trade association representing more than 1,200 organizations involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision & imaging, motion control & motors and related automation technologies
- Automate Show, experience the largest event in Automation #Automate2025
- Jake Hall - The Manufacturing Millennial, where this week’s co-host Jake Hall discusses the latest technology in the automation and manufacturing space in an engaging style for all audiences
- Project Lead The Way, where STEM curriculum meets career readiness; created by teachers and led by educators, PLTW motivates, prepares, and supports teachers as they strive to make every child in every grade STEM-successful
- FIRST Robotics, a global robotics community preparing young people for the future and the world's leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education
- REC Foundation, home of the VEX family of robotics programs for elementary school through college students includes 1.1 million students in 70 countries
- Detroit Lions War Room 2019 vs. 2021
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
222: A Bootstrapper's Guide to Re-Industrializing America with Jim Belosic, CEO of SendCutSend
Is venture capitalism and manufacturing the perfect match for America’s new industry boom? Or will the industry bootstrap its way to success on the slower path? The verdict’s clear in this episode with Jim Belosic, the CEO of SendCutSend.
Jim shares a down-to-earth take on succeeding as a manufacturing business with a mix of VC and bootstrapping. Rather than aiming for the dot-com boom level of success and all the private yachts that come with it, a slow and steady approach is ideal for manufacturing businesses, says Jim.
We hear a little background on SendCutSend’s start and laser-focused approach to customer service, plus why Jim is such a big fan of the bootstrapping route. We hear his opinion on why manufacturing might be making a comeback, how to raise the visibility of the industry to plug skill gaps, and why we may need to “chill out” a bit when it comes to AI.
In this episode, find out:
- Why bootstrapping is a great alternative path to industrialization and why Jim believes VC doesn’t belong in manufacturing
- How the future of entrepreneurship is changing back to traditional family-led routes
- Jim shares his background in manufacturing as a sign shop artist and what he learned about the effects of new tech on industry
- Why we’re due for a re-boom in the manufacturing world and how new technology plays a central role
- Outsourcing abroad – the next phase – why we’re due for a re-boom because the tech is even better
- How manufacturing can become more visible and enter the digital era with help from younger generations
- Why it’s not enough to only be a good manufacturer today, you also need to be a good marketer too
- How manufacturers can make simple changes to their digital presence to move in line with what customers want
- Why teaming up with local competitors can be mutually beneficial
- Jim explains why investing in and paying your staff well is the number one important thing to do in this industry
- Why you shouldn’t compete on price but instead on the quality of the service and the value your customer receives
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The way to success in manufacturing is you can't just be a good manufacturer. You actually have to be a good marketer too.”
- “A lot of people look at their competitors and want to burn them down. That usually just ends up with both of you catching on fire. So instead, try and be friendly.”
- “We’re poised for a manufacturing re-boom because the technology is even better now. This newest generation of machines is set up so well with alarms and error control, communication, and reliability, you're not just upgrading your speed or the reliability of the machine, you're upgrading your entire workforce.”
Links & mentions:
- SendCutSend, online sheet metal fabrication service; get custom parts delivered in just a few days (upload STEP or DXF files for instant pricing)
- A Bootstrapper’s Guide to Re-Industrializing America, Jim’s article that inspired this episode
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
221: "Building America" from the Heartland Featuring Nucor Vulcraft
We’re pulling up a chair in the up-and-coming downtown Norfolk area in Nebraska for this episode. Recorded at the Nucor Detailing Center, we chat with Mechanical Engineer Jayden Prauner and Detailing Center Lead Gaby Pena, about what it means to be part of the Nucor family.
Nucor Vulcraft is a company that’s not just supporting the construction of warehouses, schools and hospitals but also helping to build up the local community and the legacy of American manufacturing. We explore how it’s helping to shape the lives of the people who work there and beyond thanks to community investment and a people-first approach.
Jayden and Gaby both share their stories in this episode about working for Vulcraft and how it has evolved its technology, safety practices, and quality over the years. Places like Norfolk are hubs for manufacturing and engineering, so we look at how Vulcraft and downtown revitalization projects have been key to retaining talent in the area.
In this episode, find out:
- How the downtown Norfolk area is on the up, thanks to local community investment
- Jayden gives us a quick overview of what Vulcraft does and how it sits in the Nucor family of companies
- A brief history on Vulcraft and how it’s closely tied to the culture and community of Norfolk – something that continues today
- How community events, investment, and connections with local schools all make Nucor employees feel like one big family
- Why Jayden and Gaby decided to stick around in Norfolk rather than head to a bigger city for their career
- How one internship at Vulcraft was enough to make Gaby swap her chosen career path and set out into manufacturing
- What other similar small, remote communities can learn from Norfolk and Vulcraft
- Vulcraft’s commitment to improvement and investing in the right things – from people to safety innovations
- Insights into the recent safety innovations and investments Nucor Vulcraft has made to prioritize frontline staff safety
- What the day in the life of a frontline leader looks like today vs. how it looked decades ago
- How Nucor Vulcraft invests in team development and careers with training, role swapping and internal promotions
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It's hard to go anywhere around town without seeing Vulcraft or the Nucor name sponsoring an event or donating time. It's surprising how many events you go to and know that your company is willing to sponsor that." Jayden
- "My daughter told me, 'Mom, today at school, all the Nucor kids, like the parents work for Nucor, we all sat together.' Even the excitement that the kids get just knowing that they’re the Nucor family is really big, at least for me it is." Gaby
- "I think it starts with putting the people first. I think Nucor and Vulcraft do a great job of not only saying it but really meaning it and showing it through their actions." Jayden
Links & mentions:
- Nucor Vulcraft, part of the Nucor family, Vulcraft is the largest producer of open web steel joists and joist girders in North America.
- Nucor Detailing Center, a one-of-a-kind drafting facility designed to reduce drafting and modelling times to improve productivity and quality.
- Divots Brewery, craft brewery in Nortfolk specializing in handcrafted beers with American grown barley and hops
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
220: From Irrigation to Metals to Pharma: Systems Integration in the Heartland featuring Huffman Engineering
This is a quick,” boots on the ground” episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour. It's all about what it's like being a systems integrator in a close-knit state and close-knit manufacturing community, just like the community you'll find in Nebraska.
Huffman Engineering is an engineering services firm specializing in control system integration that serves Nebraska and beyond across the Midwest and we have four individuals from there team on the show this week: Jason Weedin, Jim Fricke, Kim Arms Shirk, and Alex Flamme.
We discuss some of the main industries across the state and take a deep dive into one that's uniquely Nebraskan. Plus, we hear what characterizes Nebraska's manufacturing community as a whole, and some of the things that make their collective, state-wide manufacturing ecosystem so strong.
Recorded live from Dusters Brew Pub in Columbus, NE.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
219: How Skillwork Is Like Travel Nursing for Manufacturing Talent Featuring Brett Elliott and Tim Raglin of Skillwork
The manufacturing industry is staring down a major challenge: by 2030, an estimated 2.1 million roles could go unfilled. But where challenges arise, so do opportunities. We’re joined by Skillwork’s Brett Elliott, President and CEO, and Tim Raglin, Founding Partner and Chief Operating Offer, to explore how they’re transforming the skills gap into a platform for growth and innovation.
At the heart of their approach is a unique model inspired by the travel nursing industry. Skillwork’s model combines education, upskilling, direct hire, and travel staffing to connect skilled tradespeople with companies in need. Brett and Tim share how this innovative approach, along with their unique “four-legged stool” strategy, and their rigorous eight-gate vetting process, ensures the right match every time.
Throughout the conversation, we unpack how contracting skilled workers offers flexibility and long-term value, how Skillwork is empowering tradespeople to embrace new opportunities, and why shifting perceptions about manufacturing jobs is key to shaping the industry’s future.
Listen to find out:
- How the travel nurse model inspired Skillwork’s innovative staffing solution for skilled trades
- Skillwork’s “four-legged stool” approach to solving the skills gap in manufacturing
- Why manufacturing roles need a rebrand to move beyond the “3 Ds” (dark, dangerous, and dirty)
- How Skillwork processes 1,000 resumes a week using their eight-gate vetting process
- Why nationwide recruitment is essential for addressing the growing demand for skilled trades
- The critical role of upskilling and education in bridging workforce gaps
- The value of building partnerships with schools and trade programs to develop skills pipelines
- Examples of how short-term training programs can quickly close critical skills gaps
- Underrated ways manufacturers can address the skills shortage right now
- The freedom and flexibility that Skillwork offers to skilled tradespeople through travel staffing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The idea that talent will stay with you for thirty years is not a reality anymore.” Brett Elliott
- “I believe if you have a skilled trade, you have tons of opportunity out there.” Tim Raglin
- “Do you have a people problem or do you have a talent problem?” Brett Elliott
Links & mentions:
- Skillwork, supplemental labor company built to create a new solution to the growing shortage of skilled labor
- Copa Cabana, upscale cocktail lounge with a selection of cigars and a humidor, plus live music and a year-round patio
- Boy Scouts of America, one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
218: Why Buying and Selling a Business Is a "War over the Numbers" Featuring Clint Bundy of Bundy Group
M&A may look like a numbers game on the surface, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. According to this episode’s guest, selling a business is as much about psychology and emotions as it is about the facts and figures.
In this episode, we welcome Clint Bundy, Managing Director at Bundy Group, who shares his experience, advice, and stories on helping people sell their businesses. We kick things off with Clint’s most memorable M&A experiences and why the reality of selling can be an emotional rollercoaster.
Clint shares his expertise on how to understand the true value of your business, what buyers are looking for, and how to win the numbers game when coming to a final price agreement. He also talks about what businesses can do to prepare for a sale and why utilizing tech and great systems is the most important step to take. Whether you’re planning your exit soon or far in the future, there are some great take-home points from Clint in this episode. After all, his advice is to plan way ahead of time, so give this episode a listen before you even think about getting that For Sale sign!
In this episode, find out:
- Clint shares his wildest M&A stories from his career, including one poor guy who fainted from the stress of selling his business
- How his background as a financial analyst prepared him for a career in investment banking
- The one thing Clint wishes he’d done a better job of when starting his career in his 20s
- Why selling a business is “a war of numbers” with buyers and sellers both wanting the best price (which means different things to each)
- How companies are using automation and new tech to build better systems and the impact this has on a business’ sale
- A breakdown of the top steps in selling a business and what goals sellers should strive for
- Why a lack of preparation is the number one mistake sellers make
- Surprising facts about preparing a business for sale that will really appeal to investors
- Why selling a business is mostly about psychology, not just numbers
- The four signs of a good company that investors look for
- The current state of M&A in the automation space, including who’s buying and selling
- What it’s like helping a business sell when the market conditions aren’t ideal
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Motivation is the foundation of transactions – a motivated buyer + a motivated seller.”
- “We want to show the strongest possible financials and the strongest possible story, past, present, and future, to get the seller an above market price.”
- “We have to remember when a buyer is buying a company, they are buying the future.”
Links & mentions:
- Bundy Group, a boutique advisory firm with an industry-focused senior team and over 200 successful transactions
- The Old Fields, formerly The Old Garage, this Southfields London pub is situated on Southfield High Street just a minutes walk from the Underground station, and close to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: 3 Automation and Workforce Trends Impacting Manufacturers in 2025
As 2025 gets rolling, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with some of the “buzziest” topics in manufacturing right now…artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, the list goes on!
With all the hype and a renewed focus on onshoring and supply chain, what should manufacturers be focused on in 2025?
While there are more trends than can be fit into a 30-minute podcast episode, today’s episode dives into 3 stats and stories from some of 2024’s best episodes of Manufacturing Happy Hour that explore proven automation technologies that are helping manufacturers succeed today, novel ways companies are attracting and retaining talent, and one of the most down-to-earth applications for artificial intelligence on the factory floor.
Plus, you’ll get a preview of what’s coming from Manufacturing Happy Hour – including tours, merch, and more – throughout the new year.
217: The Intersection of Energy, Automation, and Construction with FTI's Kevin Senn
FTI are at the center of some of the most important macro trends taking place in manufacturing today. From building biodigesters to driving innovations in energy solutions, they are helping companies optimize production systems, use automation, and address sustainability challenges. So how do they do it?
In this episode, we’re joined by FTI’s Kevin Senn to discuss trends in manufacturing and automation, the growth of data centers, AI, and more. Kevin highlights how FTI differentiates from their competitors by offering comprehensive end-to-end solutions, from high-concept development and engineering consultation to full design services, in-house manufacturing, and automation packages.
We also cover FTI’s unique approach to industrialized construction, including their approach to offsite prefabrication, and explore Kevin’s transition from a solutions architect to Director of Automation. Finally, we discuss how energy is the common thread that binds the seemingly diffuse sectors in which FTI operates.
In this episode, find out:
- FTI’s ‘pathway to smarter energy’ - a stepwise approach to helping customers become energy independent
- Why energy resilience is something that every company can enjoy and be customized to fit individual needs
- How FTI capitalized on emerging markets thirty years ago
- What the manufacturing industry looks like going into 2025 with regards to automation and sustainability
- The trend towards prefabricated buildings and why this is happening
- Why FTI has seen such growth in the data center space, especially with electric vehicle infrastructure
- Why automation is integral to creating efficient and scalable solutions
- Why a level of responsibility and ownership is needed when using AI, especially considering sustainability
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “A lot of the growth that the company is seeing at the moment is tied to that data center market growth.”
- “There were some really conscious decisions that the leadership team of this company made looking at these emerging markets.”
- “Resilience, I think, is something that every company can achieve.”
Links & mentions:
- Rockwell Automation, an American provider of industrial automation and digital transformation technologies
- FTI, a dynamic organization leveraging unified growth to create unparalleled possibilities and shape the future of energy
- Raised Grain Brewing, located in Waukesha, WI, this brewery has an extensive beer lineup that often pays tribute to local guitar hero Les Paul
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
216: Automating Control Panel Design and Fabrication Featuring Rittal’s Brian Jung and EPLAN’s Kruno Kutnohorski
Manually manufacturing control panels is difficult. It demands highly skilled labor, years of reading schematics, and the ability to troubleshoot. What’s more, it’s a time-consuming process. This is where automated and semi-automated panel design and assembly comes in. Not only does this innovation drastically reduce the amount of time spent manufacturing panels, but it also frees up skilled laborers to do higher-value work.
In this episode, we’re joined by Rittal’s Brian Jung and EPLAN’s Kruno Kutnohorski. Join us as we discuss the difference between semi-automated and automated panel design and assembly, how to help customers overcome technology hesitancy, and why automation is nothing to be afraid of.
In this episode, find out:
- The difference between automating panels in America and the rest of the world
- The importance of having a story to tell that’s backed by data, rather than just conceptual
- How EPLAN and Rittal use “lighthouse customers”
- Best practices for effective collaboration
- How automation is helping solve the skilled labor shortage
- Why there’s no right or wrong way to start with automation
- Brian’s “Girl Scout cookie enterprise,” and Kruno’s favorite football team and animal!
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Before, we had a story to tell conceptually, now we have a story to tell because we have actual data to back it up.” - Brian Jung
- “If we can help customers going from manual to semi-automated, they are saving a lot of time.” - Kruno Kutnohorski
- “You're not displacing a human, right? They're doing other jobs that bring value to the company.” - Brian Jung
Links & mentions:
- EPLAN, provides ECAD software and service solutions for electrical panel builders, electrical design, automation and mechatronic engineering
- Rittal, the world's leading systems provider for Enclosures, Power Distribution, Climate Control, IT infrastructure, 19" racks, and software and services
- Golden Road Brewing Company, Los Angeles' largest craft brewer
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
215: How Manufacturers Can Connect with the Community to Attract Top Talent featuring Behlen Mfg. Co.
When selecting talent for manufacturing roles, grades don’t matter nearly as much as hard work and talent. A's and B's are all very well, but a willingness to learn and the hunger to improve daily can’t be taught. Becoming a great engineer isn’t about knowing everything right out of the gate, it’s about figuring it out.
In this episode, we’re joined by Cody Myers, Jon Rauner, and Mick Yrkoski of Behlen Mfg. Co. Join us as we discuss Behlen’s approach to hiring, their relationship with the wider community in Columbus, Nebraska, and their “pay-it-forward” mentality.
Behlen’s approach to development, which includes tiered meetings, profit-sharing initiatives, and partnering with local colleges, has helped them continue to grow and progress since their inception almost ninety years ago.
In this episode, find out:
- Why metal-forming and manufacturing is still an art
- Behlen has a personal connection to the community and culture of Nebraska – they value their employees as names rather than numbers
- How, at Behlen, the focus is on balancing today's tasks with long-term success, valuing sustainable decisions over immediate profits
- Why Behlen values hard work and drive over great grades and talent
- Why a pay-it-forward mentality is vital for nurturing the next generation of talent, especially with apprenticeship programs and partnerships with local colleges
- The reason maintenance teams are the ‘rockstars’ of the manufacturing world
- Three-tiered meetings allow an organization to foster alignment across different levels of the company and enhance decision-making
- The overlooked importance of culture at manufacturing firms and why people are the key
- The different opportunities in manufacturing that people don't talk about or don't see – whether that’s opportunities in HR, IT, or accountancy
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We still view metal as an art.” - Cody Myers
- “One of our global values is continuous learning.” - Cody Myers
- “I would take a technician anytime that has drive and aspires to be better over somebody that knows the answer and doesn’t have to do the research.” - Mick Yrkoski
Links & mentions:
- Behlen Manufacturing, a steel fabrication company
- Industrial Solutions Network, a network of manufacturing technology companies providing the collective information, technology, tools and services to manufacturing communities
- Central Community College, a multi-campus community college serving a 25-county area in central Nebraska
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
214: From DevOps to Building AI for Industrial Code with Adam Gluck, CEO and Founder of Copia Automation
AI skepticism – much like AI itself – is here to stay, whether we like it or not. While getting buy-in can be difficult, and deploying it as a solution within a company is even harder, the key thing to remember is that AI, like any new tool, must address a pain point. The only way folks will be persuaded as to its use will be when it solves a problem that was previously thought unsolvable.
In this episode, we are joined by Adam Gluck, the CEO and Founder of Copia Automation. Join us as we explore the problems that AI is solving, why a customer-centric culture is so key to developing useful products, and the need for Silicon Valley to overlap with industries that have existed for over two hundred years.
The problem-first mindset is one that’s helped Copia evolve since July 2020 and navigate hype cycles in tech. What’s more, by keeping users front of mind, they can use AI as a “painkiller” rather than a “vitamin”. This means Copia create proactive, targeted solutions that deliver value where it matters most.
In this episode, find out:
- Adam shares his career path, including his work for Uber and his sociology undergraduate degree
- Why it is harder for graduates to get software engineering jobs
- How, in engineering, a self-taught approach can be less restrictive when learning new approaches or facing new problems
- Hiring smart people is often the most important step in solving hard problems
- Copia has evolved since July 2020, and the key to this has been their market understanding, adoption, activation, and backup and disaster recovery
- How DevOps AI for the software space has transformed the way software gets written
- Adam chose to move to New York from San Francisco because of the large number of seed rounds, proximity to venture capital and large amount of talent
- How the current enthusiasm for industrialization and manufacturing among venture capitalists and young companies will persist long-term
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I want to build something people can use every single day as part of their standard workflow and that solves material problems for them.”
- “DevOps AI for the software space has transformed the way software gets written.”
- “Ultimately, you can try and solve things with processes organization, but you're going to actually solve problems with really smart people.”
Links & mentions:
- Copia Automation, bringing modern DevOps tooling to industrial automation, standardizing processes to drive quality, efficiency, and uptime at scale
- Reindustrialize, a summit exploring how technology will shape the future of the US industrial base
- American Dynamism, part of a16z, investing in founders and companies supporting the national interest: aerospace, defense, safety, education, and manufacturing
- Founders Fund, a San Francisco based venture capital firm organized by Peter Thiel and others, investing in companies building revolutionary technologies
- General Catalyst, a global investment and transformation company that partners with the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs to drive resilience and applied AI
- Construct Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, investing in founders who are reimagining the foundational industries of our economy
- Dante NYC, legendary circa-1915 cafe serving small plates & cocktails in an updated historic setting in New York City’s West Village
- Lobby Bar at the Chelsea Hotel, high-end cocktail bar inside of NYC’s Chelsea Hotel offering seasonal cocktails, artfully prepared plates, and late-night hours
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
213: Re-Envisioning Energy and the Future of Industry, Live from the Empowering Pumps & Industry Conference
We’ve all been guilty of taking energy for granted at some point, from mindlessly flicking on light switches to filling up our cars on the way to work. We may grumble about the costs, but when was the last time you really thought about where it all comes from?
The availability of energy is something that affects us all, and leaders in the industry are calling for a re-envisioned future. In this episode, we sit down with Michelle Jordan from TECHMAR, Gakuo Ndonga of WD Bearings, and Meaghan Ziemba, host of Mavens of Manufacturing. Recorded live at the Empowering Pumps & Industry Conference, we dive into what it truly means to re-envision energy for the future.
Key themes from our conversation include challenging traditional ways of thinking, spreading awareness, and the importance of collaboration. The secret to innovation in energy isn’t just about new tech (although that’s important), it’s also about bringing fresh voices into the conversation. But as we see across manufacturing, it’s not always easy to sell younger generations on a future career in energy. So we look at what industry leaders can do to communicate and spark excitement to keep energy ticking.
In this episode, find out:
- What does it mean to re-envision energy? Meaghan, Michelle, and Gakuo all share their perspectives and career stories
- Why we need to avoid taking energy for granted and remember that it’s a valuable, scarce resource
- How maintenance and reliability are handled in the energy industry
- How leaders can talk to their customers about re-envisioning operations
- Changes in the workforce and how this can drive innovation for energy
- Gakuo shares a story of a tour he took in an experimental mine that had a classroom in it
- How industry leaders can communicate with others about the energy industry to drive excitement and awareness
- The trick to getting more comfortable sharing your stories to tell others about your career
- Advice for businesses on communicating with educators and young people and why a new approach is needed for a new generation
- Why it’s so important to find your passion and communicate that well
- How focusing on relatable everyday items can help you to communicate the value of working in energy
- Why continuous learning is key and the importance of approaching everything from a student perspective
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We have to treat energy as a very valuable resource that's not always there. And the way we do that is by bringing people together. People have to be excited to be in this industry to keep energy going.” – Gakuo Ndonga
- "We all have to be advocates for this industry... If you have a really cool story, or if you know of a really cool story, share that with everyone." – Meaghan Ziemba
- "Looking forward to the future, the direction we are headed, the infrastructure that is being built, clean energy, renewable energy, carbon capture—those things are our future." – Michelle Jordan
Links & mentions:
- Mavens of Manufacturing, a live video series that celebrates women in manufacturing
- WD Bearings, manufacturers of high-quality bearings that specializes in tech, manufacturing, and research
- TECHMAR, epoxy grout manufacturers that specializes in protecting equipment from vibrations
- Empowering Pumps & Industry Conference, a conference that connects industry leaders and insights on workforce development, leadership and innovation
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
212: Manufacturing's Transformative Impact on Rural Economies and Population Growth with Angie Stenger, Executive Director of Northeast Nebraska Growing Together
Manufacturing is a key industry that can revitalize communities, but what about in more rural locations? How do smaller communities compete with the big cities for talent, innovation, investment and growth? We head to Northeast Nebraska for this episode to speak with Angie Stenger, the Executive Director of Northeast Nebraska Growing Together – an initiative to transform the regional economy and population growth.
From scholarship programs to a new innovation hub and the creation of a vibrant downtown scene, Norfolk is redefining what it means to live and work in a rural community. Angie shares insights on their unique "Growing Together Scholarship," which partners with Wayne State College to offer students not just education, but also housing and a full year of internship experience with local businesses. This not only provides valuable skills to students but also allows companies to "test drive" potential employees.
But it's not all work and no play in Norfolk. The city has invested in quality-of-life improvements that rival big city amenities, including a Whitewater Park for river surfing, an amphitheater for festivals, and a thriving arts scene. The goal? To make Northeast Nebraska a magnet for young professionals and families.
In this episode, find out:
- Angie shares some backstory on the resurgence of downtown Norfolk
- The purpose of Northeast Nebraska Growing Together and how it’s helping to “repopulate Northeast Nebraska”
- How the local community is investing in facilities including attractions, art, and local facilities to attract families
- Angie explains how their partnership with Wayne State College enabled them to build a great scholarship program
- Why Northeast Nebraska is leading the way with its Growing Together initiative
- What to expect from Northeast Nebraska’s upcoming innovation hub
- How Angie’s organization works closely with local businesses and manufacturers to find out what they need from talent
- Angie explains what manufacturing and bedrock companies mean to the region and shares examples of innovative tech and companies leading the way
- Raising awareness and interest in manufacturing as a career path through the Growing Together initiative
- How Growing Together is measuring success in both the short and long-term
- Angie’s advice to other regions that might want to adopt a similar model of collaboration
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We're in the middle of the country. This is Nebraska. And we know that if one town succeeds, all the towns around succeed. And so we want to make sure that we're raising all the tides for everyone in the state, but we're starting here in Northeast Nebraska.”
- “I think in Nebraska, we figure out how to make the things we need and then when the rest of the world sees it, we just figure out how to make it for everybody else.”
- “If we can show that, "hey, this is an okay place to live," hopefully they'll stay.”
Links & mentions:
- Growing Together Northeast Nebraska, an Aksarben workforce initiative; this plan outlines the proactive transformation of Northeast Nebraska’s regional economy and population growth. At its essence, the plan pairs entrepreneurs with investment capital and students to redesign a workforce that can compete in a knowledge-based economy.
- The Aksarben Foundation, proudly recognizing individuals and families with strong Nebraska values since 1895, and helping develop the leaders of tomorrow through education, scholarships, career training, community grants, and increasing access to opportunities in Nebraska
- Angie’s evening bar crawl across downtown Norfolk, NE includes Bar A for appetizers, Fifth Street Tavern for cocktails, and the Green Light Great Night for live music
- District Table and Tap, once the historic Elkhorn Hotel, this 100-year-old building has been restored to house a restaurant with a great beer selection in Norfolk, NE
- Divots Brewery Taproom, beer handcrafted in small batches using American-grown, Midwestern barley and northwestern hops with a taproom location in downtown Norfolk, NE
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
211: How Vertical Integration Helps Kwik Trip Achieve Manufacturing Excellence with Paul Blank and Scott Schiebel
Have you ever stopped to think about what goes into getting your favorite Kwik Trip products onto your table?
In this episode, we explore the impressive vertical integration model that Kwik Trip uses, a strategy that allows them to maintain almost complete control over their supply chain. Paul Blank, Director of Operations, and Scott Schiebel, Automation Manager, share insights on how this approach not only enhances quality and food safety but also helps the company navigate supply chain challenges that have become all too common in recent years.
Kwik Trip’s commitment to vertical integration means they handle everything from manufacturing to distribution in-house. With five major food production facilities and their own trucking operations, they can ensure that products like milk and baked goods are delivered fresh to stores—sometimes in less than 24 hours! The episode highlights the crucial role of automation in streamlining these processes, including ingredients prep and order fulfillment.
You’ll also hear how Kwik Trip prioritizes its workforce despite the big focus on automation. Paul and Scott emphasize that automation is not about replacing jobs but enhancing operations to meet rising demand.
In this episode, find out:
- Paul and Scott give us a quick overview of what Kwik Trip is
- Why Kwik Trip uses a vertical integration model and its impact on logistics and supply chain issues
- How using automation makes vertical integration a powerful strategy
- An overview of some of the more recent facilities set up at Kwik Trip and how they’ve improved operations
- Why Kwik Trip is a great example of a company using digital transformation to refine production and distribution
- How the team at Kwik Trip makes decisions on production types such as batch and continuous processes
- How automation has impacted the people behind the process and why it doesn’t mean that anyone loses a job
- Why predictive maintenance is essential for keeping plants running smoothly
- How operations leaders collaborate within Kwik Trip
- How Kwik Trip decides what to produce in-house vs. outsource to other manufacturers
- The process behind building the right tech for each production line and why everything starts with food safety
- How Kwik Trip’s food innovation team maintains great quality and tests out new ideas for feasibility
- How the company collaborates and seeks out vendors and OEMs to work with
- Tips for any manufacturers considering the vertical integration model
- Kwik Trip’s approach to training, hiring and retaining great talent
- Some stats on the impressive numbers of products that come off the Kwik Trip production lines
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We make it. We ship it. We sell it. This allows us to control pricing that's best for our guest. It also allows us to manage quality and food safety.” – Paul Blank
- "Our maintenance staff has a CMMS program, and they are diligent about PMs and staying on top of the equipment in terms of the routine needs. And that pays dividends long term since there's less unexpected downtime." – Scott Schiebel
- "Automation really is part of our growth pattern. There isn't a project that we take on without evaluating whether or not automation fits or how it may fit. It doesn't mean we automate everything, but where we do, Kwik Trip grows as a whole." – Paul Blank
Links & mentions:
- Kwik Trip, a popular chain of convenience stores located throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
210: Technical Education, Apprenticeships, and Addressing the Needs of Industry Today and in the Future with Ashley Furniture and Western Technical College
We talk a lot about the skills gap on this podcast, but this episode paints an optimistic picture of what the manufacturing world can achieve when we come together. Partnerships between industry and education are so important because without the right education and exposure to manufacturing, the skills gap could continue to grow.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Josh Gamer, Dean of the Integrated Technology Division at Western Technical College, and Kris Gengler, Education Foundation Manager at Ashley Furniture, to talk through the important intersection between education and manufacturing.
Ashley Furniture and Western Technical College have an amazing partnership and work closely together to find ways to educate, inspire, and prepare the next generation of manufacturers. We cover a lot in this episode – from why Western Wisconsin is such a manufacturing hub to the upcoming Wanek Center of Innovation at Western Technical College and what it will mean for manufacturing businesses and students.
Kris and Josh share their predictions on the industry, talk about apprenticeships, and the type of skills and technology that future manufacturers will get to learn at places like Western Technical College.
In this episode, find out:
- What makes manufacturing in Western Wisconsin so special and important to the region
- The types of manufacturing that Western Wisconsin specializes in and how the area manages to attract and retain talent
- What Western Technical College’s Wanek Center of Innovation will mean for manufacturers and why it’s been a group effort between education and industry
- What Ashley Furntiure and local education institutions learned from a group trip to Germany to visit manufacturers and trade shows
- Why you need to be willing to look outside your immediate bubble and learn from others
- Josh lists some of the different ways students and manufacturers will benefit from the new Center
- Why we need to talk to younger kids about manufacturing to plant the seed early
- How Western Technical College’s apprenticeship programs have evolved
- Josh does some podcast shoutouts to organizations he’s partnered with
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you want to understand how you're truly doing, you have to open your eyes and be willing to look outside. Go to a different state. Consider another country. Visit other manufacturers, other educational institutions because if you don't do that, you do run the risk of falling behind.” – Dr. Josh Gamer
- “Manufacturing here in Western Wisconsin, you have people who are very hardworking, very smart, and they have a drive to succeed and they continue to want to learn, to expand, and to find a better way.” – Kris Gengler
- “When those businesses are successful, it's keeping the money within an area. And that's really what manufacturing does for an area. And when it does that, it, it enhances everything. It enhances healthcare, it enhances distribution, it enhances education. It just creates a whole lot of good for an area.” – Kris Gengler
Links & mentions:
- Western Technical College, leading institution in Western Wisconsin, Western Technical College prepares students for hands-on careers with a focus on technology and manufacturing
- Ashley Furniture, one of the world’s largest furniture makers, Ashley Furniture combines innovation with craftsmanship to create products for homes everywhere
- Ronald and Joyce Wanek Foundation, this foundation, created by the Wanek family, supports STEM education and community growth through impactful initiatives
- La Crosse Bierhaus, a cozy spot in La Crosse serving authentic German beers and food in a fun, Bavarian-inspired atmosphere
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
209: How to Take Advantage of Local, State, and Federal Resources for Growth and Expansion, Live from CBT Company's More Than MFG Expo
Are you leveraging all the resources in the local manufacturing community? Connecting with local, state, and federal support can open doors to growth and collaboration.
Recorded live at CBT Company's More Than MFG Expo, this episode dives into programs like AMIP, TechCred, JobsOhio, and Women in Manufacturing (WIM), spotlighting resources for funding, recruitment, training, and more.
In this episode, find out:
- Will on AMIP’s proactive support for the manufacturing community
- AMIP’s advice for collaboration-driven success
- Benefits of connecting with other companies, educators, and organizations
- Fabian on JobsOhio’s role in building manufacturing careers
- How JobsOhio has improved funding processes
- Why Fabian prefers "return on engagement" over "investment"
- Government-backed incentives for solar power investments
- Allison on Women in Manufacturing’s mission to connect women with employers
- REDI Cincinnati’s role in linking manufacturers to resources
- CBT Company’s support in leveraging resources
- Elise’s call for manufacturers to collaborate locally
- Why Cincinnati’s manufacturing community is so strong
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Links & mentions:
- CBT Company, representing hundreds of the best-known brands in the industry for automation, electrical, mechanical power transmission, and custom belting products
- AMIP, southwestern Ohio’s Advanced Manufacturing Industry Partnerships is a registered nonprofit focused on workforce
- TechCred Ohio, helping Ohioans learn new skills and helps employers build a stronger workforce with the skills needed in tech
- Good Jobs Challenge, supporting regional workforce training systems to place workers in good jobs
- JobsOhio, since its establishment in 2011, they have boosted innovation, driven job creation, and increased new capital investment in Ohio
- Women in Manufacturing, a national association dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women in all manufacturing roles
- REDI Cincinnati, connecting businesses in Greater Cincinnati with the data, partners, and resources needed to make the best decision for your company
- Third Eye Brewing, a Cincinnati-based award-winning brewery that believes in lots of experimentation, also serving as the location for many of this week’s interviews; other favorite breweries in Cincinnati: Wandering Monster, Fifty West, Rhinegeist, and the massive Zinzinnati Oktoberfest celebration
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
208: Why High-Mix Manufacturing Is a Sweet Spot for Flexible Automation and AI with Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO of Chef Robotics
Did you know your last meal might have been picked and packed by a robot? With a gaping hole in the labor market in food manufacturing, it seems inevitable. But while food manufacturers are crying out for more staff, some companies like Chef Robotics are offering a solution that’ll leave them hungry for more.
Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO of Chef Robotics, joins this episode to talk about how his company uses robotics and AI to fill in the gap in the labor market, while also offering high-mix manufacturing abilities to customers in food manufacturing.
Starting out in stealth mode, Chef Robotics has steadily perfected its product in collaboration with customers and real-world feedback. We hear about the strategy behind the company’s aims to scale in the assembly stage of manufacturing rather than branching out into the restaurant space.
In this episode, find out:
- What Rajat learned from his previous tech company about using AI
- An origin story to Chef Robotics and why Rajat chose to focus on the pain points in food manufacturing
- Why Rajat decided to launch Chef Robotics in stealth mode until recently
- We debate whether you need to be an expert in your niche to succeed in it
- How Rajat positioned Chef Robotics to customers and investors, focusing on pain points and larger companies
- We hear how Chef Robotics works and offers the flexibility that high-mix manufacturing
- Rajat shares his predictions on the future of AI
- What Rajat has learned from other automation businesses and competitors
- Why Rajat isn’t working on automation from restaurants and is instead happy to stick to his niche for now
- Rajat shares predictions on the future of food manufacturing and how restaurants will become a place to appreciate human artistry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "The biggest pain point is labor shortage... It's actually the number one labor shortage in the US, with over 1.1 million people that companies are looking to hire."
- “If you're starting a company, you should find a problem statement which is so pressing that your customers are willing to work with you to get there.”
- “AI gets better over time. And that's what allows us to be flexible without custom. You could build custom hardware or custom software per ingredient. You could do that, but that's not really scalable.”
Links & mentions:
- Chef Robotics, robotics-as-a-service company transforming food production with flexible robots and AI
- Chef Robotics Link to Chat, how to get in touch with Chef Robotics
- Chef Robotics Case Studies, use cases showcasing their system in action
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
207: Honoring German Brewing Tradition in American Manufacturing with Steve Holle, Founder of KC Bier Co.
What happens when you pair the rich culinary culture of Kansas City with the traditional brewing methods of German beer?
KC Bier Co. was founded by Steve Holle, whose love of German beer, his heritage, time spent in the country, and passion for craft brewing were the perfect recipe for starting a traditional German brewery in the heart of Kansas City. He joined this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour as part of our MADE HERE series, created in partnership with ISN, the Industrial Solutions Network, which features stories from the region’s most important industrial operations.
Steve takes us on a journey through the history of German brewing techniques and why he adopts the same traditions that have served German beer lovers for centuries. While Steve wasn’t always in the brewing business, he cultivated his passion for years before finally opening the doors to KC Bier Co. and explains why he decided to focus on the niche of German beer.
We swap beer stories, discuss the most underrated German beers, and talk about the impact breweries like KC Bier Co. are having on the bustling culinary scene in Kansas City. There are some great insights in this episode for manufacturers on the power of specializing rather than trying to be everything to everyone, plus much more.
In this episode, find out:
- Steve explains how he first fell in love with German beer due to his heritage and a semester spent in Germany
- Why KC Bier Co. follows “Reinheitsgebot” methods, the German beer purity law that meant beer could only be made with specific ingredients
- Steve explains what led up to his starting KC Bier Co. and how his plans to become a craft brewer started long ago
- The most underrated styles of German beer and how they compare to American lagers
- How Kansas City’s rich culinary scene ties perfectly into the growing brewery scene
- What the community interaction with competitor brewers and customers has been like for KC Bier Co.
- What Steve wished more people knew about KC’s food and drinks culture
- Steve shares his advice for starting a new venture later in life
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Respect what you're doing and make sure you do it well rather than just thinking, ‘oh, that sounds like something fun I'd like to do.’”
- “I think craft brewing is not so much about being everything to everybody, but it's having a passion for something that you're doing and trying to be the best at that niche that you want to work in.”
- “Some people question why we don't make stouts and everything else. And I think by focusing on something so specific, we actually bring more variety to the beer drinkers in Kansas City because no one else really does what we do.”
Links & mentions:
- KC Bier Co., Brewer of German-style bier using only water, yeast, and all-imported German malt and hops with a Bavarian-style bierhalle and biergarten in Kansas City, MO
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
206: How Maintenance Leaders and Frontline Workers Can Drive Digital Transformation with Nick Haase, Co-Founder of MaintainX
Fresh off the heels of IMTS in Chicago, the largest manufacturing show in North America, host Chris Luecke invites Nick Haase, Co-Founder of MaintainX, onto the show to discuss how maintenance leaders and frontline workers can drive digital transformation.
Nick gives us a run-down on his background and how his experiences have contributed to creating an intuitive CMMS and EAM platform. The conversation explores how digitizing maintenance departments can not only facilitate broader digital transformation but also capture invaluable tribal knowledge from an aging workforce. This knowledge transfer is essential as companies prepare the next generation of workers to embrace high-tech solutions.
Nick and Chris also explore the role of AI in enhancing operational efficiency, emphasizing how executives and frontline leaders must collaborate to harness its potential, from making manufacturing more appealing to the younger generation to leveraging data for smarter decisions.
In this episode, find out:
- Meet Nick Haase: Co-Founder of MaintainX
- Why frontline workers are the key link between high-tech equipment and peak operational efficiency
- Nick provides a detailed look at his ‘non-typical’ career journey and how he built MaintainX
- How moving from pen and paper onto digital platforms tie into a digital transformation
- Why you’re only as good as your best plant manager if you don’t invest in data
- How AI is helping make sure the transition to the next work generation is as seamless as possible
- What causes Nick to think differently than other people in the manufacturing industry
- Who's ready for AI in the manufacturing world in this day and age
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “AI in manufacturing isn't a magic solution—it's a powerful tool that requires high-quality, company-specific data to drive real efficiency gains and smooth workforce transitions.”
- “You've got this great installation of this incredible software process, but if you aren't considering how that final frontline worker is going to receive that input and deliver data input back into the system, then you're missing the point.”
- "I was surprised to learn that even at a Fortune 50 manufacturing company, many were still primarily following analog processes on the plant floor."
Links & mentions:
- MaintainX, CMMS and EAM software that prevents downtime, reduces maintenance costs, and delivers the #1 technician experience
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
205: How to Leverage GenAI to Get Out of "Pilot Purgatory" and Address Your Workforce Challenges with Rockwell Automation's Andrew Hastert
In the face of a looming talent crisis, with over 3 million manufacturing jobs expected to remain unfilled in the next decade, the industry is turning to generative AI as a vital solution.
Host Chris Luecke talks with Andrew Hastert, Director of Digital Strategy and Portfolio at Rockwell Automation, in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour about how GenAI can not only streamline operations but also empower a new generation of workers who may lack traditional manufacturing experience.
They cover GenAI's ability to simplify complex tasks, such as programming and troubleshooting, which could significantly reduce the barriers for entry-level employees and help preserve critical tribal knowledge that is at risk of being lost as experienced workers retire.
As generative AI continues to evolve, it promises to transform how manufacturers approach workforce challenges. And, in this conversation, Chris and Andrew shed light on its potential to not just fill gaps but also enhance productivity and innovation within manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- Andrew defines AI as applying math to data to derive insights not possible with traditional methods, using powerful parallel computing
- He explains how GenAI uses the transformer model to create new patterns based on existing ones, widening access to AI capabilities
- Hear how the manufacturing industry faces a significant talent shortage, with over 3 million unfilled jobs projected in the next decade
- Learn how GenAI can help address workforce challenges by simplifying complex tasks like programming and troubleshooting
- Andrew talks about data management and AI integration
- How AI is seen as the top technology to address workforce challenges due to its ability to capture and utilize tribal knowledge
- Escaping Pilot Purgatory with GenAI
- How The State of Smart Manufacturing report indicates that talent remains the biggest challenge for industrial companies
- Manufacturers are advised to focus on their biggest business challenges first, then consider how AI can help address them
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I think the promise of generative AI is to dramatically simplify how we take our information, our support documentation, our tribal knowledge, document it, and get it into a large language model.”
- “Generative AI is just an application of AI using the transformer model to get new patterns generated, based on former patterns.”
- “Generative AI is not just about automation; it's about empowering new workers to tackle complex tasks that traditionally required years of experience.”
Links & mentions:
- Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation, digital transformation, and information solutions
- State of Smart Manufacturing Report, insights on AI, industrial SaaS, and more based of surveying hundreds of manufacturing leaders
- DemonFlyingFox, AI artist who uses MidJourney AI to bring Balenciaga to the world of Harry Potter
- The Vanguard, a Milwaukee whiskey and comfort cuisine institution specializing in late-night, house-made sausage
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
204: OT Security Best Practices for Manufacturers with Fortinet's Rich Springer
Is your shop floor as secure as you think it is? Innovation in the manufacturing world has made IT-OT convergence much more commonplace today, but is the industry taking the potential risks seriously enough?
In this episode, we hear from Fortinet’s Director of Marketing for OT Solutions, Rich Springer, about the real threats facing manufacturers within OT networks, and why effective OT security is a non-negotiable today...
Rich brings bags of experience to the table, from his early days in furniture and glass factories to his time as a Navy submarine officer and later as the global head of SCADA operations for a major wind turbine company. He shares how these experiences shaped his understanding of the unique cybersecurity challenges facing the manufacturing sector.
Painting a picture of how an OT threat can bring production to a standstill, Rich recommends that manufacturers use tabletop exercises to assess risk points and their impact on the whole production line. Rich also explains that part of protecting your OT network is about getting IT and OT teams to work together, and he gives practical advice on how to bridge the gap.
In this episode, find out:
- Rich explains Fortinet’s position on OT network security
- We hear about Rich’s diverse career background and how his previous roles prepared him for his role at Fortinet
- The current state of OT convergence and why companies are yet to take action
- Rich breaks the misconception that air gaps will protect manufacturers from digital threats
- Advice for better collaboration between IT and OT teams
- Rich explains why he’s optimistic that manufacturers are paying attention to the right things in security
- What the report says about manufacturers and their approach to OT systems today
- What it takes for cybersecurity experts to get executives to pay attention to the threats facing OT
- How to run a tabletop exercise to assess threat and impact on production
- What surprises Rich most about cybersecurity in manufacturing today
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The separation of duties should be decided on the tabletop exercise, not when the fire is burning.”
- “The technology has evolved. So therefore, it has made this air gap strategy a little less realistic over the years. And this is a common challenge.”
- “When the systems go down, they go to paper. So if the line hasn't stopped, what happens with our suppliers if we have to go paper? Take your tabletop exercise to that level.”
Links & mentions:
- Advancing Digital Transformation in a Time of Unprecedented Cybersecurity Risk, a report on how digital transformation in manufacturing has driven a widespread need for cybersecurity awareness
- 2024 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report, Fortinet’s report on OT cybersecurity
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
203: Humanoid Robots: Industrial Applications, Safety, and Going Beyond the Hype to Solve Real Problems Featuring Agility Robotics' Melonee Wise
Is the industry ready for humanoids? And perhaps more importantly, does the industry really need them? It’s a debate that’s been going on for some time, and back in episode 200, we even had an audience member call humanoids out as a gimmick! But are there real benefits to using humanoids?
We welcomed back Melonee Wise, the Chief Product Officer at Agility Robotics, the pros at manufacturing mobile manipulation robots and automation solutions. Melonee explains that there are definitely practical uses for humanoids and explains some ways they may outperform regular robotics in certain scenarios, such as containerized movement.
We hear a little backstory about Melonee’s career and why she founded Fetch Robotics, sold it, and took her current role at Agility Robotics. While running her company, she learned a lot about finding product-market fit and ensuring that the designs of robots are viable, in demand, and safe. Safety is a key theme in this episode, and Melonee reveals some of the specific scenarios we need to prepare for if we ever hope to get a robot from the design stage to implementation.
In this episode, find out:
- Are humanoids overhyped or is there a real use for them?
- The practical applications for humanoids in manufacturing and supply chain management
- The realities of managing robots on a production line and why instructions need to be programmed clearly
- Weighing up the speed of human workers vs. automated vehicles and robots, plus the other factors affecting human workers
- How AI plays into robotics development and why robotics would be advanced enough to progress without AI
- How we could manage data from robots to optimize supply chain management
- Why safety is always the biggest challenge with robotics and machinery and the different scenarios we need to account for before deploying a new piece of robotics
- The dangers of not thinking proactively about safety – both to the industry as a whole and to robotics developments
- What led Melonee to launch Fetch Robotics and how she found product-market fit with a new solution to a common problem
- Why Melonee stepped away from entrepreneurship to take a role at Agility Robotics
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Humanoids would be having their moment right now, whether or not AI was also having its moment. I think that the technology is sufficiently advanced enough that we can do the work without leveraging AI if we needed to. Now, will AI help? Yes."
- “There are two factors that make containerized movement great for humanoids. One, it's very standard work and robotics always loves standard processes. And two, it's highly scalable. So it's worth the investment of the development.”
- “Humanoids are becoming the new best friends of AMRs. So that's where we're seeing a lot of success, especially because they’re highly repeatable and there are a lot of use cases for them.”
Links & mentions:
- Agility Robotics, the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile manipulation robots and automation solutions, working with the humanoid robot, Digit
- Fetch Robotics (now Zebra), Melonee’s original company, acquired by Zebra, is a robotics automation products manufacturer that helps robots work alongside humans
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
202: What is MxD? The Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute That's Fortifying U.S. Manufacturing with CEO Berardino Baratta
U.S. manufacturing is on a roll right now. And organizations like MxD – The Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute are on a mission to help manufacturers build the things they need to build in the modern digital world.
In this episode, we sit down with Berardino Baratta, CEO of MxD, to explore the evolution of digital transformation in manufacturing and its impact on the industry. First, Berardino shares his career story, which takes us from healthcare AI to operating a café during a sabbatical to now helping manufacturers thrive in a digital world.
As MxD celebrates its 10th anniversary, Berardino shares insights on how the organization has evolved over the years as new technology progresses. We dig into the challenges faced by small businesses, the importance of cybersecurity in the digital age, and how MxD is shaping the future of American manufacturing. Berardino shares his perspective on how manufacturing is changing for the better, including a more collaborative approach to improving supply chains and the democratization of data and insights.
In this episode, find out:
- Berardino explains what MxD does to help manufacturers and how its scope has evolved as new technology advances
- Some backstory on Berardino’s varied career from being the CEO of an AI healthcare company to now working as the CEO of the U.S.’s leading digital manufacturing innovation center
- What Berardino learned during his long sabbatical about modernizing operations at a café and how he applied that to his work in manufacturing
- Berardino takes us through MxD’s project history, including working with the Department of Defense and Manufacturing USA
- How modern manufacturing companies feel about creating something that will be democratized vs. maintaining competitive advantages
- Why the industry has become more collaborative over making supply chain improvements
- How manufacturing has changed in the past ten years in line with technological innovations
- What’s working when it comes to fortifying the strength of U.S. manufacturing
- Improvements the industry needs to make when it comes to adopting digital assets
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We quickly realized cybersecurity is critical. We went from being the Digital Manufacturing Institute to the Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute. Two sides of the same coin, right? If you're going to adopt digital, it better be secure.”
- “98% of U.S. manufacturing companies are small and medium. 75% have less than 20 employees. What's starting to work is that those small and medium businesses are starting to adopt digital to improve their operations.”
- “With the café, we modernized their entire operations. Right from production in the back house through building their front of the house. We modernized it with technology, not that dissimilar to a digital transformation of a manufacturer.”
Links & mentions:
- MxD, the digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute; MxD advances economic prosperity and national security by strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness through technology innovation, workforce development, and cybersecurity preparedness; in partnership with the Department of Defense
- Manufacturing USA, a network of regional institutes, each with a specialized technology focus; Manufacturing USA institutes like MxD convene business competitors, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to test applications of new technology, create new products, reduce cost and risk, and enable the manufacturing workforce with the skills of the future
- Chicago Cut Steakhouse, a stylish modern steakhouse with a patio overlooking the Chicago River where Berardino and Chris have both dined before
- Hardware Sustainable Gastropub and Brewery, avant-garde haunt in Aurora, IL with seasonal, creative entrées, whiskeys from around the world, and outdoor seating
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
201: A Look Inside Boulevard Brewing's Innovative Approach to Beer, Live from Kansas City with Adam Hall
In 1989, Kansas City's beer scene was revitalized with the founding of Boulevard Brewing Company, filling a void left by the closure of hundreds of local breweries during Prohibition and the subsequent decades.
Our guest, Adam Hall from Boulevard Brewing Company, takes us on a fascinating journey into the brewery's evolution from humble beginnings to its present-day status as a staple on Kansas City's beer scene. In this episode, learn about the evolution of Boulevard's beer lineup, the pivotal role of Kansas City’s rich beer heritage, and how innovation keeps the brewery ahead of trends without chasing them.
Adam also shares unique insights into Boulevard's community involvement, sustainability efforts, and the collaborative spirit among Kansas City brewers. Plus, don't miss out on their creative beer and food pairings, including a new Chamoy and peach ring-infused sour ale!
Plus, make sure to follow the MADE HERE series with the Industrial Solutions Network by going to industrialsolutionsnetwork.com/madehere.
In this episode, find out:
- How Boulevard Brewing started out in 1989 as a small brewery with a few taps in an old gift shop
- The history of Kansas City’s breweries before Prohibition and what happened afterward
- How founder John McDonald was inspired to brew a variety of beers while on a trip to Europe
- About Boulevard’s first successful beer, which was an American wheat beer, and how it remains their bestseller today
- How hiring an innovative brewer with a robust list of recipes helps keep Boulevard Brewing on the forefront of what’s happening in the industry
- How they collaborate with other craft breweries to share techniques and improve production efficiency
- Boulevard’s position as a mid-sized brewery, larger than typical craft breweries but smaller than macro breweries, allows for quality-focused growth
- The future for the brewery is to increase its presence in markets outside Kansas City while maintaining a tight and high-quality beer profile
- How Boulevard's commitment to innovation includes adopting new manufacturing techniques to enhance efficiency and product quality
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “While Kansas City didn't experience Prohibition in the same way that other cities did, we never really stopped serving beer, manufacturing shut down almost completely.”
- “We want to grow. We want more people to try our beer. We think that if you try our beer, you'll like our beer. We try to make something for everybody.”
- “In the early 2000s, we were doing over a hundred thousand barrels on our original brew house, which kicks out 35 barrels at a time. If you do anything a hundred thousand times in increments of 35, it'll tell you that brew house was running 24 hours a day.”
Links & mentions:
- Boulevard Brewing Company, a brewery in Kansas City, Missouri that combines traditional brewing techniques with modern methods
- Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, the best barbeque in Kansas City, the barbeque capital of the world
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: IMTS 2024 Preview with MakingChips, Peter Eelman, and More
If you are one of the 100,000 people that’s going to IMTS 2024 – North America's largest manufacturing trade show – there's a lot in this episode for you. We’re joined by 7 other manufacturing leaders as we enjoy a glass of bourbon and chat about what we’re expecting to see at IMTS this year, September 9 through 14, 2024 in Chicago, IL.
This episode was recorded live from MakingChips HQ at their “Boring Bar” in Rockford, IL where we were joined by a number of past guests of Manufacturing Happy Hour. The crew discusses everything from IMTS to artificial intelligence to our thoughts on the future of manufacturing and what it will take to continue to enhance the vibrancy of this industry.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
200: Manufacturing Happy Hour: Then & Now, An Interview with Chris Luecke Hosted by Meaghan Ziemba, LIVE from Broken Bat Brewery in Milwaukee, WI
Let’s raise a glass to 200 episodes down and counting! It’s been an incredible journey so far and to mark this milestone, we’re bringing you a special live episode – this time with host Chris Luecke in the hot seat.
So what’s it been like running the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast? Chris tells us in his own words how much he’s learned as the podcast has grown in the amazing manufacturing community.
Live from Broken Bat Brewery in Milwaukee, we’re joined by Manufacturing Happy Hour alumni, including Meaghan Ziemba, the perfect host for this episode, plus lots of manufacturers, creators, and tech leaders.
Chris shares some of the best advice he’s heard from guests on the show, including how to be a self-advocate, the importance of connecting with the next generation of talent, and the power of networking events in fostering a community. We hear some behind-the-scenes details of handling feedback, producing those early episodes, and why Chris decided to start the podcast in the first place.
Huge thanks to anyone who’s listened to and supported the podcast over the years. Here’s to another 200 episodes!
In this episode, find out:
- Introduction to our host this episode, Meaghan Ziemba of Mavens of Manufacturing
- Chris explains how he feels about it being the 200th episode and reflects on his first guest on the show
- Why Manufacturing Happy Hour began as a way to connect with younger manufacturers
- Why community and networking have always been such a big feature of the Manufacturing Happy Hour mission
- Chris reflects on the most memorable moments from his podcast
- The top challenges Chris faced when creating the podcast and the game-changing advice he received
- How listener feedback has impacted Chris’ approach to podcasting and helped him grow
- Why manufacturers need to be an “aggressive self-advocate”
- How podcasts like this help to attract more young people into the industry and why Chris believes we need to listen rather than assume we know what younger people are looking for in this industry
- How podcasting and attending events is making a tangible impact on companies in the industry
- Chris shares his predictions for next year and beyond and his plan for the next 200 episodes
- Rapid fire questions on Chris’ favorite tech, events, guests, podcasts, and some behind-the-scenes stories
- The top things Chris has learned about leadership since starting the podcast
- Introduction to the companies who made this event possible
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When I say Manufacturing Happy Hour is listened to by leaders in manufacturing, I don't always mean the C-suite. I define leader as anyone who cares about their career, the industry, or their business. People that are driven in their careers.”
- “How do I attract the next generation? I need to listen to the next generation in terms of hearing what they want, rather than just assuming that me, as someone who’s been doing this for five plus years, knows all the answers.”
- “I'm trying to pick the best stories to tell, but I think it's just consistency. It's doing these things on a regular basis that gets folks out there, gets folks talking to people that they might not have met before."
Links & mentions:
- Broken Bat Brewery, baseball themed craft brewery and tap room in Milwaukee
- Mavens of Manufacturing, live video series hosted by Meaghan Ziemba that celebrates women in manufacturing
- Episode 56: Closing the Gender Gap in Manufacturing with Meaghan Ziemba, Meaghan’s guest episode
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
199: Leveraging the Data You Already Have to Solve Your Manufacturing Challenges with Yushiro Kato, Founder & CEO of CADDi
Not every new manufacturing project needs to reinvent the wheel. In fact, by using the resources manufacturers already have, companies can save both time and money. The key? Using historical data.
In this episode, we sit down with Yushiro Kato, Founder and CEO of CADDi, a company that helps manufacturers unlock the potential of their historical data. Yushiro gives us his backstory before he built CADDi and shares the unique learnings he picked up along the way.
We hear how CADDi’s innovative solutions can streamline operations and reduce costs in procurement and engineering processes. Throughout the episode, Yushiro champions centralized data systems that allow engineers to easily access and reuse past drawings, simplifying supply chains.
Yushiro also highlights the unique challenges of managing a company that spans multiple countries and continents. We hear about some of the key differences in job and skill specialization between the U.S. and Japan, while we sip sake and talk ramen.
In this episode, find out:
- Yushiro explains his entrepreneurial backstory and early experience at McKinsey & Company
- Why seeing the global pain points facing manufacturing inspired Yushiro to build CADDi
- Why so many entrepreneurs come from McKinsey
- How CADDi was founded on the idea of finding solutions in historical records
- Why we don’t see many manufacturing leaders using data to be more competitive
- How democratization of data can be used to empower people at all levels of seniority
- What frontline empowerment in manufacturing looks like
- Yushiro explains the first big issue that needs to be solved in manufacturing
- What it’s like being a CEO for a company that spans five countries
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Engineers tend to create new drawings over and over again. But why don't you leverage past data if they're mostly identical drawings in the past?”
- “There are a lot of data-related systems in place... but the systems do not really talk to each other. If you want to leverage the data in the past, you need to search across multiple systems, which is super time-consuming.”
- “Jobs are more specialized in the U.S. than Japan. So for example, in marketing, there are a lot of marketers - digital marketers, offline marketers, content marketers. In Japan, they're more generalists because they tend to be in the same company for longer."
Links & mentions:
- CADDi Drawer, a company that helps manufacturers unlock the potential of their historical data
- RAMEN-SAN, a neighborhood noodle joint that slings hot broth, ice-cold beer, and the best '90s hip-hop in Chicago, with multiple locations including River North
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
198: Manufacturing’s Role in the Resurgence of Rust Belt Cities with Drew Crowe, Live from 4 Hands Brewing Company in St. Louis, MO
The Rust Belt cities are welcoming in a new renaissance – and it’s thanks to the rise and return of great American manufacturing!
In this special live episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we dive deep into the heart of the new American manufacturing renaissance with a stellar lineup of guests, including Drew Crowe, Michael Eaton, Mary Cecile “MC” Neville, Brad Jones, Jeff Hawkins, and Cynthia Chapple. Recorded at the 4 Hands Brewery in St. Louis, this episode brings together inspiring industry leaders to discuss the transformative power of manufacturing.
Drew Crowe, the Founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, and his inspiring career journey take center stage as he shares how manufacturing changed his life. Today, he’s a public speaker and passionate advocate for the industry with a mission to reconnect communities with manufacturing.
We hear how manufacturing is revitalizing cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and Philadelphia, where the industry is not only great for job prospects but also economic growth for the Rust Belt states as a whole. Drew also gives his take on the skills gap, a challenge many manufacturers still face, and how his work is helping to spread awareness of the career opportunities the industry offers.
To hear more from manufacturing leaders, be sure to register for IMTS, taking place September 9-14 in Chicago.
In this episode, find out:
- Drew describes the New American Manufacturing Renaissance and its mission to connect communities with manufacturing
- Drew takes us through his inspiring career journey and how he prioritized learning
- Why the Rust Belt cities are seeing a resurgence thanks to the help of manufacturing
- Why better job opportunities and upskilling help not just individuals but also the city and state achieve longer-term growth
- How manufacturing is helping the cities of St. Louis, Detroit, and Philadelphia and what they’re getting right
- How the Delmar Maker District in St. Louis contributes to communities getting involved in manufacturing
- Drew’s answer to the skills gap and why we need to spread awareness and give potential talent a helping hand
- The importance of relatable and diverse role models
- How events like this and online content help the industry get the attention it needs
- Introduction to the Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT)
- How manufacturing contributes to the resurgence of cities
- What to expect from IMTS
- Why industry leaders need to meet people where they’re at and know their audience when talking about manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I want to bring back the opportunity where no matter what people look like, no matter where they're from, their sex, gender, political standing, race, whatever it is, we've got a lot of jobs that can change people's lives, and we just got to connect them to it.” - Drew Crowe
- “The world does not go around if we do not create.” - Cynthia Chapple
- “Manufacturers are the backbone of America. They built this country. We didn't need a pandemic to label manufacturers as essential workers. You have always been essential workers, period." - Drew Crowe
Links & mentions:
- Drew The MFG Crowe, often referred to as the leader of The New American Manufacturing Renaissance, Andrew Crowe is one of the most influential people in manufacturing today. Andrew, or Drew as he prefers, strives to ignite and energize American manufacturing by exposing youth, community, political leaders, and underserved communities to this industry. His mission is to ensure that we put our best innovators, creators, and thinkers in spaces where they can thrive and grow.
- Delmar Maker District, a hand made movement along St. Louis’ Delmar Blvd. home to arts and crafts studios, eclectic ships, MADE Makerspace, and acclaimed restaurants
- Good Jobs Challenge, supports regional workforce training systems to establish sectoral partnerships that train and place workers in good jobs as defined by the US Economic Development Administration
- ManufacturingIsSexy.com, apparel so you can Brag and rep the industry proudly, brought to you by Amper
- Black Girls Do STEM, diversifying innovation, empowering Black girls to achieve equitable STEM representation
- 4 Hands Brewing Co., brewery in St. Louis, MO with a tasting room serving a range of beers and pub fare, including City Wide Pale Ale, the world’s greatest beer
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
197: The Intersection of Food Processing Equipment, Sustainability, and Kansas City BBQ with Doug Wilson, Marlen International
Grab a bite to eat while you listen to this episode, preferably something fresh off the grill. We look behind the curtain of the food and beverage manufacturing world with Doug Wilson, the Director of Engineering at Marlen International.
Doug takes us on a journey through his career evolution from welding to food and beverage manufacturing, sharing pivotal moments that shaped his career. He emphasizes the importance of organization and workflow efficiency, revealing how his first plant startup taught him that failure can be the best teacher.
Doug breaks apart misconceptions about manufacturing in the food and beverage space and highlights that sanitary practices are make or break in this industry. He also sheds light on the artisanal side of food production, where meticulous recipe testing and quality assurance are key. We hear how Doug has helped smaller companies scale and the lessons they learn along the way when adopting new food processing equipment that makes it all possible.
Sustainability is a topic that’s near and dear to Doug’s heart, and he lets us in on Marlen’s tactic for reusing energy in the grilling process, which comes with an added flavorful bonus. Our conversation naturally comes to barbeque talk, specifically the world-famous Kansas City Barbeque Society which hosts events and competitions to celebrate a key part of KC’s culture.
In this episode, find out:
- How Doug first became a passionate Kansas City barbeque fan
- Doug’s early career in welding and high-speed printing and packaging
- Important lessons that Doug learned from an early startup that failed around workflow
- How Doug moved into the food processing business at Marlen
- Common misconceptions around food and beverage manufacturing
- What goes on behind the scenes of mass food production around testing and quality control
- Doug shares how he’s helped a number of smaller producers to industrialize and scale (including a truck stand)
- The key to ensuring quality when automation is a huge part of large-scale operations
- How the food manufacturing industry is changing, with a lean toward prepared meals
- How Marlen recycles exhaust fumes to boost energy efficiency
- Doug explains some of his barbeque tools, the Kansas City Barbeque Society, and his time as a judge
- What makes Kansas City a hub of food and beverage manufacturing
- The future of manufacturing in the food sector, Doug’s predictions
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We take the exhaust gases from the grill and pump it into the oven, so you get more of that smoked flavor. Another nice thing from the environmental side is all that exhaust gas is at 300 degrees, that's just energy you're losing. We can scale way back and reuse all that energy a second time.”
- “If you have nothing but success until you have a failure, how do you know what you need to improve on?”
- “The industry is massive, and I think a lot of people just don't realize how many people touch it along the way."
Links & mentions:
- Marlen International, Kansas City-based manufacturer of batch ovens, smokehouses, chillers, and more. They enable customer success through trusted and robust food processing solutions, application know-how, process expertise and engineering customization.
- The Kansas City Barbeque Society, a competitive cooking organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, famous for Kansas City BBQ. It’s the world’s largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 16,000 members.
- Q39, a hip, airy Kansas City BBQ joint with beamed ceilings & exposed brick serving smoked BBQ & wood-fired meats.
- Jack Stack, a bustling local KC chain known for its vast barbeque menu encompassing steak & seafood.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
196: The Skills CNC Machinists Need that You WON'T Learn in Trade School!
What does it really take to excel as a CNC machinist? A hunger to learn, a touch of aggressive self-advocacy, and a knack for problem-solving are the major take-home messages in this episode.
We speak to Christopher Zappettini, Nushrat Ahmed, and Danny Hill Jr., three CNC machinists who all took different paths into the field, skipping the traditional trade school route. They explore the top skills needed in the industry, how to be a great frontline leader, and their top tips that you won’t get from a trade school.
Chris explains what he thinks is sometimes missing from the trade school route, why problem-solving was the number one skill he took from his engineering background, and why you need to be an “aggressive self-advocate.”
Nushrat takes us through her transition from automotive engineering to becoming a CNC Swiss operator and shares one underrated skill you need to work in CNC machining. Like Chris, she believes it’s so important to advocate for yourself and learn to market your own skills.
Danny talks about the value of determination and continuous upskilling, pointing out the underrated importance of manual machine skills today, and taking charge of your own skill development.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the manufacturing industry and CNC machining looking to advance their career and become a top CNC machinist.
In this episode, find out:
- Why having an inspiring teacher was key to Chris’ education at ASU
- What Chris learned from his engineering program and early jobs about CNC machining
- Two reasons why people coming out of trade schools don’t hit the ground running – the importance of a good teacher and realizing that you get out what you put in
- Why engineering is about problem-solving at its core
- Why you need to be an “aggressive self-advocate” and take responsibility for your own learning and development through your career
- What does a great frontline leader look like?
- Why solving problems while parts are running is the ideal approach
- Chris’ advice on communication and why overcommunicating is almost never a bad thing
- What Chris believes is the most underrated skill to make it as a CNC machinist
- Why Nush became a CNC machinist after pivoting from an automotive career path
- What Nush believes it means to be a great frontline leader and why you should advocate for and market yourself
- Cleanliness as an underrated skill to be a CNC machinist
- The top characteristics of a frontline leader, according to Danny
- When Danny realized continuous learning was essential for his career
- Danny’s picks for the top practical and underrated skills in CNC machinery
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The most ideal situation is to get parts running and while they're running, solve the problems while it's still in the shop. You start solving the problems while the parts are being produced.” - Christopher Zappettini
- “You don't need to know numbers. Your handwriting doesn't have to be nice. You don't have to be good at reading. But you need to be neat. There are so many moving parts, you're going to be grabbing so many things, you're going to be moving so much, it'll make your life easier if everything has its place.” - Nushrat Ahmed
- “I want to learn all of it. Let me master this one thing, then I'm going to the next, and the next, and the next. The more and more I make myself more marketable. In this trade, there's nowhere else to go but up. I want to just learn the new and latest technology to come." - Danny Hill Jr.
Links & mentions:
- Zappettini Consulting, consultancy offering comprehensive solutions to optimize CNC operations
- Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., a down-to-earth brewpub with a variety of craft beers and imaginative American fare, including a peanut butter and jalapeño jelly burger
- Summit Coffee, coffee brand in North Carolina that sells unique seasonal drinks including tiramisu lattes
- Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, a small coffee roaster based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
195: 3 Characteristics of Machine Shops That Adopt Technology and Thrive with Paul Van Metre
Ever wonder why some machine shops are thriving while others are shutting their doors?
In this episode, we welcome back Manufacturing Happy Hour alumnus Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop, to crack open a virtual beer at GRUFF Brewing in Bellingham, Washington.
Paul serves up top notch insights on why some machine shops are thriving while others are closing their doors. He explains that some industries are driving the most success right now, including defense, commercial spaces, aerospace, and medical devices. But it's not only about being in the right industry – Paul emphasizes the need for sales-driven strategies, industry-specific certifications, and the adoption of automation and technology as keys to staying competitive.
We hear how ProShop has tripled its value since Paul was last on the show in 2020, and he shares the secret sauce for ProShop’s amazing growth. He also touches on the culture and mindset necessary for successful technology adoption in machine shops, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement, leadership, and humility.
In this episode, find out:
- Why are some machine shops thriving while others are shutting down in 2024?
- The industries that are booming are in aerospace, medical devices, defense, commercial space and why other industries are struggling in comparison
- Paul explains how a shop can still succeed even if they’re not focused on the top industries by being sales-driven
- Why shops that have optimized their processes with automation tech are doing so well
- Paul outlines detailed advice for a shop that might want to pivot industries
- The moment Paul realized he’d found the secret sauce to growing ProShop
- Why Paul believes in giving back to customers, not just to drive sales but to boost value
- The all-important culture and mindset that a shop that adopts tech has and why “we’ve always done it this way” is such a dangerous statement
- Highly regulated industries are more likely to adopt tech to manage compliance and the greater complexity of the business, but what can those in less regulated industries do to adopt a similar approach?
- Paul explains how he’s been busy since his last guest appearance on the show – tripling the value of ProShop thanks to changing the company’s goals
- Why transparency and customer care are the key things that Paul believes are responsible for ProShop’s success
- Paul explains why he finally began a funding round after seven years of bootstrapping the business
- The benefits of bootstrapping your business like Paul and his advice for those who want to go a similar route
- Paul shares some backstory on his 2 podcasts and why he keeps one entirely separate from his business
- The biggest benefit of running podcasts for Paul
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The shops that are thriving the most right now are the ones that are specifically targeting and are really sales-driven into industries that are hot."
- “This whole concept of transparency and focusing on client success and sharing their stories and celebrating their wins and, what I like to say, the heroes of the economy as they are, I think is a really important part of our growth story.”
- “You can have the best product in the world and no one's going to buy it if they don't really believe in it and see it and ask if that can be a part of their success as well.”
Links & mentions:
- ProShop ERP, easily store and manage all job and company data. From setup sheets, tool lists, inspection plans, drawings, sales reports, estimating data, inventory, job costing, labor tracking, all QMS records, and more.
- Machine Shop Mastery, hosted by Paul Van Metre, this is the podcast that helps elevate the importance of the machine shop industry and reveal the secrets of success for machine shops while inspiring other shop owners or would-be shop owners to follow their passions
- Manufacturing Transformed, Paul’s other podcast that offers a peek into how companies are benefiting from ProShop
- GRUFF Brewing Co., serving Bellingham, WA delicious craft beer, draft cocktails, and food
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
194: Exploring the Industrial History of Kansas City with Scott Brown, Historic West Bottoms Association
Places like Kansas City’s West Bottoms district make up the foundations of American manufacturing and industry. And in this episode, we head straight to The Ship, a unique bar in the heart of the historic West Bottoms district to meet with Scott Brown of the Historic West Bottoms Association and General Counsel at Faultless Starch.
We take a look back into the history of the area and why West Bottoms was put on the map thanks to its proximity to the Kansas and Missouri Rivers and the early railroads in the 1860s. Scott talks about why the region became such an agricultural hub and played an important role in the livestock industry of Kansas City. Today, the district is undergoing a period of revitalization, with investments in infrastructure being key to attracting new businesses and residents.
Scott highlights some of the area's top businesses, including Faultless Brands, which has been manufacturing starch products in West Bottoms since 1887. We also talk about the legendary American Royal BBQ events and why Kansas City BBQs may give Texas a run for its money…
Check out our Made Here City Series in collaboration with the Industrial Solutions Network.
In this episode, find out:
- How West Bottoms’ industrial history was shaped by the river and railways connecting Kansas City
- How the industrial background and area made Kansas City and the surrounding areas rich in agricultural history
- How Kansas City’s bridges connected different parts of the region, leading to expansion of the industry
- The impact of the stockyards coming to the region in the late 1800s
- The role of West Bottoms neighborhood in Kansas City cattle exchange history
- Where we see remnants of the old industry in Kansas City
- What is the American Royal today?
- The ultimate question: is Kansas City BBQ the best in the world?
- Why West Bottoms became a go-to district for haunted houses in Kansas City
- Why West Bottoms is thriving now and what you can find in the district today
- Why West Bottoms’ development is a model for other cities revitalizing areas
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "You don't give up on an area because it goes into blight, it goes into neglect, some decay. It's again, location, location and if you have the people there and it's cool, it will come about."
- "Before Kansas City came about, this area where we're in now was known as the French Bottoms. And located at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri River, it was a natural place of trade and people were using the river at that time."
Links & mentions:
- West Bottoms, official site of the West Bottoms Business District Association, the organization dedicated to continued revival of our most historical area in downtown in Kansas City
- Visit KC, guide to the West Bottoms with most of this episode’s restaurant recommendations (and more) included
- The Ship, a simple exterior gives way to this cool speakeasy offering classic cocktails & live entertainment
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
193: Discussing the Skills Gap over a Beer: Live from Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids, MI (Powered by SwipeGuide)
A recruiter, a manufacturing leader, and a technology leader all walk into a bar… and tackle the skills gap problem head-on over some beers!
The skills gap has been a hot topic in manufacturing. So, in true Manufacturing Happy Hour style, we sit down with a beer and discuss. Recorded live from Founders Brewery, MI while on tour with SwipeGuide, we sit down with Ann Wyatt of Ann Wyatt Recruiting, Ryan Lillibridge, VP of Mission Design & Automation, and CEO and Founder of SwipeGuide, Willemijn Schneyder.
First up, we talk about how the stigma of heading into the trades is thankfully on the decrease. We swap insights on how the idea of "hireability" is changing, and what companies can do to lower the barriers to entry. A common theme throughout is that manufacturing leaders need to be more flexible when it comes to hiring. Do all candidates need a Master’s in mechanical engineering? Probably not. For the future of manufacturers, attitude and aptitude are the golden tickets.
We rounded out the conversation talking about upskilling and reskilling your workforce. Part of the skills gap problem isn’t just about attracting people to manufacturing. It’s also about missing a trick with your existing workforce. Sometimes, you need to tap into their knowledge and interests and reskill them for an increasingly tech-heavy future.
In this episode, find out:
- Ann, Ryan, and WIllemijn introduce themselves and their unique perspectives on addressing the skills gap
- How the stigma around trade jobs has evolved
- How the term “hireability” has evolved in today’s market from a recruiter’s perspective
- What companies can do to lower the barriers to entry into manufacturing and why recruiters should look at attitude and aptitude, not just experience and formal education
- Ann, Ryan, and Willemijn share which job requirements they think are outdated in today’s market and the top skills that manufacturing recruiters should look for
- Why technology is not the solution but a catalyst to empower the workforce
- How upskilling and reskilling existing staff could help to ease the burden of the skills gap
- Why people are the most valuable asset of a business that leaders should invest more in
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Technology can put a value to frontline knowledge.”
- “We do automation. We put automation systems into factories, but if they haven't spent time on their people, their manufacturing equipment does not run well because they haven't upskilled their team.”
- “We have to prioritize attitude and aptitude over ten plus years’ experience.”
Links & mentions:
- SwipeGuide, a hassle-free how-to platform for frontline training, made simple
- Mission Design & Automation, a leading intelligent automation integrator in Michigan
- Ann Wyatt Recruiting, specialist recruitment company for manufacturing companies
- Founders Brewery, brewery in Grand Rapids, MI
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
192: Leading with Productivity to Drive Sustainability Featuring Lauren Dunford, CEO of Guidewheel
Improve productivity or work on sustainability? Why not both?
In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Dunford, CEO of Guidewheel and a member of the Executive Committee for the US Center for Advanced Manufacturing within the World Economic Forum, for a fascinating chat about productivity, sustainability, and innovation in manufacturing. Lauren shares how Guidewheel evolved from an energy management system to a full-fledged factory ops platform.
We kick things off with Lauren's path to manufacturing, including her experience at Stanford's MBA program and how it's proven invaluable as Guidewheel scales globally. She offers a refreshing perspective on the value of education and practical experience in the startup world.
Lauren reveals the pivotal moment that reshaped Guidewheel's approach. It's a classic tale of listening to your customers – in this case, two power users who unlocked a 20% productivity boost using Guidewheel in ways the team hadn't anticipated.
We dive deep into the connection between productivity and sustainability, exploring how data-driven decisions and operational effectiveness naturally lead to more sustainable practices. The role of AI in manufacturing naturally comes up and we discuss how it's simplifying complex processes and enabling real-time decision-making on the factory floor.
In this episode, find out:
- Lauren shares how she became involved with the World Economic Forum and her experience so far
- We hear about Lauren’s early career, starting with Stanford
- What led to Lauren starting Guidewheel and where she saw a gap in the market
- How the MBA and five years of work experience paved the way for Lauren to build her career
- Lauren’s mission for sustainable solutions and how she came up with the idea behind Guidewheel
- The moment Lauren realized she needed Guidewheel to pivot
- The most important aspects of measuring sustainability and the tangible impact on business
- The benefits of using data-driven decisions on the factory floor and why it should be brought into existing routines
- The investor perspective on using data to drive decision-making
- How AI can help technology solutions provide insights and predictive analyses
- How manufacturers think about productivity and sustainability today
- How has Guidewheel has evolved as technology advances
- What a “factory ops champion” is and Guidewheel’s approach to tapping into those champions
- Why manufacturing is probably the coolest industry to work in today
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Once you start bringing data into those decisions, sustainability is the natural direction because “do more with less” results in more productive and efficient operations.”
- “Being able to use data to pinpoint the areas where you can grow in addition to the areas where you can be more efficient, from an investor standpoint, is just absolute gold.”
- “AI-powered is one of the new things we've really leaned in to, getting more and more predictive and ahead of breakdowns or problems.”
Links & mentions:
- Guidewheel, the plug-and-play FactoryOps platform
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
191: The State of Robotics: Live From the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA
Think about a world where robots are ubiquitous. Where robots are a part of our lives like The Jetsons promised us. Like having WALL-E or R2-D2 as a buddy. The Robotics Summit & Expo is a precursor to that…
The Robotics Summit & Expo – hosted by WTWH Media – is an event focused on the commercialization of robots. The work that needs to be done to get robots out into the world. To make them more adoptable by industrial companies. This is where engineers and developers get educated on where robotics are today, and what work still needs to done - the technology, the business models, etc. - to deliver on the promises of robotics - the positive promises of robotics - that many of us probably grew up envisioning.
This episode is a recap of the event with various interviews mixed in. Guests and co-hosts include:
- Jonathan Hurst, Chief Robotics Officer at Agility Robotics
- Joyce Sidopoulos, Co-Founder and Chief of Operations at MassRobotics
- Scott Sizemore, Director of Commercial Marketing at Electrocraft
- Meaghan Ziemba, Host of Mavens of Manufacturing
- Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial
- Mike Oitzman, Co-Host of The Robot Report Podcast
190: Why Manufacturers Should Build a Simulation-First Culture with Visual Components' Graham Wloch
How can simulation revolutionize manufacturing? Graham Wloch, the Director of Business Development at Visual Components, joins the show this week to fill us in on the power of simulation.
We hear about Graham’s early career and what made him pivot into the world of simulation, automation, and robotics. Graham shares what he believes are the top challenges facing manufacturers and why now is the time to start thinking ahead and embracing new technology.
He breaks down the three main elements of simulations and explores how they can transform manufacturing processes all the way from ideation to production. Getting buy-in from leadership is always a challenge, but as Graham tells us in this episode, simulation can make that all-important buy-in easier and faster to achieve.
Tune in to the episode to hear Graham explain real-world examples of how simulation enables companies to become forward-thinking and why a simulation-first culture is key in manufacturing today.
In this episode, find out:
- Graham takes us through his early career and high school drafting experience
- Why Graham moved into mechanical design and the top things he learned
- How Graham made a pivot to working in simulation and how his previous experience helped
- Why Graham stands by his quote: the big no longer eat the small, the fast eat the slow
- The evolution and importance of simulation in manufacturing
- Real-world examples of companies using simulations and why simulation is not industry-specific
- Why manufacturers need to create a simulation-first culture
- How offline programming for robots helps to speed processes up
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you take simulation and you get everybody on that same page from concept and design to process, to robot programming, to controls validation, and everybody has that same information, everybody's able to share that vision.”
- “With the right simulation tools, you can do shipping and receiving, you can do product and part delivery. You can really turn the level of detail up as high as it'll go and understand how this living, breathing factory is going to get you to where you need to be.”
- “We always look for companies that are forward-thinking, that are excited to incorporate technology to not only improve the bottom line but even make employees’ lives better.”
Links & mentions:
- Visual Components, a world-leading 3D simulation and visualization specialist offering total process solutions for manufacturers, system integrators, and machine builders
- The Oxford Tap, offering a fresh take on classic pub fare in Oxford, MI, including ghost pepper wings
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
189: Lowering Barriers to Entry in Adopting Robotics with Søren Peters, Founder and CEO of HowToRobot.com
The barrier to entry when it comes to robotics is breaking down fast. More and more companies and industries are realizing that robotics is a realistic solution to all sorts of problems. And companies like HowToRobot are paving the way forward.
In this episode, we sit down with Søren Peters, CEO and Founder of HowToRobot.com, a platform that provides information and advice on robot suppliers and industrial automation. We hear how Søren stepped away from the world of IT and found his feet in the world of robotics.
He shares his take on the evolution of robots, the challenges in adoption, the disconnect between suppliers and buyers, and more. We talk about why manufacturers tend to focus on automating complex tasks over easier, more immediately impactful ones.
We round off the episode with some fun talk about Danish expressions and favorite beer spots in the U.S. and Copenhagen in true Manufacturing Happy Hour style!
In this episode, find out:
- How companies can get started with robotics in manufacturing
- Why manufacturing companies have gone beyond the “why should we use robots stage?”
- A common mistake when using robots for the first time
- Why people get overwhelmed when purchasing robotics equipment
- Why custom solutions aren’t always the best option and how it can hurt your chances of getting financing
- How the industry can make robots more accessible
- The common challenges in financing robot equipment
- Why more people are seeing the value of what HowToRobot has to offer
- Why Søren made his career pivot from IT to robots
- Søren’s predictions on robotics in the next few years
- Danish phrases and beer talk!
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I think a lot of people in the manufacturing world are past the “why robots,” if that makes sense. The “how,” on the other hand, I think it's a big one, you know, where do you get started?”
- “We see sadly often that they start by replicating a human. They think of it as an addition, or an add-on, or a replacement of that specific person's task, which is often a terrible place to start.”
- “The platform game is still too immature. You need to help the buyer much, much more and sometimes the seller. So, there’s an advisory management part to this that if we don't do that, these deals are just going to fall through.”
Links & mentions:
- HowToRobot.com, the go-to platform to find industrial automation, robotics suppliers, and expert advice on robots
- Mikkeller Brewing, a world-renowned Danish craft brewery
- Søernes Ølbar, Chris’ favorite beer bar in Copenhagen
- Cows on Ice and Owls in the Bog: The Weird and Wonderful World of Scandinavian Sayings, by Katarina Montnémery
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
188: Adopting a Cybersecurity Strategy That Fits Your Manufacturing Business with Mollie Breen, CEO & Founder of Perygee
How do you adopt a cybersecurity strategy that fits your manufacturing business?
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, host Chris Lueke is speaking to Mollie Breen, CEO & Founder of Perygee, an automation platform for IT and security teams, built to eliminate the visibility challenges of the digital-first world.
They kick off by exploring significant developments in cybersecurity over the past few years. Mollie highlights the dual role AI plays, assisting both hackers in identifying vulnerabilities and defenders in fortifying network security. She underscores the importance of reverting to cybersecurity fundamentals amid tech evolutions, noting that a shift back to basics is essential for adapting to new threats effectively.
Mollie provides background on her time at the NSA, revealing the surprising routine nature of tackling seemingly insurmountable tasks due to robust capabilities and top-tier expertise available. Her time at the NSA played a crucial role in her entrepreneurial journey with Perygee, where she navigated the intricate processes within governmental organizations to introduce innovative security measures.
Mollie and Chris also discuss practical advice for implementing cybersecurity strategies within organizations of varying sizes. Mollie touches on the unique cybersecurity challenges faced by medical device companies due to heavy regulations and the criticality of their operations. The conversation then moves to the timing and evolution of cybersecurity roles within growing businesses.
To wrap up, they discuss the potential for leadership in cybersecurity across all levels of an organization. This episode is packed with valuable insights for leaders across the manufacturing sector looking to enhance their cybersecurity strategies and foster a more secure operational environment.
In this episode, find out:
- What’s new in cybersecurity, AI, and going back to basics
- Mollie’s journey with the NSA and how that lead to her founding Perygee
- Mollie offers practical cybersecurity advice for companies of all sizes
- How training can go a long way in the context of cyber security
- Mollie expounds on the right approach to cybersecurity in public vs. private companies
- Unpacking cybersecurity strategies for small to medium-sized businesses
- Understanding the unique cybersecurity challenges in medical devices
- The benefits of learning from different cybersecurity approaches across industries
- Mollie talks about the future of cybersecurity leadership in manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You have to remember cyber is an offensive and a defensive game.”
- “Inevitably every time you have to secure a new thing, there's an ushering in of going back to the basics and asking yourself, ‘what do we do?’”
- “I'm glad we're moving into a position where people are more informed. Doing something just out of fear of the headlines isn't necessarily the best decision for the organization.”
Links & mentions:
- Perygee, an automation platform for IT and security teams purpose-built to eliminate the visibility challenges of the digital-first world
- NIST Framework, excellent guidelines for getting started with cybersecurity
- Cyber Readiness Institute, free resources for small businesses
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
187: eCommerce Strategies for Manufacturers and Distributors with Znode's Tom Flierl
It’s been a hot minute since we covered eCommerce on the show, but since COVID, it’s become a growing part of manufacturing and distribution. COVID lockdowns essentially shut off the traditional methods for buying and selling manufactured supplies, and companies were forced to adopt a new way of doing things or get left behind. It’s meant great things for the industry, so we thought we’d get the eCommerce perspective in this episode from Znode's Chief Commercial Officer, Tom Flierl.
Tom joins the podcast to explore the link between eCommerce and manufacturing, how Znode presents a seamless solution, and the reasons why there’s been a spike in eCommerce system adoption. We look at how distribution and manufacturing have adapted, and Tom shares some examples of companies that have embraced new solutions and seen the benefits of integrating everything into a one-stop shop solution.
Tom also chats about AI as the next big thing for manufacturers to lean into, why salespeople are still vital for the industry, and some tips on how to assess the effectiveness of an eCommerce solution.
In this episode, find out:
- Where eCommerce and manufacturing meet
- Tom explains what Znode does
- We hear about Tom’s early experiences in print media and being an “early internet guy”
- How Tom’s background in sales and marketing helped his career during the dot-com bust
- How Tom’s family history helped to prepare him for a career in eCommerce and manufacturing
- The possible causes for the spike in eCommerce system adoption
- How future-ready are distributors and manufacturers today?
- How COVID impacted eCommerce system adoption
- What eCommerce looks like in manufacturing (with examples)
- Why the role of salespeople in eCommerce is still just as important
- Dealers and distributors’ approaches to working with eCommerce
- How people can assess the effectiveness of an eCommerce solution
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I think COVID forced a lot of shifts in everybody's lives. And I think it forced a lot of shifts in even how businesses go to market and the importance of digital.”
- “The big win that we're seeing is a lot of ERPs are moving to offer APIs now. Our platform and some others can take those APIs, talk to each other, and present the right data to the right customer when they log in and give them the right experience by exchanging data with lots of other systems.”
- "It's all about adoption. If adoption isn't there, whether it's the end customer or the distributor or channel, it’s probably not working. I would argue that that applies for distributors and manufacturers.”
Links & mentions:
- Znode, an all-in-one, headless, B2B eCommerce platform developed to enable growth through a rich set of built-in features
- Request a Demo of Znode’s B2B eCommerce platform
- Foxtown Brewing, large brewery located inside of a classic building in Mequon, WI
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
186: How Bringing Clean Water to Africa Led to Digitizing the Electronics Industry with Andrew Scheuermann, Co-Founder and CEO of Arch Systems
As new technologies emerge, so do new solutions and new possibilities. The electronics manufacturing world is going through a digital revolution right now, and companies like Arch Systems are at the pinnacle of it.
We welcomed Andrew Scheuermann, Co-Founder and CEO of Arch Systems, to the show to hear about the brilliant backstory behind the company. Before Arch Systems became a thing, Andrew and his Co-Founder were on a mission to solve the problem of broken wells in a number of African countries. Funding new wells is one thing, but without maintenance, they often fail. Using new technology and data insights, this project spiraled into a larger solution that became what Arch Systems is today.
We hear Andrew’s story and his thoughts on balancing non-profit and for-profit ventures to help each other, what the early days of the startup were like, and how technology is paving the way for faster and more effective solutions in electronics manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- What Arch Systems does and how it started with a clear mission
- Why Andrew decided to start working with water wells in some African countries
- Andrew explains what the problem was with the wells and how it all came down to maintenance
- How Andrew and his co-founder came up with a solution
- The challenges of using a solution across so many sites
- How Andrew balanced the for-profit and non-profit aspects of his project
- How electronics manufacturing became a focus
- The early days of finding product-market fit and struggling as an early startup
- How leveraging data in Arch Systems could benefit manufacturing companies
- The challenges of handling so much data
- How the right data can help you make predictive maintenance decisions
- How automation can help to fill the gaps in a workforce
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you can solve somebody's problem, it doesn't matter how different or similar you think you are, you can be the best team in the world.”
- “All machines break. It's not a question of if, it's just when. And the more you use it, the more it's going to break. There might have been a defect, it might break earlier, it might just be based on usage. And so they would break, but the problem was painfully simple, there was no maintenance.”
- “What's stuck with me is just being about the people and their problem. Not what you think it is, but what they think it is.”
Links & mentions:
- Arch Systems, building expert data solutions that objectively observe and optimize manufacturing processes, driving decision intelligence for electronics manufacturers
- WellDone International, a non-profit organization working to improve global access to clean water and other basic services essential to human health, productivity, and well-being
- Amandine Lounge, serving a range of international cocktails in Los Altos, CA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
185: Connectors, Engineering Leadership, and Growth Strategies with HARTING Americas' Casey Spitz and Cory Jenkins
Imagine a world without connectors… If we didn’t have connectors, technology and products would simply be cool ideas without that all-important functionality we need. In this episode, we speak to two of HARTING Americas’ team about the importance of connectors in manufacturing and engineering processes.
Casey Spitz, the Vice President of Development and Innovation, and Cory Jenkins, Senior Director of Business Development, weigh in on why connectors should be a part of design processes from the very start, rather than left to the end.
Casey and Cory share insights on the technical details of connectors, the trend toward miniaturization, and the evolution of things like Ethernet over the past few years. We also chat about the project management side of engineering, how HARTING balances growth with everyday processes, and how engineers should think about localization. As industry leaders, they have some great actionable advice on leadership, growth, and the importance of team collaboration. We hear what it takes to build an efficient engineering process that welcomes new ideas to boost innovation.
In this episode, find out:
- What are connectors and why are they so important for engineers
- Why Europe appears to be ahead in the connectors world compared to North America
- How Ethernet has evolved and the lessons we can take from that
- How Cory has successfully led HARTING through a number of technology shifts, including a branch out into semiconductors
- Actionable advice for engineers and manufacturers to execute quickly and adapt to the market
- How Casey created processes that HARTING needed to grow to the next level
- How Casey balanced creating processes for growth with working on the day-to-day priorities
- Advice for building efficient processes into your own business as a manufacturer
- The role of localization in HARTING’s growth, plus advice for others
- Why collaboration is a huge priority for HARTING and how it directly drives innovation
- What engineers should know about connectors and how they should integrate them early in the process
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The world of connectors is actually pretty niche. There's not a lot of people that have done this before, so we're looking for people that are top notch collaborators, that are very humble and respectful of other people's ideas.”
- “Don't confuse busyness with productivity. And the difference between those two is really being connected to your company's goals.”
- “If you go in every direction, that's not a right answer. But you've got to be listening to every direction.”
Links & mentions:
- HARTING, a connectivity solutions provider that operates worldwide to design connectivity for challenging environments
- Ernst Barre Private Brewery, located in the East Westphalian town of Lübbecke in the north-western German district of Minden-Lübbecke
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
184: How to Win the War on Talent by Becoming a Veteran-Ready Organization Featuring Kathy Lowrey Gallowitz, LtCol, USAF, Retired
The difficulties manufacturers face when it comes to finding and retaining top talent is something we often discuss on this podcast, so it’s great to welcome a guest who has an excellent solution. In this episode, we speak with Retired Lieutenant Colonel (USAF), Kathy Lowrey Gallowitz.
Kathy shares her story with us about how she got into the military and eventually the industrial space. She explains what it means to be a veteran champion if you’re hoping to recruit veterans to your manufacturing team, and how you can ensure your organization is veteran-ready. She also provides an enlightening look at the broad skill sets that veterans bring to the table, from nursing to project management to sales, and gives us some tips on tangible ways to become an advocate for veterans in everyday life.
In this episode, find out:
- Kathy shares her favorite type of grilled cheese!
- We hear about what it means to be veteran-ready vs veteran-friendly
- Kathy takes a deep dive into her journey in the military
- Why her adaptability and problem-solving skills drew Kathy to the military
- The diversity of experiences that come out of being in the military
- Kathy shares why she wrote her book, Beyond “Thank You For Your Service:” The Veteran Champion Handbook for Civilians
- What can manufacturing leaders do to increase retention of veterans and improve mentorship?
- Why it’s so important to develop a veteran hiring program
- Kathy tells us about the Veteran Hiring Academy courses in April and September each year
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “My appreciation for the technical aptitudes that service members bring to the workplace is particularly relevant in the manufacturing industry.”
- “I invite you to join the veteran champion movement and be a part of the win because it really is a win when you get to know a veteran, understand their life story, their experiences. So I contend that it improves your quality of life.”
- “’Thank you for wearing the uniform.’ That is super special because it implies that you have some appreciation for what it means to me to take the oath of office, to make that commitment, and the pride and professionalism we feel when we wear the uniform”.
Links & mentions:
- Vanguard Veteran, equipping civilians to become veteran champions
- Beyond "Thank You For Your Service:" The Veteran Champion Handbook for Civilians
- Invite Vanguard Veteran to Speak
- Vanguard Veteran's Employer Consulting and Training
- Complimentary Veteran-Ready Assessment
- O*Net OnLine Military Crosswalk Search
- Women Who Lead, monthly free hybrid Leadership Discussion Forum for women Veterans and non-Veterans to empower women leaders and foster mutual support
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
183: A Case Study in the Adoption of Robotics Featuring Rob Goldiez (CEO of Hirebotics) and Justin Montes (CEO of DeAngelo Marine Exhaust)
What are some of the results of integrating cobots into your production processes and how do you help your employees push past any initial apprehension they feel to fully embrace the benefits?
In this special case study-style episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we welcome Rob Goldiez, CEO of Hirebotics, a company that makes welding cobots for welders, and Justin Montes, CEO of DeAngelo Marine Exhaust, onto the show to talk about the intersection of automation, technology, and human craftsmanship.
We take a deep dive into real-world scenarios of what it looks like when a company adopts robotics, specifically collaborative robots. What factors into the decision making? What are some of the hiccups that happen along the way and what does success look like after a robot is installed?
The conversation also covers leadership, robotics, and trends in the collaborative robot space. Plus, if you like welding, fabrication (or boats!) then you’re going to love this episode!
In this episode, find out:
- The world of DeAngelo Marine Exhaust
- Explore Hirebotics’ revolutionary robotic solutions
- The journey to automation – overcoming challenges with cobots
- Some of the impacts of cobots in the workplace
- How embracing cobots is a game changer in production
- The impact of cobots on efficiency and innovation
- Industry perspectives – reactions to cobots
- Cobots as creative tools
- Ongoing support and results
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We paid off the cobot within an order. One order! So that was done. Now it's just icing!”
- “The consistent thing is companies are struggling to hire and retain key welders. They’re an aging workforce. You see that all over. Can't find welders, can't meet production, struggle to grow the business.”
- “There is a general fear of automation. It's going to replace my job versus it's going to take the dull, dirty, dangerous stuff away so I can be more creative.”
Links & mentions:
- Hirebotics, fabrication cobot solutions for welders
- DeAngelo Marine Exhaust, marine engine exhaust systems
- YOT Bar & Kitchen, voted Fort Lauderdale best for brunch and outdoor dining
- Edley's Bar-B-Que, Nashville style Bar-B-Que
- Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, hot Chicken Sandwich
- Tootsie’s, live musical performances daily and delicious food
- Connect with Rob on LinkedIn
- Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
182: Robotics and Automation in Additive Manufacturing with Liz Stortstrom, 3D Printing Product Manager at HP
Additive manufacturing isn’t exactly a new kid on the block, but are manufacturers using it as much as they could? And are we using it in the right way by teaming it up with automation?
According to Liz Stortstrom, 3D Printing Product Manager at HP, manufacturers are starting to lean into using additive manufacturing with automation – but we could do more to fully realize its potential!
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Liz gives us a quick overview of her varied career – from engineering to operations, to her Spain-based product management role. She shares her take on why additive manufacturing and automation make the perfect pairing and her predictions for how the industry will develop in the future.
We also hear a little about which industries are leading the way, and how companies can get buy-in from their team and leadership to join in with the success.
In this episode, find out:
- Liz explains her role as a product manager in additive manufacturing
- Liz’s career story and how it began in engineering, moved into operations, and then additive manufacturing
- How she realized that working in operations wasn’t for her and she needed to make a change
- Lessons Liz learned from previous roles that tie into additive manufacturing
- How 3D printing and automation go hand in hand
- Industries that are leading the way in additive manufacturing
- Liz shares her predictions on the future of additive manufacturing
- The best people in a company to talk about 3D printing
- Liz shares her experience of moving her career to Spain and what she’s learned
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Every 3D printing process has some sort of automation inherently involved. Whether that be automating the movement of parts, the digital workflow, or around the quality control process.”
- “A lot of companies need this higher level of agility, right? This higher level of flexibility. And how do you do that with the same old manufacturing methods?”
- “You need a champion, usually an engineer, who is near the design and understands the benefits of additive manufacturing. At the same time, especially if you're a big company, you need someone higher up to say, 'we're going to start using additive manufacturing more.'”
Links & mentions:
- Victoria Bar, a great cocktail bar in Portland, Oregon
- Connect with Liz on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
181: Leadership and Ethics in the Adoption of Robotics with Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics & OTTO Motors
Now, who doesn’t love a good chat about robots? In this episode, we speak with Ryan Gariepy, the CTO of Clearpath Robotics & OTTO Motors, about the future of robotics and how leadership can effectively integrate autonomous equipment and robots into existing operations.
We hear about Ryan’s career in robotics, from his early days to building his two companies, which were recently acquired by Rockwell Automation. Ryan explains how companies, big or small, can start working with robots in different ways to find the best possible applications for them.
Aside from the practical application of robots, we also dig into the ethical considerations that leaders should be aware of – most importantly, the safety of human workers on site. Plus, we also hear how R2-D2 was the inspiration behind Ryan’s love of robots.
In this episode, find out:
- Ryan gives us a brief overview of what Clearpath Robotics does
- We hear the story of how Ryan first developed his love for robots (plus his favorite movie robot)
- Ryan explains why he decided to build his two companies
- The top lesson Ryan learned from his time in the industry
- Ryan’s thoughts on industry adoption of robotics for both small and larger businesses
- How smaller companies can minimize the risks of adopting robotics
- How bigger companies can build robotics adoption into digital transformation plans
- The ethical considerations of deploying robots in existing teams
- How robots have affected the economy in manufacturing in Canada
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If we're going to put our time and money and all sorts of other resources into building new technology, let's do it in areas like agriculture or the basics of healthcare or construction. Let's try not to put robots in the creative spaces.”
- “Robots are one of the few components which are both necessary and sufficient to drive value. Just on their own.”
- “I think it's important for people to learn from existing successful deployments and not try to reinvent the wheel because reinventing the wheel is costly, but when it comes to people's health or wellbeing generally, it opens up corner cases.”
Links & mentions:
- Robotics Summit & Expo, the world's leading robotics development event, taking place in Boston, MA on May 1-2, 2024
- Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation, mobile robots for research & development, enabling researchers and corporations to accelerate their robotics research and development
- OTTO Motors by Rockwell Automation, the most experienced autonomous material handlers in the industry
- Canadian Robotics Council, robotics-fuelled economic development is within Canada's reach, uniting innovation stakeholders from across the country
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
180: Made in Missouri, Live from the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference
This episode is all about ‘Made in Missouri’ and was recorded live at the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference. It’s a special episode for host Chris Luecke, because not only did he grow up in Missouri, but also because he is a big fan of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers, which is a group that’s constantly advocating for manufacturing and building a great community of manufacturers in their area.
This episode is a compilation of three different interviews with three very interesting manufacturers from three different parts of Missouri, focusing on what it’s like to manufacture in the Midwest.
Chris speaks to Pavel Bosovik, founder and CEO of 27North, where they make expedition vans and adventure vehicles, Josh Shelton the owner of Etched Nameplate Company as well as Kevin Thompson, CFO turned Leadership Coach at Cambridge Air Solutions, who talks about how to create a culture that makes you the talk of the industry.
For loads of insights, invaluable advice, and an in-depth look at how to leverage others in your manufacturing ecosystem, don’t miss this episode.
In this episode, find out:
- How Pavel industrialized the process of making adventure vans
- His big recommendation for anyone launching a new product or company
- The importance of real-time user feedback and how it sets 27North apart
- The part of their vans that Pavel most loves to tell people about
- Pavel’s vision and dream for the company when he was just starting out
- Why it’s so important to surround yourself with the right people when building a business
- How getting fired was the springboard Josh Shelton needed to start Etched
- What characteristics make someone the right co-founder for your business
- What it’s like being a part of the Midwest manufacturing community
- Why Etched has acquired a new company every year since 2020
- What it means when Cambridge Air Solutions says they’re in the business of enriching lives
- How their morning meetings have made them the talk of the industry
- How manufacturing ambassadors are working to build relationships and enrich the community
- Transitioning from CFO to Leadership Coach and why the company was so ready for it
- What the manufacturing scene is like in St. Louis currently
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I wish there was a secret sauce or I could say, ‘hey, my bachelor's degree helped’. It definitely accelerated the process. It helped me lay the foundation and know the vocabulary. But in any new business or new product that you launch, the processes is the hardest part.”
- “If you want to scale your company from $20 million to $100 million, find $100 million companies. Forget Elon Musk. Find people that are the next step of where you want to be in your journey.”
- “We don't exist to make HVAC equipment. We exist to enrich lives. We happen to enrich lives by making and distributing HVAC equipment.”
Links & mentions:
- Missouri Association of Manufacturers, the only organization dedicated solely to representing the interests of manufacturers in Missouri
- 27North, helping people experience adventure through custom-built expedition vehicles
- Etched - The Nameplate Company, leading provider of metal nameplates and tags for the manufacturing, rigging, and transportation industries
- Cambridge Air Solutions, helping manufacturing and warehousing leaders create healthy working environments through industrial HVAC solutions
- Missouri Ridge Distillery, Branson's only grain-to-bottle distillery and its first brewery
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
179: The Power of Personal Branding and Building Trust With Your Ideal Customers Featuring Nikki Gonzales
Does personal branding have a place in the manufacturing space? It might be something you associate more with marketing or creative industries, but this week’s guest has seen her personal branding efforts open doors to new and exciting opportunities.
Nikki Gonzales, the Head of Partnerships at Quotebeam and Co-Host of the Automation Ladies podcast (amongst many other projects) joins this episode to talk about personal branding and the importance of trust. Trust is a key theme in this episode, and personal branding can go a long way in building it within your network. But it also comes up when we chat about why companies are sometimes hesitant for employees to work on their personal brands. For Nikki, it’s important that companies trust their employees, like Quotebeam did for her.
We dive into how Nikki has built her brand and network and the benefits she and Quotebeam have experienced as a result. We also talk about Nikki’s background, having moved from Iceland to the UK to Texas, where she learned about the world of tech sales and the importance of networking.
In this episode, find out:
- What Nikki learned growing up in Iceland, moving to the UK and eventually to Houston
- Nikki shares the story of her first sale at her dad’s company
- Why Nikki made the jump to software based on the kind of lifestyle she wanted
- How a long networking relationship led to Nikki getting her role at Quotebeam
- Why Nikki decided to focus more on her personal branding
- How Nikki’s personal branding efforts are also benefitting Quotebeam
- Why companies are hesitant to trust employees working on a personal brand
- Nikki shares how she came to start and co-host the Automation Ladies podcast
- Nikki explains the work Quotebeam does and teases some new developments in the future
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Network effects are real, and we are a technology business, yes, but the backbone of that is the people."
- “The owner or the leadership team at that organization needs to take a look in the mirror and say, are we fostering the type of culture that's going to result in a positive perception of our company from the folks that work here?
- [On personal branding] “I think getting buy-in is really important. You can go out on your own and do all kinds of stuff. But if you do it completely without discussing it with your employer at all, then you're probably setting yourself up for some sort of conflict down the road.”
Links & mentions:
- Quotebeam, a platform that brings products from many supply chain sources to one place to help customers source their parts without endless searching
- Automation Ladies, join Nikki Gonzales, Ali G, and Courtney Fernandez as they chat with people from all walks of life and all corners of the industrial automation industry
- Process & Controls Engineering, LLC, the Northwest's leading woman-owned control systems integration firm
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company, established craft brewery featuring facility tours and a beer hall that’s basically a beer cathedral, plus a beer garden with amazing skyline views of Houston, TX
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
178: Innovation, Allyship, and Empowering Women in STEM, Live from 3M Global Headquarters in St. Paul, MN
Innovation is 3M’s bread and butter. As a leading science-based technology company, we wanted to hear more about the stories from people who make all that innovation happen.
This episode was recorded at 3M’s headquarters in St. Paul Minnesota, where we spoke with three brilliant women from 3M about innovation in STEM, how 3M encourages new ideas and projects and diversity in STEM. Joining this episode are Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist, Brittany Moren, Robotic Application Engineer, and Michelle Frumkin, Global Marketing Manager.
They explain how they first entered the world of STEM and what we can do to encourage more from diverse backgrounds to pick STEM as a career path. We also hear about 3M’s 15%-time policy which allows team members to dedicate 15% of their time to work on innovative new projects and experiments.
In this episode, find out:
- We hear from Brittany what a project engineer at 3M does
- How Michelle, Brittany and Jayshree first got involved in STEM
- How 3M works in the robotics and automation spaces
- Jayshree explains how 3M builds uncommon connections between problems and solutions
- What innovation means and how 3M’s culture of empowerment helps to grow it
- Exciting projects that 3M’s 15%-time policy has helped empower employees to work on
- What we need to do to get more women and girls interested in STEM careers
- Why lack of diversity is a systemic problem and requires real intentionality to solve it
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you're leadership, if you're one of the CEOs, if you're able to continue showcasing the women and everyone in your workforce and the hard work that they do, it really says, okay, I feel like I'm valued here and it makes sense for me to stay and continue.” Michelle
- “I strongly believe in bringing awareness much sooner into people's lives. So I've done a lot of outreach with middle school and high school. A lot of times when I have talked to high schoolers that are maybe like junior seniors, it actually a lot of times feels too late.” Brittany
- “I think role models are important. People want to see representation and that makes them want to aspire to those roles.”
Links & mentions:
- 3M, a science-based technology company that seeks to improve lives with innovative technology.
- Not the Science Type, a short film showcasing four women who break down the boundaries in STEM.
- Skilled, a docuseries created to showcase diverse and meaningful trade careers.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
177: Strengthening Your Engineering Team through Co-Ops and Employee Ownership with Marcease Warren
Well, this episode is certainly a trip down memory lane!
Host Chris Luecke is joined by former college classmate Marcease Warren, the VP of Manufacturing at Sentry Equipment. Chris and Marcease catch up on what’s changed since they were pulling all-nighters trying to finish projects at Marquette’s College of Engineering.
In this episode, we hear about the trick to scaling a manufacturing department, leading a team of engineers, and the importance of a good company culture where everyone’s on the same page. Marcease shares his take on Industry 4.0 in the engineering space and some examples of how automation is changing things at Sentry Equipment.
We also talk a bit about Sentry Equipment’s employee ownership program. Marcease busts some myths about this type of program and explains some of the benefits of employees having a stake in the company.
In this episode, find out:
- We reminisce on college days spent designing Mars rovers at Marquette’s College of Engineering
- Marcease explains a little about what Sentry Equipment does
- How Marcease’s role has evolved in the engineering and manufacturing space
- How you can scale a manufacturing department
- What industry 4.0 really means for manufacturing and engineering
- Examples of how tech is changing things at Sentry Equipment
- Tips for smaller businesses who want to evolve but are hesitant because of the cost/time
- Why company culture is key in building a competitive team
- What people get wrong about employee ownership and the benefits of running a program
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You can throw out the buzzwords, industry 4.0, IoT, whatever you want to call it. But automation is automation at the end of the day. So it's just a matter of incorporating those various tools to automate something that is manual right now.”
- “We had a project where we incorporated a laser into the shop, and not only did we pull in the individuals that we thought were going to be directly responsible for the equipment, we pulled in any and everybody that wanted to be an ally.”
- [On employee ownership] “A lot of people think that they're putting their own money on the line and that's not the case at all. You're literally getting something for free. Your trade into the organization is your time and your commitment, not necessarily your financial contribution to the company.”
Links & mentions:
- Sentry Equipment, delivering true representative sampling and analysis techniques and equipment to customers around the globe
- Marquette University Co-Op Program, Marquette’s College of Engineering works with more than 200 leading engineering and technology companies across 25 states that hire our students for co-ops and internships, helping our students to build skills, gain invaluable professional experience and make key connections that will help them successfully launch their careers
- Rosati’s, Oconomowoc, WI location of the pizza joint where real engineering work gets done…
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
176: Discussing Logistics, Automated Forklifts, and Craft Beer with Nick Malewicki, Big Joe Forklifts
What’s new in the forklift and logistics industry? According to Nick Malewicki, the General Manager of the Autonomous Vehicle Division at Big Joe Forklifts, we’re seeing smart forklifts, more automation, and better safety features in equipment.
Nick joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his role and career and shares some insights into his own passion for solving problems, which has been a major theme throughout his career.
We hear how Big Joe Forklifts provides safer ways of managing and picking goods in warehouses and the differences between autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs).
We also chat about some excellent beer at Eagle Park Brewing in Milwaukee, Nick’s favorite Pulp Fiction character, and what a “joey” is in the forklift world.
In this episode, find out:
- What the future holds for the forklift industry and how technology is propelling change
- What the manufacturing and logistics scene is like in Wisconsin
- How Wisconsin’s proximity to the Great Lakes is a major plus for the industry
- How Nick first entered the world of logistics
- The benefits of entering the working world before deciding on a college degree
- Why Nick is always keen to pick roles and industries with challenges and a need for problem-solving
- How Nick grew his career by volunteering for and jumping on new opportunities
- What brought him to work for Big Joe
- How Nick’s logistics experience came in handy in his current role
- The difference between AMRs and AGVs and the challenges of integrating them
- How Big Joe’s equipment helps to avoid injuries and makes work easier for employees
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The number one mindset is to make ergonomic equipment that prevents injuries but also makes employees’ jobs easier. We want to empower workers. We don't want to make their job harder.”
- “Automation is super important. The percentage of companies that are increasing their investments into automation continues to grow. But a big obstacle of that is the financial impact and as well as the training.”
- “Forklifts are getting smarter. They're becoming autonomous. There's telematics now. And all of these innovations enhance safety and operator comforts.”
Links & mentions:
- Eagle Park Brewing, a great Milwaukee brewery, which Nick and his wife have been members of for years
- Big Joe Forklifts, for over 70 years, Big Joe has supplied electric forklifts to factories, warehouses, and storerooms across the U.S.
- Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
175: The Evolution of Industrial Marketing, Live from the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit
Welcome to this special episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, recorded live at the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit in Austin Texas, where we chat with five awesome industrial marketers about the evolution of industrial marketing.
The episode is divided into three parts and you’ll hear why an industrial marketing event is so important at the beginning of 2024, what a rebrand can really mean to an industrial company and how you can effectively market something that is a small part of a bigger industrial solution and make it exciting.
Plus, we also talk to our brilliant marketers about what meaningful marketing looks like to an engineer, how B2B marketing can be just as cool and B2C, what industrial marketers should be taking advantage of right now.
So join Chris as he talks with Adam Beck, Director of Marketing at CADENAS PARTsolutions, Kerry Nedic, Strategic Marketing Leader at Baker Hughes, John Joyce, Founder & Systems Architect at Brijr.io, Amanda Marx, Senior VP of Marketing, Digital Strategy and IT at HARTING Americas and Melissa Geertz, Director of Marketing at Grey Solutions, for loads of excellent advice, insights and inspiration.
In this episode, find out:
- How things have changed in industrial marketing since the summit started in 2018
- Why an event around industrial marketing is so important at the beginning of 2024
- Where our marketing leads see the industrial space going over the next few years
- What is most exciting in industrial marketing at the moment?
- How you market a niche product that’s a part of a bigger industrial solution and make it interesting
- Ways industrial marketers can stand out when talking about the labor issue and sustainability
- Marketing’s role is about building a reputation with audiences that matter
- Number one focus for industrial marketers right now
- How AI is going to change the way industrial marketers operate
- What a rebrand can mean for an industrial company
- Mistakes industrial companies make when it comes to getting their message out there
- Investing in marketing isn’t only about financial investment, but time and energy too
- Why it’s so important that sales and marketing are aligned
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The marketing experience, the customer experience as a whole, is going to change for industrial companies over the next few years because industrial companies are just waking up to the value of the whole customer experience.”
- “We’re small, scrappy teams and I don't see that changing. But I think we are going to get so much better because of what AI is bringing to the table. So a small scrappy team's ability to generate good content at scale has never been more possible.”
- “The buyer's journey evolves and it changes. And it's so important to make sure that your strategy and your brand reflects that and addresses the buyer needs.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with our industrial marketing leaders on LinkedIn:
- Adam Beck https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambeck79/
- Kerry Nedic https://www.linkedin.com/in/knedic/
- John Joyce https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfjoyce/
- Amanda Marx https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamarx/
- Melissa Geertz https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissageertz/
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
174: The Economy, Labor Market, and M&A Landscape: Paying Attention to What Really Matters with Alex Chausovsky
Get ready for a masterclass of an episode with Alex Chausovsky, the Director of Analytics and Consulting at Bundy Group. Alex gives us detailed breakdowns of the top things you need to know about the current economic climate, the labor market, and the M&A world.
We hear about his varied career story and the key lessons he’s picked up from his time in market research and investment banking. He gives his advice for those running businesses, hiring talent, selling businesses, and making decisions around growth and profitability. A theme throughout this episode is the importance of focusing on what matters and not getting lost in the noise and wealth of information out there.
To say this episode is packed with advice would be putting it lightly!
In this episode, find out:
- Alex’s career story from market research to M&A to investment banking
- The three top takeaways we need to know about economic changes
- How Alex first started working with Miller Research
- Why businesses need to think more strategically about talent management
- Three things that are impacting the labor market at the moment
- Why HR needs a seat at the executive table
- The key factors that job candidates are most interested in and how organizations can lean into them
- How Alex pivoted toward investment banking
- Why you need a base understanding of the value of an organization
- The four pillars of a valuable business
- Why you need a competitive market process when selling a business
- The importance of critical thinking and data in any decision-making process
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Understanding what motivates people, both the workers and the organizations, is really critical to being able to not only attract people to your organization but then effectively hire them and retain them.”
- “You have to know which economy and which recession you care about from a business perspective. Think about the data. How do you interpret it? What does it mean to you, and which one should you care about?”
- “HR needs a seat at the executive table. When you're setting targets for yourself, developing product roadmaps, and talking about the future growth of the organization, people have to be a critical element of it.”
Links & mentions:
- Bundy Group, an industry-focused investment bank that specializes in representing business owners and management teams with 200+ successful transactions
- Industrial Production: Total Index
- Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- Employment Situation Summary: Establishment Data
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
173: Leveraging Robotics in an Unstructured World with Dexterity's Michael Patrick Perry
Robotics and automation have transformed the manufacturing world, logistics, supply chains, and warehouses over the past few years. Thanks to the democratization of these tools, more companies are utilizing the kind of AI-powered robots that Dexterity specializes in.
Michael Patrick Perry, Dexterity’s VP of Marketing, returns to the show for a third time to explore the transformational changes in robotics. We chat about how Dexterity solves common challenges in warehouses plus how the company has successfully scaled over the past few years.
Michael also explains how a software-first approach makes robotics a more flexible and dynamic solution to common warehouse challenges. He explores how the democratization of robotics has changed the industry, leading to rapid deployment in warehouses and where AI can help companies with everything from logistics to marketing.
In this episode, find out:
- The transformational change in robotics Michael has noticed since he was last on the podcast
- How Dexterity has scaled and grown in the past few years
- Michael explains the full scale of Dexterity’s robotics systems, starting from bread packing in warehouses
- Why Dexterity takes a software-first approach to robotics
- The transformation from single task-focused automation to full task automation
- How the democratization of robotics is expanding and what that means for companies that use it
- Michael explains how he’s seen Dexterity develop into a brand name
- Dexterity’s branding positioning as a seller of business outcomes, not just robotics and software deployment
- Marketing advice and tactics for other marketing leaders in the manufacturing space
- How AI is influencing the marketing space and how it can help marketers and leaders solve common problems
- How AI plays into Dexterity’s solutions as a core piece of its stack
- What Michael is most excited about seeing in the future of Dexterity
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It's less important to be out there in front of everybody. It's more important to be out in front of the right people.”
- “It's no longer the spray and pray, let's put out a message and just hope it works. It's really understanding your customer and creating a custom experience of your brand for them.”
- “We don't sell robots or software, we sell business outcomes.”
Links & mentions:
- Michael’s first appearance on Manufacturing Happy Hour: 55: Why “Spot” the Mobile Robot is Made for Manufacturing with Boston Dynamics’ Michael Perry
- Michael’s second time on the show: Leaders in Robotics, AMRs, and Logistics | Live from A3’s 2021 Autonomous Mobile Robots and Logistics Conference
- Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
- Dexterity AI, a leader in robotic warehouse automation for manufacturing, logistics, retail and supply chains.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
172: How To Stay Focused on Your Mission and Deliver Robotic Solutions at Scale with Rapid Robotics CEO & Co-Founder Jordan Kretchmer
From energy to supply chain, manufacturing represents the lifeblood of pretty much everything that makes our society run. It also contributes 14% of the GDP of the US, making it a space that needs to grow aggressively and an attractive prospect for our guest on this episode, Rapid Robotics CEO & Co-Founder Jordan Kretchmer.
Jordan explains how and why he made the transition from a highly successful career in MarTech to robotics and what this new focus means to him personally. He also provides fascinating insights into the recent refocus and impact that Rapid Robotics is having on the scalability of robotic workforces to help solve the labor crisis. And how the new technologies they are deploying enable robots to self-learn and adapt to their environments with human-like instincts.
Jordan reveals how he won over investors despite (initially) not being able to program a robot and managed to keep them all on board when the company refocused. We hear his top three takeaways for manufacturing leaders and how AI has changed the way we can ‘train’ robots.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Jordan made the move from SaaS to robotics
- Why the traditional ways of deploying automation and robotics aren’t growing fast enough
- What needs to change before we see robotic workforces having an impact on society
- What needs to happen for the US to have a reliably growing and authoritative manufacturing sector
- How Jordan was able to start a robotics company despite not being able to program a robot
- How Rapid Robotics is refocusing right now to help with the massive labor shortage
- The top three takeaways from Jordan’s would-be masterclass!
- How Rapid Robotics kept all their investors throughout their massive refocus
- The enormous steps that have been taken in robotics over the past four years
- How AI has enabled a whole new level of ‘robot training’
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The labor shortage is growing at about 25% per year in the US and the number of robots installed per year is growing at 2%. So you don't see any possible outcome where robotics workforces could actually have an impact on our economy unless there is scalability.”
- “In order for us to have a reliably growing and authoritative manufacturing sector in the US we have to localize. We have to make more reliable supply chains, keep prices down and keep inflation down. All of those things happen from localizing.”
- “We’re going from having one deployment technician work on one deployment at a time, to one deployment technician being able to work on 10 at a time. That's the kind of scale we need.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn
- Rapid Robotics, delivering risk free robotics for end-of-line automation
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
171: AI and the "Art of the Possible" with Gregory Powers, VP of Cool Stuff at Gray Solutions
AI has been a key part of modern manufacturing for a few years now, and it’s here to stay. But we wouldn’t have it without people like our guest on this episode, who’s not afraid to try new things and take bold leaps into the unknown.
With quite possibly the coolest job title ever, Gregory Powers, the VP of Cool Stuff at Gray Solutions, gives us some backstory on how he got that title and what his role involves. His philosophy leans into the “art of what’s possible,” and this curiosity has shaped his career in new and interesting ways.
Gregory talks about what it means to guide a team when applying new technologies, particularly AI solutions. We hear how manufacturers can get started with AI, where AI is headed in this industry, and how manufacturers can tell they’re ready for it. He also breaks down his best advice for trying out new technology the right way and what bringing AI in could do for your team (hint – it’s not stealing their jobs!)
In this episode, find out:
- What a VP of Cool Stuff gets up to and how he came up with his own job title
- What it means to guide a team to focus on practical applications of technology
- Gregory’s philosophy on “the art of what’s possible” and what it means for him
- What it means to apply AI to manufacturing
- Why AI could become the future of HMI and other ways it could shape the industry
- A practical example of how Gray Solutions is leveraging AI for 3D modeling
- How manufacturers can determine whether they’re ready to introduce AI
- How Gregory enables his team to try new things and experiment with technology
- Gregory’s advice for manufacturing leaders who want to stay focused on outcomes and avoid jumping on the bandwagon of new tech
- How AI could free up human workers to focus on “cool stuff”
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “[With AI], the operators can be more proactive about getting things done outside of the traditional stuff that they're doing now.”
- “I keep telling our customers, get some foundation first on your data, structure it, put in the technology and the infrastructure that you need to set up for that future. If you don't do that, you're going to probably struggle.”
- “Don't be scared to take a risk on some of this stuff, as long as you're not losing out on big numbers, then it's okay to experiment.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Gregory on LinkedIn
- Gray Solutions, a full-service automation, operations, and information systems integrator
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
170: Marketing, Machine Shops, and Leadership with Jim Carr, CEO of CARR Machine & Tool
Marketing, manufacturing, and life advice are the key themes in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour. Jim Carr, CEO of CARR Machine & Tool, joins the podcast to impart his words of wisdom as a manufacturing trailblazer. We hear about his early days of bartending and marketing and the surprisingly transferable lessons he now applies to manufacturing.
One of Jim’s take-home points in this episode is the importance of getting out of your comfort zone, which is something he practices regularly. He also shares how he got started with branding and marketing on the manufacturing side and why he decided to push forward with social media (even when manufacturing leaders at the time were skeptical).
Jim also reveals the two core beliefs that keep him successful and why his passion for his work keeps him young.
In this episode, find out:
- Jim explains how the notion of manufacturing work being low pay is no longer the case
- Why your branding should match the clients and partners you aspire to work with
- What Jim learned from his background in hospitality that he applies to manufacturing
- How to know when to take the leap into a different industry/new business venture
- Why you need to expand your comfort zone and try new things
- Jim’s advice for dealing with tough economic times
- How Jim applied his background in branding and marketing to manufacturing
- Why consistency is essential when it comes to branding
- Why manufacturers are typically hesitant to get involved with marketing
- Jim explains why his passion for his work keeps him young
- The two core beliefs that Jim holds onto
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “What holds people back in their careers is they're too concerned with what other people are going to think. You have to do what you feel is the right thing for you.”
- “I believe if you match your brand to the companies that you're trying to attract, it's good synergy.”
- “Consistency is really important. If you're only going to post 1-2 times a week, make sure it's consistent on the days of the week and the times that you post because people get used to seeing that.”
Links & mentions:
- Perry’s Steakhouse: An award-winning, fine-dining restaurant in Schaumburg, Chicago
- CARR Machine & Tool: An AS9100D aerospace machine shop that does high-value, high precision machining
- My True Position podcast: A podcast for manufacturing professionals full of actionable insights into high-level issues of running a small to mid-sized manufacturing company, hosted by Jim.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
169: How to Apply “The Hospitality Mentality” to Manufacturing
Hospitality and the manufacturing industry couldn’t be further apart, right? But it turns out there are some universal lessons when it comes to delivering a great customer experience that apply no matter what industry you’re in. Whether you’re dealing with guests, customers, clients, or visitors, the “hospitality mentality” is key to success – says returning guest Josh Liebman, guest experience expert, podcast co-host of AttractionPros, and author of The Hospitality Mentality.
Josh joined us back in episode 17 to talk about what manufacturers can learn from the amusement park industry. In this episode, he goes one step further to break down the mindset that manufacturers can borrow from hospitality. He explains how to create lifelong fans of your brand, the true cost of negative reviews, and how the “recovery paradox” can help you turn negative reviews into something positive.
We also hear his advice on creating memories as a business model, his advice for helping your team adopt the right mindset, and what he’s learned from the manufacturing industry.
In this episode, find out:
- Josh explains what he means by a “hospitality mentality” and why it applies to all different industries
- We hear what led Josh to write his book
- How you can apply the hospitality mentality to turn people into a customer for life
- The true cost of negative customer reviews and how you can use them to your advantage
- Josh’s advice for instilling the hospitality mentality in frontline staff in the manufacturing space
- Josh shares his advice for creating “raving fans”
- The top thing that has shifted in Josh’s mindset
- Why we’re in the business of “creating memories” and how this can apply to manufacturing
- What Josh has learned about manufacturing over the years
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We've built into our culture service recovery. So not only are we canceling out a bad experience, we're regaining that satisfaction. We're regaining that trust, and in many cases, that leads to loyalty.”
- “I treat every single guest as an influencer, whether they have 10 followers or 10 million, because people who are of the demographic of the business that you're talking about, they visit again or they do business with you again. They influence others to do business with you.”
- “The way we remember something turns into our action in the future. It becomes the way we perceive what that experience was, and that perception determines our satisfaction or our dissatisfaction, and that determines how we then share and broadcast that experience with others.”
Links & mentions:
- The Hospitality Mentality, Josh’s book on how to create raving fans through your guest experience
- Toons, Chicago's friendliest neighborhood bar
- Attraction Pros, Josh’s podcast where the top leaders, executives, and influencers in the attractions industry share their advice and experiences.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
168: Shifting Your Mindset on the Human Potential of AI with Concurrency CTO Nathan Lasnoski
When leveraged correctly, AI can enhance human creativity and allow businesses to connect disparate systems and make informed decisions. So, what choices can manufacturing businesses take to ensure they’re using AI the right way?
We all know some aspects of our jobs can feel robotic, so Concurrency Chief Technology Officer, Nathan Lasnoski, suggests leaving the manual tasks to AI so you can focus on creativity.
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, he shares how AI can be used to boost your team’s creative abilities and explains why ROI should be your lodestar as you look to incorporate AI.
Plus, he provides expert tips on how leaders can start making the right AI choices and tells us the similarities between its explosion and the Industrial Revolution.
Nathan’s been involved with AI for EIGHT years – so he knows what he’s talking about!
In this episode, find out:
- Nathan explains how companies can focus on “real productive AI” and transform the way they think of AI in the context of their business
- Why ROI should be the “guiding light” of a business’ use of AI and why it is solving old problems in a brand-new way
- Nathan shares the story of how he and Concurrency began using AI, hiring their first data scientist around eight years ago before the AI explosion of 2022
- How AI is automating intuition and connecting disparate systems to allow business leaders to make data-driven decisions with a holistic view
- Nathan outlines his comparisons between the AI revolution and the Industrial Revolution, exploring the positives of automating workplace processes with AI
- How the AI revolution has the potential to increase, not decrease, human creativity by taking manual tasks off our hands
- Nathan tells us the right questions executives should be asking themselves about AI, and why they need to focus on their present and future goals
- How the frontline workforce play a vital part in manufacturing leaders knowing which incremental and disruptive changes to make with the help of AI
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The bar has been lowered for businesses to get into the game.”
- “Even medium- and small-sized organizations can translate repeatable processes into automated processes and free up their teams to be more.”
- “AI gives us the opportunity to unlock what is really special about each person and bring it to the forefront of our organizations.”
Links & mentions:
- Concurrency, Devs aim for client-friendly interfaces, full support, and smooth cross-device experiences, all while ensuring scalable global accessibility
- Brian Evergreen on Manufacturing Happy Hour, Episode 118 Defining “Autonomous Transformation” and Avoiding “Pilot Purgatory”
- Jeff Winter on Manufacturing Happy Hour, Episode 149 Thriving with AI: Artificial Intelligence Strategies for Manufacturers
- Central Waters Brewing, Iconic Wisconsin craft brewery with its original location in Amherst and a newer taproom located within the old Pabst Brewery campus in downtown Milwaukee
- Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
- Find Concurrency on LinkedIn
- Follow Concurrency on Twitter/X
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
167: How HEINEKEN and SwipeGuide Are Putting Frontline Workers at the Center of the Connected Brewery, Featuring Joris Stolk and Willemijn Schneyder
For manufacturing to succeed in 2024 and beyond, it’s crucial we empower our frontline workers. But how can technology and data enhance their work experiences, capitalize on their strengths and build a positive culture?
We’re delighted to be joined by not one, but two guests in this episode. Joris Stolk, Plant Manager at Lagunitas Brewing Company, and Willemijn Schneyder, CEO and founder of SwipeGuide, join Manufacturing Happy Hour to explore the importance of the frontline worker and how technology can play an integral role in ensuring they are front and center to manufacturing’s future.
They explore the benefits of empowering the frontline workforce to experiment and how to ensure scalability when testing new ideas. Plus, they take a look at the current landscape of connectivity in manufacturing and share unmissable tips on overseeing digital innovation.
What we discuss with Joris and Willemijn:
- Joris explains how he met Willemijn and they share stories from their early meetings to how they continue to share and grow their journey today
- Willemijn shares why frontline enablement is essential as we head into 2024, and why labor shortages mean employee satisfaction and retention should be front of mind at all times
- Joris shares the story behind Lagunitas Brewing Company and tells us the true definition of a ‘connected brewery’, exploring how he uses data and technology to enhance work experiences
- The story behind the ‘Digital David’ persona and how it has helped Joris and Willemijn target real pain points
- How ‘the connected brewery’ places frontline workers at the center of its operations, digital experiments and expansions
- How Joris and Willemijn avoid pilot purgatory and ensure scalability when prioritizing experimentation in ‘connected breweries’
- Joris and Willemijn describe a day in the life of the ‘connected worker’, exploring how the technological and data-driven aspects of their duties have evolved their roles
- Hear practical tips from Joris and Willemijn on overseeing an innovative digital initiative, exploring why clarity, excitement and support are integral to success
- Joris and Willemijn provide a macro view of how other companies are approaching connectivity and why there has been wholescale change in the past two to three years
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The enablement of the frontline workforce is about how we leverage the expertise and inherent skill sets people already have and use technology to expand them.” – Willemijn Schneyder
- “It’s fundamental that you know your people well. Do you listen to the right people and know what they’re struggling with?” – Joris Stolk
- “If you prioritize an engaged workforce, your climate and your culture will make progress.” – Joris Stolk
Links & mentions:
- SwipeGuide, the frontline “how to” platform, including clear-cut instructions, checklists, and skills development
- Lagunitas Brewing Company, iconic craft brewery that first began in Petaluma, CA that is now part of HEINEKEN’s global operation with a large brewery and taproom in Chicago, IL
- Connect with Joris on LinkedIn
- Connect with Willemijn on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
166: How Canvus Turns Wind Turbines into Functional Art with Brian Donahue
Most successful manufacturing processes start with some sort of roadmap, designed to outline goals and what you need to reach them.
But how do you create a roadmap for an all-new, one-of-a-kind project?
Brian Donahue, VP of Corporate Affairs at Canvus, says his roadmap creation consisted of commitment and creativity, not to mention a hard-working procurement team.
Brian joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to share the incredible story of Canvus and how they repurpose disused wind turbine blades into functional art for public use, such as benches, tables and planters. He tells us how the company began, outlines their mission and provides expert tips for manufacturing leaders embarking on groundbreaking projects.
In this episode, find out:
- How Canvus upcycles wind turbine parts to create functional products such as park benches, tables and planters
- Brian explains how he created a roadmap for a never-done-before manufacturing process and provides advice for those looking to do the same
- Why having the right procurement team, spending time on ideation and finding a suitable facility are the most important things when planning a brand-new manufacturing process
- Brian shares advice on how he identified standards and best practices despite never embarking on such a project before
- Brian tells us the number one leadership trait he looks for in new hires and explains his interview process
- We ask Brian whether Ohio is a hub for his sort of work, or whether Canvus’ location is based around convenience
- Brian says manufacturing leaders should be willing to pay above market price for resources when they embark on a custom product
- Brian explains how he collaborates with local artists and shares how you can get a Canvus project installed near you
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You need strong leadership that’s going to drive people, not give them a crutch, but actually make them better.”
- “The marketing team calls (Canvus) a brand, but I go lofty on them and call it a movement.”
- “Having the right people is going to get you so much further, faster, than just trying to fill slots on a manufacturing floor.”
Links & mentions:
- Canvus, a manufacturer that uses retired wind turbine blades to build new functional art pieces
- Great Lakes Brewing, Ohio’s original craft brewery, serving 14 states and Washington D.C. with fresh, innovative, award-winning beers
- Connect with Brian on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
165: Unlocking the Full Potential of Frontline Operations, Lean Manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 with Natan Linder, Co-Founder & CEO of Tulip
Frontline operations platforms help manufacturing teams upgrade their processes. So what’s the story behind the world’s leading frontline ops platform and how do they simplify workflows for the manufacturers of today and tomorrow?
You may have heard the phrase ‘a good engineer is a lazy engineer’. It’s certainly an exaggeration, but what is true is that manufacturers are always looking for shortcuts. That’s why Natan Linder took a step back from his previous venture to focus on building Tulip Interfaces.
Natan, Co-Founder and CEO, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to explain how Tulip provide tools and data to manufacturing companies and helps them become the flexible businesses they want to be.
He shares why connection and composability are key as manufacturing moves forward and tells us why manufacturers leveraging data and tech will become the most competitive.
In this episode, find out:
- How his time working with Samsung and Sun Microsystems has shaped his views and ideas around frontline operations and encouraged him to switch up his career plans and start Tulip Interfaces while still at Formlabs
- Natan explores how he navigates career changes, explaining the similarities, differences and decision-making behind his switches from mobile to 3D printing to frontline operations
- A deep dive into how Natan’s work “aims to fuse design and engineering to create novel human experiences” and why he finds it fascinating when tech changes people’s processes in the workplace
- Natan shares why the availability of more tools could help the industry attract more software engineers
- The problems within lean manufacturing which led him to write his book Augmented Lean to update it for the “reality we live in today”. When lean manufacturing first came into existence, the Internet didn’t exist!
- Natan’s thoughts on Industry 4.0 and why manufacturers who leverage data will be more competitive and successful
- Why Natan believes his book and podcast have helped him create a “real ecosystem”, tell stories and bring his community together
- Why Natan believes the frontline operations category is important, attributing it to a lack of technological advancement in some manufacturing businesses
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Frontline operations platforms bring in a Platform as a Service (PaaS) to the people who are designing, building and operating production lines and operational environments.”
- “It’s going to be tremendously impactful that companies adopt an agile, composable approach.”
- “With the book and podcast, we wanted to have different ways to bring the community together and tell stories.”
Links & mentions:
- Tulip Interfaces, the industry’s leading frontline operations platform, giving manufacturers a holistic view of quality, process cycle times, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and more
- Formlabs, the largest supplier of professional stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers in the world
- Connect with Natan on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
164: How to Cut Turnover in Half by Leveraging Data and Empowering Frontline Leaders with Mike White, Founder & President of Secchi
Performance management is critical to keep your manufacturing processes running smoothly. So, as the capabilities of technology continue to advance, how can leaders leverage tech and data to build strong, meaningful employee relationships and cut their turnovers in half?
This feels like a classic episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, and joining the show is Mike White, Founder and President of Secchi. Secchi is a platform providing clarity for HR professionals and helping them make data-driven performance decisions.
Mike shares details of his career, from his early days in frontline work to the experiences that led him to create Secchi. He explains his simple philosophy, telling us why effective employee relationship management comes down to respect and treating people right. Plus, he explores how frontline teams are responding to leaders making data-led judgments.
What we discuss with Mike:
- What Mike noticed when he first entered the world of frontline manufacturing with Johns Manville in 2006
- Why great people management comes down to ‘treating people right’ and why Mike believes ‘everybody is a leader’ in their own way
- How Mike leads HR during economic ebbs and flows and how he continued prioritizing people during the financial downturn in 2008
- Mike explains why we are ‘entering the age of the frontline worker’ and why AI and tech may not affect frontline work as much as we think
- How problems Mike encountered in the workplace led him to create Secchi, improving employee relationship management and cutting turnover in half
- How frontline employees respond to the fact that there is data on their performance, leadership and relationships
- Why ‘data, teamwork and courage’ are held dear at Secchi and how they relate to employee relationship management
- Mike explains how bad employees can chase off good ones, emphasizing the importance of rewarding great behavior in the workplace
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “What I noticed is that most issues are completely solvable for people. It’s just treating people with respect. That’s where I came up with my philosophy that everyone is a leader.”
- “The frontline is like the O line. They have to go every day, grind, run into problems and fix things. They’re underappreciated.”
- “When you think about employee relationship management, you don't think about data. We want to bring this level of transparency with data that we're no longer making feelings decisions with folks. We're making data-driven decisions and letting great workers do great work.”
Links & mentions:
- Secchi, generate instant performance reviews based on automated data, including attendance, warnings, and recognition
- Pete’s Pub, a laid-back neighborhood pub & restaurant located in a historical building in the heart of Milwaukee's Brady Street
- Follow Secchi on LinkedIn
- Follow Mike on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
163: The Evolving Role of Industrial Distribution in a Manufacturing Ecosystem with E&H Electric Supply's Nate Bucklew
Industrial distribution is so much more than just shipping boxes. It’s an essential part of the manufacturing process and, without it, customers would never see the products they need.
But how has industrial distribution evolved? What does it mean to be a distributor today? And what does the distributor of the future look like?
We can’t believe we’ve never dived into industrial distribution on Manufacturing Happy Hour, but better late than never! Here to shed some light is Nate Bucklew, a district manager with E&H Electrical Supply, an electrical distributor based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Nate shares how his role has evolved into a fully-fledged service provider and explains why the customer is central to success in distribution. Plus, he tells us why Louisville is such a special place and leaves us with some unmissable tips on career progression.
What we discuss with Nate:
- How his family history of industrial work led him to pursue a career in manufacturing himself, working in a warehouse and returning to manufacturing full-time after graduation
- Nate explains why patience and building trust and strong relationships is integral as you lay the foundations for a progressive career in manufacturing
- Manufacturing is a distinct part of Louisville’s identity and plays a huge role in why it is a fast-growing city
- To instigate and execute a successful digital transformation, manufacturing leaders must help their teams understand the reasoning behind the change
- Nate explains why the product is irrelevant if it doesn’t reach the customer at the desired speed. Distribution is an often overlooked but incredibly important part of the manufacturing process
- Nate shares how industrial distribution has undergone a transformation and tells us why leaders in his field have seen their job roles expand and become service providers
- Why the future of the manufacturing industry lies with people and their abilities to learn and progress. Technology will also play a critical part as distributors work to build even stronger trust with customers
- Why the most important thing for industrial distribution is understanding and delivering what the customer wants
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We’re a people business. What we do is much more than just providing boxes.”
- “Everything we do is based around transparency and integrity as a baseline.”
- “We better be darn sure that, as we strive to solve our customers’ problem, we’re not poking another customer or distributor in the eye. It’s a nimble journey.”
Links & mentions:
- E&H Electric Supply, a division of CED, E&H is the #1 source for automation & electrical supplies in the Kentuckiana area
- Repeal, Whiskey Row's only oak-fired steakhouse, located in downtown Louisville housed in the former site of J.T.S. Brown and Sons’ wholesale warehouse and bottling operations
- Connect with Nate on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Exploring the Characteristics of Smart Manufacturing Leaders, Live from the 2023 Smart Manufacturing Experience
There’s no doubt that Smart Manufacturing has a plethora of benefits for manufacturing organizations. It can help speed up your processes, improve your product quality and reduce your costs.
But effective Smart Manufacturing adoption lies with the leader. That’s why host Chris Luecke asked seven industry leaders for their Smart Manufacturing tips and tricks on our latest bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, recorded at the Smart Manufacturing Experience at SOUTHTEC.
They discuss how leaders can cultivate a Smart Manufacturing mindset through their organization, why it’s OK to start with small changes and why factory floor teams should be involved in discussions before leaders make Smart Manufacturing decisions.
Plus, discover how you can leverage the benefits of Smart Manufacturing in four actionable steps.
Head to the previous episode for Part 1.
Guests in this episode include:
- Jeff Winter – Sr. Director of Industry Strategy, Manufacturing, Hitachi Solutions America
- Habib Quazi – Director of Innovation & Business Transformation, ExxonMobil
- Rick Van Dyke – Sr. Director of Supply Chain Engineering, PepsiCo
- Rick Bullotta – Founder of ThingWorx
- Sanjeev Heda – Principal Industry Consultant, IoT Division, SAS
- Sudarsan Rachuri – Federal Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy
- Olivia Morales – Solutions Architect, CESMII
BONUS: Defining the Smart Manufacturing Mindset, Live from the Smart Manufacturing Experience (Powered by CESMII)
Smart Manufacturing goes way beyond being just a buzzword. It’s a movement and mindset taking the industry by storm. But what does it really mean, what are the key benefits and how can manufacturing leaders get started today?
Manufacturing Happy Hour host Chris Luecke asked industry experts these questions live at the Smart Manufacturing Experience at SOUTHTEC. In this special bonus episode, seven manufacturing leaders shared their own definitions of Smart Manufacturing, the secrets behind the successful digital transformations they’ve overseen and the best ways to adopt a Smart Manufacturing mindset.
Stay tuned for part 2 with more inspirational manufacturing leaders next week!
Guests in this episode include:
- Sudhi Bangalore – Founding Partner & CEO, Full-Bore
- Mike Tomasco – VP, Pfizer Digital
- Patrick Gaughan – Partner, Axiom Manufacturing Systems
- Aldo Ferrante – CIO, SORBA.ai
- Michael Clark – Director, OPC Foundation
- Erich Barnstedt – Chief Architect, Standards, Consortia & Industrial IoT, Azure Edge & Platform, Microsoft
- Katherine Cahalane – Founder & CEO, BennitAI
162: How Data and Automation are Shaping the Future of the Bourbon Industry with Opus Integration Co-Founders Don Ault and Scott Feldmeier
Louisville is the recognized bourbon capital of the United States, evolving alongside shifts in technology and culture. But how can the bourbon industry adapt in this age of data and automation?
Don Ault, CEO, and Scott Feldmeier, Senior Automation Engineer and COO of Opus Integration, join Manufacturing Happy Hour to discuss the rich history of manufacturing in Kentucky and how Louisville came to be a hub for bourbon production.
They explain what part Opus Integration plays as the industry integrates data and automation to take bourbon manufacturing to the next level, sharing how manufacturers can use smart devices and get floor team members on board with data-driven change.
Plus, they explain what makes them such a great partnership and explore their predictions for the bourbon market.
In this episode, find out:
- What Opus Integration does
- How Kentucky became the bourbon capital of the US
- What happens in a bourbon distillery
- How bourbon manufacturing has evolved
- How to get floor teams on board with data-driven processes
- What makes a great partnership in manufacturing
- What’s next for the bourbon industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Great partnership centers around a balance of different exposures and different experiences.” – Don Ault, CEO of Opus Integration
- “There’s a lot of opportunities and a lot of tools available to take the bourbon industry to the next level.” – Don Ault, CEO of Opus Integration
- “In the distilleries we’re working on now, everything is automated. It’s starting to evolve even more. Once that data is in your production facility, it just leads to the next piece of data and the next piece of data.” – Scott Feldmeier, Senior Automation Engineer and Chief Operating Officer of Opus Integration
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Don on LinkedIn
- Connect with Scott on LinkedIn
- Opus Integration, a systems integration company based in Buckner, KY, offering services including PLC application development, virtualization of process automation systems and plant floor troubleshooting support
- Heaven Hill Distillery, a family-owned whiskey distillery, based just west of downtown Louisville, KY. Offering a selection of classic rye whiskeys and bourbons
- Watch Hill Proper, a unique dining experience in Louisville for both the foodie and bourbon enthusiast alike. A hub for those keen to learn about the rich history of Kentucky and how the role bourbon has played in the United States
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
161: Do Your Values Align with Your Company's Culture? An interview with Jim Mayer, Host of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast
In every manufacturing organization, company culture is key to success. But what does company culture really mean? And how can manufacturing leaders ensure the culture in their organization is the best it can be?
Jim Mayer, founder of TCO Strategies and host of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to share his thoughts. He provides a super-simple definition of company culture, describing it as the alignment of values between employees and the organization.
In the episode, we also look at what got Jim interested in manufacturing culture to begin with and how he caught the podcasting bug, sharing insights into industry culture on his weekly show. Jim tells us how his podcast guests have shifted his perspectives of the industry and provides actionable advice for budding podcasters in manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- What got Jim interested in manufacturing
- What he has learned from carrying out engagement surveys
- Something Jim has learned since starting his podcast
- His thoughts on the automation culture paradox in SMB manufacturers
- How companies can become culturally ready for automation
- The stories that shifted Jim’s perspective of manufacturing culture
- Jim’s favorite comedy movies
- What to do if you think you’re late to the game with your concept or idea
- Jim’s advice for budding manufacturing podcasters
- Jim’s questions for Chris
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “There’s a lot of ways people can get the podcast exposure they’re looking for, without having to take the time, money and effort to do it on their own.”
- “If you start talking about culture and engagement and what you want that to be, then you don't do anything with it, your culture is going to plummet.”
- “When it comes to podcasting – if you’ve got that niche, give it a go.”
Links & mentions:
- Wild Roots, seed-to-table dining to satisfy both heart and soul in West Allis, Wisconsin
- Chelsea’s Kitchen, an Arizona roadhouse celebrating the cuisine of the Great American Southwest
- Bourbon & Bones Chophouse and Bar, a fine dining experience in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, with attentive service, USDA Prime grade steaks, fresh seafood, bourbon and signature cocktails
- Connect with Jim on LinkedIn
- Tune into The Manufacturing Culture Podcast, where Jim sits down with a manufacturing leader each week and explores where their culture was, where it is now and where they want to get it
- The Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show, the industry-leading Midwest manufacturing trade show – from additive manufacturing to robotics, machining centers to welding, tooling and fabricating equipment and many more technologies in between
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
160: Buying a Manufacturing Company and Reimagining Upskilling with Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision
What can a former Navy SEAL teach us about upskilling and manufacturing business acquisition? It turns out, a whole lot!
Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision, joins episode 160 of Manufacturing Happy Hour, to share his thoughts on upskilling your team and his journey from the Navy to manufacturing business leader. We hear why he chose to acquire Pindel and how he was lucky enough for the seller to stay on board to help ease the leadership transition.
We explore the importance of upskilling your team and why Pindel’s philosophy is to “hire for attitude, train for skill,” – as well as a great example of how someone moved from the janitorial department to work with CNC equipment. Bill shares his take on why upskilling is so important in manufacturing and what he thinks the industry should do moving forward to train the future of talent.
In this episode, find out:
- What Bill believes about upskilling in manufacturing
- Bill explores his time as a Navy SEAL
- The challenges of acquiring a company
- What made him choose to acquire Pindel
- How Pindel’s seller stayed on board to ease the transition
- Bill’s business aha moments
- What to consider before buying a business
- What upskilling looks like at Pindel
- Bill’s thoughts on the future of upskilling in manufacturing
- Advice for manufacturing leaders
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Our adage to the team is more value created, more value captured. So, if you allow the company to augment the value you can create by training you, that is going to lead to more value captured in the form of wages, bonuses, etc.”
- “Once you figure out what you're going to focus on, that allows you to put all your chips on the table in that direction.”
- “The two challenges when you have that ambition to acquire a company is number one, acquiring the skills to be able to do it well. And then number two is acquiring the capital to be able to make it happen. You can't just jump from simply having that ambition to the end state.”
Links & mentions:
- Pindel Global Precision, an innovative manufacturing company that values innovation, integrity, and continuous improvement in every aspect of their operations
- PMPA, the Precision Machined Products Association strives to progressively lead members to sustainable success with reliable and relevant information, resources, advocacy, and networking opportunities
- Otter.ai uses AI to write automatic meeting notes with real-time transcription, recorded audio, automated slide capture, and automated meeting summaries
- Buckley’s, a neighborhood fixture for refined American comfort food, located in Downtown Milwaukee
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
159: How Career & Technical Education (CTE) is Impacting Smart Manufacturing with Kent Powell of Amatrol
Whether it’s on the job or in a traditional academic setting, education is essential to building a strong manufacturing function.
But this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour homes in on one specific aspect of learning – career and technical education (CTE) – and explores how it’s helping teams make better decisions and better products.
Amatrol’s career and technical training solutions are used in all 50 U.S. states and in 50+ countries, so we invited Kent Powell, their VP of Sales and Marketing, onto the show to let us in on some of their secrets.
Kent shares how Amatrol became a leader in their field, his thoughts and observations on smart manufacturing and why Louisville is a hub for education and employment.
Plus, he explains how Kentucky FAME program is helping students get into manufacturing roles in just two years, debt-free.
In this episode, find out:
- About Kent’s background in aerospace
- How Amatrol became a leader in CTE
- What manufacturing teams need to know most
- Kent’s insights into smart manufacturing
- How to decide what to train staff on next
- What manufacturing means to Louisville
- How Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing (FAME) is impacting the industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “By using smart sensors, as opposed to on-off switches, we’re able to collect more information, make better decisions in record speed, and make a better product in a short amount of time.”
- “Manufacturing is our path forward in Louisville. It’s a great place to start a manufacturing company.”
- “We’re nothing without the success of our clients. If they’re successful, we’re successful.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Kent on LinkedIn
- Amatrol, the global leader in online career & technical education (CTE)
- Kentucky FAME, the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KY FAME) is a partnership of regional manufacturers whose purpose is to implement career pathway, apprenticeship-style educational programs that will create a pipeline of highly skilled workers
- Amount of Data Created Daily (2023)
- The Brown, a historic hotel in Louisville, KY known for its fine Kentucky bourbon & iconic destination; home of the “Hot Brown” and – according to Kent – one of the best Rye Manhattans in the city
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
158: Letting Curiosity Lead and Finding Your Identity with Gray Solutions CEO Walker Mattox
Curiosity is at the heart of this guest’s leadership style, and it manifests in the projects he is involved in.
But what does it mean to “let curiosity lead”? And how can manufacturing leaders take this advice on board?
Joining this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour is Walker Mattox, CEO of Gray Solutions, one of the top 20 largest full-service systems integrators in the U.S. He shares why curiosity shapes how he manages his team and explains why leadership is a journey, not a destination.
It’s important to remember, the leaders you look up to are still working on themselves.
Hear his advice on rebrands, workplace challenges, innovation and so much more in this jam-packed episode.
In this episode, find out:
- How Walker founded Gray Solutions
- What it means to be a recovering serial entrepreneur
- How Walker helped Gray become one of the top 20 largest systems integrators
- Why leadership is a journey, not a destination
- The top workplace challenges in 2023
- How curiosity manifests itself in Walker’s projects
- Why you should embrace, not fear, innovation
- How to know when it’s time to adjust your story
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Curiosity leads to a lot of interesting ideas.”
- “The most important thing is to like what you do every day. Follow the path that feels right.”
- “If you’re not staying on top of things and innovating, your competitor is.”
Links & mentions:
- Kaluz Restaurant, an upscale New American restaurant and bar with three locations in Florida, serving premium food, desserts, wine and cocktails
- Visit the Gray Solutions website
- Connect with Walker on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
157: Building Your Business to Sell with Bob Goldsmith, Founder & President of Northern Edge Advisors
Our guest this week is Robert Goldsmith, the Founder and President of Northern Edge Advisors, a boutique investment bank offering M&A expertise and advising for owners of private businesses. As the US experiences a manufacturing renaissance and the next generation starts to enter the manufacturing workforce, buying and selling manufacturing companies is an in vogue topic.
In this episode, Bob discusses what what it means to "build to sell" your business. He covers what makes a business attractive to a buyer, best practices for preparing to sell a manufacturing business, and when to start thinking about selling your business.
Whether or not you’re thinking about buying or selling a company, this conversation touches a lot of topics that we typically discuss on this show, like productivity, automation and robotics technology, and even new business models in manufacturing.
Finally, Bob shares both internal and external factors to be aware when building a business that could one day become a sellable asset.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
156: "Clash of the Grinders: Student Edition" and the Future of Skilled Trades, presented by 3M
Today, we're exploring the future of skilled trades and we're doing this largely by speaking to the next generation of skilled tradespeople and the folks that our training and enabling them. From students to instructors, this episode includes a series of 5 interviews with folks that are part of 3M's upcoming series Clash of the Grinders: Student Edition, a high-stakes grinding and welding competition that pits soon-to-be pros against each other to find the most talented up-and-comers in the skilled trades.
Throughout the series, you'll get to see the competition first hand as these trades leaders face off in welding and cutting challenges, but it's more than just the competition. You'll see emerging trends that these folks will face in their careers, and how new innovations are helping them work more efficiently and sustainably. Plus, the winner receives a game changing $10,000 scholarship sponsored by FANUC.
In this podcast, you're going to get to know a couple of the students that are part of this competition and you'll hear how their careers took them to these new roles as tradespeople that they're stoked to move into. You'll also hear from an instructor, how they're continuing to evolve their curriculum for the modern student and skilled worker, and not to mention the folks that are creating the certifications for emerging technology skills. And finally, you'll hear from a global robotics & automation leader at 3M and learn how they're inspiring curiosity and improving educational outcomes for everyone that wants an opportunity to pursue skilled trades and STEM education.
Overall, this episode is a showcase of many of the different parties involved in developing our future workforce, from educators, to corporations, to - most importantly - the students themselves.
BONUS: Your Host Went to Oktoberfest, So Here Are Some Mindset and Productivity Tips
Here's an oldie but a goodie! While Chris was on holiday in Munich for this year's Oktoberfest, that was no excuse not to give you an episode this week. We're diving back in the archives for this episode with Craig Francisco where he shares some of his best mindset, productivity, and podcasting tips from one of his old podcasts: 8 Keys of Sales Excellence. Enjoy the throwback!
155: Down to Earth Digital Transformation Advice with Vatsal Shah
Spending time on the plant floor gives you direct communication with your customers. But what’s the best way to gather their feedback and bring it to market quickly?
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Vatsal Shah, Founder and CEO of Litmus, a unified platform for industrial IoT. Vatsal provides down-to-earth digital transformation advice, tips on how to bring customer feedback to life and insights into how companies can contextualize their data.
Plus, he shares some stories on the history of Litmus, why scale is more important than ever and why the Cloud is no longer just an option.
In this episode, find out:
- About Vatsal’s work before Litmus
- What led him to start and persevere with Litmus
- How Litmus’ solution works on the plant floor
- Whether companies are identifying problems themselves
- Why the Cloud is no longer just an option
- Why scale is more important than ever
- How to bring customer feedback to market quickly
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “There are some foundational challenges in manufacturing. The whole journey to overcome them has to be unified. Our platform takes care of the complete journey for manufacturing or industrial customers.”
- “There was always a fear of the Cloud, but it’s not optional anymore.”
- “We go on quarterly business reviews with customers to understand where we are hitting limits for our products or ROI restrictions. Understanding is critical.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Vatsal on LinkedIn
- Litmus, the only Industrial Edge Data Platform that unifies device connectivity, data intelligence and data integration in a complete Industry 4.0 solution
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
154: How Women are Thriving in the Manufacturing Workforce with Allison Grealis, President & Founder of Women in Manufacturing
Women have been advancing in the manufacturing workforce for some time, but what actions can leaders in the industry take to continue that trend?
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Allison Grealis, President and Founder of Women in Manufacturing (WIM), a 20,000+ member global trade association that is committed to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who choose to enter the industry.
Allison discusses what motivated her to launch WIM, how the organization has evolved since and how manufacturing companies can meaningfully attract more women into the workforce.
Plus, she shares her personal story and how her unique background has helped her make her mark in manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- What Women in Manufacturing (WIM) do
- How Allison’s unique background has helped her
- How her organization has evolved
- Advice for manufacturing pros addressing gaps in the industry
- How WIM has contributed to the shift toward more women in the industry
- Why the organization have three leadership tracks (with potential for more)
- How leaders can meaningfully encourage more women into the industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Manufacturing leaders - as you see gaps in the industry, do your due diligence, see if your company could be the right provider of a solution for that gap, and then take action.”
- “I quickly realized I could create a community that can be inclusive of all people in all facets of manufacturing.”
- “Over time, we have worked very closely with our manufacturing members to help design programs that match the challenges they have within their workforce.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Allison on LinkedIn
- Follow Women in Manufacturing on LinkedIn
- Follow Women in Manufacturing on Twitter/X
- Follow Women in Manufacturing on Instagram
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
153: Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing with Terry Iverson
Why don’t more young people want to get into manufacturing?
This week’s Manufacturing Happy Hour guest, Terry Iverson, President & CEO of Iverson & Company, is the author of two fantastic books on the subject. His latest one, Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing, aims to encourage both students and their parents to give manufacturing a shot.
We had a great in-person conversation at The Vanguard in Milwaukee to talk about his mission to elevate manufacturing as a career path and to encourage more people into the industry. Terry explains why he thinks manufacturing leaders could be doing more to reach out to young people and bridge the awareness gap.
While the U.S. manufacturing industry is getting better, we still have a long way to go to finding the next generation of manufacturers. Terry shares some stats on college education and why he believes a European-style rethink on apprenticeships is long overdue.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Terry decided to write a second book
- What Terry learned from growing up in a manufacturing family
- Why his mission to get the word out about manufacturing has evolved
- How the apprenticeship culture is different in Europe
- Why there needs to be more engagement between schools and the trades
- Why the “learn and earn” route is a great alternative to college
- How children’s “maker spaces” work
- Why the industry still has a long way to go to appeal to younger people
- How we can get the industry and education system on the same page
- What the statistics say about reshoring and workforce needs
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We need the industry and education on the same page. Just like I'm trying to do with the book. I'm trying to connect parents and the child to have conversations more like they do in Europe when they're 14-15 years old about all the different things you could do in manufacturing.”
- “Parents need to be more informed and more focused on what every given child shines in or is passionate about or has the natural ability to do.”
- “How many times have you heard a parent say, “I'd give them a toy and they'd have it all apart and then try to put it back together.” That's an engineer or a manufacturer in the making.”
Links & mentions:
- Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing: Discover the Path to a Debt-Free Career, by Terry Iverson (student and parent edition both available)
- Finding America's Greatest Champion: Building Prosperity Through Manufacturing, Mentoring and the Awesome Responsibility of Parenting, Terry’s first book written in 2018
- The Vanguard, a locally-owned bar and restaurant located in the heart of Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood serving up house-made sausages and a great whiskey selection
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
152: What the U.S. Navy Can Teach You About Industry 4.0 with Marty Groover
In the Navy, every minute of every day is measured and that measurement is called Speed of Advance. In layman’s terms, it means, “I've got a plan and where am I at in that plan?” But how does that relate to manufacturing?
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re joined by Marty Groover, operational technology expert, partner at C5MI and the author of Speed of Advance. He talks about his background in the US Navy and how that experience helped him make a smooth transition into the manufacturing world, which wasn’t exactly as he expected!
He also touches on why military life is a great introduction to the industrial world and shares his uncanny similarities with Marty McFly!
In this episode, find out:
- Marty’s background in the US Navy
- What he learned from those experiences
- Marty’s transition to civilian life and entry into the manufacturing world
- The big differences he had to get used to
- Why military life is such a great path into the industrial world
- How Industry 4.0 is evolving
- What Marty has in common with one Marty McFly!
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Every minute of every day we're getting measured on this measurement called Speed of Advance. In simplest terms it means, I've got a plan, where am I at in that plan, and how do I maintain my speed as efficiently as possible?”
- “I learned troubleshooting, solving problems, making sure that system was ready to serve 100% of the time. ‘Cause you never want to go to the Captain and say, I don't know why it didn't shoot, sir.”
- “If COVID didn't provide a wake up call, it should have. Going to stores and seeing things not in stores, not being able to get what we're used to getting. That just shows you that these supply chains are not resilient.”
Links & mentions:
- C5MI, a business transformation firm specialized in the processes and technology that power world-class manufacturing and supply chain operations
- Speed of Advance: How the U.S. Navy's Convergence of People, Process, and Technology Can Help Your Business Win in the 4th Industrial Revolution, by Marty Groover
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
151: Building AI and Automation into Technical College Curriculums with Richard Barnhouse, President of WCTC (Waukesha County Technical College)
There’s no escaping AI and automation! But what’s the best way to integrate them into technical college curriculums and provide the next generation of manufacturing professionals with the education they need?
Who better to answer that question than Richard Barnhouse, President of Waukesha County Technical College?
Richard joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to share his insights, why he believes Wisconsin is the hub of higher ed transformation and why he strives to provide high-quality AI and automation programs and certificates.
Plus, he gives advice on getting feedback from the community and tells us why 2023 is the “good old days” of hiring humans.
In this episode, find out:
- Richard’s roots in the industry
- Why he joined Waukesha County Technical College
- Why he believes industry has been organically evolving at an unbelievable pace
- The best ways to get feedback from the community
- How the Wisconsin technical college system can transform higher ed across the country
- Why it’s Richard’s role to keep manufacturing going in Wisconsin
- Why WCTC have created AI and automation programs
- Why 2023 is the ‘good old days’ of hiring humans
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you're going to lead an organization that responds to the community, get out there, throw on some boots and get under a machine to see what the real needs are.”
- “We’re going to see higher education get better. It’s going to become more streamlined, more efficient. It will be forced to improve dramatically in order to stay in business.”
- “If there are demands for specific programs in our industry, then I’ve got a responsibility to deliver it.”
Links & mentions:
- Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), a public community college featuring forward-thinking programs in automation, AI, and systems integration
- Artisan 179, a trendy Pewaukee lakeside haunt filled with local art offering organic, select new American bites, and creative cocktails
- 5 O’clock Club, a storied tavern with a homestyle feel serving American classics, locally sourced produce, and drinks in Pewaukee, WI
- Follow Waukesha County Technical College on Twitter
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
150: When Will We Actually Close the Skills Gap? Featuring Ann Wyatt
Manufacturing professionals have been talking about the skills gap for a long time now – but when will it finally close? While we don’t have a crystal ball on Manufacturing Happy Hour, we have a guest who comes close.
Ann Wyatt, President and Agency Owner of Ann Wyatt Recruiting joins the show to share some great insights, advice, and predictions for the future of the industry. Ann’s a long-time listener of the show and has been part of the Manufacturing Happy Hour community for a while now. So, this conversation is long overdue!
Ann dives into the skills shortage problem, what manufacturers can do to compete for talent, how to remove friction from the recruitment process, and why we need to rethink how we advertise jobs. She also explains why companies need to do more brand awareness and not just rely on job boards to find talent.
Aside from recruitment and the skills gap problem, we also have some great chats about karaoke, punk rock, and glass blowing. So tune in for a very informative and varied conversation this week!
In this episode, find out:
- How manufacturing skill needs have evolved
- Why we need to look at transferable skills from other industries
- Why job boards alone won’t attract top talent
- How to reduce friction in the recruitment process
- Why company branding is key for advertising roles
- How manufacturing companies can attract more talent
- Predictions for the industry in 2-5 years
- Why Industry 4.0 is important for closing the skills gap
- How to retain great talent
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Making sure that you have a short hiring process right now is super imperative.”
- “We were looking at industrial maintenance individuals from a mechanical perspective. Now we are looking at them from a mechatronics perspective.”
- “The candidate experience doesn't stop once you go through the onboarding process. I think that you've got to really commit yourself to your culture on a daily basis.”
Links & mentions:
- Ann Wyatt Recruiting, providing manufacturing clients with the candidates they need
- COVID-1985, a great parody cover of Bowling For Soup’s 1985 that your host wrote and recorded in 2020
- Lipz Lounge, karaoke bar located in Straight to Ale in Huntsville, AL’s Campus 805
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
149: Thriving with AI: Artificial Intelligence Strategies for Manufacturers with Jeff Winter
Artificial intelligence is THE hot topic at the moment – no matter what industry you’re in. For manufacturers, it could be a game-changer if you have a great strategy.
But how do you get started with AI? Well, you’re in luck with this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour with Jeff Winter, Sr. Director of Industry Strategy & Manufacturing.
Jeff breaks down some of the best strategies to thrive with AI. We cover everything from the differences between different AI types to the best use cases for AI for manufacturers and how to move forward in the age of Industry 4.0. Jeff is the go-to guy for all things Industry 4.0 on LinkedIn, and he shares bags of important data and advice in this episode about how manufacturers can achieve success. It’s not one to miss!
In this episode, find out:
- The differences between AI and machine learning
- How manufacturers should approach AI
- Where AI is underutilized
- Use cases for manufacturers using AI
- What the data says about investments in AI and Industry 4.0 strategies
- The best practices for automation in Industry 4.0
- Why you need to be a tech-forward company to attract talent
- Why investing in people is still so important
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Seek hands-on experience. Theory and knowledge are essential, but practical experience is equally important. So seek opportunities to work on real-world projects […]This will enhance your problem-solving abilities and allow you to apply your knowledge in a practical setting.”
- “Networking is valuable for career growth. You can do this by attending industry events, joining relevant online communities, and connecting with professionals in the field. Networking not only helps with job opportunities and collaborations, but it can also help with mentorships.”
- “Industry 4. 0 is rapidly evolving and it's crucial for engineers to stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends. So offer training opportunities, offer certifications, give an allowance of funds for people to attend relevant workshops and conferences and continually to learn.”
Links & mentions:
- Hitachi Solutions, a global cloud-services, systems integrator; a 100% Microsoft platform-focused organization
- Expanding AI’s Impact with Organizational Learning, MITSloan Management Review
- The Future of Industrial AI in Manufacturing, a June 2023 report by the Manufacturing Leadership Council
- IoT Signals Report, presented by Microsoft
- 2023 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, presented by Rockwell Automation
- Is Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing Working for You? A recent interview with Jeff in Control Engineering
- Jackson Avenue Pub, home of the “Drunken Pear Burger” in Naperville, IL
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
148: Why Your Manufacturing Business Should Be Boring with Marc Bowers, Executive Director of St. Louis Makes
We know what you’re thinking…this episode title is against everything we stand for! But hear us out…
“Manufacturing should be boring” may sound like the antithesis of this podcast but, as you listen, you’ll understand what this guest means.
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by St. Louis Makes Executive Director, Marc Bowers. St. Louis Makes is a non-profit helping emerging and mid-sized regional manufacturers drive sales expansion through product innovation and new marketing opportunities.
Marc joins the show to discuss the main how-tos of running a manufacturing business, why old-school entrepreneurship is making a comeback and the advantages of thinking outside the box.
Plus, an explanation for our title!
In this episode, find out:
- The infrastructure of St. Louis
- The return of old-school manufacturing entrepreneurship
- The customers manufacturing leaders should focus on
- What to do before seeking out adjacent business opportunities
- Why you need to know the business inside out
- The benefits of taking alternative career paths
- Leveraging the importance of education
- Steps to buying a manufacturing company
- Important how-tos when running a manufacturing business
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Everything that I've learned, I've learned from somebody else. It’s not like the knowledge spontaneously popped into my head. The way I've done that is by taking calls where other people maybe wouldn't have.”
- “So many people made the jump into high tech. They failed to realize that there was nothing but tech in manufacturing and it wasn't cool. I like doing the contrarian and at the time that was manufacturing.”
- “The smaller the company, the bigger the opportunity…until you get too small.”
Links & mentions:
- Connect with Marc on LinkedIn
- MarcBowers.com, helping companies drive up revenue through data-driven solutions for sales growth
- St. Louis Makes, a St. Louis, Missouri-based 501c3 nonprofit and the only community peer group that serves emerging and mid-size regional manufacturers to help them drive sales expansion through product innovation and identification of new market opportunities
- Cortex Center for Emerging Technologies (CET), an affiliate of St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation Community since 2012, the CET provides the infrastructure and resources needed for early-stage, high-growth companies in the fields of information technology, bioscience and consumer/manufactures products to innovate and thrive
- O’Connell’s Pub, an old Irish bar serving up some of the best burgers in St. Louis
Make sure to visit manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
147: What “Tether Golf” Can Teach You about Supply Chain with Co-founders Jesse Darley and Randy Koplin
What do golf, beer caps, and face masks have in common? It turns out this week’s guests on Manufacturing Happy Hour!
Tether Golf Co-Founders Jesse Darley and Randy Koplin join the show to talk about their innovative new golf-inspired game and what it takes to get a product like that to market.
Both Jesse and Randy are no strangers to product businesses, having launched products from beer cap maps to COVID-19 face mask accessories. This time, they turned their attention to design Tether Golf – a head-to-head putting game that brings a fun twist to golf.
We talk about supply chains - how to pick one that allows you to scale and iterate quickly, and what Jesse and Randy have learned from their previous product businesses. Randy and Jesse also explain why business relationships with suppliers and manufacturers are the heart of any successful product venture.
In this episode, find out:
- How Tether Golf works
- What they learned from previous ventures
- Why finding local vendors is best for your supply chain
- What you need to look for in a localized supply chain
- Why business relationships are so important
- Lessons learned from previous businesses
- Why YouTube is such a helpful business resource
- What the future holds for Tether Golf
- Advice for aspiring product entrepreneurs
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “People wait too long in small businesses to offload the things that really someone else can do better.” – Jesse
- “Make them, prototype them, and don't worry if it's a silly idea. Just get it out there.” - Randy
- “Keeping [supply chains] local helps foster relationships.” - Randy
Links & mentions:
- Tether Golf, a head-to-head putting game co-founded by Jesse and Randy
- Beer Cap Maps, the original laser cut plywood and steel maps of your state or country that let you create unique wall art using bottle caps from your favorite beverages
- Jonco Industries, Milwaukee-based product manufacturers
- Pubcast Worldwide, our first interview with Jesse (on a different podcast) from 2017
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
146: The Workforce Slugfest: A Live Panel on Training Programs, Immigration Policy, and Attracting the Next Generation
You just can’t find the people these days, right?
Anyone in the manufacturing, engineering, or construction industries knows that the top challenge right now is finding talent. There’s a shortage of willing and able workers in the U.S. – and immigration policies make it difficult to bring in talent from overseas.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we head to Washington D.C. for a special live panel discussion from the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall.
Marsia Geldert-Murphey, ASCE President-Elect, Thayer Long, President of the Association for Print Technologies and Steve Hall, Executive VP of ACEC, explore the reasons behind the talent shortage, how public policy could help, and how organizations are trying to attract the next generation of workers.
In this episode, find out:
- What employers can do to grow their applicant pool
- How firms are trying to attract talent
- Why you need to move people to the opportunities
- How public policy could help
- Why immigration rules need to be revisited
- What drives young people
- How organizations are reaching out to school and college-aged students
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When you look at countries like Germany, Belarus, South Korea, UAE, 30% of their graduates are STEM graduates. In the United States, it's 19%. It's a math problem. We just do not have enough people. So we have got to improve our immigration program.” – Marsia
- “There's a lot of drivers that motivate young people today, and I don't think they always think about engineering as a way of accomplishing those goals. So [we need] messaging like that to young people through STEM programs.” - Steve
- “If the government put a quarter of the amount of effort into promoting an apprenticeship and a career in the construction trade as they do by subsidizing and supporting college education, it’d have a tremendous impact to bring more people into our field.” - Thayer
Links & mentions:
- Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), an organization that’s advancing equipment manufacturers in the global marketplace. They're on a mission not only to help businesses succeed but to build a community so that the industry as a whole can make positive, lasting change.
- American Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s oldest engineering society that represents more than 150,000 members in 177 countries.
- Independent Electrical Contractors, a national trade association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors.
- American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering industry, representing nearly 6,000 firms to advocate for policies at federal, state and local levels.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
145: How to Break Through the Noise and Build Trust with Storytelling in Manufacturing with James Soto
More and more voices are being heard as the manufacturing community grows online. And while this can only be a good thing, it does make it tougher for individuals to be heard above the noise.
In this episode, we welcomed James Soto, CEO of Industrial Strength Marketing, to talk about his tactics for getting his message across and building trust in the community.
James explains why storytelling is so important, how different types of “noise” can hold manufacturers back, and why you need to fully understand channels to get the most out of them. He also shares his tips for succeeding with video content and discusses other ways to break through the noise online.
In this episode, find out:
- The early days of James’ career
- The marketing problem in manufacturing
- What trust in storytelling looks like
- Why you should leverage the power of stories
- The different types of noise in the industry
- Why you need to “scrape the guardrails”
- How to capture audience attention without video
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you can be yourself and really get good at it, that’s what people relate to, you know? Just be you.”
- “I believe a lot in channel mastery. There's real science around both the structure of what you're creating and how you format it.”
- “Fighting for the audience is so important because if they get what they want, your creative juices are flowing.”
Links & mentions:
- Industrial Strength Marketing, a full-service B2B industrial marketing agency, offering digital marketing solutions from web design to advertising
- Rolf And Daughters, an industrial-chic restaurant with clever New American dishes, communal tables & inventive cocktails in Nashville, TN
- Monday Night Brewing, a relaxed brewhouse offering craft beer, cocktails & snacks, including hummus & cheese platters
- Bearded Iris Brewing, a taproom serving rotating, old-world style beer infused with Southern
- flavors in comfy digs…also Chris’ favorite brewery in Nashville
- The 5 Spot, an East Nashville neighborhood music venue with snacks & a full bar served in a relaxed hangout that hosts live bands & weekly dance parties
- The Basement East, a casual hangout for live music by nationally touring acts where you might run into Jack White
- Old Glory, a subterranean bar in Nashville, TN offering elevated cocktails served in a historic boiler room with iron & concrete
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
144: The Experience Mindset: Creating an Amazing Customer Experience through a Great Employee Experience
What does it mean to have an experience mindset?
Tiffani Bova, keynote speaker, author and Growth and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to explain how manufacturing leaders can prioritize employee experience while still keeping customer experience front of mind, using research found for her book The Experience Mindset.
When Chris saw Tiffani speak on the topic at a KUKA Robotics event, he couldn’t wait to get her on the show! In this episode, Tiffani shares why companies put customers’ needs first, why it pays off to prioritize your employees and why the C-suite view employee experience the wrong way.
Plus, she reveals what manufacturers can learn from other industries and tells us the first steps to adopting an experience mindset.
In this episode, find out:
- What it means to have an experience mindset
- Why customer experience can take priority over employee experience
- How manufacturing leaders can get the balance right
- Why positive employee experience aids customer experience
- Why manufacturing companies should hire outside the industry
- Why leaders should get out of the office
- The first steps to implementing an experience mindset
- The gap between C-suite and employee views on employee experience
- What surprised Tiffani about her research
- What manufacturers can learn from other industries
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “My advice to leaders would be – get out of your office. Go into the plant, use the systems, use the software. Use everything.”
- “If our customers aren’t successful, we’re not successful.”
- “If you only look in the same pool for hiring, maybe you miss out on the opportunity to bring in new skills.”
Links & mentions:
- The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth, by Tiffani Bova
- Tiffani Bova, official website for keynote speaking, books, Tiffani’s podcast, and more
- Connect with Tiffani on LinkedIn
- Follow Tiffani on Twitter
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Live from Washington DC, A Celebration of Construction on the National Mall
This just might be our biggest episodes ever. Today's episode is a recap of the 2023 Celebration of Construction Equipment on the Nation Mall, hosted by AEM, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. You'll hear from a ton of folks from the big names in equipment manufacturing as we discuss topics impacting the construction industry and beyond. In fact, seeing as how this is a manufacturing-centric podcast, you'll likely find that there are many parallels there are between construction and manufacturing.
In May 2023, the National Mall - the area right between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol Building - was covered with heavy equipment that was on display for all to see. This included some of the biggest earth-moving equipment from big names like Komatsu, Caterpillar, Bobcat, John Deere, and Volvo. All of this was done in an effort to showcase industry innovations like alternatively powered equipment, autonomous systems, as well as exhibits focusing on workforce development, safety, sustainable materials.
All of these interviews were recorded live, from a stage on the Capitol Mall, where we interviewed construction industry leaders across 14 different panel discussions and fireside chat-style conversations. This episode is a highlight reel with some of the top insights and takeaways from those discussions. This compilation should give you a vibe of the event and the type of work that the Association of Equipment Manufacturers is doing.
We also cover the type of collaboration that's needed between the the private sector and government to make meaningful progress toward getting folks educated and trained, filling jobs, and improving infrastructure. Finally, you'll hear some things we've never talked about on this podcast before. From aggregates to the recyclability of asphalt, we'll give you a nice behind-the-scenes into some of the processes and technologies that are big in the construction space.
143: How to Identify and Speak to Your Ideal Customer with Emily Joann Wilkins, Founder of Marketing Metal
This is a branding, marketing, and sales focused episode…but everyone needs to hear this!
Our guest this week is Emily Wilkins, Founder & President of Marketing Metal, a company focused on helping radical job shops make big profits by creating a killer brand and building out a stupid simple marketing machine. Given this very loud mission statement, there's no better person than Emily to cover the strategies outlined today.
In this episode, Emily shares the importance of focusing on a niche audience through the lens of her own story that led to her founding Marketing Metal.
We also cover tactics and strategies that job shops and other manufacturers should consider adopting using one of her recent projects, Manufacturing Champions, as an example.
Finally, Emily shares a short list of things manufacturers should start and stop doing when it comes to marketing, plus a few final tips and personal stories on leveraging your unique voice.
In this episode, find out:
- How Emily got started in manufacturing marketing
- Why job shops sometimes forget their audiences
- First steps for building a brand
- The benefits of personal branding
- The best ways of identifying your audience
- The advantages of focusing on a niche audience
- What job shops should start and stop in their marketing
- Why job shops need to evolve online
- How to mix your personality into personal branding
- How Emily turns her struggles into strengths in her personal brand
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When you bring some personal elements to (your brand), you look more human. That’s something all of us need right now.”
- “When you’re talking about a very specific person, it’s a lot easier for them to identify themselves and for potential referrers to send you the right people.”
- “Stop taking any project that comes to your door. It’s hard to say no if you’re in a cashflow problem, but how much is that job that’s not a right fit going to cost you?”
Links & mentions:
- Marketing Metal, building out meaningful, stupid-simple branding and marketing for machine shops, fab shops, OEMs, and systems integrators
- Manufacturing Champions, a community of up-and-coming voices in manufacturing that you can leverage to help tell your brand’s story
- The Southerner, southern–style dishes & cocktails are served at this relaxed lakeside venue with a comfy interior in Saugatuck, MI
- Pumpernickels, modern and upbeat restaurant and bar in downtown Saugatuck, MI and Emily’s other go-to destination for bourbon old fashioneds
- Taco + Bar, a community taqueria showcasing craft mezcal and agave cocktails alongside uniquely handcrafted tacos in Holland, MI
- Connect with Emily on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
142: How to Accelerate Smart Manufacturing Adoption in the US with John Dyck, CEO of CESMII
John Dyck, CEO of CESMII, is making his long-awaited debut on Manufacturing Happy Hour.
CESMII is a non-profit institute in the United States dedicated to smart manufacturing. Simply put, they’re democratizing the tools and technologies needed to bring smarter manufacturing operations to life.
Smart manufacturing operations result in reduced costs, less complexity, and quicker time-to-value. All of these things make companies and the US manufacturing industry as a whole more competitive on a global scale.
In this episode, John shares his background, what led him to CESMII, and what he's learned after finding himself in many roles that have put him on the bleeding edge of manufacturing technology. John also talks about the state of smart manufacturing’s adoption in the US and why there’s a sense of urgency to accelerate it.
Finally, we discuss how to adopt smart manufacturing technologies, including both the technology itself and the mindset required to drive intelligent manufacturing innovations.
In this episode, find out:
- John’s career history
- How CESMII democratize technology for the adoption of smart manufacturing
- The definition of smart manufacturing
- Why there’s an urgency around smart manufacturing
- How the US can catch up with European and Asian markets
- The outcomes of smart manufacturing
- How to adopt a smart manufacturing mindset
- How to find the right partners to guide the process
- How smart technology could prevent pilot purgatory
Helpful personas you need on board when adopting smart manufacturing:
- Corporate supply chain leadership
- Manufacturing leadership
- Plant leadership
- Plant workers
- Operators
- Technology providers
- Vendors
- Systems integrators and consultants
- Machine builders
- Knowledge providers
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Using data to transform how we work and become more competitive and productive – that’s where manufacturing leadership is.”
- “We fundamentally believe that smart manufacturing as a mindset becomes the next generation of digital quality, digital improvement and digital safety.”
- “I’ve found myself gravitating towards the bleeding edge (of manufacturing). That’s allowed me to work with forward-thinking manufacturing companies, systems integrators and machine builders who are early adopters of technology.”
Links & mentions:
- CESMII, the United States’ non-profit institute dedicated to smart manufacturing (SM), working to reduce cost, complexity, and time-to-value so all manufacturers can engage in Smart manufacturing
- Smart manufacturing Executive Council, created by CESMII to engage business and technology executives, thought leaders, and visionaries advocating for the transformation of the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem
- Smart manufacturing Mindset, CESMII’s monthly LinkedIn Live web series
- SOUTHTEC, a manufacturing technology series event and trade show, taking place in October 2023 in Greenville, SC
- Follow CESMII on LinkedIn
- Follow CESMII on Twitter
- Connect with John Dyck on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
141: Additive Manufacturing and Creating Workplaces Where People Thrive with Lisa D. Block, CRO of Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies
Additive manufacturing won’t solve your problems, but as our guest explains, it can make life easier.
We’re back to our traditional format at Manufacturing Happy Hour and, on this episode, we are joined by Lisa D. Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies.
Lisa explains her path into the industry, shares her experiences and busts some myths around additive manufacturing.
Plus, she shares how we can create workspaces where people thrive, with tips on personal development, talent acquisition and diversity, equity and inclusion.
In this episode, find out:
- How Lisa entered the world of additive manufacturing
- The biggest misnomers around additive
- The importance of personal development
- Different families within additive
- Her top tips for talent acquistion
- Take-home moments from Lisa’s talks
- Why companies need to refocus on training new starters
- How to create workplaces where people can work at their best
- Why it’s time for a fresh perspective on diversity
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I believe that character is born in personal development.”
- “[Additive manufacturing] is meant to make jobs easier and more efficient so the company can 10x their production.”
- “People say ‘we've gotta get diversity, equity, inclusion experts. We've gotta do this, we've gotta do that’. There’s a whole lot of ‘we’ve gotta’ and very little ‘we’ve done’.”
Links & mentions:
- Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, pioneering the combination of 3D printing and machining
- Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn
- Follow Lisa on Instagram
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: A Digital Transformation Story from Rockwell Automation
How can your company achieve a complete, enterprise-wide digital transformation? In our first ever throwback episode, Bob Murphy - a former Senior Vice President at Rockwell Automation - provides some of the most down-to-earth advice for leading a transformation journey. We recorded this episode in May 2020, but even 3 years later, there are still some major lessons to be learned during this episode.
BONUS: Content Strategies for Manufacturers that Break Through the Noise
From self-awareness to consistency, from personal branding to trust-building, there are more than a few ways that manufacturers can break through the noise on social media. In this bonus episode, your host Chris Luecke explores how manufacturers can cut through the noise by creating engaging, insightful content so that you can build trust with your ideal customer audience. While this brand-building strategy is a long-term play, it can yield exponential returns if you have the patience.
Redefining the Role of a Chief Information Officer with Tim Dickson, CIO of Generac
From diversity to digital transformation, innovation and best practices, this episode is packed with expert insights on taking your manufacturing leadership game up a gear.
Tim Dickson, Chief Innovation Officer at Generac, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to discuss misconceptions around the job title, what his role actually entails and how he aims to improve his leadership qualities every single week.
Plus, he shares what Generac does in detail, provides his ideas on innovation and tells us why he wakes up at 4am every morning.
In this episode, find out:
- What Generac does
- The new definition of a CIO
- How to drive digital transformation
- How Tim levels up his leadership skills
- Why he gets up at 4am
- The importance of diversity
- Secrets of the Milwaukee tech community
- What innovation looks like at Generac
- How to help your team transform
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you’re going to drive change, you have to understand and articulate the value of what that change is going to do.”
- “Knowledge is key. What you can do with that knowledge is what brings something forward.”
- “You have to have best practices.”
Links & mentions:
- Generac, a leading energy technology company that provides advanced power grid software solutions, backup and prime power systems for home and industrial environments
- Summerfest Tech, championing the Milwaukee regional business community while shining the spotlight on Wisconsin's growing reputation as a tech hub, hosted annually alongside the music festival by the same name
- Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators, by Suzanne Tedrick
- InspireCIO Leadership Network, home of WisconsinCIO and other leadership chapters
- Explorium Brewpub, craft beer and food, located in Milwaukee’s historic Pritzlaff Building and a local hangout for the tech community
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
New Business Models and User Experiences in Robotics: Highlights from Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI
Are you ready for a ton of insights from FOUR industry leaders? On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re whetting your Automate appetite again, sharing super-interesting highlights from Automate 2022, ahead of the 2023 event later this month.
We are joined by Misa Ilkhechi, founder and VP of Product and Partnerships at Formic, Kel Guerin, co-founder and CIO at Ready Robotics, Etienne Lacroix, founder and CEO at Vention and Joe Campbell, Senior Manager of Strategic Marketing & Applications Development at Universal Robots.
Hear insights, tips and experiences on topics such as robotics-as-a-service, predictions for the future, AI, and so much more.
In this episode, find out:
- A history on robotics-as-a-service
- Misa Ilkhechi’s journey as a startup co-founder
- What’s exciting about the industry
- Transitions in user experiences
- What’s changed and what hasn’t in robotics
- Why we need to simplify robotics
- How VCs are getting involved in startups
- How AI can be the backbone of robotics
- Top insights from industry leaders
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Manufacturing is getting consumerized. More companies need to learn how to better brand yourself in the industry beyond just the specific product you’re providing.” – Etienne Lacroix, CEO and founder of Vention
- “When you go out into the real world, you can listen to people’s problems and understand.” – Kel Guerin, co-founder and CIO at Ready Robotics
- “AI and machine learning is really accelerating and helping eliminate the need for point-to-point programming.” – Misa Ilkhechi, founder and VP of Product and Partnerships at Formic
Links & mentions:
- Formic, removing the risk, expense and headache of automating your own with flexible, no CapEx contracts. They grow your business by making it easy to afford and deploy robotic automation.
- Ready Robotics, making your robots better by eliminating risks and challenges of deploying automation.
- Vention, making industrial automation better, easier and more accessible for all manufacturers by reengineering the process of designing, simulating, procuring and commissioning industrial equipment.
- Universal Robots, dedicated to making the world a better place, one cobot at a time. They are an innovative robotics company, helping the world work with robots, not like robots.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leadership Perspectives on Robotics, Highlights from Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI
Time to buckle up for a masterclass in manufacturing with not one – but three – manufacturing experts!
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we share the best of three interviews conducted at Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI. Chris sits down for conversations with Milton Guerry, President of Schunk, Mike Cicco, President & CEO of FANUC America Corporation and Søren Peters, CEO of HowToRobot.
They share their career journeys, insights and predictions for manufacturing, AI and automation, plus reveal top tips for manufacturing leaders and team members alike.
In this episode, find out:
- How Milton Guerry began his career
- How Mike Cicco started in the industry
- Søren Peters’ first steps in manufacturing
- Guests’ thoughts on the current state of manufacturing, AI and automation
- The importance of mentorship
- The future of collaborative robots
- New routes into the industry
- Why strong teams are key to success
- The importance of communication
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We can all be very secure that this industry is going to be super-strong.” – Milton Guerry, President of Schunk
- “The key to mobility is just continuing to reinvent yourself in terms of business needs at the time.” – Mike Cicco, President & CEO of FANUC America Corporation
- “In everything you do, if you don’t believe in it or think that it’s right, you should probably be doing something else.” – Søren Peters, CEO of HowToRobot
Links & mentions:
- SCHUNK, an internationally active technology company, a leading supplier of products made with high-tech materials like carbon, technical ceramics and sintered metal, as well as machines and systems for environmental simulation, air conditioning, optical machines and many other processes.
- HowToRobot, your automation marketplace, helping buyers specify their needs and putting them into contact with sellers across the globe.
- FANUC, a leading global manufacturer of factory automation, they specialize in industrial robots, CNC systems, wire cut EDM and injection moulding machines among other things. All products are engineered to optimize energy usage.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Future of Food and Beverage Manufacturing, LIVE from Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, OH
What happens when you put a food and beverage industry leader, a brewer, and an industrial specialist who’s seen hundreds of manufacturing facilities on the same stage? You get this week’s episode.
CBT Company recently invited Manufacturing Happy Hour to host a live panel discussion at Cincinnati's iconic Rhinegeist Brewery on the future of food & beverage manufacturing. We were joined by Rhinegeist’s Cole Hackbarth, SugarCreek’s Jeremy Saunders, and CBT’s Larry Hecker for a conversation that covered more than a few critical manufacturing topics.
In this episode, you’ll hear our panelists discuss the characteristics of a modern maintenance program, why flexible manufacturing is so important to food & beverage manufacturing, and plenty of innovative ideas for recruiting and training your people.
We also have a bonus Q&A where we cover some very candid questions around making manufacturing more accessible to everyone. You’ll even learn a few things about the Cincinnati manufacturing community and what makes the industry in that region so unique.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- The realities of maintaining and scaling a brewery
- Why all processes should focus on the end user
- Why you need everyone on your team to be on the same page
- How a great onboarding program can prepare new hires
- How staff retention challenges affected the craft beer industry
- Why companies should be flexible for their employees
- Why automation isn’t about getting rid of jobs
- How to decide which processes to automate
- How we can encourage more women into manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- [Automation] is just simplifying the manual labor and the jobs that don’t take skill to do, so that our brewers, who are very skilled and very intelligent, can think about how to make beer taste better.” – Cole Hackbarth
- “I think the most important thing is to make sure everyone's on the on the same page between management, maintenance, production, QA – you have to have buy-in from all four, or it's going to be a disaster.” – Larry Hecker
- “Why are women not wanting to come to the industry? Let's be honest, we don't make it easy. Keep that in mind, how do we make it easy? There's a lot of things like safety strategies, which are intended for male-sized people, and women are at a disadvantage.” – Jeremy Saunders
Links & mentions:
- Rhinegeist Brewery, a craft brewery based in the historic Over-the-Rhine brewery district in Cincinnati, OH.
- CBT Company, an industrial distributor that provides customers with products, technologies, and solutions in automation, pneumatics, belting, and more.
- SugarCreek, an innovative food manufacturer that helps companies develop “brand-worthy food solutions.”
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
What Defines a Manufacturing Leader? An Interview with Nick Goellner and Jason Zenger of MakingChips
It’s time for two manufacturing podcasts to collide!
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re delighted to speak to Nick Goellner and Jason Zenger, hosts of the fantastic MakingChips podcast.
Nick and Jason discuss their route into making the podcast, how it’s grown and evolved over the years and the attributes that make a true manufacturing leader.
In this episode, find out:
- About creating MakingChips
- How the podcast has evolved
- Knowing when content needs to evolve
- How MakingChips set out to equip and inspire
- What makes a great manufacturing leader
- How their content can help manufacturing leaders
- The importance of developing relationships
- Why manufacturing leaders should self-assess
- How content serves businesses
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you’re a manufacturing leader, you should be equipping, you should be inspiring and you should be building relationships.” – Jason Zenger, Host of the MakingChips podcast
- “A manufacturing leader needs to know how to develop relationships with clients and partners.” – Jason Zenger, Host of the MakingChips podcast
- “It’s important for us to contribute to the community and the industry at large.” – Nick Goellner, Host of the MakingChips podcast
Links & mentions:
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Promoting from Within and Building a Team for the Future with Pamela Frost, President of RND Automation
Things move quickly in manufacturing, so how do we stay efficient in the now, while building a strong team for the future?
On this episode, we invite Pam Frost, President of RND Automation, on Manufacturing Happy Hour.
Pam discusses employee retention, promoting from within and playing to your own and your employees’ strengths.
Plus, she reveals why she came out of retirement for RND, what excites her about the future of manufacturing and why fun should be a priority in the workplace.
There’s plenty of excellent advice to take from this one, so listen close!
In this episode, find out:
- How Pam built success at Pridgeon & Clay
- How to successfully promote from within
- Why listening is crucial to success in any business
- How to retain employees
- Why Pam came out of retirement for RND Automation
- How to achieve operational excellence
- The best ways to foster a collaborative environment
- Why you should have fun at work
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It’s important to celebrate the past, celebrate today and look forward to the future.”
- “If we can come together and all enjoy each other’s company, I think it helps a lot.”
- “Two ears, one mouth – listen at least twice as much as you talk!”
Links & mentions:
- RND Automation: Engineers, designs, and manufactures robotic, packaging and assembly automation equipment
- Complete Automation Solutions (CAS) Holdings: Parent company of RND Automation that also includes iAutomation and Paneltek
- Follow Pam on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Re-Industrializing America through the Factory of the Future, Featuring RIOS’ Bernard Casse
We’re stepping into the future in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to look at how RIOS is helping to pave a way for the “factories of the future.”
We sat down with CEO and Founder Bernard Casse to get his take on where automation and robotics fit into factories and what a smart factory will actually look like. Bernard explores the benefits of using automation to speed up processes, collect data, and adapt according to turbulent market conditions (which we’re seeing plenty of right now!)
Bernard also tells us a little about how RIOS has achieved its Series A funding round and how current economic conditions are affecting venture capitalists and start-ups.
In this episode, find out:
- Bernard’s educational background and why he did a PhD
- What factory automation in the future could look like
- Why automation isn’t just about labor replacement
- How smart factories will operate
- How automation can help with data analysis
- Step one for getting into automation
- Bernard’s experience with funding rounds and VCs
- Why VCs are increasingly looking for category creators
- What sets RIOS apart from the competition
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We walk them through how they can increase productivity, we walk them through how we are building process optimization modules for them, and how we're delivering robots.”
- “It's a lot of data that we’re aggregating and then transforming that in business intelligence to allow the customer to really understand their operations to optimize based on that understanding.”
- “We are envisioning the smart factory to be connected to other systems and networks, allowing you to seamlessly share data and communicate with other factories, supply chain partners and customers. So this would enable the factory to respond quickly and effectively to changes in the market.”
Links & mentions:
- RIOS, a company that provides factory automation-as-a-service with end-to-end AI-powered robotics work cells
- Antonio’s Nut House, a now-closed dive bar that Bernard used to frequent during his earlier career days
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Student-Run Ventures are Changing Higher Education: The Story of Marquette University's Blue & Gold Brewing
Building an iconic brewing company for your university community, plus getting real-world business experience? Sounds like a dream come true.
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Jackson Cosgriff, Student, and John Knapp, Director of Innovation Alley at Marquette University.
We hear the backstory and behind-the-scenes processes of Innovation Alley and its student-led project, Blue & Gold Brewing.
John and Jackson share concerns they had heading into the project and the future of student-run business, plus they tell us whether they believe applied learning is the future of higher education.
This episode is packed with inspirational advice and plenty of beer chat!
In this episode, find out:
- The backstory of Innovation Alley and Blue & Gold Brewing
- Behind the scenes stories of Blue & Gold Brewing
- The beer brainstorming process
- What’s next for student-run business
- What concerns they had about their project
- Whether applied learning is the future of higher education
- Advice for other universities looking to introduce similar programs
- Why it’s time to think outside the box
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It’s OK to have a big idea! Don’t shut that idea down.” – John Knapp, Executive Director – Innovation Alley at Marquette University
- “People get drawn into working up these ladders when they don’t really enjoy it. A lot of people are happy working with their hands and that’s what I loved about this project.” – Jackson Cosgriff, Student at Marquette University
- “I knew right away (this project) was going to be a winner!” - John Knapp, Executive Director – Innovation Alley at Marquette University
Links & mentions:
- Blue and Gold Brewing, a student-run business owned by Blue and Gold Ventures LTD, aimed to develop collaborative partnerships with community business owners. Marquette University students team up with the below brewing companies (all Marquette alums) to learn about craft brewing: https://www.bandgbrewing.com/
- Innovation Alley, driving students to reimagine education in the classroom and in workplaces, creating a ripple effect far beyond the walls of the campuses at Marquette University: https://www.marquette.edu/innovation-alley/
- Broken Bat Brewing, the brainchild of Milwaukee baseball fan Tim Pauly, providing a unique, welcoming atmosphere in the Walker’s Point neighborhood in Milwaukee. Spreading the love of craft beer and baseball while giving back to their community: https://brokenbatbrewery.com/
- Good City Brewing, a brewing company created by Dan and David, close friends from grad school who saw the untapped potential of craft beer in Milwaukee. Focused on pursuing excellence, prioritizing relationships and engaging their local place: https://www.goodcitybrewing.com/
- Gathering Place Brewing, an award-winning, community centered craft brewery located in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood and Wauwatosa. Making European-inspired styles with American twists: https://www.gatheringplacebrewing.com/
- Follow Jackson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-cosgriff-0310b7182/
- Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmknapp/
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Globetrotting, Apprenticeships, and Data-Driven Panel Design with EPLAN’s Sean Mulherrin
Thinking of breaking out of your bubble to get the most out of your career? This could be the push you need.
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Sean Mulherrin, Product Manager at EPLAN.
Sean discusses how globetrotting has benefitted his career, explains his passion for apprenticeships and shares his ideas on panel design.
Plus, he explains why budding manufacturing pros shouldn’t be scared of change.
Don’t miss this engaging conversation with a manufacturing industry expert.
In this episode, find out:
- How to use data effectively
- The past, present and future of control panel building
- Why you should break out of your bubble in manufacturing
- The benefits of apprenticeships
- Why you should design panels for troubleshooting
- How to find your passion
- What Sean has learned from working around the globe
- How end users and integrators should view panel building
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid of change
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Travel really opens up your eyes and makes you less afraid of change, professionally and personally.”
- “Digitalization is the way forward.”
- “If you design for troubleshooting, you can use data to generate the information for building the panel, as well as making it available for troubleshooting. You’re future-proofing.”
Links & mentions:
- Jost Van Dyke - One of the smallest of the British Virgin Islands, Jost Van Dyke encapsulates an abundance of charm and history. Its rich history has fostered some of the Caribbean’s best dining, with barbecue, Indian food and seafood dominating menus across their many beachside eateries: https://www.bvitourism.com/the-islands/jost-van-dyke
- EPLAN, providing software and service solutions in the fields of electrical engineering, automation and Mechatronics engineering
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Manufacturers Should Leverage Economic Intelligence with Alan Beaulieu
As generations retire and millennials take up the baton, this week’s guest knows business is in safe hands. But how can the new generations of manufacturers best leverage economics to succeed in business?
We are delighted to be joined by Alan Beaulieu, President and Principal of ITR Economics, at the A3 Business Forum in Orlando, FL.
In this short episode, Alan discusses how he makes economics riveting, explains why millennials are so crucial to business, and gives top tips on true leadership.
Plus, he tells us who the unsung heroes of business are and why he sets out to make a difference in the world every day.
Alan manages to make economics so fascinating – this is a must-listen.
In this episode, find out:
- Why millennials must be taken seriously
- What Alan thinks business leaders miss
- Why leadership is not all about taking charge
- The most fulfilling parts of Alan’s career
- Alan’s views on how leaders should act
- Alan on the heroes of the economy
- Alan’s clear mission and goals
- Making a difference in the world every day
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It makes me feel really good about life when we can make a difference in the world.”
- “My generation is retiring in record numbers, and you’re left with millennials. Those are the smartest people in the room.”
- “A leader without integrity is just the CEO or boss, not a real leader.”
Links & mentions:
- Follow Alan on LinkedIn
- Find out more about ITR Economics
- Find out more about the A3 Business Forum 2023
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Software-Enabled Vehicles and the Future of Automotive Manufacturing with Vicki Poponi, VP and Industry Advisor at Salesforce
Ready for a masterclass in automotive manufacturing? Strap in!
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Vicki Poponi, Vice President – Industry Advisor, Automotive at Salesforce. She discusses her route into the industry and provides a glimpse into the world of software-enabled vehicles. Plus, she explains what the connected car means for consumers, why the customer is at the center of everything and delves into Salesforce’s Trends in Automotive Report – linked below.
In this episode, find out:
- Vicki’s first steps in the industry
- Why people are afraid of new technologies
- Vicki’s transition into the automotive world
- How her manufacturing roots help in business
- What she’s learned in her current role at Salesforce
- The importance of customer centricity
- Behind the scenes of Vicki’s role
- The progress being made around digital customer experience
- What automotive manufacturers need to learn in the coming months/years
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It’s human nature to be afraid of something new.”
- “There’s so much data in the auto industry, it’s crazy. But you have to think about how to connect the data. That’s where technology is so wonderful.”
- “Future customers really want to be engaged.”
Links & mentions:
- Compagnon Wine Bistro – a neighborhood bistro with a French twist, serving a variety of organic, biodynamic wines and food with fresh seasonal produce and locally raised meats, fish and poultry
- Follow Vicki on LinkedIn
- Salesforce
- Follow Salesforce on Twitter
- Get $350 off registration for Supply Chain USA 2023
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Reshoring, Sustainability, and Customer Success are Helping Manufacturers Win with Bright Machines' Sean Murray
Reshoring, customer success, and sustainability – just some of the topics we cover in this cornucopia of an episode with Sean Murray, VP of Customer Success at Bright Machines.
Sean joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his career and his insights into the industry. We explore the concept of software-defined manufacturing, why there’s such a push toward re-shoring and the benefits of flexible manufacturing. Sean shares some all-important advice for manufacturers looking to re-shore, as well as some insights into customer success and why it’s a rising star in the manufacturing world.
Tune in to hear Sean’s perspective on the changes happening across manufacturing and to learn the secrets behind making M&Ms from his time in factory work.
In this episode, find out:
- How Sean first became interested in manufacturing
- Why software-first companies are leading the way
- How software-defined manufacturing works
- The role of customer success in manufacturing
- Why flexible manufacturing can boost your business and revenue
- Why there’s such a big push for re-shoring
- Sean’s advice for manufacturers looking at reshoring
- Repurposing hardware and sustainability in manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Manufacturers don't want to be burned again by a point solution that’s hard to integrate. They need a full stack, and it has to add value. That's the shift that’s happening now, and the early adopter phase is over. We're in the real product phase, which is wonderful.”
- “To approach manufacturing now with a customer success mindset is really just to recognize that the market has changed a bit, that there's not as many manufacturing gurus around as there used to be, and that the automation is more advanced.”
- “With flexible manufacturing, you can build lots of something and switch over to the next product and then the next product, which means your higher paid workers are more effective, they're utilized in a better way, and they can build higher margin products.”
Links & mentions:
- Bright Machines, a software and robotics company focused on automation in the manufacturing industry.
- The Manufacturing Hub podcast, a podcast that explores manufacturing news, insights, and cutting-edge technologies to educate and inspire leaders and workers in manufacturing.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Attract Young Talent and Build Your Network in Manufacturing with Nicole Wolter
We all know how fast-paced the world of manufacturing is…and when processes and technologies progress, so does the way we work.
On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Nicole Wolter, President & CEO of HM Manufacturing, reveals all about her management style, interview processes and focus on young talent.
Plus, she tells us about what it’s like to take over a family business, why she stays on top of robotics trends and what life is like on a board of directors.
There are plenty of tips for manufacturing recruiters, budding manufacturers, directors and…well…just about anyone in the industry. So tune in!
In this episode, find out:
- What’s behind the curtain of HM Manufacturing’s interview process
- How Nicole deals with team burnout
- How she transformed her family business
- Why Nicole focuses on hiring young talent
- The benefits of staying up-to-date with robotics and tech in the workplace
- What HM Manufacturing is involved in
- What it’s like being on a board of directors
- What’s mHub?
- The biggest aerospace and food manufacturing trends
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Find something you’re passionate about and then find an organization that speaks to it.”
- “A different vibe, a different energy to help loosen up your team is super important.”
- “It’s OK for something to not be 100% perfect one day.”
Links & mentions:
- HM Manufacturing: https://www.hmmanufacturing.com/
- HM Manufacturing on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hmmanufacturing
- HM Manufacturing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hmmanufacturing/
- HM Manufacturing on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HMManufacturing
- Nicole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NWolterHMmfg
- Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-wolter-29107716/
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Frontline Maintenance Teams are Bringing the Future of Machine Monitoring to Life featuring Igor Marinelli, Founder of TRACTIAN
We cover a whole lot of ground in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour – from Industry 4.0 to innovation in industrial sectors, IIoT, connectivity, machine learning, proof of concepts, and everything in between.
Joining this episode is Igor Marinelli, Founder of TRACTIAN, who has plenty of insights, perspectives, and advice to share on condition monitoring and more. Igor details his background from being a frontline worker to where he is today and explains what prompted him to start TRACTIAN.
We hear why he has huge respect for frontline maintenance workers, why he thinks innovation for innovation’s sake isn’t the way forward, and his advice on integrating new systems into old practices.
In this episode, find out:
- What TRACTIAN does
- How Igor’s background led him to start his company
- Advice for younger and older industrial professionals
- Why you need to start with the problem, not the solution
- The problem with how Industry 4.0 is portrayed
- Why industrial sectors are ready to be disrupted
- Igor’s thoughts on machine learning
- The challenges of integrating new systems
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Be very technical and show real data and experiments of how you could improve what you’re doing.”
- “It's important that you consider that you might not know everything, and even though you've been doing this process for 25 years, there might be something that could be done better. So you just have to be open to that.”
- “You need to tackle the problem, understand the problem, and then think about a solution for that. Because if you start from the solution, this is not going to work, right?”
Links & mentions:
- The Nook, a popular neighborhood bar with park views in Atlanta, GA
- TRACTIAN, an end-to-end condition monitoring and asset management solution
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A History Lesson in Industrial Automation Recruiting with Gary Miller, CEO of Miller Resource Group
It’s time for a comprehensive history lesson in industrial automation recruiting.
We sat down in the MRG Studios in Naperville, Illinois, with Gary Miller, CEO of Miller Resource Group, an industrial recruiting firm focused on hard-to-find personnel in automation, robotics, food and beverage and more.
We’ve gotten to know a few members of the team over the years, which is why it was about time we shared a conversation with their CEO!
In the episode, Gary talks about how he was introduced to industrial automation back in the 1970s, imparts advice on hiring strategy and standing out from the crowd as a recruiter and lays out his interesting thoughts and ideas about leadership.
In this episode, find out:
- Gary’s first steps in industrial automation
- How he stepped up to own his company in the 1980s
- How to package your company story
- Behind the curtain of recruitment
- What recruiters should look for in candidates
- What candidates should look for in recruiters
- How we can take inspiration from the Grateful Dead
- Why you should adopt a learning mindset
- The books that inspire him
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “There’s things and there’s stuff. Things you count, stuff you measure.”
- "When a candidate asks me questions that makes me stumble, I’m usually intrigued by that candidate.”
- “You have to understand what the problem is. Then demonstrate how your skills can help solve that problem.”
Links & mentions:
- Follow Gary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bestrecruitingfirm/
- Follow Gary on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmillermrg
- Miller Resource Group: https://millerresource.com/
- The Green Turtle Tavern, Fernandina Beach, FL – described as Amelia Island’s funkiest and friendliest bar. Offering hand-crafted cocktails and beers, plus live music on the front porch: https://www.ameliaisland.com/Eat-and-Drink/Green-Turtle-Tavern
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The State of Manufacturing: Resilience in Uncertain Times with Willem Sundblad
What is the current state of manufacturing? Who better to ask than Willem Sundblad, CEO and Co-Founder of Oden Technologies, who commissioned The State of Manufacturing 2022 report?
Surveying over 300 manufacturing leaders has highlighted some fascinating food for thought on topics like the labor market, inflation, demand changes, investing in sustainability, and more.
Willem joins Manufacturing Happy Hour again to talk more about the findings and his own personal take on why businesses are increasingly investing in sustainability post-pandemic. He also explores what sets the winners and losers apart in the manufacturing space and what trends he’s most excited to see more of in 2023.
In this episode, find out:
- What the State of Manufacturing report tells us
- The importance of making investments in digitization
- Why there’s a bigger gap between manufacturing “winners and losers”
- Why companies that invest in tech and sustainability are leading the way
- Why companies need to be agile and quick to make decisions in uncertain times
- What global supply chain issues mean for manufacturers
- The most interesting and surprising report findings
- How manufacturers are dealing with COVID aftereffects
- How manufacturers can approach the labor shortage problem
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I talked to a lot of customers last year who are beating their sustainability targets. A lot of that was because of supply chain issues. It was so hard to get raw material that they had to increase the rate of recycled material in the product.”
- “One of the biggest drivers of the digital investments in automation investments is the challenges in the labor market.”
- “If you can empower people who understand the process and the needs of the day-to-day to make decisions quickly, you become more agile and deal with uncertainty in a much healthier way.”
Links & mentions:
- Oden Technologies, an intelligent industrial automation company that empowers manufacturers to embrace industry 4.0
- The State of Manufacturing Report, insights from industry leaders on adapting to the current trends in manufacturing
- Tunnbrödsrulle, late-night Swedish street food consisting of a hot dog, mashed potatoes, and shrimp salad in a wrap (trust us, it’s amazing)
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The New American Manufacturing Renaissance Continues with Andrew Crowe
It’s been about two years since Andrew Crowe, public speaker and Founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, was last on the show in episode 46 – and so much has happened since then.
This time around, we sit down over a couple of beers in St. Louis to catch up on what he has been working on and how much The New American Manufacturing Renaissance has grown since.
The New American Manufacturing Renaissance is a movement intended to show how manufacturing is a great career option for anyone – no matter your background or demographics. Andrew speaks about why this is so important to the industry and America in general and the barriers we must overcome in manufacturing to make it more of an open industry that people want to get involved in.
Andrew explores what companies, and the industry as a whole, can do to make manufacturing more appealing to a wider variety of people and why that diversity is so important. We also delve into what Project MFG is all about and his plans for the future.
In this episode, find out:
- How The New American Manufacturing Renaissance has grown
- The disconnect between the old and new in manufacturing
- What Andrew learned from his tour
- The importance of having diverse voices in manufacturing
- What companies can do to improve industry awareness and encourage new talent
- External things we can do in the wider community for the industry
- What Project MFG is
- Andrew talks about his side hustles and projects
- Why collaboration is key in manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “How do we show people that their ideas matter? How do we take those ideas, make them, show them the process of it, and then put them into the world to help solve some of these problems?”
- “Let's have those conversations. Let's have those dialogues. And then, let's reach out and collaborate amongst our ecosystem. That's how we began to build.”
- “People are not necessarily trying to uphold these old systems. But they are recognizing that they're a part of them and reaching out trying to figure out how to improve them and make them better for everybody.”
Links & mentions:
- The MFG, Andrew Crowe’s website
- Project MFG, a catalyst that helps elevate the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals by changing mindsets, fostering community preparedness, and challenging how the critical skills needed to succeed in modern advanced manufacturing are taught.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Running a US Shoemaking Business on Heritage and Sustainability with Sara Irvani, CEO of Okabashi
Strong values like sustainability, empathy, and wellness might seem at odds with running a successful business for some, but not Sara Irvani, CEO of Okabashi. In fact, values like these have been fundamental to Okabashi’s success since it launched in 1984.
Sara joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to clue us in to what it’s like leading a family-owned and operated shoe brand. A proudly USA-based footwear company, Okabashi is inspired by the Japanese concept of wellness and uses the principles of reflexology to design shoes that promote foot health and comfort.
We hear a little about its innovative manufacturing process, the importance of running a business with sustainable choices, and why that shouldn’t be at odds with financial viability. Sara also explains how Okabashi’s closed-loop manufacturing process works to recycle old products to avoid landfill and waste.
In this episode, find out:
- The challenges of expanding as a U.S.- based manufacturer
- How Sara’s background led to her current role
- How sustainability is built into the Okabashi manufacturing process
- How Okabashi’s closed-loop manufacturing works
- Why sustainability doesn’t have to be at odds with financial viability
- Why innovation comes from empowering your team
- How Okabashi remains competitive in the U.S.
- Modular automation in the shoe manufacturing process
- Why empathy is key to building good partnerships
- Why you need to stick to your values in business
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We offer as well as our own closed-loop manufacturing, a post-consumer circular program. So people can send their shoes back to us to avoid landfills.”
- “I think that innovation comes from all different directions and there are so many things that can drive it. And having a culture that is not steeped in fear is a prerequisite to have innovation come from all directions.”
- “I think if you stick to your values, and if you have a long enough horizon line, good things happen.”
Links & mentions:
Okasbashi, a proudly U.S. shoe company focused on creating shoes that promote wellness and foot health
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Build an Industrial Automation YouTube Channel with Tim Wilborne
For many people, YouTube is the first port of call for instructions. Whether it be for simple things around the house like setting up a new TV or building a cabinet, or more complex things entirely.
One man covering those more complex things is Tim Wilborne. Tim’s YouTube channel, which has amassed over 50,000 subscribers, focuses on industrial automation, programming PLCs and helping you become a better technician.
Tim joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to discuss his background in the industry and his YouTube channel in detail. He explains why he started the channel, how his family are a huge part of its success and how to cope with haters.
Plus, he reveals why the industry hasn’t progressed as far as it could and tells us why he believes the automation world needs more content creators.
In this episode, find out:
- Tim’s background in the industry
- How Tim started a YouTube channel
- Why subscribers and likes aren’t always so important
- How Tim amassed over 50,000 subscribers
- How to figure out what content to create
- About work-life balance in a family business
- How to deal with haters online
- Why Tim thinks his industry could’ve progressed further
- How constructive criticism helps Tim
- Why he thinks more industry experts should create YouTube content
- Advice for budding automation YouTube creators
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It takes thick skin. Just keep trying.”
- “There were lots of times I thought I had it, and then, all of a sudden, we’d have a major defeat.”
- “It's a long game and I think most people aren't prepared for how long of a game it is.”
Links & mentions:
- TW Controls, focused on automation, PLC programming, and building control panels, specializing in Allen Bradley PLC training designed to help maintenance technicians and electricians troubleshoot machines
- Tim Wilborne on YouTube, the long-running channel brought to you by TW Controls offers some of the best industrial automation training and how-to’s on the internet
- Automation Fair and other events from Rockwell Automation
- Momentum Coffee, a co-working space and coffee shop, walking distance from Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, plus additional locations
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Metaverse, MedTech, and the Ethics of Emergent Technology with Christopher Lafayette
While the metaverse is a relatively new concept for most of us, this week’s guest has worked in this space for some time.
Our guest on Manufacturing Happy Hour is emergent technologist and GatherVerse founder, Christopher Lafayette.
Tune in to hear about Christopher’s background, what his job title really means, his take on the metaverse’s role in manufacturing and MedTech and the importance of inclusion and diversity in tech.
Plus, Christopher explains skepticism towards the metaverse and the reasons behind it. It’s a meaty one, so be ready to immerse yourself in a metaverse masterclass.
In this episode, find out:
- What an emergent technologist does
- Why the metaverse is a game changer for manufacturing
- How MedTech could change in the metaverse
- Why people are right to be skeptical of tech advancements
- The right way to bring manufacturing into the conversation
- About awareness and education surrounding the metaverse
- Whether we should care about the metaverse
- About the metaverse and diversity/inclusion
- How to approach skeptics
- About Christopher’s LinkedIn Learning class
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When we think of the metaverse, we ingress into entertainment. But medical technology has the single biggest global impact.”
- “It’s important for (tech) leadership to get good-sourced information from people who actually know what they’re talking about.”
- “The metaverse is here, but as we know it today. We can’t put in concrete terms that “this is what it is” because we don’t completely know what it’s going to be.”
Links & mentions:
- Official Website - Christopher Lafayette, connect with Christopher on areas of expertise, events, press, and speaking categories across the metaverse, NFTs, tech inclusion, MedTech, and removing barriers to innovation GatherVerse, a global ecosystem where communities gather, discuss, and share human-centered approaches to the metaverse
- Black Technology Mentorship Program, a mentor-mentee program that inspires, educates, and brings underserved Black communities into technology
- Course - What is the Metaverse?, Christopher’s official course on the metaverse on LinkedIn Learning
- Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn
- Follow Christopher on Twitter
- Follow Christopher on Instagram
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Machine Shops, Reshoring, and Addressing the “Management Gap” with Paperless Parts’ Jason T. Ray
Is there really a manufacturing skills gap? Why is manufacturing moving back to the U.S.? And how can machine shop owners switch to an investment mindset? These are all great questions that we answer in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
Jason T. Ray is the Co-Founder and CEO of Paperless Parts and a former Manufacturing Happy Hour guest. He jumps back on the show for a discussion on machine shops, reshoring, the importance of profit and investment, the skills gap, and everything in between. We hear his take on how COVID affected supply chains and led to more shop owners buying from American companies, and the different ways business owners have changed their mindset in the past few years.
Jason also explains that if we want to solve the skills gap in manufacturing, we need to “look in the mirror” and figure out where we’re going wrong from a management perspective. There’s plenty of food for thought in this episode, so check it out to hear more of Jason’s words of wisdom.
In this episode, find out:
- The state of manufacturing in the U.S.
- Why shop owners are increasingly considering “ownership cost”
- What’s bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.
- How the manufacturing tech stack is evolving
- How different generations solve problems
- How new tech affects profit and investment
- Why we need to shift from an expense mindset to an investment mindset
- Why the skills gap is more of a “management gap”
- The importance of active over passive management
- Why agility and speed in business are down to good systems and processes
- Why manufacturing is essential to innovation
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Now there's this concept called total ownership cost. And that includes shipping and storage and everything else associated with buying those parts.”
- “Manufacturers aren't just showing up to look at the machines and buy equipment. They're actively coming out and looking for software solutions to solve problems in their business.”
- “When shops, rather than having an expense mindset, go in with an investment mindset – where they look at dollars out as investments, you start to see a shift in the type of team members they're attracting.”
Links & mentions:
- Paperless Parts, helping machine shops quote faster and win more jobs
- In The Shop, a publication from Paperless Parts, including this post “CMMC: Coming Soon to a Contract Near You”
- “Pentagon updates timeline for CMMC cybersecurity initiative,” important news for job shop owners going into effect in May 2023
- Tip Tap Room, an upscale pub that serves beer, wild game, and inventive brunch dishes in an open, modern space in Boston, MA
- Alcove, located in the Boston Harbor on Lovejoy Wharf, serving regionally sourced, Mediterranean-inspired fare in stylishly decorated surroundings
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A Behind-The-Scenes Look at Custom Ski Manufacturing with Mike McCabe
What’s the most important part of starting and running a manufacturing business? The finances? The team? The materials?
Well, this Manufacturing Happy Hour guest has some expert insights, experience and advice, so stay tuned.
It’s time to hit the slopes for this week’s episode as we invite Mike McCabe, CEO and co-founder of Folsom Custom Skis, to share his story and provide top tips for manufacturers.
Tune in for tales of Mike’s early days in the industry, the creation of his business, the day-to-day of running a boutique ski manufacturer, what he does for his customers and how Folsom has survived and thrived in a challenging industry.
Plus, Mike provides a ton of sound business advice! A true must-listen.
In this episode, find out:
- Mike’s introduction to the industry
- Where his interest in skiing began
- His first steps in launching the business
- The most important part of starting a manufacturing business
- A rundown of Folsom’s materials and processes
- How Mike accounts for his success
- Top business tips for manufacturers
- Mike’s initial goals for Folsom Custom Skis
- The importance of your team in a manufacturing business
- Advice for college students interested in manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We saw a hole in the market and we’ve stayed really true to what we do to this very day.”
- “Being lean and nimble is the most important piece, not having huge financial attributes.”
- “To succeed here, you need somebody that’s really passionate about the sport, passionate about the product, passionate about customer service and passionate about manufacturing.”
Links & mentions:
- Folsom Custom Skis, custom building skis engineered specifically for you. Skis can be purchased online or through Folsom’s full-time staff members.
- Aspen Brewing Company, founded in 2008 with one simple goal – make world-class beer, downstream from nobody. They have two locations in Aspen, both downtown and near the airport. Or, if you’re not in Aspen, you can find their beers throughout Colorado.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Leaders in Machine Vision and Robotics: Live from Boston, Pt. 2 of 2 (brought to you by A3)
We're back for Part 2 from the 2022 Vision Show, hosted by A3, the Association for Advancing Automation.
BONUS: Leaders in Machine Vision and Robotics: Live from Boston, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by A3)
In October 2022, we ventured to Boston, MA for the Association for Advancing Automation's annual Vision Show and Autonomous Mobile Robots and Logistics Conference (AMRL). In the past, these had been 2 separate events, but this year, A3 brought them together under one roof.
You really can't have robotics without imaging and you can't have mobile robotics without machine vision. The tie-ins are endless. It just made sense to bring these events together and it was great being part of this weeklong extravaganza.
This is somewhat of an anniversary episode since we covered the AMR and Logistics Conference last year with Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial. We have another 2-part bonus episode for you this week containing over 10 interviews with leaders in robotics and machine vision, including:
-Erik Nieves, Founder of Plus One Robotics
-Jeremy Bergh, President, North America at IDS Imaging
-Joe Gemma, VP of Sales and Marketing at Calvary Robotics
-Theng Kuoch of CMES Robotics
-Rajesh Iyengar, Founder & CEO of Lincode Labs
-Denise Stafford of KUKA Robotics
-Patty Katsaros of Locus Robotics
-Laura Hoffman, Automation Industry Insider
-Matt Charles, VP of Mobile Robotics at RoBEX
-Melonee Wise, VP Robotics Automation at Zebra Technologies
-Alex Shikany, VP Membership & Business Intelligence at A3
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
AI, Autonomous Transformation, and Avoiding "Pilot Purgatory" with Microsoft's Brian Evergreen
We’re all familiar with Microsoft. That’s a given. But we’re certainly not all familiar with the autonomous AI work they are doing.
That’s why we called on an expert to give us the lowdown on what autonomous AI means, highlight its risks and opportunities and give us his verdict.
On episode 118, Brian Evergreen, Global Head of Autonomous AI Co-Innovation at Microsoft, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour. If the episode title (or Brian’s job title) doesn’t make a ton of sense to you just now, you’re in the right place because Brian is keen to define the term in detail.
Brian also provides advice for getting new technology initiatives off the ground, from AI to machine learning and more. Plus, there are a ton of pragmatic tips and tricks for leading through tech transformations.
In this episode, find out:
- Brian’s route into AI (via chess?)
- Baseline definitions of AI, autonomous AI and autonomous transformation
- Why to take a human-centric approach to AI
- The risks and opportunities surrounding AI
- How to ensure AI projects succeed, scale and don’t get stuck
- The lowdown on Brian’s book and writing process
- How to avoid ‘pilot purgatory’
- Where Brian would like a beer with Chris
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The right time to get started with autonomous AI really depends on your outlook or perspective as a business leader.”
- “If designed correctly, there’s no great physical risk associated with autonomous AI.”
- “87% of machine learning models never make it into production. I'm curious how that will change as these autonomous AI technologies become more adopted.”
Links & mentions:
- ATX West, this week’s show sponsor. Taking place from February 7-9 in Anaheim, CA, this event showcases the latest automation and intelligent robotic technology, focusing on how to better automate manufacturing processes. Discover the world of automation and build smarter solutions with ATX West.
- Woodman Lodge, Snoqualmie, Washington, a historic saloon serving what they describe as “some of the best steaks you’ll find anywhere in Western Washington”.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: How gener8tor's OnRamp Manufacturing Conference is Connecting Startups, Investors, and Corporations
This week, we're diving into gener8tor's OnRamp Manufacturing Conference. gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations, and their OnRamp Conferences are a subset of that.
gener8tor’s annual manufacturing event brings together startups, investors, and corporations for this unique “dealmaking conference” and this year, in October 2022, we headed to Indianapolis. There, we sat down for 8 interviews with individuals that are running startups, managing accelerators and investment funds, as well as leading state initiatives to help manufacturing thrive in Indiana.
This episode explores how these different groups are working together and how they’re all working to take on big initiatives like sustainability, 5G, and the Internet of Things. Our guest lineup includes:
-Maggie Brickerman, Partner at gener8tor
-Dave Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer at IEDC
-Razi Nalim, Founder of Aerodyn Combustion
-Apoorva Kiran, Co-Founder and CEO of Mentore
-Emir Beg, Founder and CTO of Scout Autonomy
-Batuhan Ulasan, COO of Scout Autonomy
-Tim Chiang, Investment Director at Xerox Ventures
-Ashley Bryan, Program Manager at The Heritage Group Accelerator
-Sharina Perry, Founder and CEO of Utopia Plastix
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/OnRamp2022 for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Composites Manufacturing Impacts Marathon Running with ARRIS' Riley Reese
How can composite manufacturing help you level-up as a runner? Well, this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour will reveal all. Riley Reese, CEO and Co-Founder of Arris, is on the show this week to talk about the power of composite manufacturing in footwear and its potential in industries such as aerospace, sportscars, skiing equipment, and many more.
As an avid runner himself, we break down some of the top spots in California to go training and his favorite and most memorable marathons. He explains exactly how his products can impact a runner’s comfort, fatigue levels, and muscle health to get the most performance out of each and every run.
We also explore a little about Riley’s startup experience and the biggest business lessons he’s learned in his career.
In this episode, find out:
- The difference between Arris and Riley’s previous business ventures
- The biggest lessons Riley learned from his startups
- Why manufacturing is “messy”
- Why you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel
- The reasons Riley started Arris
- How composites improve running performance in shoes
- Riley’s top marathon runs and favorite trails
- The reaction and feedback to Arris’ composites plates
- The top benefits of Arris composites in shoes
- How composites materials can be used in other industries
- What’s next for Arris
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Be really mindful when you're taking on something new that someone else has not already done it in another industry.”
- “Everyone says this but running really does clear your head. It gives you headspace.”
- “We have this passion for the superiority of composite materials. We all had experience with them in different industries, but it's always limited to the really high-end stuff. The products around us day to day aren’t taking advantage of it.”
Links & mentions:
- Arris, Berkeley-based composites manufacturer that produces smarter, lighter, stronger, and more sustainable products at scale for consumer products, aerospace, automotive, and many more industries
- The Rare Barrel, a rustic alehouse in Berkeley that specializes in sour beers
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Series A, B, C, and D Funding Rounds Explained, plus a behind-the-scenes update from Manufacturing Happy Hour
It's Thanksgiving week here in the US, and since so many of you are based here, we're bringing you a shorter bonus episode this week as we try something new. First, you'll get a general update from Manufacturing Happy Hour, including our new newsletter - 5 Quick Manufacturing Insights - as well as partnership opportunities. Then, we'll highlight one of the most helpful moments from the show in the past year. Firdaus Pohowalla, Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, appeared on Episode 80 and talked all about investment banking for robotics, automation, and AI companies. In this short episode, we'll spotlight the moment where he broke down the differences between funding rounds, including how Series B is the "make or break" round for most companies.
Building an Automation Company on Ambition and Hustle with Malachi Greb
We’ve got a bit of a different Manufacturing Happy Hour episode this time – it’s one of our first long-form episode at a trade show. Joined by co-host Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial, we recorded this at the 2022 The Vision Show AMR & Logistics Conference in Boston.
Our guest is Malachi Greb, Owner of Elite Automation – a frequent trade show attendee with the goal of leading the “biggest automation company in the world.” An ambitious target, no doubt, but Malachi knows exactly how he’s going to achieve it.
We talk about how Malachi first got into the automation space, his guerrilla marketing tactics, why he’s on a hiring kick, and what it was like venturing into his first international project. We cover a lot of ground with some great actionable tips, especially around trade shows, so don’t miss it!
In this episode, find out:
- How Malachi first got started in automation
- How Elite Automation is creating growth
- Why Elite Automation is on a hiring kick
- Why guerrilla marketing strategies are the way to go
- Why companies should always aim to add value in marketing
- Elite Automation’s winning business strategy
- What the manufacturing industry is like in the Midwest
- What it was like leading Elite Automation’s first international project in India
- How Malachi plans to run the biggest automation company in the world
- The advantages of being young in this industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Where a business is successful is when it adds value to another company or individuals.”
- “Why are people spending $10,000-$20,000 on a booth when you can send 10 employees, spend a quarter the amount of money and have them just run around?”
- “We probably do at least five interviews a week, every single week, no matter if we’re hiring or not. And we're doing that because we're building a backlog of individuals.”
Links & mentions:
- Elite Automation, a robotics and automation solutions company specializing in robotic weld cells, palletizing, material handling, and AMR deployment
- The Manufacturing Come Up, an industry interview podcast hosted by Elite Automation
- Bud’s Rockin’ Country Bar & Grill, a Nashville-inspired bar located on Franklin Street in Evansville, IN in the former location of a Harley-Davidson dealership
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Exploring Manufacturing Partnerships Part 2, Live from IMTS 2022 (brought to you by KUKA)
We’re back for Part 2 of our bonus episodes with KUKA from IMTS 2022. We’ll be jumping back into our partnership conversations while taking an even deeper dive into additive manufacturing in these last 5 interviews of our short series. Stick around until the end to get a full recap on what characterizes great industrial manufacturing partnerships.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/KUKApartners for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Exploring Manufacturing Partnerships Part 1, Live from IMTS 2022 (brought to you by KUKA)
This week on Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re exploring what makes an industrial partnership great.
Is it the tech? Is it the company culture? Is it the size of the company?
Today’s podcast answers all of these questions in the context of a global robotics company, KUKA, and all of their partners. We spent an entire day at IMTS 2022 exploring applications from 3D printing to machining to launching robots into space, all while interviewing KUKA’s partners that make all of these applications possible.
This 2-part episode features ten interviews co-hosted by Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, with the following leaders:
- Evandro Maia, Robotics Application Engineer, KUKA
- Juan Vega, CTO, Reliabotics
- Warren Reynolds, VP of Operations, I-Cubed Industry Innovators Inc.
- Nick Johnson, Co-Founder, One Off Robotics
- Travis Turner, General Manager, Eckhart
- Scott McIsaac, Project Engineer, KUKA Systems
- Jean-Sébastien Neveu, President, Waybo
- Cole Nielsen, CTO and Founder, Orbital Composites
- Michael Duong, Applications Engineer, Ingersoll Machine Tools
- Matthew Robey, Account Manager, KUKA
- Darcy Charbonneau, Director of US Sales, KUKA
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/KUKApartners for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Buying a Manufacturing Company with No Experience featuring Everyday Technologies' Cody Lee
Can you really make a business work if you have no experience?
Cody Lee, the President and Owner of Everyday Technologies, made that very leap when he took over the business. While his experience was limited, he’s had some fantastic advice from his father and father-in-law, which has helped Cody thrive in his new venture.
Cody joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to share where it all began, what led him to buy the business, and how he’s determined to scale it in the future. He explains why his primary focus is on building a talented workforce, revitalizing Everyday Technologies’ branding, updating systems, and playing to his own strengths. While it’s been a unique challenge, Cody’s more than embraced it and has injected new life into a brand that has been in operation for nearly 100 years!
In this episode, find out:
- Cody’s first experiences with entrepreneurship
- The important lessons Cody learned from his father and father-in-law
- Why you need to be passionate about your business above all else
- How Cody bought Everyday Technologies
- The first steps he took when taking over the business
- The top changes and updates he made to the business
- The unexpected challenges that Cody had to deal with
- Why you don’t need to be the smartest guy in the room
- Why you need to pay attention to branding to attract top talent
- Why the success of a business is down to its people
- What Cody has planned for the future of Everyday Technologies
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “A business is the direct result of its people.”
- “If you have the right people in the right seats, clear expectations, and hold them accountable to themselves and the folks around them, you can get anything done.”
- “The core mission of what we're trying to do at the end of the day is just take care of our customers. Without them, there would be no growing, there'd be no revenue, there'd be nothing.”
Links & mentions:
Leaving a Startup and Lessons Learned from Plethora with Nick Pinkston (Part 3 of 3)
What does it take to launch a manufacturing startup? And how do you finally walk away from it when it’s time?
Nick Pinkston, CEO and Founder of Volition, is back on the show for round three of our three-part series. In this episode, we take a closer look at Nick’s previous ventures, including Plethora, to get an idea of what it’s like to build a company and then close the door to it.
Nick shares the top things he wished he’d have known earlier in his career, what he’s learned from previous business experiences, and some advice for others. He also gives his take on the investor world and explains why VCs are no longer as scared to touch manufacturing as they once were.
It’s been a fantastic mini-series with Nick, and he’s been full of brilliant insights into the startup world, investment, and the future of the industry. Be sure to catch up on episodes one and two with Nick if you haven’t already.
In this episode, find out:
- What Plethora did in the manufacturing space
- Why Nick decided to leave his position as CEO
- The most important lessons he took from Plethora
- Why Plethora shut down
- What you need to do before scaling a startup
- Why VCs are less afraid of manufacturing these days
- What Nick wishes he had known earlier in his career
- What’s currently working for Volition
- Why Nick learned to love the management side of running a startup
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "You get what you put in.”
- “I wish I would have been somewhere where there were lots of mentors who could actually tell you how it works. I just had this huge shift when I moved to San Francisco and met real founders.”
- “Your reputation is everything in this kind of field.”
Links & mentions:
- Volition, one of the largest marketplaces for industrial components
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Future of Hardware, Manufacturing Startups, and Industrial Policy with Nick Pinkston (Part 2 of 3)
What does the future hold for hardware manufacturing? We welcome back Nick Pinkston, CEO and Founder of Volition, for round two of a special three-part episode where we dig into all things hardware manufacturing.
In this episode, Nick explores the world of hardware startups, VC investment, and the future of the industry. He also breaks down his thoughts on rising trends like 3D printing and AI, and explains which manufacturing tech he’s most excited about.
We also hear his thoughts and experiences on navigating U.S. industrial policies and what he thinks is missing from the wider manufacturing community. Check out part one and stay tuned for part three, coming soon!
In this episode, find out:
- Why hardware startups are more difficult to get off the ground
- Why the investor base in hardware is improving
- What we learned about hardware and physical goods during COVID
- The manufacturing tech Nick’s most excited about
- Nick’s thoughts on additive manufacturing and AI
- How investors are changing the way they back manufacturing companies
- What’s missing from the wider manufacturing community?
- The regions leading the way in manufacturing
- The effect of industrial policy on manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "The horrible situation of COVID has shown everyone that the physical world [of manufacturing] actually matters.”
- “Everyone thinks 3D printing is going to replace stuff. I don't think that's true at all. I think the traditional processes will be with us forever. We just need to put computing inside of them.”
- “Everyone's going for high performance first. And I think that's because all these technologies start off really expensive. So you better have a really good use case for some performance improvement, as opposed to a cost improvement. I also think that VCs have a bias towards performance because it's cool.”
Links & mentions:
- Volition, one of the largest marketplaces for industrial components
- The Interval, a cocktail bar in San Francisco and home of The Long Now Foundation
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Accelerating the Pace of Innovation and Hardware Manufacturing with Nick Pinkston (Part 1 of 3)
Welcome to our first ever “mega episode” here on Manufacturing Happy Hour, a 3-part interview with Nick Pinkston, one of the more fascinating people in the manufacturing world. If you're not already familiar with Nick, he’s has a great track record of leading hardware and manufacturing startups, while much of the rest of the world was preoccupied with the software side of the tech world. Currently, he’s the Founder and CEO of Volition, a marketplace dedicated specifically to industrial components.
Part 1, today's episode, is backstory. Part 2 will really focus on Nick's perspective on manufacturing, hard tech startups, and the future of the industry. In Part 3, we'll hear about Nick's experience with his previous company Plethora and the realities of manufacturing startups.
In this episode, we’ll hear about Nick’s background and what it was like growing up and being surrounded by manufacturing. Nick shares how he started his career in Pittsburgh while elaborating on his mission for accelerating innovation and the way manufacturing gets done. Finally, we’ll learn about his latest venture Volition.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Power of Having Employees with Strong Personal Brands featuring Daniel Murray
Having employees with strong personal brands is a great asset for any business, manufacturing or otherwise.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we talk to Daniel Murray, marketing ops leader and the founder of podcast and marketing community, Marketing Millennials.
Daniel discusses his career so far, how he simplifies marketing for marketers and the benefits of building personal brands. He also provides unmissable tips on building lasting LinkedIn posting habits and what platforms he finds most engaging right now.
This episode is simply a masterclass in marketing and it’s gold for any manufacturer!
In this episode, find out:
- Daniel’s goals for Marketing Millennials
- How to leverage LinkedIn purposefully
- Why executives should build personal brands
- Reasons why employers should hire employees with strong personal brands
- Why social media is just one part of the trust-building puzzle
- The importance of creating content consistently
- The power of newsletters and podcasts
- What’s resonating on LinkedIn right now
- Why put your personal brand over your career at times
- Top book recommendations from Daniel
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Consume a lot of content from your space. Understand what people are saying.”
- “One mistake people make is they’re not consistent enough on social media.”
- “You want people to trust you and the way you build trust is by sharing what you know.”
Links & mentions:
- The Marketing Millennials, a community highlighting and uplifting today's marketing leaders and tomorrow's top stars. Zero BS. Just fun, unfiltered, industry insights with the game-changers behind some of the coolest companies from around the globe. Sign up here for the newsletter.
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini
- Justin Welsh, Founder of The Saturday Solopreneur who’s building a portfolio of one-person businesses; follow him on LinkedIn for personal branding tips
- Terry Black’s Barbecue, the best BBQ in Austin, TX, according to Daniel
- Franklin Barbecue, a mainstay Austin, TX BBQ joint famous for their long lines. Line up at 9am on a weekday if you want to get it before it runs out. Your host Chris Luecke still thinks this is the best brisket he’s ever had (but he also hasn’t been to Terry Black’s yet).
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Going from Design to Product and Leading a Remote Team with Adar Hay
Marketing, manufacturing, and remote work – we cover a lot of ground in this episode featuring Adar Hay, Co-Founder and CEO of Jiga.io.
Jiga helps manufacturing companies centralize their supplier sourcing, and Adar explains how the idea for the company first came about. We hear how Jiga has a refreshingly modern approach to marketing and why Adar decided to start a podcast to learn more about potential users.
Adar also explains the reasoning behind his remote-first team, and why for remote working to be effective, it needs to be rooted in the company culture. He also talks about the number one benefit of remote work – being able to hire anyone in world, not just those in your local area.
In this episode, find out:
- Adar’s thoughts on underrated marketing strategies
- Why Jiga uses more human-focused marketing
- Why Adar started a podcast for Jiga
- How he measures content marketing success
- Why he started Jiga
- Why manufacturers should treat suppliers like partners
- Why digital transformation doesn’t need to be complex
- The simple secrets of remote working success
- The biggest pro for remote work
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “People want to connect with people. Being honest, upfront, and talking about challenges is very important, as well as sharing things from a human perspective of me as the CEO.”
- “When you're building a product, especially something new, you always have to talk to your customers. You want to talk to people in your industry about their problems and about their needs.”
- “Remote teams are more of an attitude. It's not just about working remotely, it's cultural. You need to fully trust the people that you work with.”
Links & mentions:
- Jiga.io, centralized automated manufacturing sourcing
- Design to Product, a podcast hosting hardware manufacturing professionals, founders and engineers who talk about the stories behind their products
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A Look Inside Medical Device Manufacturing with Philips’ Natalia Mendez
We’ve not covered medical device manufacturing on the show, so we thought this would be a great time to delve into it.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we talk to Natalia Mendez, VP Head of Manufacturing Medical Devices at Philips. Natalia has lots of great insights into her industry and provides expert advice for both those in the medical space and manufacturers in general.
Natalia explains the importance of meeting customers’ needs and dispels myths and misunderstandings about the industry. Plus, she explains why manufacturers should use data to solve and prevent future customer problems.
There’s so much to unpack, so this is a must-listen for any Manufacturing Happy Hour fan!
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- How Natalia got started in medical device manufacturing
- What makes medical device manufacturing unique
- Why it’s important for manufacturers to keep evidence of what they’ve done
- Misconceptions about Natalia’s space
- Why you should involve end-to-end experts in manufacturing
- How to improve your resilience and performance
- How to meet customers’ needs
- The importance of being ready to put the product in the users’ hands
- Whether medical device manufacturing differs around the world
- About the importance of understanding markets and regional agencies
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you don't involve end-to-end experts when you are thinking about a new product, something will break in the chain.”
- “Never forget that, in order for a customer or a patient to use the product, you have to put that product physically in their hands in a timely manner.”
- “There are some countries that will not allow products that are manufactured in a specific place. So, you have to have that in mind when you set up your manufacturing footprint.”
Links & mentions:
- Manufacturing Strategies Summit - packed with key industry speakers discussing a range of topics from developing and rolling out a robust R&D strategy, to streamlining business and operational processes: https://www.manufacturing-summit.com/?utm_source=show+notes&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=manufacturing+happy+hour
- Philips – a focused leader in health technology. Their purpose is to improve people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation: https://www.philips.com/a-w/about.html
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Lean, Industry 4.0, and Supply Chain are Interconnected with Antonio Hill
There’s a good chance you already have a tool from the Stanley Black & Decker family in your toolkit. They’re household names, quality, reliable tools, and we wanted to hear more about the manufacturing process behind them.
Antonio Hill, Head of Manufacturing Digital Solutions, Global Supply Chain at Stanley Black & Decker, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his career, the challenges of managing supply chains, the impact of Industry 4.0, and what lean manufacturing means to him.
We hear how Antonio made the jump from HR to manufacturing (bringing some important skills with him) and how he’s grown in his career since. We hear some top advice on starting with a lean process, building a “culture of lean,” and managing supply chain issues now and in the future. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, so you won’t want to miss it!
In this episode, find out:
- How Antonio made the jump from HR to manufacturing
- What lean manufacturing is
- How Industry 4.0 affects Antonio’s work
- Why data is the key to building more efficient processes
- Why you need a “culture of lean” in manufacturing
- Why you need to know your facility inside-out
- The challenges of managing supply chains (especially in a pandemic)
- The coolest thing about working at Stanley Black & Decker
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “No one can predict the future, so in order for us not to go and try to hire Nostradamus, let's go ahead and create processes where we're getting the right information in order to make the best decision for our organization.”
- “We're always trying to improve the marginal cost and reduce costs to improve our business. We want our business to be the best.”
- “I think that a lot of times people get laser-focused on what they're on and not necessarily take the holistic approach.”
Links & mentions:
- AMS Summit, learn from manufacturing leaders about the most impactful trends in manufacturing – from workforce development to lean & OpEx – talking place October 11-12 in Houston, TX
- Stanley Black & Decker, manufacturer of iconic tools from household names such as BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY, and more
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity Apprenticeships, Upskilling, and Startups with gener8tor's Cole Shearer
“A platform for communities to invest in their best and brightest” …that’s how this week’s guest describes the company he works for. Sounds great, right?
We invited Cole Shearer, Vice President – Skills Accelerator at gener8tor, to join Manufacturing Happy Hour this week. In this episode, he outlines his career to date, what he does at gener8tor, and provides some top tips for startup founders.
Cole explains the struggles of the talent shortage in the cybersecurity space and breaks down how the gener8tor program helps job seekers find work. We hear a little about how gener8tor has evolved since Cole joined the team, and he also describes what his ideal organization to work with would look like.
In this episode, find out:
- All about Cole’s early career
- Why startup founders should take risks
- How gener8tor helps jobseekers into work
- How gener8tor’s skills accelerator program works
- Why gener8tor teamed up on a Microsoft initiative
- How gener8tor has changed in recent years
- Why there’s a growing need for cybersecurity talent
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If someone wants to make a change in their career and they have the aptitude and willingness to go through a program, they’re probably fit for ours.”
- “There are hundreds of thousands of open cybersecurity roles right now across the country. And the amount of actual potential talent to fill those positions is very limited.”
- “Our cybersecurity program is set up as a 10-week program that will be able to support participants and make sure that they're able to take the next stage of their career.”
Links & mentions:
- gener8tor, an accelerator platform that offers over 75 programs such as startup and skills accelerators, fellowships and conferences to startup founders, corporations and job seekers.
- Bar 18, Indianapolis
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Vision and Imaging 101 with Edmund Optics' Greg Hollows
We haven’t covered imaging and vision much on Manufacturing Happy Hour, so we thought it was time that changed.
This week, we are talking to Greg Hollows, Vice President, Product Strategy at Edmund Optics, who discusses his various roles at Edmund Optics, where he has worked for over two decades. He also looks at the ways imaging has changed since he got started and provides some unmissable advice on succeeding in the industry.
Greg gives us so much food for thought in this episode. It’s one you don’t want to miss!
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- What an optics company does
- About Greg’s career from the start
- Why Greg pursued imaging as a career
- What imaging was like when Greg got started
- The role imaging plays in automation today
- What applications and industries are primed for vision solutions
- If it can work for both small and large companies
- How Greg makes career decisions
- Greg’s most challenging work situations
- Top tips from Greg on succeeding in imaging and vision
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “What we do here at Edmund is changing the world.”
- “Imaging is just like a portfolio when you’re doing investment. You have risky things, you have stable things.”
- “You need to be connected to the industry. You need to understand the customer’s applications and you need to understand where things are going.”
Links & mentions:
- Jackson Hole – a mountain resort overlooking the Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, Wyoming
- Edmund Optics – a global manufacturer and supplier of optics, imaging and photonics technology based in Barrington, NJ
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Using Robots in Machine Shops, 3D Printing, and Beyond with KUKA's Nate Brazelle
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of robots and what they can bring to the manufacturing world here on Manufacturing Happy Hour.
So, we invited fellow robot enthusiast Nate Brazelle, VP of Sales and Marketing at KUKA, onto the show to share his predictions on robots in the future of the industry, where they fit in now, and why they could be the answer to the labor shortage.
Nate explains how he first took a step into the world of robotics and shares the challenges and realities of working with cobots. We hear about the different areas cobots excel in and how they can work alongside human workers. Nate also lets us in on KUKA’s future plans for industrial robots and how its operating system aims to make deploying robots even easier.
In this episode, find out:
- How Nate first got into robotics
- The top challenges in robotics
- The rise of cobots in manufacturing
- How cobots can help with additive manufacturing
- Why cobots could fill in the gaps of the talent shortage
- Why you should let your team make mistakes
- How to get comfortable with new tech
- Future plans for KUKA
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Skilled labor is still going away, and we can't find it. So we're thinking of applications like welding, which is great skilled labor, but it's just going away.”
- "I think the real big benefit of 3D printing is the value and benefit of the cobots and 3D printers in ARM tooling and the grippers. I think that's a really big value.”
- “I think in the next couple of years, if we focus and look at the areas where we simply can't find the skilled labor, that's going to be where the markets continue to grow.”
Links & mentions:
- KUKA, global robot and automation solutions company offering tailor-made solutions for your industry
- Buddy Guy’s Legends, a classic blues club with up-and-coming and famous acts plus New Orleans-style pub grub, located in Chicago, IL
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Can Thursday be the New Friday in Manufacturing? An Interview with Joe Sanok, Author of Thursday is the New Friday
If you already thought that the 5-day work week was one day too long, then this episode will rock your boat. This week, we’re chatting with Joe Sanok, author of Thursday is the New Friday, and he offers a practical breakdown of how the 4-day work week would fit into a manufacturing setting.
Before we dive into all that, Joe tells us about his professional background and then offers a brief but detailed history of the 5-day work week (and a bit about the concept of time). We also hear a step-by-step breakdown of how to slow down in order to speed things up and ultimately get more done in four days as opposed to five.
Joe leaves us with a whole lot to mull over as far as productivity is concerned. So this is definitely one of those episodes you’re going to want to tune in to.
In this episode, find out:
- What Joe’s book, “Thursday is the New Friday” is about
- Joe’s relationship with the manufacturing industry growing up
- The motivation behind Joe’s career choices
- When Joe really started questioning the 5-day work week
- The history of the 5-day work week
- How people often react to the notion of the 4-day work week
- The first step to slowing down (to ultimately speeding up)
- How manufacturers can adjust to the 4-day work week
- How to test the 4-day work week
- Surprising things Joe learned while writing his book
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The pandemic was the final linchpin in the 40-hour work week.”
- “You need to first gain clarity through slowing down so when you eventually speed up, you’re doing the right things instead of putting out fires.”
- “A lot of the realizations people get from slowing down are more personal than business-related.”
Links & mentions:
- Thursday is the New Friday, by Joe Sanok
- Practice of the Practice podcast, innovative ideas to start, grow, and scale a private practice
- JoeSanok.com
- Workshop Brewing, right on the water in Traverse City, MI
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list
of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Terrence Southern's K-12 STEM program is Sustaining Talent & Elevating Minds
The worlds of robotics and automation have been picking up speed for some time now. But the pandemic has only fast-tracked the need for the next generation of talent to wield these tools.
Organizations such as Illuminate STEM are leading the way for young blood to gain knowledge and fly the flag for robotics for decades to come.
Terrence Southern, Founder, CEO & Executive Director at Illuminate STEM, joins this episode to explain how he taught budding robotics workers, how he started his company, and more.
Plus, Terrence outlines his predictions for the future of robotics and automation. He explains that, however excited younger generations are about robotics, the eagerness to get involved in the industry still has a long way to go.
In this episode, find out:
- How Terrence got started in robotics
- How he teaches students and helped a student who now works for one of world’s largest companies
- How Illuminate STEM first got started
- Why Terrence aims to make robotics a more viable career choice
- How the pandemic sped up our reliance on automation
- What Terrence thinks about the future of ‘cobots’
- Why, despite excitement around robotics, people don’t want to work in the industry
- The negative associations people have with robotics
- Terrence’s predictions for the future of robotics
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I see ‘cobots’ becoming more accessible and more widely used.”
- “There’s so much to look forward to in the robotics industry.”
- “I hate to say it, but the pandemic was the perfect storm to open the floodgates for automation.”
Links & mentions:
- Northland Roller Rink, Detroit’s largest, oldest, world-renowned skating rink
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A Conversation in Berlin about Robot Operations (#RobOps) with Florian Pestoni, Co-Founder and CEO of InOrbit
It’s not every day you get to record a podcast episode in Berlin, so when Florian Pestoni told me he’d be in Berlin at the same time as me, we had to meet up to record an interview.
In this special live episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we step out of the studio and into the beer garden to discuss what chronic care for robots looks like. Florian is the Co-Founder & CEO of InOrbit, a Silicon Valley-based startup that helps companies managing fleets of robots streamline their robotic operations. Florian shares his motivation behind his shift from software engineering to robotics, before diving into a discussion about #RobOps and examples of how InOrbit offers chronic care for robotic fleets.
Altogether, it’s an informative and - dare we say - unconventional episode packed with insights about the future of robotics, the startup scenes in Berlin, Silicon Valley, and beyond, and yes, the quirks of recording live podcast episodes in less-than-ideal conditions.
BONUS: What is Industrial Tourism?
We're taking a break this week for summer vacation! Sort of. Actually, we have a bonus episode for you that's all about a summer vacation-esque topic: Industrial Tourism.
Until this week, I thought "industrial tourism" was a term I made up, but it turns out it's actually a well-documented practice. From brewery tours to visiting upcycled, decommissioned factories, industrial tourism actually covers a lot of ground.
In this episode, I share 3 examples of my own industrial tourism experiences from my recent travels. From Copenhagen to Pennsylvania, there are industrial sites with plenty of good reason to visit them far and wide.
From Blue Collar to Company Founder with Brennen Dugger, President of Blue Collar Automation
Brennen Dugger is the President & Founder of Blue Collar Automation, specializing in industrial automation, controls integration, and robotics. Brennen and I recently met at A3's Automate conference when the robot at his booth served me a beer. Obviously, he was perfect for Manufacturing Happy Hour!
In this episode, Brennen explains the motivation behind his move from the factory floor to the office of a company founder. He also shares the reason why collaborative robots are practically front and center of operations at his company and why they play a huge role in the future of the workforce.
He brings things full circle by sharing some vital advice he received from James Dean, the Owner of Appalachian Automation, LLC, right before he started his company.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Brennen picked engineering as a career path
- Why Blue Collar Automation was created
- The inspiration behind the name Blue Collar Automation
- Why collaborative robots are front and center at Blue Collar Automation
- Some of the common applications in collaborative robotics
- Brennen’s take on what’s next in the robotics space
- The most helpful piece of advice Brennen has received since he started his company
- Brennen shares some resources that have helped him in his career
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Collaborative robots have got really poor representation, but that depends because as soon as you put something dangerous on the end of a tool, it's no longer collaborative.”
- “There's enough work out there for everybody, and if you just try hard and put out good work, the work will come to you.”
- “I feel like it's riskier to not take risk than it is to stay in your safe, little bubble.”
Links & mentions:
- Blue Collar Automation, an industrial controlscompany specializing in collaborative and industrial robotics, located in Memphis, TN
- Superior Integration Solutions (Hayden Automation), specializing in mechanical work, located in St. Joseph, MI and run by Timothy Hayden
- MFCEO Project Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur Andy Frisella
- Wiseacre Brewing Co., evidently one of the best breweries in the country according to multiple guests on this podcast, located in Memphis, TN
- Make sure to connect with all of the industry all-stars that Brennen gave a shoutout to, including Timothy Hayden, James Dean, Ali G, Nikki Gonzales, and Rylan Pyciak
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The 10 Most Memorable Moments from the First 100 Episodes of Manufacturing Happy Hour
We’ve just hit our milestone episode! The big 100, so it makes perfect sense to mark the occasion with a special episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
While Manufacturing Happy Hour has been around for over 5 years, over the course of 75+ videos and over 130 episodes, we’re choosing to label this one Episode 100 (even if it is closer to 200 episodes at this point).
In this episode, we’ll recount 10 of the most memorable moments from the past 5 years, but they might not be the moments you expect. From live events to a few surprise moments, get ready for a beer-fueled Top 10 list that should get you excited for the next 100 episodes to come.
Hear everything from hilarious beer-related moments to some of the great connections that Chris has made along the way. He also takes us back to the show’s early days and sheds a little light on how far he’s come alongside his community.
Chris ties things up by giving some insight behind why he created Manufacturing Happy Hour in the first place and why he intends to stick to that with future episodes.
Here’s to another 100 episodes, cheers!
In this episode:
- Chris’ shoutout to the Manufacturing Happy Hour industry community
- How Chris created the show
- Chris talks about what he particularly appreciates from the show’s early days
- A few funny moments featured on the show
- The moment Chris realized the show’s reach went well beyond the Bay Area
- The realities of filming at live events
- How the show transitioned from Rockwell Automation-centric video series to a podcast
- Chris talks about the inspiration behind his first virtual Happy Hour
- How Manufacturing Happy Hour has helped Chris make new connections
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I love that I’ve been able to make connections on the show, but what I love more is the connections my listeners end up making.”
- “It’s been great seeing the power of a platform that had once been a humble Bay Area video show expand its reach in areas I didn’t necessarily have a huge community in.”
- “One major thing I’ve learned since I started recording live interviews and shows is that not everything goes according to plan, and you’ve got to roll with the punches.”
Links & mentions:
- Pandemic episode
- Pubcast Worldwide, Chris’ other podcast, focused on beer and beverages around the world
- Haymarket Brewing, and the location of the 2019 Automation Fair Pre-Party
Make Sure to Connect with all of These Manufacturing Leaders
- Steve Parkhill, Rockwell Automation
- Vinod Anandarajah, Kanavu Automation
- Michael “Sully” Sullivan, Miller Resource Group
- Danny Gonzales, IndustrialSage
- Thomas Schaefer, Softing
- Dan Voit, Blentech
- Tim Shope, Endress & Hauser
- Dave Griffith, The Manufacturing Hub
- Beth Parkinson, Rockwell Automation
- Ryan Wasmund, PCC Structurals, Inc
- Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial
- Aaron Prather, FedEx
- Jeff Burnstein, A3 Association for Advancing Automation
- Alex Shikany, A3 Association for Advancing Automation
- Firdaus Pohowalla, Cascadia Capital
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode.
Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Economics of Creativity with David Nichols, CEO and Co-Founder of Loupe
If you’re in the manufacturing industry or just an avid social media user, then you’ve probably come across Loupe and some of the amazing feats they’ve been pulling off. Loupe is a Portland, Oregon-based jack-of-all-trades automation outfit that’s responsible for some amazing unboxing videos and viral videos of their robotic dog Spot from Boston Dynamics. They are definitely a group that’s dialed into the art of social media for manufacturing.
With a mission as unique as revolutionizing the automation industry, and a desire to bring out-of-the-box thinking into the field, David Nichols, CEO and Co-Founder of Loupe, joins this episode to tell us a few things about the “economics of creativity.”
We hear Loupe’s origin story and how changing the name from Automation Resources Group to Loupe did wonders for their brand. David also takes us behind the scenes to where some of the magic happens ─ Loupe’s robot showroom, and explains why creativity, and not just operational thinking, belongs in the automation industry.
In this episode, find out:
- The mission of David’s website
- What Loupe does
- How David got into robotics and engineering
- How Loupe started
- Why they changed their name from Automation Resources Group to Loupe
- How the brand name Loupe has benefited the company
- Who Loupe builds robots for
- What the economics of creativity entails
- Why most companies don’t adopt the economics of creativity approach
- Why creativity should be part of the automation industry
- David’s insights into Loupe’s social media strategy and unconventional projects
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “There should be clarity surrounding what a brand is about.”
- “You learn a whole lot by simply doing and experimenting.”
- “Sometimes when you do new things, it’s a hit and miss but other times it ends up unlocking tremendous value.”
Links & mentions:
- Loupe, a Portland Oregon based jack of all trades automation outfit
- Lardo, a sandwich shop that worships at the altar of bovine & swine
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The State of Manufacturing: Nebraska, the Midwest, and Beyond with Michael Johnson and Scott Volk
Recently, we had an opportunity to attend an extremely unique manufacturing event in Columbus, NE. Columbus is a small, rural town and it's the exact type of spot where manufacturing events should be taking place.
Communities like this across the Great Plains, the Midwest, and the United States in general, are where manufacturing and manufacturing jobs can change people's lives.
This event was called Manufacturing Nebraska's Future, and it was all about showcasing the trends, opportunities, and technologies in manufacturing to leaders in the Nebraska manufacturing scene as well as to the community. Everyone from students to folks that work at the local manufacturing companies was present.
In this special live episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we chat with two leaders from the state of Nebraska: Scott Volk, COO of MetalQuest Unlimited, and Mike Johnson, COO at the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including the role of the Chamber of Commerce and how to change the perception that Nebraska offers more than just agriculture. It’s a manufacturing powerhouse as well.
In this episode, find out:
- What it was like for Mike to move from brewing to the Chamber of Commerce
- How Scott combines his work at Metal Quest and the Chamber of Commerce
- Why Nebraska is more than an agricultural state
- What the Chamber of Commerce does for manufacturing
- The nuances of the workforce shortage in manufacturing
- Why the manufacturing industry needs some better PR
- How other players can contribute to the manufacturing ecosystem
- What other states can learn from the progress made in Nebraska
- Tips for picking the right beer
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The Chamber of Commerce is the engine to get things done, that’s just the simplest way of putting it.” - Scott Volk
- “What's happening in manufacturing now, and what's going to happen in manufacturing in the next ten years is a quick way to a comfortable life for anyone who's willing to work in the industry.” - Michael Johnson
- “There's strength in numbers, and the more you can coordinate, the more you're going to get done.” - Scott Volk
Links & mentions:
- Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, a steadfast advocate for free enterprise, a competitive business climate, and state-wide economic growth through education, leadership development and government activism within the state of Nebraska
- MetalQuest Unlimited, manufacturer of precision machined component parts and assemblies in Hebron, NE
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list
of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Steel Toes and Stilettos (and everything in between) with Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels
Our guests this week are Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels.
Both of these women have racked up decades of experience in manufacturing and operations, and now they're the duo that leads OPSisters where they focus on advising operations through coaching, training, and speaking.
Beyond that, they've also distilled some of the best lessons in their book "Steel Toes and Stilettos," and we're going to be learning quite a bit from them today as well.
Tune in to this episode to hear the origin story behind this fantastic business duo, their thoughts on leadership, building connections, leading with empathy, and why they use the lean manufacturing concept in their work.
In this episode, find out:
- How Kathy and Shannon first met
- How they took the leap to quit their jobs and start a new business
- Advice for anyone looking to start a business with a business partner
- What a lean manufacturing roadmap looks like
- The soft skills you need to be a great leader
- Why you need to make the mission of the business meaningful
- How to avoid the grind of manufacturing
- Why you should lead with empathy
- How to find a work-life balance
- Kathy and Shannon reflect on their careers
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When I was given the autonomy to build a team I wanted with the best skills that I could find and people who brought diversity of thought to that team was when it was not a grind, it was when it was fun. We were all working toward a common mission.” – Shannon Karels
- “I think it's just important to know that there will be trade-offs, and you just have to do the best you can with the information that you have. When you're somewhere, be present there. Be thankful for where you are and don't spend a lot of energy on where you can't be.” – Kathy Miller
- “Know your strengths, use your strengths to help others, and bask in your authentic self. And if it's not a match with where you are, move on and don't look back.” – Kathy Miller
Links & mentions:
- OPSisters, operations leadership advising that includes coaching, training relationships, realities, and results
- Steel Toes and Stilettos, a true story of women manufacturing leaders and lean transformation success by Shannon Karels and Kathy Miller
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Hear what Investors, Educators, and High Growth Companies have to say about the future of Robotics, Automation, and AI, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by Cascadia Capital)
We’re back for 5 more interviews with leaders in Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence. These conversations all took place in Pittsburgh at Cascadia Connect 2022 with investors, ecosystem leaders, high growth companies, and other movers and shakers in this industry. This was truly a unique event designed to bring all of these different players together, and Cascadia Capital deserves a big shoutout for bringing us all together.
Part 1 was largely focused on robotics clusters and academia, but here in Part 2, we're focused on two other very significant players in a tech ecosystem: investors and high growth companies.
This episode features the following guests in this order:
- Champ Suthipongchai, General Partner at Creative Ventures
- Jeremy Searock, Co-Founder & President at Advanced Construction Robotics
- George Holmes, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder of Hire Henry
- Aseem Datar, Partner at Madrona Venture Group
- Firdaus Pohowalla, Managing Director at Cascadia Capital
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Connect2022 for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Hear what Investors, Educators, and High Growth Companies have to say about the future of Robotics, Automation, and AI, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by Cascadia Capital)
Have you ever been in a room full of growth companies, investors, academics, entrepreneurs, and technologist all working together to advance the industry? It’s rare to get all of these players in a tech ecosystem together in one place, but that’s just what Cascadia Capital did at Cascadia Connect 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA.
With such a range of leaders in Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence across the industrial world, we had the opportunity to sit down with 10 of these individuals to hear their perspectives on the future of these technologies and their applications. We owe a big thanks to Cascadia Capital for bringing these amazing folks together.
In this first edition of this double feature, we’ll hear from the individuals leading “robotics clusters” in Silicon Valley, Boston, and Pittsburgh, as well as academics that have dedicated themselves to the advancement of robotics. Get ready to learn from the following five guests in Part 1 of this special feature:
- Andra Keay, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics
- Fady Saad, Co-Founder of MassRobotics and General Partner at Cybernetix Ventures
- Joel Reed, Executive Direct of Pittsburgh Robotics Network
- Dr. Matthew Johnson-Roberson, Director of the Robotics Institute and Professor at Carnegie Mellon University
- Thomas Evans, Ph.D., Robotics Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Connect2022 for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cobots, Hollywood, and New Applications for Robotics with FANUC America's Jerry Perez
Welcome to another episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour recorded in front of a LIVE audience. A couple of months ago at IME West in Anaheim, we had a chance to sit down with Jerry Perez, FANUC America's Executive Director of Global Accounts. FANUC is one of the biggest names in industrial robotics in the world, so as you can probably guess, this is a very robot-centric conversation.
In this episode, Jerry shares some insights on the role of the global pandemic in creating that shift from automotive to non-automotive applications of robotics. He also highlights some out-of-the-box applications for robotics that FANUC has been cooking up behind the scenes.
Many in the industry are aware of the problems robotics is solving in the manufacturing industry. But it’s not just about how they fill the workforce gap. Jerry, Chris, and co-host Jake Hall of Manufacturing Millennial point out a few key areas that robotics is contributing positively to.
It’s not all business as usual though, we also chat about how robots are portrayed in Hollywood and pop culture as a whole.
In this episode, find out:
- Jerry tells us how to officially pronounce FANUC
- Jerry’s take on the largest driver of non-automotive applications on robotics
- How robotics can be applied in the food and hospitality industry
- How FANUC plans keep workers safe near robots
- When to use cobots
- What new opportunities are out there for robot applications
- Issues that robots address in the manufacturing industry
- Jerry, Jake, and Chris’ favorite pop culture robots
- How FANUC is involving the next generation in robotics
- One of the best conversations Jerry has had at IME West
- What manufacturing companies can do to attract younger generations
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “As technology becomes more adoptable, the marketplace becomes more accepting of robots.”
- “If you're working around something that might poke or punch you, you want to be able to operate it safely. The industry has gone through safety standards to make this happen with Cobots.”
- “When you’ve got a lot of foot traffic, that’s the perfect spot for a Cobot.”
Links & mentions:
- FANUC America, global leader in industrial robotics
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list
of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Empowering Frontline Teams by Starting a Work Instruction Revolution with Willemijn Schneyder, CEO of SwipeGuide
Willemijn Schneyder and her team are changing the game for post-sales support. Willemijn is the CEO and proud Founder of SwipeGuide, a next-generation instruction software that provides an intuitive way to create enhanced-reality work instructions.
So how is this creating a revolution? Well, you're going to hear about that in this week’s show. Before venturing out into the world of entrepreneurship, Willemijn was in marketing, e-commerce, and, more recently, new product development. She was no stranger to matching organizations with technological solutions, and this paved the way for SwipeGuide.
In this episode, she gives a detailed overview of what SwipeGuide does and how it works. She also explains how it's tapping into the previously overlooked knowledge of frontline workers. Willemijn touches on the topic of diversity and bias in the workplace and discusses why she believes crowdsourced solutions like SwipeGuide are the future of manufacturing.
In this episode, find out:
- What SwipeGuide does
- Insights into Willemijn’s career before SwipeGuide
- How Willemijn’s background in retail and consultancy prepared her for entrepreneurship
- How SwipeGuide was founded
- How SwipeGuide evolved from a home user manual into an industrial manual
- A practical example of how SwipeGuide works
- The role of frontline workers in developing SwipeGuide’s scope
- How Willemijn leads a distributed team
- Willemijn’s take on inclusive leadership and tackling unconscious bias
- What lies in the future for SwipeGuide
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Though frontline workers aren’t the ones that buy from us, they embrace us — so we serve them so they can adopt the solution, create the content and get the results.”
- “There's much more recognition of the expertise that frontline workers have in the industry and the vital importance of their skill sets than ever before.”
- “A lot of what’s wrong with technologies today is they’ve been built by teams that aren’t diverse.”
Links & mentions:
- SwipeGuide, a collaborative, cloud-based work instruction platform that captures frontline knowledge to shape and enhance work processes in minutes
- Lagunitas Case Study, a video featuring how one of Heineken’s largest brands is leveraging SwipeGuide
- In Den Uiver, a whiskey bar in Haarlem, Netherlands
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A History Lesson in Robotics with Scot Lindemann, CEO of Mission Design and Automation
Scot Lindemann has seen a thing or two when it comes to robotics. The guy has over 30 years of engineering and leadership in this space, from his long tenure with JR Automation to where he is now as the CEO of Mission Design and Automation, a Western Michigan-based robotics integrator and automation company. It's only appropriate that he take us through the world of robotics, "then and now," in today's episode.
Today, Scot shares his story and what it was like formally entering the field of robotics back in the 80s. We discuss how he's seen technology and the industry evolve, and some of the things that he feels are still the same. We talk about how automation impacts more than just the bottom line of the balance sheet and how small- and mid-sized players can leverage the power of automation today. Finally, we wrap up with some of Scot’s tips for attending trade shows.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Reframing Generational Stereotypes in Manufacturing with Rachele Focardi
Rachele Focardi is a generational diversity expert, international speaker, author, and Founder of XYZ at Work. We've talked about attracting the next generation to the workforce on this show quite a bit, but today is probably our most holistic conversation to date when it comes to all of the generations in the workforce and the wonderful things each generation brings to the table.
In this episode, Rachele explains why generational diversity is such a key issue across industries and how it has a unique place in the manufacturing industry. She explores how the pandemic leveled the playing field for each generation and spurred collaboration in and out of the workplace.
For the stats fans out there, Rachele offers some pretty juicy stats on this phenomenon. She also gives us a sneak peek at a few of the topics she’s going to discuss at the upcoming Automate Show in Detroit (without giving too much away).
In this episode, find out:
- What a Future of Work Strategist does
- Insights from Rachele’s educational and career background
- What inspired Rachele to focus on generational diversity
- Why generational diversity is so vital in the present-day
- What each generation brings to the table
- Why people perceive multigenerational collaboration negatively
- The role of the pandemic in opening people’s minds to generational diversity
- Rachele’s take on diversity in the manufacturing industry
- What Gen X brings to the table
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I'm confident that if we jump on generational collaboration while it's hot, people will work together to create a reality where generations make decisions and run the world together.”
- “Hiring people and then losing them because your environment is not multi-generationally harmonious is a reality employers have to deal with.”
- “Though generational diversity is diversity, it does make us stronger.”
Links & mentions:
- XYZ at Work, a service that helps organizations foster a culture of cross-generational collaboration and understanding to drive employee engagement
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Why you should attend Automate 2022
Are you ready for 2022's biggest automation event in North America? Automate 2022 is right around the corner.
Hosted by A3 - The Association for Advancing Automation - Automate is bringing together over 500 exhibitors and thousands of attendees for the ultimate networking, education, and technology event. The event takes place in Detroit, MI June 6-9 and you can register for FREE at https://manufacturinghappyhour.com/Automate2022.
In this preview episode, Alex Shikany - A3's VP of Membership & Business Intelligence - jumps on the show to share what to expect from Automate 2022. From keynote speakers to the first ever Automate LIVE - a first of its kind Game Day-style showcase - this episode should give you all the reason you need to head to Detroit. Plus, The Manufacturing Millennial Jake Hall joins us as a special co-host for this episode. We hope to #SeeYouInDetroit.
The Acceleration of Smart Manufacturing Adoption with Plex CTO Jerry Foster
The future is digital, and the manufacturing industry is no exception. Jerry Foster, the CTO of Plex, is one of the select visionaries who jumped on the ‘digitization’ bandwagon quite early in the game. Plex is a company that paved the way for business enterprise software in the cloud through a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains.
Jerry joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to share the company’s unconventional origin story and to break down some of the most interesting parts of their annual State of Smart Manufacturing report.
It’s an episode packed full of great insights as we dig into topics like the role of AI in manufacturing and tech paralysis. Tune in to hear more about implementing new technology, plus insights into the worlds of racquetball and Star Wars.
In this episode, find out:
- What is smart manufacturing?
- How Jerry got his start in smart manufacturing
- What it was like to spearhead the first business enterprise software in the cloud
- Jerry breaks down the smart manufacturing growth trajectory
- How to form a successful integrated team
- Jerry discusses useful technologies that were once dismissed as “hype”
- How the role of blockchain fits into manufacturing
- How AI has evolved over the years
- What proactive leaders look like
- How to find a balance between profitability and sustainability
- How playing racquetball has influenced Jerry’s career
- Jerry’s advice to manufacturing leaders looking to leverage smart manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Artificial intelligence or machine learning are the only ways to really tame the beast that is data management — it's like getting 100,000 interns to analyze all that data almost for free.”
- "In my opinion, it's the cloud and the convergence of that data and computing capabilities that have brought AI to the forefront.”
- “If you've got action-oriented people, no one's thinking about implications, and with analysis-oriented, you'll have great spreadsheets, but no results, so you need both.”
Links & mentions:
- Plex Systems, a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains.
- Plex’s State of Smart Manufacturing Report, an annual report sharing insights from over 300 manufacturing leaders on the challenges facing their business and how they address them using technology.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Large Organizations Can Help Close the Skills Gap with PPG's Divya Thadani
Divya Thadani leads PPG’s strategy and business development for the company's architectural coatings business in the US and Canada. But her impact doesn’t end there. She’s made her mark as a diversity, equality, and inclusion champion at PPG.
In this episode, Divya shares some insights from her childhood and how growing up in an entrepreneurial family influenced her life. She explains what she believes is causing the skill shortage gap in the manufacturing industry and how we can make these roles more accessible to underrepresented groups.
Divya sets the stage for how large organizations can help close the skill gap through the lens of PPG. She also gives some pointers on how individuals can foster positive organizational changes that transcend individual teams.
In this episode, find out:
- Divya’s experience coming from an entrepreneurial family
- The most important lesson Divya learned from her parents’ business
- Why Divya thinks a certain amount of naivety is bliss
- How to make engineering roles more accessible to underrepresented groups
- The forces driving the skill shortage of trade professionals
- How organizations can have a direct impact on educational opportunities
- Why it's important to invest in educational opportunities for underrepresented groups
- How PPG invests in the next generation
- How to create positive cultural change beyond your organization
- How the shift to digital impacts PPG’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
- Divya’s advice for young and upcoming professionals
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "The digital shift has enabled us to think very differently about the way we work, how we work, where we work from, which all ties into the DEI conversation.”
- “Leadership teams need to think about constructive ways to drive cultural change while being intentional with how it permeates their business unit and the company as a whole.”
- “Enabling underrepresented minorities — whether it’s income or ethnic diversity — involves educating people about the possibilities and giving them access.”
Links & mentions:
- PPG Industries: An American Fortune 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials.
- PPG’s Sustainability Report: The company’s 2020 sustainability report strongly focused on its DE&I efforts.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Indirect ROI of an Amazing Customer Experience with Mark Rosenzweig of 3dx Scenic
What goes on behind the scenes at some of the top theme parks in the country? A whole lot of custom scenic design, courtesy of 3dx Scenic, a L!VE company that creates immersive 3D expressive designs. Mark Rosenzweig, 3dx’s Senior Account Executive, joins the show to give some insight into what it’s like being part of a team that creates models for theme parks, exhibits, and more.
In this episode, Mark breaks down some of 3dx Scenic’s most exciting projects and the challenges that came along with them. He explains how indirect ROI works in a theme park versus projects with a more calculated ROI.
Mark also gives us a window into how 3dx Scenic focuses on storytelling with its projects, particularly for models in theme parks or big events. We also hear what Mark believes makes the best guest experience at a theme park.
In this episode, find out:
- What 3dx Scenic does
- Why it’s important to follow a passion with your work
- The most exciting projects Mark’s worked on
- How far creative liberty goes at 3dx Scenic
- How indirect ROI works in a theme park
- Why photo opportunities have a calculated ROI
- How 3dx Scenic has overcome challenges
- Why simplification is key to a good customer experience
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Budgets drive jobs. And as long as we have a client or a partner that we're working with that is as transparent as us, we're normally going to work with them. Not only for this job but also long term.”
- "Parks aren't adding the $20-$30 million coasters like they were three or four years ago. But they do have the capital to put on these events that have a very reliable ROI attached to them.”
- “Put the control in the guests’ hands and make it intuitive and easy.”
Links & mentions:
- 3dx Scenic, a L!VE company that create immersive 3D expressive design
- Rhinegeist Brewery, a craft brewery based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Building a Next Gen Industrial Automation Marketplace with Roman Piszcz, Founder of Quotebeam
Roman Piszcz is the Founder and CEO of Quotebeam, a new company that's reducing friction in the purchasing process and building a marketplace for automation parts, quotes, and collaboration. But before Roman became an entrepreneur, he was leading a team at Apple, and that’s where this week’s story begins…
Roman joined Apple back in 2016 and worked there for nearly five years as part of the iPhone product operations team. As it is with most entrepreneurs, his company was borne out of a particular pain point he noticed in the industry — the disjointed nature of the machine part procurement process.
These days, you’ll find him tackling a whole new set of challenges that he delves into in this episode. Roman also shares a few leadership tips he picked up from his time at Apple and as the CEO of Quotebeam. He gives us some insights into the manufacturing support network he’s building and shares what he sees on its horizon.
In this episode, find out:
- Roman talks about his work with Apple
- The importance of raising team members to be leaders
- Advice for people managers moving to a new role
- What inspired Roman to create Quotebeam
- The communication problem Quotebeam is looking to solve
- How Quotebeam’s transactional and conversational aspects are part of its solution
- Unexpected challenges Roman faced as a startup owner
- How Roman’s experience at Apple feeds into his work at Quotebeam
- Why data is a huge part of decision-making in business
- Roman shares insights into Quotebeam’s core vision
- How Roman’s manufacturing support network ecosystem is evolving
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Running a start-up is an interesting journey. You get to break things, and no one yells at you.”
- “You don’t make decisions based on opinions, you make them based on data.”
- “Engineers don’t need to know everything. They just need to know where to find the right information.”
Links & mentions:
- Quotebeam, the marketplace for automation parts, quotes, and collaboration
- Shadow Puppet Brewing Company, a production craft brewery with an open tasting room, located in Livermore, CA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Brewing up Growth by Building on Heritage with Sprecher Brewing CEO, Sharad Chadha
Sharad Chadha is the CEO of Sprecher Brewing Company and through hard work, risk-taking, and out-of-the-box thinking, he’s living the American dream. Originally an engineering major, Sharad topped that with an MBA and used his skill and business acumen to rise through the ranks at renowned companies like GE Healthcare, Electrolux, and Samsung. Now he’s pouring all his business acumen into running Sprecher, Wisconsin’s first craft brewery.
In this episode, Sharad gives us some insights into his diverse career and how it prepared him for his role as the CEO of Sprecher. He discusses some of the highs and lows of running a company as opposed to working for someone else.
Sharad also shares a few decision-making tips for manufacturing leaders, talks about what makes Sprecher stand out from the competition, and reveals his future plans.
In this episode, find out:
- What makes Sprecher special
- Sharad shares insights into his diverse career
- How Sharad’s numerous roles prepared him for Sprecher
- What inspired Sharad to buy a brewery
- What it’s like purchasing and running a company
- Why Sprecher produces sodas as opposed to spirits and hard seltzers
- Making decisions as a manufacturing leader
- Why Sprecher made the switch from beer bottles to cans
- Why looking at trends is vital before making big decisions
- How to manage and plan for big changes
- Sprecher’s progress during the pandemic
- The importance of hiring good leaders
- Sharad’s five year vision for Sprecher
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Challenging experiences teach you resilience and how to look at things from a different angle — and as long as you have that attitude, you can make it through anything.”
- “Working in a big company is great, but it's not as satisfying as working in a small company where when you do something, you can see the fruits of your labor.”
- “Running a plant is completely different from knowing about a plant or working with a plant to get your product."
Links & mentions:
- Sprecher Brewing Company Wisconsin’s first craft brewery since prohibition, specializing in the production of beers, flavored malt beverages, and sodas.
- Green River Soda A classic Chicago soda developed over a century ago, presently brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A First-Generation Product Master Class with Milo Werner, Recorded LIVE at "Build Better 2022" (hosted by Instrumental Inc.)
Working on first-generation products and new product development is no walk in the park. But, Milo Werner, General Partner at The Engine, joined the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference to share her wealth of experience.
Milo joined Tesla in 2007 at a critical stage in the company's trajectory, where she led new product introduction launching the Model S and Model X powertrains. In addition to Tesla, Milo ran new product introduction at Fitbit, launching four factories in China and transitioning the company to fully automated production. Now she's a general partner at The Engine, where her dedication to solving some of the world's biggest problems, from climate to health to computing and beyond, continues.
In this extract from the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference, Milo gives us the low down on how she got her start in both Tesla and Fitbit. We hear about her triumphs and the challenges she faced developing first-generation and new product development. She also answers a bunch of intuitive questions from manufacturers in the audience.
In this episode, find out:
- How Milo got into Tesla and new product development
- Challenges she experienced while working on the Model-S powertrain
- Lessons learned from building a first-generation product
- Challenges when developing new products
- Milo’s transition from Tesla to Fitbit
- What characteristics need to align when evaluating a contract manufacturer
- Lessons learned from smaller companies making first-generation products
- Why it’s vital to be open to recommendations from contract manufacturers
- How to determine the specifications for how good a product feature should be
- How to manage people on long projects
- How to find out if you’re a fit for new product development
- The future of cars as a service
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback
from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “New product introduction is a wonderful way to meet people and to be that glue that removes silos and brings people together as a cross-functional team.”
- “The CM industry is run on razor-thin margins, and they've been put in that corner by one customer after another.”
- “I want to solve problems in our community and society, and Tesla and Fitbit really spoke to me in that regard.”
Links & mentions:
- Tesla, an American electric vehicle and clean energy company that manufactures electric cars, battery energy storage, and other related products
- Fitbit, an American consumer electronics and fitness company
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, a management book that describes how companies go from being good to great
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a business book that describes the many pitfalls teams face as they seek to "grow together"
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Firefighting, Electrical Engineering, and Community-Building with Michael Wrinch
If you can’t tell from the title, there’s a lot of variety in this week’s episode. Michael Wrinch is the President and CEO of Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management. From rides and attractions to projects that impact sustainability, Hedgehog’s motto is fitting: “We make complex visions a practical reality.”
In this episode, Mike gives a little background on why his company is called Hedgehog Technologies and where his interest in electrical engineering stems from. He explains his people-first approach to business and why that’s so important when creating infrastructure.
Mike also takes us through some of the complex projects he’s worked on. We round things up by getting a glimpse at some of the other interesting experiences he’s had. Spoiler alert: It’s everything from chimney cleaning to cheesemaking.
In this episode, find out:
- How Mike came up with the name Hedgehog Technologies for his company
- The importance of trust and accountability in teamwork
- What inspired Mike to transition from firefighting to engineering
- Mike explains his company’s core value
- How diversity fuels innovation
- Why Mike picks hard projects
- The trick to working with high-risk machines
- Mike’s experience as a fish factory worker and a cheesemaker
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Unless you have a real good understanding of how people are working within the infrastructure of this world, you can’t design great things.”
- “Different perspectives create insights into designs that we're working on that really matter.”
- “If you want a high-performing team, you need to trust each other, be accountable, and be hardworking.”
Links & mentions:
- Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management
- Ontario’s most northern First Nation goes green with their first solar project, an article on one of Hedgehog’s most significant sustainability and community-focused projects
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Wrinch
- Weekend Warrior: Michael Wrinch has a taste for danger, a 2019 article about Michael from BC Business
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Understanding the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for Manufacturers
We talk a lot about ways manufacturers can save money and grow their business on Manufacturing Happy Hour...digital transformation, process optimization, all of that.
Sometimes it makes sense to talk about the basics. While tax credits aren't necessarily "sexy," they can impact your balance sheet. Today we're focusing specifically on the Employee Retention Credit.
So how's this credit work? To answer that, we're bring back Josh Fox, CEO of Bottom Line Concepts, who appeared on Episode 15 of the show. In this bonus episode, Josh is going to take us through the Employee Retention Credit is, who qualifies, how it works, and how it can result in saving of 6 to 7 figures for small- to mid-sized manufacturers.
Educating the New Collar Workforce with Sarah Boisvert
Sarah Boisvert has a long history in the manufacturing world. She started her career in lasers which fed into 3D printing, and now she's helping close the skills gap as the Founder of both the Fab Lab Hub and the New Collar Network.
In this episode, Sarah delves into the inspiration behind the New Collar Movement and how it’s impacted her career since then. She also explains the thinking behind Fab Labs and gives some insights into the programs offered, digital badges awarded, and unique teaching approaches applied.
Sarah goes on to highlight the value of problem-solving skills for the modern-day manufacturing workforce and explains why it’s so much more important than test-taking skills and knowledge regurgitation.
In this episode, find out:
- Sarah’s insights into the new collar movement
- How Sarah transitioned from working with lasers to 3D printing
- What fab labs are and how they operate
- The importance of problem-solving skills in manufacturing
- Where Sarah believes education will be in five years
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Unless you’re going to become an engineer, a doctor, or lawyer, college doesn’t necessarily ensure a successful career economically.”
- “A critical part of our program is to ensure people can apply for jobs with a portfolio because it tells an HR person so much more than a certificate or a degree.”
- “Today, it's easy to find an engineer but try and find a CNC machinist — it’s hard because everyone’s convinced that they need to go to college.”
Links & mentions:
- The New Collar Workforce: An Insider’s Guide to Making Impactful Changes to Manufacturing and Training by Sarah Boisvert
- New Collar Network, a non-profit organization that provides skill-specific, short, affordable training for new collar jobs
- Fab Lab Hub, a part of the international Fab Lab network that provides nationwide hands-on training for the new collar workforce
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Robotics Empowers Individuals and Enhances National Security with Jay Douglass, COO of the Arm Institute
Jay Douglass has been around robotics and technology for a long time. After a long history with Carnegie Mellon, he’s now the COO of the ARM Institute. This organization is creating a nationwide group of elite manufacturing, academic, technology, and government organizations that share the common mission of a robust U.S. manufacturing ecosystem, impacting everything from the US economy in general, all the way to national defense.
In this episode, Jay gives us a peek behind the scenes of what happens at the ARM Institute and how he got started there. He delves into the main problems the Institute exists to address as well as the progress they’ve made since their establishment.
Jay goes on to explain why it’s economically and politically important for America to build a strong manufacturing base. While he’s at it, he shares some interesting manufacturing insights from a historical standpoint.
In this episode, find out:
- What the ARM institute does
- How small enterprises can take advantage of robotics
- How Jay transitioned from business development to being the COO of the ARM institute
- The kind of projects funded by the ARM institute
- How the ARM institute empowers the manufacturing workforce
- Why scalability and skillset gaps are major issues plaguing the American manufacturing industry
- How a strong manufacturing base could benefit national security
- How to connect with the ARM institute
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “America needs a real manufacturing base — we can’t have an economy that’s largely based on food production and popular culture.”
- “We’re not prototyping products as much as we are prototyping their manufacturing process.”
- “What we do is to help the smaller manufacturers get better and more competitive so they can deal with the challenges of the evolving economy.”
Links & mentions:
- ARM Institute, a national membership-based consortium that accelerates the development and adoption of innovative robotics technologies that are the foundation of every advanced manufacturing activity today and in the future
- RoboticsCareer.org, the ARM Institute’s site containing links to thousands of robotics training programs
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list
of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Rethinking Trade Shows and Dialing in Your Value Prop with Jose Palomino
Our guest this week is Jose Palomino, the CEO of Value Prop. Jose works with B2B business owners to unlock new growth by helping them ensure their value proposition actually aligns with the biggest challenge their ideal customers are facing and making sure there's a sales process and delivery to support that. He's also the author of a book also called Value Prop, host of The Revenue Throughput Podcast, and teaches MBA courses at Villanova focused on Management and Entrepreneurial Marketing.
In this episode, Jose discusses the importance of creating a value proposition, especially for companies in the sub $10 million range. He also highlights the top mistakes manufacturing leaders make with their marketing strategy and why you should hone in on value creation.
Jose explains various ways industry leaders can capitalize on their marginal advantage. He also touches on what’s wrong with the way most businesses approach trade fairs and throws in a few practical ways to get the most out of them.
In this episode, find out:
- Jose’s transition from back-office accounting to marketing
- Why overly customer-concentrated marketing is risky for businesses
- Why it’s important to find out who your best customer is
- How industry leaders can discover their value proposition
- Why you should take a look at your sales process
- How an overemphasis on technical knowledge can kill sales
- How to approach tradeshows from a value standpoint
- The role of value in the workplace
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing
All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If your business is more than 40% concentrated on one account, it’s time to think about diversifying that account and delivering more value.”
- “Fix the number one customer complaint, the stuff that vexes customers.”
- “At tradeshows, don't just expect the booth to do the work for you, you have to do your homework.”
Links & mentions:
- ValueProp.com, a strategy consultancy focused on helping B2B business owners grow their revenue
- Value Prop, by Jose Palomino, Jose’s book on how to build razor-sharp marketing messages
- The Revenue Throughput Podcast, a podcast for B2B owners who are hungry for growth
- Teikoku, a Japanese and Thai cuisine place in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Lead with Grit and Grace Featuring Ashleigh Walters
Ashleigh Walters is the President of Onex and author of the book Leading with Grit and Grace. Onex is a more than half-century-old industrial furnace manufacturing and service company based in Pennsylvania.
When Ashleigh became the leader of the company, she truly changed the company's culture for the better. Hence the title of her book and the main theme for this episode.
In this episode, Ashleigh discusses the many perils of a command-and-control leadership style as well as how she aided Onex’s steady transition to a more flexible work environment. She also shares a few handy pointers on how to build trust in the workplace and help employees with problem-solving.
Ashleigh also shares the inspiration behind her book and some important lessons she learned during the publishing process.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- What it means to lead with both grit and grace
- Ashleigh shares a little insight into what her company does
- How Ashleigh created a more inclusive work environment
- How to make change more fun
- Ashleigh explains what freedom to fail is
- Ashleigh talks about Onex’s Employee Stock Option Program (ESOP)
- How Ashleigh is preparing Onex for the future
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You need to go to the plant floor and interact with the people closest to the problem.”
- “Once you get used to changing things, it gets addictive.”
- “We realized that we had to teach problem-solving skills — we had a command-and-control leadership, so people's problem-solving skills weren't as sharp as they once were.”
Links & mentions:
- Leading with Grit and Grace, A Journey of Organizational Culture Change, by Ashleigh Walters
- Onex, Inc., here to help with your refractory, combustion, raw materials, and precast needs; designing and manufacturing custom equipment for heat-intensive industries - including forge, heat-treat, aluminum, and zinc furnaces
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: A Look Inside the 2022 A3 Business Forum
Want a taste of one of the best events in manufacturing? This week, we're giving you an inside look at the A3 Business Forum.
This is the Association for Advancing Automation’s premier leadership and networking event that takes place at the beginning of every year, but really, it’s a community, and not just any community. The people in this association easily make up the single strongest group of manufacturing and automation leaders in the industry.
Much like the A3 Business Forum, this compilation episode covers a variety of topics including robotics, education, hiring and talent retention, as well as cybersecurity. We've got 6 interviews for you and we're also bringing back Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, to help host these discussions. Here are the leaders you’ll hear from in this episode:
· Jeremy Dodson and Jay Korpi of NextLink Labs
· Fady Saad, Co-Founder of MassRobotics
· Suzy Teele, VP of Strategic Partnerships at the ARM Institute
· Greg Smith, President, Industrial Automation Group at Teradyne
· Jim Devaprasad, Professor and Director of Robotics at Lake Superior State University
· Michael “Sully” Sullivan of Miller Resource Group
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Theater, MMA, and Starting a Manufacturing Web Series with Eddie Saunders Jr. Of Flex Machine Tools
Eddie Saunders Jr. is a guy who wears a bunch of hats.
He’s the Creative Director and Brand Collaborator at Flex Machine Tools. He's got a background in theater. He runs an MMA gym. But – since this is a manufacturing podcast – you're most likely to know him as the host of the Flex & Friends, a web series where Eddie chats with influential and passionate leaders in the manufacturing industry.
While Eddie’s only been running this series for just over six months at the time of this episode in February 2022, he's made quite a name for himself in a short period of time.
In this episode, Eddie shares a little bit of everything from his multifaceted background and how it’s contributed to the success of Flex & Friends. He discusses the groundwork he did before starting the podcast and how the first six months have panned out for him.
Eddie also offers actionable tips for manufacturing leaders looking to create content for their brands.
In this episode, find out:
- How Eddie went from theater to manufacturing
- How Flex & Friends began
- What Eddie considered before starting Flex & Friends
- Marketing tips that work across industries
- Lessons Eddie has learned from running an MMA gym
- Actionable tips for manufacturing leaders creating content
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It’s impossible to ignore the stigmas in manufacturing, but there are also a lot of amazing human beings in our broad and dynamic world, and my number one intention is to tell their stories.”
- “I would highly recommend that if you don't have the confidence to reach out to other individuals doing what you want to do, then I would say keep your eyes and ears open and watch what's being done.”
- “If you go into it just to make cool content, you're setting yourself up to fail, and not only will you fail to achieve an ROI, you’ll fail to achieve an ROE, which is a return on the effort.”
Links & mentions:
- Flex Machine Tools, an industrial machine tools company with a growing set of product lines and applications, including FlexCNC Vertical Machining Center, FlexJet Waterjet, FlexArm tapping, FlexBeam Drill Line, and FlexErgo
- Flex & Friends, a link to Eddie’s web series through Flex Machine Tools’ YouTube page
- Great Lakes Brewing Company, an iconic microbrewery located in Cleveland, OH with house suds, an updated American menu, free tours, and a patio
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Independent Investment Banking in Robotics, Automation, and AI with Cascadia Capital’s Firdaus Pohowalla
What’s the role of investment banking in manufacturing and logistics? Our guest this week is here to answer that question.
Firdaus Pohowalla is Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, where he leads investment banking coverage for robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence, or if we're talking in acronyms, RAAI.
In this episode, Firdaus gives us a little backstory on how he got to where he is now and why he’s always had an interest in tech and robotics. He explains why there’s such a big focus on RAAI in the investment world and what he thinks are the most exciting areas of these growing industries.
Firdaus goes on to explore the idea of robotics as a service (RaaS) and why that business model is so attractive to companies, customers, and investors. Firdaus also highlights the biggest challenges in the RaaS space and his advice for new companies looking to get involved in robotics. Finally, Firdaus breaks down the confusing alphabet soup that is Series A, B, and C funding rounds.
In this episode, find out:
- How he got involved in investing and robotics
- Why Cascadia Capital focuses on the RAAI space
- The most exciting areas of RAAI
- How robotics as a service works and why it’s attracting so much interest
- The challenges of RaaS and why the markets are slow to move on it
- Advice for new companies looking to get involved in RAAI
- How the Series A, B, C funding rounds work
- The effects of robotics and automation on the job market
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "B round is critical. If I think about all the rounds out there, the B round is where you really make or break your company.”
- “If you look at the development of the technology, and you see the sophistication of the software that's complementing all of the earlier stage solutions that have been coming out, the market is really poised for significant growth.”
- “I'd say the most important thing, and this is emotional, is make sure that you have real passion and conviction around your business idea. That's kind of entrepreneurship 101.”
Links & mentions:
- Cascadia Capital, leading middle market investment bank with a focus on applications for robotics, automation, and AI for food, beverage, and agribusiness applications
- RAAI Supply Chain Quarterly Marketing Report from Cascadia Capital (Fall 2021)
- 2021 AMR & Logistics Conference Takeaways from Cascadia Capital
- Queen Anne Beerhall, cool beer hall focusing on European & local brews plus eats, with an industrial look & ample seats in Seattle, WA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Rethinking Health & Wellness for Manufacturers with Laura Timbrook
Laura Timbrook is a national board-certified health and wellness coach who is focused specifically on the manufacturing industry, particularly on shift workers. She's also a speaker on the topic and runs her own podcast Outspoken Nutrition. We haven't really approached this topic on the show before, but it's one that Laura is uniquely qualified to cover.
Health and wellness isn’t a topic that’s discussed much in the manufacturing industry. But that doesn’t mean it’s not been an important issue since the inception of the sector. In this episode, Laura discusses the evolving nature of occupational health and wellness, especially as it stretches to accommodate the needs of workers in the manufacturing industry.
She also shares her thoughts on what she believes health and wellness will look like in the near future. She then goes on to share some words of advice for industry leaders looking to embrace the notion of a healthier workforce.
In this episode, find out:
- What being healthy looks like from a broader perspective
- How to reframe the health and wellness conversation for a shift worker in manufacturing
- How wellness contributes to retention and productivity in the workplace
- The evolution of wellness in the manufacturing industry
- What companies that have a thriving health and wellness culture are doing right
- How COVID has changed the general attitude towards health
- Common mistakes organizations make when implementing health and wellness initiatives
- Advice for manufacturing leaders looking to adopt a health-conscious culture
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "If you start small, you’ll make bigger changes.”
- “When we talk about what encompasses health and wellness, it’s not just sleep, nutrition, movement, it also covers relationships and an overall sense of purpose.”
- “Give your employees access to their “numbers,” once they start to see specifics on their health it suddenly hits home.”
Links & mentions:
- Outspoken Nutrition, a podcast that focuses on simple and doable ways to lead a healthy lifestyle and make better health-related choices.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Overcoming Technology Hesitancy with Plus One Robotics CEO Erik Nieves
Erik Nieves is a robotics expert and an individual who believes technology should be used to elevate human existence and well-being. Erik has a very long history in the robotics world and is the CEO and Co-Founder of Plus One Robotics, a company that makes vision software for logistics robots. More than that, they deliver a novel approach that allows industrial robots and humans to work together. If you're trying to figure out what all this means, you'll want to listen to this interview…
In this episode, Erik breaks down the problem of technology hesitancy, what that means for companies’ bottom lines, and the overall labor shortage in this industry. He explains how robots can help, but also where humans need to step in and lend a helping hand.
Erik explains why we need to be empathetic to those who are a little technology hesitant and try to understand why that is. He also shares some stories of how he first got started in robotics, what it’s done for his career, and why he’s never looked back since.
In this episode, find out:
- How Erik first got started in robotics
- What the phrase “robots work, people rule” means
- Why technology hesitancy is a bad thing for manufacturing
- Why we need to understand why people are hesitant
- The mindset shift that needs to happen for people to embrace robotics
- Why keeping technology exclusive to remain competitive as a brand is bad for everyone
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Robots are pretty good, but they're not going to be all the way. So when they need help, they raise their hand and go, can you give me a leg up on this? And that's when the human intervenes.”
- “If you are hesitant to bring in technologies that will get the work done a different way, well guess what, you're just going to run your people ragged.”
- “Robots work, people rule is first off an admission that technology can only take you so far.”
Links & mentions:
- Plus One Robotics, providing vision software for logistics robots that delivers an unparalleled approach to human-robot collaboration to tackle the challenges of variability and workforce shortages
- Señor Veggie, a low-key, colorful eatery featuring an eclectic menu of organic, locally-sourced vegan eats in San Antonio, TX
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leading a Company Through an Acquisition with Fiix Software CEO James Novak
James Novak is the CEO of Fiix Software, a company that provides an industry-leading cloud-based CMMS that helps manufacturers plan, track, and optimize maintenance. It's also worth noting that just over one year ago, they were acquired by Rockwell Automation, which brings us back to the premise of today's show…leading through an acquisition!
Managing a company acquisition is a tough job, and keeping your team happy through it can be even more challenging. In this episode, James explains the steps leading up to Rockwell Automation’s acquisition and what he did to make the transition as smooth as possible.
He explains what the role of a CEO should be in this scenario and some tips for keeping employees reassured and happy with the process. James also gives some insights into how Fiix Software helps manufacturers better plan, track, and optimize maintenance programs.
In this episode, find out:
- What led James to become the CEO of Fiix Software
- Important lessons learned from his previous experiences at Blackberry
- Why you should always be innovating if you want to grow a company
- The kind of company James wanted to build
- How the Rockwell Automation acquisition happened
- How to lead a team through an acquisition
- Why a CEO should try to keep as many options open as possible
- Advice for other manufacturing leaders looking to be acquired
- The top surprises James faced when Fiix Software was being acquired
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We believe that proper maintenance leads to sustainable outcomes in the world.”
- “So as long as everyone's focused on the customer, regardless of if you have differences of opinions, nobody's right, nobody's wrong. There are different paths to get there, and I felt like Rockwell was going to get the right thing done.”
- “If I'm a manufacturing company, and I'm going through an acquisition, or I'm thinking about acquiring, you have to be very, very deliberate about every single move that happens.”
Links & mentions:
- Fiix Software, a cloud-based CMMS software that helps manufacturers plan, track, and optimize maintenance with powerful integrations, reports, and embedded AI tools
- 2Cats Cocktail Lounge, a relaxed, cozy nightclub with a makeshift dance floor serving up music alongside cocktails & wine in Toronto, Canada
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Selling Your Company and Creating the ‘Netflix of Manufacturing’ with Darrin Mitchell
Darrin Mitchell is the CEO of Mitchell Industries and the Chief Marketing Officer of Manufacturing Masters, an on-demand video platform featuring the world’s best manufacturing information. But before that, he was the CEO of a manufacturing company of his own for almost 20 years called Trout River Industries.
In this episode, Darrin gives us a bit of backstory on how he built the ‘Netflix of manufacturing’ after selling Trout River Industries. He shares the challenges of parting ways with his company and the important lessons he learned throughout his career.
Darrin doesn’t hold back and gives some solid tips for business owners in the manufacturing space about dealing with competition, finding balance in your life, and making better decisions going forward. He explains how Manufacturing Masters works and how it can help others in their quest to build better manufacturing businesses.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Darrin built the ‘Netflix of manufacturing‘
- Why sometimes it’s better to collaborate than compete
- The importance of building healthy partnerships in manufacturing
- Why you shouldn’t try to be everything to everyone
- How to find a balance between work and home life
- What it’s like to sell a business that’s become part of your identity
- How Manufacturing Masters works
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here.
Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It's very important to occupy the mind space of your current and unknown future customers.”
- “If your mindset is to compete, you're just using energy that inevitably is just for a completely lost cause. Because ultimately, your customers want to see you as a problem solver, not someone who just beat up their competitor.”
- “If you're thinking about the future of manufacturing, everything is in partnerships. And you have to make sure they're healthy partnerships.”
Links & mentions:
- Manufacturing Masters, training and content developed just for manufacturers from over 80 industry experts
- Mitchell Industries, offering a range of coaching and resource services
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Turning Video Security into Video Intelligence with Spot AI CEO Tanuj Thapliyal
Tanuj Thapliyal is an IT engineer and academic researcher-turned-entrepreneur. He's the Co-Founder and CEO of Spot AI, a video intelligence company that's helping manufacturers access and leverage video from their facility's cameras to make better business and operational decisions. It’s time to think about video security from a completely different perspective…
In this episode, Tanuj breaks down the main differences between video security and video intelligence and explains the different use cases for the latter. He gives us a bit of backstory into Spot AI and some examples of customers they have helped avert disaster with their fantastic service.
Tanuj explains why video intelligence should be about empowering workers with knowledge not Big Brother-style surveillance. He also explains Spot AI’s approach to cyber security and why customers always have full access to their own video to do with as they wish. Tanuj also shares some exciting news about Spot AI’s future.
In this episode, find out:
- What video intelligence is and how it’s different from video security
- Spot AI’s early beginnings to where it is now
- The different use cases for video intelligence
- Why video surveillance should empower the whole workforce, not watch them
- How Spot AI remains cyber-secure
- Spot AI’s plans for the future
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The more people you give access to video to, the more it transforms that organization.”
- “From a company culture perspective, you need there to be a belief in education, a belief in learning, a belief in sharing knowledge with other people.”
- “You have to empower customers to keep the data where they want to keep the data, but enable them to solve the workflow and then enable a switch so they can revoke access.”
Links & mentions:
- Spot AI, a company that’s helping manufacturers access video footage to make faster, smarter decisions
- The Brass Monkey, an energetic stop offering steaks, ribs, burgers, and British-Indian curries plus beer & cocktails in Taipei, Taiwan
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Deploying Intelligent Robots at Scale with Dexterity CEO Samir Menon
Samir Menon, the Founder & CEO of Dexterity, joins us on the show this week to share how his research on “Robots moving in a human-like manner” could contribute to the next phase of robotics. Dexterity is a company that delivers full-stack robot dexterity solutions for logistics, warehousing, and supply chain operations. But even before founding the company, Samir has been on a mission to leverage robotics to "make repetition options." He’s also keen on eventually democratizing robots and deploying them at scale.
In this episode, Samir gives us a rundown of how his work at Dexterity is delivering tangible solutions for warehousing and supply chain operations. We hear some insights into how making robots more accessible could benefit not just small businesses but individuals as well. Samir also shares how making repetition an option could address the looming labor shortage in manufacturing and eventually transition people to higher-value work.
In this episode, find out:
- Why making repetitive work optional is crucial in manufacturing
- The evolution of robotics
- Why the democratization of robots is vital moving forward
- How the advancements in robotics affect human workers
- Samir breaks down the past, present, and future of robotics into six stages
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “When it comes to startups you’ve got to be focused on
- the problem you’re solving, technology is just a driver to do that.”
- “I would love to see robotics enable people to build their own small businesses and take productivity into their own hands.”
- “It’s important to focus on what delivers long-term success when scaling up in startups."
Links & mentions:
- Dexterity.ai, delivering full-stack robot dexterity solutions for logistics, warehousing, and supply chain operations. Their robots pick, move, pack, and collaborate with human-like skill in existing infrastructure to solve the toughest problems in material handling.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Industry 4.0 Trends and Data That Actually Matters with Jeff Winter
Jeff Winter is an Industry Executive for Manufacturing at Microsoft who helps manufacturers across the US digitally transform at scale. Plus, he’s seen a few things over the past 15 years through his involvement in the Industry 4.0 community and Smart Manufacturing-centric leadership within organizations like ISA (International Society of Automation).
In this episode, Jeff shares some fascinating data management and digital transformation statistics and trends. He explores how the present data generation and storage habits call for more defined data strategies going forward. We hear some IoT trends and common barriers to a successful digital transformation initiative.
In this episode, find out:
- Why there’s a growing gap between data generated and storage capabilities (with statistics!)
- The current trends around the different types of data
- Why data roles are rising in demand
- Interesting trends in IoT
- Why most digital transformation initiatives fail
- How company culture affects how organizations address new technology
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Digital transformation drastically changes the way companies operate, which is both scary and difficult.”
- “Spend as much time investing in the right company culture as you do in the right technology.”
- “Part of your company’s overall data strategy works its way backwards into the data roles needed within the organization.”
Links & mentions:
- Empire Burgers & Brew, spot for elevated comfort fare, cocktails, wine & craft brews, plus a year-round roof deck in Naperville, IL
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Hire Diverse Talent or Risk Going Out of Business Featuring Equity Machine Works Founder Justin Sherman
Justin Sherman grew up in the shadow of one of Boeing’s largest manufacturing facilities in Everett, WA. However, it wasn’t until he started his career that he was exposed to the realities of manufacturing careers, including the lack of diverse talent in this field.
Now, as the Founder of Equity Machine Works SPC – a social enterprise committed to creating opportunity through support, training, and employment for disadvantaged populations – he’s helping to level the playing field.
In this episode, Justin explains the importance of attracting diverse and young talent to the manufacturing field as a whole. We hear about the limitations that come with a lack of diversity in the field, and actual statistics that prove there’s a skill gap that needs to be filled. He also shares tips on how to foster a diverse talent-friendly work environment and to eventually become part of the change.
In this episode, find out:
- What diversity means in this context
- Why diversity is vital to the survival of businesses in the manufacturing industry
- Ways to ensure diversity thrives within the field
- How organizational culture attracts diverse and upcoming talent
- Why embracing hybrid business models is beneficial
- What characterizes a workplace that’s ready for diverse talent
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "Compensation is not only about money — it's thoughtful provisions and subsidies.”
- "Taking a person-centric approach doesn’t only make work-life more functional, it gives access to more talent.”
- “Looking at skilled positions like machinists and welders, both of them are about 95% male.”
Links & mentions:
- Equity Machine Works, a social enterprise operating as a manufacturing organization with the aim of bridging the skills gap within the industry and providing sustainable diversity practices
- Orion Industries, a non-profit social enterprise that provides vocational services and employment to individuals with barriers to employment
- Skills Inc., a self-supporting company offering a wide range of manufacturing jobs to people of all abilities
- Hiring for Diversity, by Arthur Woods
- Pioneer Industries Manufacturing, a social enterprise specializing in aerospace part production
- Quinn’s Pub, a hip gastropub located in Seattle, WA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Reimagining and Investing in Legacy Industries with Obvious Ventures’ Nan Li
Nan Li is a Managing Director at Obvious Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in entrepreneurs reimagining every sector of the global economy. Nan leads the firm’s investments in companies harnessing deep tech to transform legacy industries like pharmaceuticals, protein therapy, industrial materials, and manufacturing.
In this episode, we learn about what Nan looks for in startups and why it’s not just about a winning business idea. It’s also about the founder and the team themselves. We hear some insights into how the tech world has been changing and moving towards greater adoption of robotics. Nan also shares his predictions for the future and why he thinks startups will increasingly spread advanced technologies to legacy industries.
In this episode, find out:
- Why networking is crucial in the startup world
- The importance of having an open mind as an investor
- Why startups will distribute tech to other industries
- Nan’s favorite examples of startups leading the way in tech
- What investors look for in a founder and team
- How startups in the Midwest differ from Silicon Valley
- What to expect from Nan’s Machine Visions podcast
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I think the first thing [I look for] is a team that is not tripped up by the technology alone.”
- “I think there's just going to be an explosion of new companies being started that are very problem-specific and tackle different things.”
- “I think that we will start seeing documented company-wide deployments of robots in the thousands of units in the next five years.”
Links & mentions:
- Obvious Ventures, venture capital firm investing in entrepreneurs reimagining legacy sectors of the global economy
- Machine Visions Podcast, a show about the acceleration of robotics deployed across every sector of our economy hosted by Nan Li
- Toronado, a classic craft beer bar in San Francisco, CA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Leaders in Robotics, AMRs, and Logistics, Pt. 2 of 2 (brought to you by A3)
We’re back for Part 2 of our 2021 AMRs and Logistics Conference double feature. This time we’ve got 6 more interviews with leaders from across the robotics and logistics world. These conversations were recorded live at A3’s recent show in Memphis, TN, where hundreds of leaders from across the industry converged for a long-awaited reunion full of keynotes, demos, and plenty of hallway conversations.
Jake Hall “The Manufacturing Millennial” joins us again as we talk shop with our next round of guests, including:
· Daniel Theobald, Founder and CIO of Vecna Robotics
· Jason Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of Waypoint Robotics
· Ben Waters, Co-Founder and CEO of WiBotic
· Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch Robotics
· Michael Patrick Perry, VP of Marketing at Dexterity
· Aaron Prather, Senior Technical Advisor at FedEx
Once again, we owe a big thanks to A3 – The Association for Advancing Automation – for bringing these amazing folks together. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Leaders in Robotics, AMRs, and Logistics, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by A3)
We’ve got not 1, not 2, but TWELVE interviews for you this week on Manufacturing Happy Hour in a special two-part episode. A3’s 2021 AMRs and Logistics Conference in Memphis, TN brought together robotics and technology leaders from across the industrial world and we had the opportunity to speak to 12 of the individuals that are leading the way in this space. We owe a big thanks to A3 – The Association for Advancing Automation – for bringing these amazing folks together.
In these episodes, Jake Hall – The Manufacturing Millennial and past guest of the show – joins Chris Luecke to co-host these interviews as we talk robotics, workforce, and career. Get ready to learn from the following six guests in Part 1 of this special feature:
· Ed Mullen of MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots)
· Erik Nieves of Plus One Robotics
· Joe Gemma of Calvary Robotics
· Ryan Finelli of Humatics
· Carole Franklin of A3
· Roger Christian of Yaskawa Motoman
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Building Roller Coasters and Building a Brand with Rocky Mountain Construction COO Jake Kilcup
What’s it like to be in the business of “selling smiles”?
Jake Kilcup, Chief Operating Officer at Rocky Mountain Construction, fills us in. Rocky Mountain Construction or RMC is a roller coaster manufacturer based in Hayden, Idaho. If you’ve ever taken a ride on Goliath at Six Flags Great America, the Lightning Rod at Dollywood, or Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain, you’ve seen their handiwork in action.
In this episode, Jake takes us behind the scenes at RMC to share a bit about the manufacturing process, what it’s like working as a close-knit team, and how RMC has grown so quickly. You’ll hear about the secrets of RMC’s success, why planning is essential with any type of manufacturing, and how to keep a positive mindset when things get tough.
We round off the talk by swapping roller coaster stories, and Jake explains why seeing the finished project and how it makes people feel makes it all worthwhile.
In this episode, find out:
- What it’s like to be in the business of “selling smiles”
- The typical RMC manufacturing process
- How RMC grew quickly and learned important lessons along the way
- Why you need solid plans no matter what area of manufacturing you’re in
- What the typical timeframe to complete a project looks like
- Why anything is possible, it’s all just down to mindset
- What it’s like working as a close-knit team
- Why grit and determination are the most important tools of the trade
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You can work on something forever to try to make it more efficient, or just make it better. But there has to be a point where you say, okay, this is acceptable, and it's on time.”
- “Anything is possible. You just have to change your frame of mind.”
- “We're a fun, family-owned, hard-working company that focuses on fun. And thankfully, we're in an industry that's solely based on selling smiles.”
Links & mentions:
- Rocky Mountain Construction, roller coaster designer and manufacturer based in Hayden, Idaho
- This Is How We Roll, a documentary about RMC created by Coaster Studios
- Mad Bomber Brewing Company, brewery located in Hayden, ID
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Common Cybersecurity Threats and What to Do about Them with Dana Mantilia
Dana Mantilia is a cybersecurity expert specializing in security and employee training, as well as identity theft protection. She’s the Founder of Identity Protection Planning, where she assists small to medium-sized businesses through her security products and services. Plus, she’s built a great name for herself in the security space through her viral videos that simplify some of the most important topics in cybersecurity.
In this episode, Dana takes us through some of the simple steps that all businesses need to take to ensure they’re better protected from cyber-attacks. She explains why businesses shouldn’t just relegate cybersecurity to the IT department. It should be something that everyone gets involved in.
Dana shares the two simplest ways everyone can better protect themselves and the company they work for and why cybersecurity practices start at home.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- Why most cybersecurity issues stem from non-technical employees
- Why education on cybersecurity is essential
- How to start with the basics of cybersecurity
- Why cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls
- Why being a small company doesn’t mean you’re safe from hackers
- The starting steps that companies can take to become more secure
- How Dana’s company meets CMMC requirements
- Why you should probably change your Google account password
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
“From a hacker’s point of view, it's 100 times easier to trick somebody into giving something away versus trying to learn how to hack all this stuff and get into the system.”
“Let's start with some basic cyber hygiene, some basic policies, and get the culture within the organization to start paying a little bit more attention to what we're clicking on.”
“85% of the problems are being caused by the non-technical people either clicking on something or giving away credentials accidentally.”
Links & mentions:
Identity Protection Planning, offering a range of cybersecurity trainings, products, and services; helping to protect Americans, their families, and their businesses from ID theft and cyber crimes
Cyber Security with Dana Mantilia, click here to subscribe to Dana’s YouTube channel
CMMC Accreditation Body, Dana’s company makes the process for meeting the needs and requirements of CMMC simple; if you are a manufacturer working with the DoD, learn more about CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Module Certification) here
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
HUGO BOSS, Smart Factories, and Pivoting to Entrepreneurship with Joachim Hensch
Joachim Hensch is a master tailor and for years dreamed of opening his own shop. In reality, he did that on a much larger scale during his 24+ year career at HUGO BOSS. There, he moved from product development to becoming the Managing Director of their massive Izmir, Turkey facility, where he led a best-in-class digital transformation. Now, he’s helping other manufacturing leaders with their digital transformations through Joachim Hensch Consulting.
In this episode, Joachim takes us through the story of his career. He shares the learnings he’s picked up along the way that allows him to give world-class advice to his clients today. He explains why digital transformation is a must, but it has to be done the right way. Joachim has seen many mistakes from business leaders, and it often boils down to focusing too much on the tech rather than building a plan first.
Joachim also shares his thoughts on Industry 4.0 and reveals how it’s not really about the tech. It’s about solving the complexities of a growing company. We round the talk off by agreeing that there is one thing you can’t apply digitalization to – and that’s having a beer with friends.
In this episode, find out:
- Why companies need to embrace digital transformation
- Joachim’s early career as a tailor
- How Joachim pivoted to a managerial role at HUGO BOSS
- How he managed to motivate and speak to a team of 4,000 people
- Why Joachim decided to build a digital twin
- The impact transparency in the workplace has on morale
- Top mistakes in digital transformation to avoid
- Why now is the best time to start a business
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “There's a huge misunderstanding because people always start with tech. And what I do nowadays is I help organizations and companies and leaders in first crafting the plan.”
- “One of the tools to handle complexity is digitalization. But we don't start with digitalization. This is just the tool.”
- “When you do this transformation, you have to make a lot of bold moves. And you have to also accept that a lot of things won’t work, so you have to be fast in making corrections.”
Links & mentions:
- Joachim Hensch Consulting, helping manufacturers create their factory of the future with the tools of Industry 4.0…no academic talk, just action!
- VIDEO: Joachim Hensch, TEDxBergamo, Smart Factory? Smart People?
- VIDEO: Creating a tailored production process with Joachim Hensch, The Leadership Network
- HUGO BOSS, a German luxury fashion house headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Truth about Machine Learning with Oden Technologies CEO Willem Sundblad
Willem Sundblad was born into the manufacturing world in Sweden as part of a family with a long history in the pulp & paper industry. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Oden Technologies, he’s continuing that legacy in the US through his company, one that’s leading the charge in the machine learning space.
In this episode, Willem digs into the heart of the machine learning discussion in manufacturing. He highlights the process of integrating it into a company and why the culture of the workforce is key to success. Willem shares his thoughts on guided analytics and explains how intelligent alerts can improve efficiency across the board.
Willem rounds off the discussion by explaining how Oden Technologies is helping to solve some of the common problems in manufacturing and how machine learning will impact the workforce.
In this episode, find out:
- Why applying new technologies to a company is so challenging
- How machine learning and narrow AI work in the context of manufacturing
- How guided analytics work
- When to know you’re ready for machine learning
- Why the adoption of machine learning is about culture and the workforce
- How Oden Technologies is helping to solve common problems in manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- "You want the skill and the will in the factory to be high.”
- “Machine learning can be really effective at actually understanding the true patterns.”
- “The real challenge was to really understand user behavior, the manufacturer, the real problems that you're trying to solve, and working on the machine-to-machine angle, wasn't really going to drive that.”
Links & mentions:
- Oden Technologies, industrial IoT and analytics software for manufacturers
- Willem Sundblad, Forbes Contributor
- Åre, one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts
- Akvavit, a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Sweden
- Malort, “Like a Schnapps, but instead of peppermint, it’s flavored with screams of the damned”
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Oral History of the Retro Encabulator with Mike Kraft
In the manufacturing industry, the Retro Encabulator needs no introduction. However, there’s a good chance you don’t know the actor behind this infamous technobabble video. His name is Mike Kraft, a long-time actor and voice talent, and today, he shares the whole story behind Allen-Bradley’s viral Retro Encabulator video.
In this episode, Mike takes us behind the scenes of how the video came to be and the things he’s learned in his career by working in different industries.
On the acting side, Mike shares how to deal with rejection and his tips for acting success. Mike explains how announcer-style videos are going out of fashion, which is why it’s so important to know what you’re talking about rather than just pretending to.
We also get a hint into whether we’ll ever see a Retro Encabulator reboot anytime soon…
In this episode, find out:
- How the Retro Encabulator video came to be
- Why you get to learn a lot about different industries as a voice actor
- How to deal with rejection
- Why announcer-style videos are going out of fashion
- The story behind the ‘Silver Man’ character
- Whether Retro Encabulator will ever get a reboot
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The reality of it is you can't be everyone for everybody all the time.”
- “Know what you're talking about. And be just the best version of yourself you can be, and don't try and be an announcer.”
- “The way I describe my job poorly is I pretend to know what I'm talking about. That's essential.”
Links & mentions:
- Retro Encabultor, the best viral technobabble video on the internet
- Rockwell Automation, parent company of Allen-Bradley, who really should be taking way more credit for their involvement in the Retro Encabulator video. Hit them up on Twitter and see if they’ll take Mike up on his offer to make a “Retro Encabulator 2.0” video!
- Retro Encabulator IPA, brewed in collaboration with the engineers and electricians of Great Lakes Brewing Company, Retro Encabulator IPA uses a modial interaction of Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Citra, and Mosaic hops for an enhanced magneto-reluctance and capacitive diractance. Confused by the jargon? In layman's terms, Retro Encabulator is a hop-charged IPA with grapefruit, tangerine, and tropical fruit flavors and a slightly chewy malt body. Part of our Small Batch Pilot System series.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Reframing the Startup Narrative for Industry Featuring gener8tor’s Julius Valentine Maina
Julius Valentine Maina believes it’s time for startups to start thinking about industry and not just cool tech. Julius is the Chief of Staff at gener8tor, a startup accelerator for the creative economy that connects founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, and even musicians and artists.
In this episode, Julius explains why he wants to make tech fun and why everyone has the potential to be an entrepreneur. He explains how gener8tor helps to educate and support startups in getting funding and improving diversity at a team level and beyond. He speaks about diversity and inclusion and why it needs to be about more than a PR exercise.
Julius goes on to explain how he likes to approach Venture Capitalists (VCs) about getting funding and why being a “hype man” is all about building that real connection to the person with the checkbook.
In this episode, find out:
- Why everyone is an innovator on some level
- How gener8tor teaches and supports entrepreneurship in a different way
- Why your founder story should start before your business
- Why diversity should be more than a PR exercise
- How recruitment is the simplest way to increase diversity in your startup
- Why building connections is the key to winning a VC’s heart
- Why startups all need a “hype man”
- The benefits of starting with the market first, then the problem as a new startup
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Find the market, the biggest one, which actually guarantees that you'll hit something. Find the community you're trying to impact and find the problem.”
- “You want to be investable. You want to be in an industry that matters. Not only now but ten years from now.”
- “Everybody, at some level, is an innovator and an entrepreneur. They just don't have the resources and the tools to really map that out.”
Links & mentions:
- gener8tor, a turnkey platform offering more than 40 different programs spanning accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, upskilling, and fellowships+
- Guilford Hall Brewery, a European-style dining experience in a revitalized historic Baltimore, MD site, located in the original 1989 Crown, Cork, and Seal factory in Station North
- The Vanguard, a bar and restaurant in Downtown Bayview Milwaukee that sells some of the best cheese curds in the city
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
From Sports Writing to the Association for Advancing Automation with A3 President Jeff Burnstein
Jeff Burnstein is the President of A3, the Association for Advancing Automation. For more than 35 years, he’s been advocating for the use of robotics, machine vision, and motion control across the industrial world. Now more than ever, it seems that many manufacturing leaders are hearing his mission loud and clear.
In this episode, Jeff shares some background on how he initially became interested in automation, despite wanting to be a sports writer. He also explains how A3 helps to broaden the conversation and provide support to industries adjusting to automation. Jeff discusses how robots and automation aren’t the threat to the job market that people believe and why they’ll improve the quality and safety of jobs instead.
He rounds off the interview by talking about A3’s events and why automation is still in the early innings for many industries.
In this episode, find out:
- How someone with a major in English literature built a career in automation
- Why the Association for Advancing Automation is helping to broaden the discussion around automation
- Why automation is a good thing for the job market
- How manufacturing has grown in the US
- Why we need to do more to educate and encourage the next generation of manufacturers
- The big trends in manufacturing and automation
- Why Automate.org hosts events in automation, robotics, and AI
- Why automation is still in the early innings
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You don't change the education system overnight. But in an increasingly automated world, we have to have talent.”
- “There are a lot of reasons why manufacturing in the US with automation, or in Canada or Mexico, is a better plan than trying to chase low-cost labor around the world.”
- “People, when they think about robotics and automation, think because the first robot was installed in 1961, that this must all be a mature industry. No, not at all.”
Links & mentions:
- Automate.org, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), North America’s largest automation trade association.
- Autonomous Mobile Robots & Logistics Conference, A3’s conference held in October in Tennessee
- Zig Zag Cafe, a hip craft cocktail bar in Seattle, WA with gourmet snacks, tucked away by a staircase near Pike Place Market
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Submarines, IoT, and Intrapreneurship with Ericsson's Rob Tiffany
Rob Tiffany needs no introduction in the manufacturing world. His name might as well be synonymous with the Internet of Things, and right now, he’s a VP and IoT Intrapreneur at Ericsson.
In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, from submarines and the Navy to IoT, intrapreneurship, and saving the world. We chat about how Rob first got started in the world of IoT and manufacturing after a career in the Navy working on submarines. Rob shares some insights into the early days of smartphone manufacturing, how ‘trains as a service’ became a thing in Europe, the roadblocks in IoT’s way, and much more.
Tune in to learn more about the Internet of Things, where it’s heading in the future, and why we as manufacturers should stop over-complicating what it really means.
In this episode, find out:
- What IoT is and why we overcomplicate it
- What Rob learned from being in the Navy and working on submarines
- How working on submarines provides so many transferable skills for manufacturing
- The early days of IoT and building the early smartphones
- How ‘trains as a service’ became a real business proposition
- Why Rob loves IoT
- The challenges and roadblocks to IoT
- How Ericsson encourage intrapreneurship
- How Rob is helping to “save the world” with the Moab Foundation
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Security is neck and neck in first place on why IoT is not working out.”
- “I'd say most IoT systems look like just modern versions of the old stuff that people did a long time ago.”
- “Think about a submarine. It is a heavy piece of machinery. And guess what? Things break, and things have to get fixed. And so, you definitely learn a lot of great skills just from spending time there.”
Links & mentions:
- Rob Tiffany Digital, website for the industry-leading technologist and thought leader
- The Moab Foundation, using connected intelligence to create a more sustainable world
- The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, by Clayton M. Christensen
- Ericsson, Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company
- FX McRory’s, a bar that used to be located in downtown Seattle by the football stadium that’s currently relocating
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
On-Demand Labor, Operations, and Finding a Co-Founder with Veryable CEO Mike Kinder
Mike Kinder is the Co-Founder & CEO of Veryable and has an exceptional track record in the industrial manufacturing and supply chain operations world. He's been building teams, solving complex problems, and driving growth within companies for over 20 years. Now, he's taking on what is one of the most complex problems in manufacturing: finding the right talent to fill roles in manufacturing environments where production demands are constantly changing.
In this episode, we discuss where Veryable is now, where it’s heading, and how it expanded during the pandemic. Mike shares his opinion on why the pandemic exaggerated a growing problem and how Veryable is helping to solve it.
Mike shares his tips for others looking to become an entrepreneur in manufacturing, why Operations is a vital yet overlooked area, and how to act more like a start-up. We round the interview off with some leadership tips inspired by Ron Swanson, and Mike shares what he believes the key to innovation in manufacturing is.
In this episode, find out:
- How Veryable helps to solve the labor shortage problem in manufacturing
- How the company managed to expand over the pandemic
- Mike’s top tips for someone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur in the space
- The trends and challenges facing manufacturing
- Why you should play offense and act like a start-up
- Leadership lessons we can take from Ron Swanson
- Why you need to succeed and fail on your own terms
- Why the key to innovation is a strong vision
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You got to stay true to yourself, even if that means following your intuition.”
- “Succeed and fail on your own terms.”
- “The key to manufacturing innovation, in my opinion, and Veryable is based on this. It starts with establishing a vision.”
Links & mentions:
- Veryable, an on-demand platform that helps to fix the labor shortage problem in manufacturing
- Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest dance hall featuring country music, classic rock, and bull-riding, located in Ft. Worth, TX
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show
As trade shows return, it may take a conference or 2 to get back into the swing of things. In this bonus episode, we're giving you 5 strategies for rocking a trade show, whether you're an attendee or an exhibitor. From making the right connections to generating quality leads, you'll walk away from this episode with 5 easy-to-implement tips for making your next conference a success.
CNC, Hip Hop, and Turning Manufacturers into Heroes with Tony Gunn
Is it time to finally put the spotlight on manufacturing?
Traditionally, manufacturing has been a world people outside the industry don’t hear much about. It’s not seen as a flashy industry. People aren’t making TV shows and Hollywood movies about it. Manufacturing has been a bit behind when it comes to marketing, social media, and industry influencers. But things are starting to change. Tony Gunn, General Manager at MTDCNC Global, is on a mission to tackle this. He aims to help manufacturing get the voice and platform that it deserves.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Tony shares his best advice around promotion and some tips for getting ahead on LinkedIn. He explains why manufacturers need a way to show their authentic selves online. Tony also talks about the work he’s doing to help encourage schoolchildren to consider manufacturing as a career path. He believes this is essential to tackle the growing skills gap.
In this episode, find out:
- How Tony first came across manufacturing
- Why Tony’s mission is to put the spotlight on manufacturing
- The top tips for social media and content creation in manufacturing
- Why manufacturers struggle to show their authenticity online
- How promoting manufacturing to kids can help close the skills gap
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you are a company that's just getting into it and you want to brand yourself, go to Google, go to Instagram, put in the hashtag that you think is going to be the hashtag that you want for your company.”
- “We're not great at understanding how to utilize our voice on a global scale that gets echoed on places like social media, because many manufacturing and engineering, when it comes to the world of marketing is not like movies and TV shows and fashion and that industry.”
- “We're inspiring women to join us in a male-dominated industry.”
Links & mentions:
- MTDCNC, a successful one-of-a-kind marketing specialist covering multiple sectors of the engineering industry.
- The Gunn Show, MTD’s new podcast, hosted by Tony Gunn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leveraging Data to Reimagine the Product Design Process with Instrumental CEO Anna-Katrina Shedletsky
Can data transform the product design world?
That’s what Instrumental was created to do. Instrumental is a manufacturing optimization platform that uses data and AI to help companies improve their product lines. It cuts down on time spent diagnosing problems and faults and helps businesses ship out products faster.
To tell us all about it, Instrumental’s inspiring CEO and Founder, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
In this episode, Anna takes us behind-the-scenes at Instrumental and details exactly how it works so well. She explains the benefits of using data and how she came up with the idea after working in product design teams at Apple. Anna also explains why she started the Women in STEM Mentorship Program and how Instrumental bagged a spot on the Inc 5000 list.
In this episode, find out:
- How Instrumental uses product data to improve the manufacturing process
- Anna’s experience at Apple and what she learned there
- How school science fairs inspired and prepared her for being an entrepreneur
- How AI can help manufacturers find product faults
- How Instrumental helps companies improve their product design
- Why Anna started the Women in STEM Mentorship Program
- How Instrumental ended up on the Inc 5000 list
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We have customers that tell us it's like tripling the size of your engineering team to just have access to the data.”
- “What was kind of an interesting thing for me was just understanding that perfection is really difficult, and how hard it is to actually build something, millions of things, tens of thousands of things, it's so hard.”
- “One is the first step to many.”
Links & mentions:
- Gelatio, a spot in downtown Palo Alto that has amazing gelato, served alfresco, European style
- Instrumental, a manufacturing optimization platform that uses AI-powered proactive defect discovery to help companies improve their product lines
- Women in STEM Mentorship Program, a program Anna started to help women studying in STEM to transition into industry
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Hybrid Work Impacts Company Culture with Blentech CEO Dan Voit
Manufacturing Happy Hour is excited to welcome Dan Voit (Episode 1) back to the podcast!
Dan is the CEO of Blentech, a Bay Area-based food technology company specializing in equipment, systems, and software for the safe, nutritious, and consistent preparation of food.
Last time Dan was on the show, we talked about what it takes to create a strong culture within a manufacturing company. This time, we're taking a step further, discussing what this looks like when you move to a hybrid work model and how technology plays a part.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we revisit Dan’s beliefs about company culture to see if anything has changed over the past couple of years. Dan shares how he and his company has weathered the storm through the pandemic and the challenges he’s overcome.
He also explains why the hybrid working model suits Blentech best and why not all tasks are well suited to remote work.
In this episode, find out:
- How things have changed for Dan and Blentech since the last time he was on the show
- Why building great relationships is crucial for any business
- Why you need to be more deliberate in your communication with remote teams
- How Blentech approached remote work and opted for a hybrid model
- Why companies should trust their workers
- How Salesforce has been a crucial tool during the pandemic
- How Blentech managed to keep going through the pandemic
- Why some tasks are better for remote work than others
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “As you're working asynchronously remotely, you got to just trust that they're going to do it.”
- “Some work is best remote. Some work is inherently collaborative. Understand the difference. And I think that's a critical component to being successful.”
- “There are certain people that had to come in because their job needed to be done on-site. So from the beginning, we did have to maintain a hybrid model.”
Links & mentions:
- Blentech, a food technology company that designs, builds, and starts up advanced cooking and mixing technologies
- Episode 1 of Manufacturing Happy Hour, featuring Blentech as Dan Voit discusses their company culture
- The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Exploring the Intersection of Government and Business with ndustrial.io COO Natalie Birdwell
Natalie Birdwell has had an exciting career across the industrial world in both the public and private sectors. After starting her career as a sales engineer, she went on to get an MBA from UNC, worked with the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and is now the COO of a cutting-edge industrial IoT, analytics, and optimization company called ndustrial.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we look behind the curtain at what it’s like to work in the public sector and the challenges that come with it.
As someone who’s had experience in private and public sector companies, small startups, and bigger corporations, she has a wealth of knowledge and advice to share.
Natalie discusses her career, advice for others looking to make a career switch, and how ndustrial ticks all the boxes for what she wants in a role.
In this episode, find out:
- What the early days of Natalie’s career looked like and why she got an MBA
- Why success is a team sport
- Why she moved into the public sector and learned more about working with the government
- The challenges of working in the public sector
- How the role at ndustrial aligned with Natalie’s values
- Natalie’s advice for those jumping from big businesses to small startups
- What she learned from her experiences in multiple different business types
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Our mission was to really truly serve on behalf of the folks that live in North Carolina, and so keeping that as our main focus always brought us back to the center of truth.”
- “When I came to ndustrial.IO, I came back to the root of how I've always been passionate about helping businesses grow.”
- “If you've always been in a large company, there's a lot of resources at your fingertips. And so if you don't have an appreciation for how those resources and things are developed, or at least an interest in that, it can be a little bit of a rude awakening.”
Links & mentions:
- ndustrial, a company that delivers an open industrial analytics and optimization platform that enables factories to digitally transform for a sustained competitive advantage
- Lynnwood Brewing Concern, brewing quality, award-winning craft beer in Raleigh, NC
- Modecai Beverage Co., Raleigh's first combined brewery, taproom & bottle shop
- The Raleigh Beer Garden, serving the world’s largest selection of draft beers available in a single restaurant
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
From Operations to Climate Change, Digital Transformation Impacts Everything featuring Microsoft's Çağlayan Arkan
Çağlayan Arkan is the Vice President of Manufacturing & Supply Chain at Microsoft. This week, he’s here to share how digital transformation impacts so many aspects of manufacturing as well as our daily lives.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Çağlayan covers a lot of ground. From talking about digital transformation in the industry to the skills gap, automation, and sustainability, Çağlayan demonstrates just how important digital transformation is across the board.
Çağlayan shares some fantastic tips for those interested in manufacturing and urges people to consider it as a lucrative career path. He also shares some insights into the future of manufacturing and how automation will affect our ability to be sustainable and take action on climate change.
In this episode, find out:
- How manufacturing has adapted (or been slow to adapt) to digital transformation
- How adopting technology should influence company culture
- Why the skills gap is only getting bigger
- Why manufacturing is open to all
- How digital transformation can aid in sustainability goals
- Çağlayan’s top tips for manufacturing professionals
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It starts with awareness, informing policy, and then operationally again acting on data.”
- “Regardless of age, gender, geography and culture, and even language, you can be valuable, you can be productive, and you can be part of supply chains and manufacturing companies or operations.”
- “The only thing that you cannot afford to do is not take action or wait.”
Links & mentions:
- The Economist Intelligence Unit Study, commissioned by Microsoft
- 4 things manufacturers should prioritize as they prepare for what’s next, an article by Çağlayan
- Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing, digitally enabling workforces with smarter, secure solutions
- Cantinetta, an Italian restaurant in Bellevue, Washington with a fantastic wine list
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
What the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks can teach us about marketing and leadership
The Milwaukee Bucks’ run to win the 2021 NBA Championship was nothing short of remarkable. So what do business leaders, marketers, and the Bucks have in common? Find out in this week's special edition of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
Last Friday, we sat down with Richie Burke - Founder of GoGeddit Marketing & Media and life-long Bucks fan - to riff about the incredible turnaround the Bucks organization has made over the latter half of the past decade and the selfless displays of leadership we saw in the NBA Finals. From holistic branding to humility to our favorite moments of the playoffs, this episode was a ton of fun to record and should have plenty of takeaways for manufacturing leaders and beyond.
Closing the Gender Gap in Manufacturing with Meaghan Ziemba
Meaghan Ziemba is THE Maven of Manufacturing! As a writer by trade, she developed an early passion for storytelling and is now empowering women to change the world through manufacturing via her podcast Mavens of Manufacturing.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Meaghan discusses the role of good storytelling in the manufacturing industry and why many leaders overlook it. She shares the story behind starting her podcast and how she overcame her fears and did it anyway.
Meaghan explores the problem of the gender gap in manufacturing and the reasons behind it. She believes that a lack of awareness of manufacturing and its different career paths is a huge barrier to a diverse workforce.
In this episode, find out:
- How Meaghan’s background in writing and storytelling led her to where she is now
- Why Meaghan launched the Mavens of Manufacturing podcast
- The crucial lesson Meaghan learned when she was nervous about starting a podcast
- Why boosting interest and diversity in manufacturing begins with school kids
- Why diversity isn’t just fair, it’s beneficial to everyone
- What lessons Meaghan learned from being a parent
- Meaghan’s tips for industry leaders who want to boost diversity
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Good storytelling is what gets people to have conversations and to exchange information with each other. It also helps build those trusting relationships that are so important for companies.”
- “LinkedIn is the greatest hub for manufacturers out there. Because everyone is on it right now.”
- “You really have to be authentic and transparent and really mesh well with who your customer base is.”
Links & mentions:
- Mavens of Manufacturing, Meaghan Ziemba’s live video series that celebrates women in manufacturing, from the shop floor to the c-suite
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High, by Kerry Patterson
- City Museum, a museum whose exhibits consist largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects, housed in the former International Shoe building in the Washington Avenue Loft District of St. Louis, MO…in other words, it’s basically the world’s largest adult playground
- The Gunn Show, MTDCNC’s manufacturing industry podcast hosted by Tony Gunn
- Pig Minds Brewing, a craft brewery in Machesney Park, IL specializing in vegan takes on traditional pub food
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Why “Spot” the Mobile Robot is Made for Manufacturing with Boston Dynamics’ Michael Perry
You’ve seen the viral videos of Spot, Boston Dynamics’ famous robotic dog, dancing to your favorite tunes, but did you know that this canine-inspired mobile robot has tons of practical applications in manufacturing too? Michael Perry, VP of Business Development at Boston Dynamics, shares how Spot is helping manufacturers optimize their processes and improve their safety standards in this week’s interview.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Michael shares some insights into his background and how he came to work with robots. He explains how and why Spot was created and what more mobile robots in the industry could mean for safety, processes, and efficiency. He also gives us a window into where he thinks the future of mobile robots is heading.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
In this episode, find out:
- The potential use cases for mobile robots
- The benefits of using mobile robots in manufacturing and other industries
- Why a great product is key to a great business
- How Boston Dynamics created Spot the robot dancing dog
- How robots can improve safety and processes
- What the future of mobile robots will look like
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “With Boston Dynamics, we've gone abroad much faster than a typical start-up would because we see a lot of the value that the international ecosystem of customers and partners are able to provide to the technology.”
- “The area that's coming next for the robot is this notion of mobile manipulation. And so, where the robots not just sensing the world, but sensing the world and physically interacting with it.”
- “I think that it’s going to be a game-changer for the technology.”
Links & mentions:
- Boston Dynamics, a robotics design company born out of MIT that also has application expertise in manufacturing, including case studies at Ford, Merck, and many others
- Might Squirrel Brewing Co., a Waltham, MA brewery complete with food trucks and a climbing wall
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Greatest Hits: 3 Cybersecurity Lessons from Manufacturing Happy Hour
After some recent cyber attacks on various verticals within the manufacturing world, Cybersecurity is on the mind of manufacturers everywhere. This week, we're diving back in the archives to bring you 3 of the best lessons we've ever received surrounding cybersecurity. We'll be tapping into 3 past guests to hear their practical approaches for getting started on a robust cybersecurity program while protecting against some of the latest threats like ransomware.
If you enjoy this episode, please consider sending a link for this episode to your CISO or other security leaders within your companies or professional networks. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leveraging the R&D Tax Credit for Manufacturers with CohnReznick
Let’s get this out of the way first: Manufacturers are leaving money on the table.
If you’re a US manufacturer and you have yet to take advantage of the R&D tax credit, you need to listen to this episode.
This week, we are joined by Jessie Cahill and Scott Hamilton, who are both experts in Research & Development Tax Credit Services at CohnReznick. These two are helping put money back in the pockets of manufacturers through the R&D Tax Credit.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, you’ll get a bit of tax advice for free. Jessie and Scott explain the benefits and process behind claiming for R&D tax credits.
They dispel some common myths and urge everyone in manufacturing to check if they’re eligible. It’s not just the guys in lab coats who get approved. As long as you’re creating, designing, or improving something, you could be in with a shot to save some serious cash on your tax bill.
In this episode, find out:
- What R&D tax credit is
- Who can qualify for tax credit
- The top activities that qualify for R&D tax credit
- How manufacturers can be more proactive about tracking what’s eligible for tax credits
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “It's really a broad credit. So most companies are going to qualify for this.” – Jessie Cahill
- “You don't think of R&D, and people making little fixes and changes, as really counting towards it, but it does.” – Jessie Cahill
- “What I like to tell clients is, if you've got people in the United States, working on smart stuff, then you probably are eligible for the credit.” – Scott Hamilton
Links & mentions:
- CohnReznick LLP, a leading advisory, assurance, and tax firm helping forward-thinking organizations achieve their vision with extensive expertise in the R&D Tax Credit
- Five Boroughs Brewing, a brewery and taproom in the heart of Sunset Park, Brooklyn
- Hi-Time Wine Cellars, specializing in tequila, this wine & spirits shop is located in Costa Mesa, CA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
What’s Next in Additive Manufacturing with Jeff Mize, CEO of PostProcess Technologies
We’re back with another additive manufacturing episode of the podcast. This time, we’re talking to Jeff Mize, the CEO of PostProcess Technologies. Jeff and his team are revolutionizing additive manufacturing by pioneering automated and intelligent solutions to remove the biggest bottleneck in the 3D printing process: post-processing.
Yes, the company is literally named after the third step in the additive manufacturing process. PostProcess is basically the Kleenex of the 3D printing world. Talk about great branding!
In this episode, Jeff takes us through how PostProcess spotted a gap in the market and transformed it with a little help from data science and digitization. We talk about how additive manufacturing is taking the medical and dental worlds by storm, and why PostProcess is committed to making its operations as safe and sustainable as possible. We also get to hear the biggest lesson that Jeff learned from his time in Silicon Valley and how it’s helped to shape the trajectory of his career.
In this episode, find out:
- What the three steps in additive process design are
- How PostProcess Technologies spotted a gap in the post-printing market
- Why additive manufacturing is ripe for leveraging data science
- The biggest lesson Jeff learned from his time in Silicon Valley
- How additive manufacturing is transforming the medical and dental world
- Why PostProcess is determined to improve safety and sustainability
- The biggest challenges in the manufacturing sector
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “They have developed 3D printed guides for surgery…printed for each individual patient, which takes a lot of the guesswork out. And so, the surgeon becomes less of an artist and more of a scientist.”
- “Many people weren't measuring their ROI in terms of how much time they were actually spending on post-printing. In fact, on average of the post-print spend is about 25 to 30% of the overall cost.”
- “When I started digging in additive manufacturing, I thought, this market is absolutely ripe to leverage data science.”
Links & mentions:
- PostProcess Technologies, revolutionizing the way manufacturers scale through the world’s first and only automated support removal and surface finishing for 3D printed parts
- 36 Handles, an easy-going bar in El Dorado Hills serving up classic pub fare, many draft beers, and live music
- Young’s Vineyard, winery serving old vin Zinfindel located in Amador County, California
- Villa Toscano Winery, also located in Plymouth, CA
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
From Robotics to Workforce to Tech in Pop Culture with FedEx’s Aaron Prather
If you’re in manufacturing, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Aaron Prather pop up on LinkedIn. The company he works for is a household name as well.
Not only is Aaron a Senior Technical Advisor at FedEx, but he's also an evangelist for automation and workforce development. Whether you’ve come across his robotics videos on social media, or this is your first time hearing about him, you’ll get to hear his whole story this week on Manufacturing Happy Hour.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Aaron takes us through how he posts fun LinkedIn videos to educate and inspire people to get into robotics and manufacturing. He shares the fantastic story of how he rose through the ranks at FedEx and established a 25-year career there.
Aaron also shares his top tips for those thinking about getting into manufacturing and robotics and what you need to do to propel your career forward. We also round off the talk with some pop culture talk and what we can learn from Futurama.
In this episode, find out:
- Why Aaron uses LinkedIn videos to talk about robots in the workforce
- How Aaron worked through the ranks at FedEx to get where he is now
- How networking and building connections can propel your career
- The effects of the pandemic on eCommerce
- How robots are creating jobs in manufacturing
- What people can learn about technology from Futurama
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Don't think that because you didn't go to a four-year college, you're not going to be successful.”
- “You can do all the robotics and automation you want, but if you don't have the workforce on top of that, buying into it, you ain't getting anywhere with it.”
- "If you want to get into robotics and automation, look for those old dirty, dangerous job use cases. Those are the ones you go after.”
Links & mentions:
- ARM Institute, a leading research institute specializing in robotics in manufacturing
- eKami, the Eastern Kentucky Manufacturing Institute
- Ghost River Brewery, Memphis’ first craft brewery
- Wise Acre Brewery, home of the Prank Calls to Satan IPA, also based in Memphis, TN
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cars, Welding Robots, and Midwest Startups with Path Robotic's Sheena Patterson
One of the best things about a career in manufacturing is that there’s so much variety! One person who can attest to that is Sheena Patterson, who joins us in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
Sheena has been zooming through an incredible career in manufacturing that's taken her from the Midwest to Silicon Valley and back in less than a decade. Having led as an engineer with companies like Ford, Tesla, and Zoox, she's now the Vice President of Operations at Path Robotics, a company that's leading the way in automated welding robots.
In this episode, Sheena takes us through her different job roles over the years, what it’s really like to work with Elon Musk, and how she got into the robots-as-a-service field. We hear what working in an automotive plant is like and why people management and relationships are an overlooked part of the manufacturing world.
In this episode, find out:
- How Sheena made the move from Ford to Tesla
- Why people management and relationships are a vital yet overlooked part of manufacturing
- Why the midwestern startup scene is booming
- How Path Robotic’s robot-as-a-service works
- Sheena’s top tip for those new to manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The industry and technology are changing so much that you can't just drop a piece of equipment and say, ‘Good luck, I hope this lives for the next 30 years.’ You need that as-a-service support model.”
- “The biggest thing that has allowed me to get to the companies that I want to be at is never saying no to an opportunity.”
- “We have this influx of more talent, of different mindsets. And I think that just speaks volumes to what the Midwest is able to pull back from the coasts.”
Links & mentions:
- Path Robotics, manufacturers of autonomous welding robots
- Drive Capital, a venture capital firm founded to invest in tech start-ups outside of Silicon Valley, invested in more than 40 companies across the United States and Canada
- Watershed Distillery, dedicated to producing high-quality gins, bourbon, and other spirits in Columbus, OH
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
All Things Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) with Seegrid's Jeff Christensen
Is the world of automation and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) something to fear or celebrate?
People worry about robots taking jobs, but according to this Manufacturing Happy Hour guest, robots are here to save the day.
Jeff Christensen, VP of Product at Seegrid, joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his work with AMR, automation, and problem-solving technology in the manufacturing space. He challenges the idea that automation and robots are something to be worried about and prefers to think of them as more complementary to human workers.
Jeff also explains how technological advancement raises the bar for society and why people shouldn’t be so averse to adopting new technology and AMR into their production lines.
In this episode, find out:
- Why robotics is so important in modern manufacturing
- How Jeff made a jump from a background in music and economics into the world of AMR
- What autonomous mobile robots are and why they’re useful
- How humans and robots are good at different things
- How the manufacturing industry has adapted to automation and new technology
- Why some in the industry are hesitant to adapt to automation and AMR
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Robots are cool. But they're being applied to a real business problem. They're delivering real value. At exactly the time that the market desperately needs a new answer.”
- “The faster you move, the more advantage you're going to have over your competition in the future.”
- “The industry is facing all sorts of pressures, economic pressures, demand pressures. They've got to go faster, better, cheaper, all at the same time. And they just can't do with the old ways. And robots happened to be here to save the day.”
Links & mentions:
- Seegrid, a smart solution combing autonomous mobile robots, enterprise software, warehouse equipment, and more.
- Sharp Edge, a Pittsburgh bar and brewery specializing in Belgian beer.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A Look Ahead to the Next Decade in Manufacturing featuring Salesforce's Ryan Moylan
What does a future-ready manufacturer look like? What trends and practices are here to stay post-pandemic?
These are just a couple of the questions that Salesforce set out to answer in their recent Trends in Manufacturing report. After talking to over 750 industry leaders across the manufacturing world to get their take on the future of manufacturing, we had to take the opportunity to learn more about this through an interview with Salesforce’s Director of Manufacturing, Automotive, and Energy, Ryan Moylan.
In this episode, Ryan takes us through the facts and figures of the Salesforce report and discusses what they could mean for the future of manufacturing. He also shares some insights into what makes a future-ready manufacturer and how the top companies managed to weather the storm of COVID-19.
Ryan rounds it off by sharing the top three things that will help manufacturers succeed over the next decade. He says the top priority is to design a digital transformation roadmap.
In this episode, find out:
- How Salesforce operates in the manufacturing world
- What the Salesforce Trends in Manufacturing report tells us about the future
- How COVID has been an accelerant for a lot of initiatives
- How companies are preparing for the future
- The importance of agility and a proactive response
- Why companies need a digital transformation roadmap
- Why future-ready manufacturers store so much in the cloud
- Ryan’s top three things that companies will need to do to succeed in the next decade
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Companies need to really hammer out a digital transformation roadmap they can get behind.”
- “Future-ready manufacturers are ahead as it relates to thinking about and delivering on servitization.”
- “There are more and more companies that see a first-mover do some things around digital transformation. And they say, ‘Hey, they're setting a precedent that we need to meet.’”
Links & mentions:
- Trends in Manufacturing Report, compiled by Salesforce based on the feedback of over 750 global manufacturing leaders across all industries; you can also check out this interactive tableau dashboard to see trends by industry and region
- Leff’s Lucky Town, a homey bar & eatery with signature burgers, large pretzels & a long beer list in a historic venue in Wauwatosa, WI
- Raised Grain Brewing Co., a great craft brewery with a sick taproom located in Waukesha, WI
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Greatest Hits: Top 3 Leadership Lessons from Manufacturing Happy Hour
We're diving back in the archives for this one. We're taking segments from 3 of our past interviews to bring you 3 of the best pieces of leadership advice that had ever come up on Manufacturing Happy Hour. From strategies for shaping culture to taking on unconscious bias in the workplace, this episode is for everyone that considers themselves a manufacturing leader.
6 Sales, Mindset, and Productivity Tips with RōBEX's Craig Francisco
We're bringing back RōBEX President Craig Francisco one last time as we take on a smorgasbord of topics impacting manufacturing leaders of all specializations. From sales to productivity, Craig shares some of his best lessons that you can find on his legacy podcast The 8 Keys of Sales Excellence in addition to what you can expect from his current show The Automation Solutions Podcast. It's a quick one, but this episode is jam packed with advice that will no doubt fuel your mindset.
BONUS: 4 LinkedIn Tips for Manufacturers
This week we're talking all things LinkedIn! It's been awhile since we've done a solo episode of the show for you. In this episode, Chris walks through 4 of his top tips for manufacturers that are on LinkedIn (and we're not just talking about the sales team). From building your personal brand to creating content that prioritizes timeliness over perfection, this episode will help you take your LinkedIn game to another level regardless of your role or title.
How Skills Matchmaking Technology Fills Critical Manufacturing Jobs with FactoryFix.com's Patrick O'Rahilly
Patrick O'Rahilly is the Founder of FactoryFix, a Chicago and Madison-based technology company connecting manufacturers with a network of vetted, skilled professionals through their innovative matchmaking platform. Said another way, Patrick and FactoryFix are taking on the hiring challenges of the manufacturing sector head-on!
This episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour was recorded live during a fireside chat from one of our recent virtual happy hours. We cover common hiring mistakes, Patrick's thoughts on the current manufacturing labor market, and what the future of hiring looks like for manufacturers. Then, we open it up to a Q&A and discussion with the rest of the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community.
In this episode, find out:
- How FactoryFix plays matchmaker between talented professionals and employers
- The most common mistakes people make with recruitment
- Why you should be proactive, not reactive when hiring
- Why employers need to address the pay rates problem
- Patrick’s tips for people new to the industry
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Land and expand. Get in the door, show what you can do, and justify that higher wage.”
- “There's a lot of unnecessary friction in recruiting and the hiring process…if you’re not hitting these applicants up the same day, forget about it. They’re gone.”
- “A lot of hiring is reactive. There's no plan for an employee once they get hired into one of these production positions.”
Links & mentions:
- FactoryFix, a platform connecting manufacturers with a network of vetted, skilled professionals
- Old Irving Brewing Co., a hidden gem on the northwest side of Chicago
- The Green Door Tavern, since 1872, Green Door Tavern is Chicago's oldest tavern - serving over 100 years of trouble (the good kind)
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Tier 1 Automotive, Sporting Goods, and More with Zach Arnold, President of Arnold Machine Inc. (AMI)
Zach Arnold is the President of Arnold Machine Inc. (AMI), a premier full-service engineering and equipment manufacturing business that he’s been running for almost three decades. After starting the company in a garage in 1994, AMI now operates out of a 50,000 square-foot facility in Tiffin, Ohio, where they make innovative automated equipment for applications in automotive, appliance, heavy industry, and beyond.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we sat down with Zach to discuss where AMI all started as a side business, eventually progressing to what it is today. Zach discusses the critical lessons he learned along the way, why he embraces innovation in manufacturing, and how he values building relationships as a vital part of the business. He also goes on to explain Machine as a Service and his approach to team training.
In this episode, find out:
- Where AMI’s story started from a side hustle in a garage to where it is today
- The challenges Zach faced when managing a business
- Why innovation is important to embrace rather than fight
- How Zach approaches different manufacturing markets
- What Machine as a Service is and the benefits of it
- The importance of team training and getting the right people in the right roles
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Don't be afraid to work, work, work and be a sponge. Soak up everything you possibly can.”
- “Keep the customer up to speed on what exactly is going on, answer questions, and do business with integrity.”
- “The nuts and bolts, for the most part, the processes, the components that we use, the thought process, it's all very similar.”
Links & mentions:
- Arnold Machine Inc. (AMI), collaborating with clients to engineer custom automation equipment
- Clover Club, the go-to tavern in Tiffin, OH
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leading the New American Manufacturing Renaissance with Andrew Crowe
Andrew Crowe might just be the most important person in manufacturing right now. He's a teacher, brand energizer, and a strong proponent for diversity in manufacturing, but that’s just scratching the surface.
After discovering the promise and potential of manufacturing after college, he created the Elevate Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. Elevate is a program that brings together companies, educators, and the next generation of aspiring youth to fill critical manufacturing jobs and lead the new American manufacturing renaissance.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Andrew shares his story and how he finally found his passion in manufacturing. He discusses why manufacturing is such a great career for young people in terms of salary, training, and progression. He also shares how he teaches and inspires the next generation of manufacturing industry leaders.
In this episode, find out:
- How Andrew’s background influenced his decision to go to college and pursue a career
- How Andrew first discovered his passion for manufacturing
- Elevate’s mission to inspire the next generation of manufacturing industry leaders
- Diversity and inclusion in the manufacturing industry
- How Andrew works with individuals and companies to get people into manufacturing
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We’re moving from a skilled trade to a smart trade.” – Andrew Crowe
- “Industry 4.0 is on the way right now.” – Andrew Crowe
- “All hope is not lost. American manufacturing is coming back.” – Andrew Crowe
Links & mentions:
- Elevate Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, website coming soon…
- Ranken Technical College, the leading Missouri technical college
- Andrew Crowe on MakingChips, another fantastic manufacturing podcast where you can hear more about Andrew’s story
- Earthbound Beer, a local St. Louis craft brewery on historic Cherokee Street
- Saint Louis Hop Shop, a retail craft beer store located in the Cherokee Street Business District of St. Louis, MO
- Black is Beautiful, a collaborative beer industry effort to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Doubling-Down on AMRs, Cobots, and Machine-as-a-Service with Craig Francisco
Craig Francisco is back on the podcast! And this time, he’s here to get technical…
Craig Francisco is the President at RōBEX, a new automation company that works with food, glass, and tissue industries. He’s previously spoken with us about digital marketing, but now it’s time to dive deep into the world of automation and robots.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Craig shares the top 3 automation trends he and his team at RōBEX are most excited about in 2021. From autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to leveraging new business models like their FLEXX Machine-as-a-Service program, we get into the details on this one. Craig also shares pragmatic advice on how to get customers comfortable with new technology and how to build a company culture that allows you to stay on the cutting edge.
In this episode, find out:
- How to prioritize which technologies to focus on
- How to get customers comfortable with new technology
- What Craig is most excited about in the automation world
- The top three automation trends
- What it takes to create a great company culture
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Never sacrifice company culture for revenue.” – Craig Francisco
- “What can we do to bring value to our customers without having them extend their funds?” – Craig Francisco
- “Engage the right person, that’s going to help you understand if something’s going to work for you.” – Craig Francisco
Links & mentions:
- RōBEX LLC, an industrial robotics and industrial automation company with uncommon experience & expertise
- MiR, a popular brand of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
- The Automation Solution Podcast, Craig’s podcast covering innovative, value-added, smart technology solutions that automate and optimize manufacturing processes
- FLEXX, RoBEX’s Machine-as-a-Service program
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look into Pizza Manufacturing with Nick Fallucca of Palermo’s Pizza
Nick Fallucca is passionate about pizza and people. He's the Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Palermo's Pizza, a company that's been an Italian frozen food staple in the Midwest and beyond for over 50 years.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we sit down with Nick to talk about all things pizza and what goes on behind-the-scenes in food manufacturing. He takes us through the challenges of packaging, experimenting with new ideas, and competing for shelf space. Nick also shares why building relationships with customers is so important and why you need to be passionate about what you do. We round off our talk on the importance of community and the ultimate debate of whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
In this episode, find out:
- What it’s like growing up in a family business
- The challenges of pizza manufacturing
- How to create a great product that sells
- Why it’s important to build relationships in sales
- What it takes to be successful and competitive in manufacturing
- The importance of community and charity
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You either innovate or you die."
- “A business is just a person behind a desk. It’s not like you’re selling to some robot. There’s still a person making those decisions.”
- “You’ve got to be so passionate about it that it’s not just your job. It’s kind of your life.”
- “When you open a pizza…there’s nothing hidden. All the ingredients are front and center. So, making a great pizza every time is not easy.”
Links & mentions:
- Palermo’s Pizza, Nick’s family business and award-winning pizza brand
- Only the Paranoid Survive, Andrew S. Grove’s book on overcoming challenges as a business leader
- Start With Why, Simon Sinek’s popular book for leaders
- Hosed On Brady, one of Chris’ go-to Brady Street bars
- The Roman Coin, a craft beer bar in Milwaukee that Nick recommends
- Arizmendi Bakery, a bakery and pizzeria in Emeryville, California
- Liguria Bakery, a San Francisco bakery famous for its fresh focaccia
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Using Content to Create a Digital Twin of Your Sales Team with Winbound's Greg Mischio
If you’re familiar with the term “digital twin” in manufacturing, maybe it’s time to start thinking of blogs, videos, and social media content as the digital twin of your sales force. Greg Mischio is the Owner & Founder of Winbound, a marketing agency that provides content marketing for small marketing departments with a focus on manufacturing and industrial verticals. He also knows a thing or two about good beer in Madison, WI (which is definitely a plus).
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we sit down with Greg to chat about all things content marketing. We look at how you can create real results with great content by understanding why customers buy. Greg shares the common mistakes people make with content marketing, why the written word is still critical, and how you can build a presence through referrals. We round off our talk on the best ways to get started with content marketing.
In this episode, find out:
- What a digital twin is
- The importance of bringing value and getting real results
- The number one mistake people make in content marketing
- Why the written word is still critical in sales and marketing
- How to use a digital twin in manufacturing
- Why referrals are so important to building an online presence
- The best way to get started in content marketing.
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Sales start with great content.”
- "What are you awesome at? If you’re a small marketing team, focus on that and then bring in help around you because it’s hard to do it on your own.”
- “If you’re servicing people and you’ve got something of value, they’re probably going to keep you around.”
Links & mentions:
- Winbound, a marketing agency that creates content that’s mapped to the customer journey and marketing for distribution via search, social, and niche-based paid advertising. Winbound’s clients have enjoyed double and triple-digit increases in traffic and leads.
- Vintage Brewing Company, house-made craft beer and food with multiple locations in the Madison, WI area
- ALT Brew, a Madison, WI-based brewery that makes gluten-free beer taste good
- Café Hollander, a restaurant with excellent Belgian beers with locations in Milwaukee and Madison
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cosmetics, Contract Manufacturing, and Leading through Exponential Growth with Dynamic Blending’s Gavin Collier
Gavin Collier is an attorney turned serial entrepreneur. After cutting his teeth as an attorney and cofounding multiple companies, he's now focused on his latest venture as the CEO of Dynamic Blending, a global cosmetic manufacturing company. Dynamic Blending was just ranked #17 on Inc. 5000's list of fastest-growing private companies in 2020.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we discuss Gavin’s varied career journey from law to contract manufacturing. We look at the reasons behind Dynamic Blending’s impressive growth and Gavin’s focus on people at the heart of the business. Gavin says that people are the secret to success and highlights the importance of keeping great customers happy and building a reliable team. We round off our talk with Gavin’s tips for turning ideas into real successes.
In this episode, find out:
- How Gavin made the leap from a law background to contract manufacturing
- How success in cosmetics is about more than just the product. It’s also down to the packaging and marketing
- How important great products are to creating a successful manufacturing business
- The reasons behind Dynamic Blending’s crazy-high growth in 2020
- Why keeping customers happy is Gavin’s number one focus
- The importance of having a great team that shares ideas freely
- How to push through challenges and get where you want to go with your business.
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The products speak for themselves…If you have a great product, people will buy it.”
- “We’ve been looking for ways to solve our customer’s problems, and that has made us a more attractive business to do business with.”
- “You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is. If you really believe in something, you’ve got to risk a lot to get it.”
Links & mentions:
- Dynamic Blending, a contract manufacturing company based in Utah that specializes in cosmetics.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Attracting the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent with "The Manufacturing Millennial" Jake Hall
Jake Hall is a believer that the future of manufacturing is in the hands of millennials. By day he’s a Business Development Manager at Feyen Zylstra, but most people know him as “The Manufacturing Millennial.” Through conversations and online manufacturing videos that he releases on a constant basis, he's doing his part to highlight the excitement behind automation and high-tech manufacturing.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we talk to Jake about how he built such a strong personal brand and his thoughts on the future of manufacturing. Jake discusses the increasing need for millennials in manufacturing and how they can bring some much-needed innovation into the industry. Jake also shares how he balances his day job with The Manufacturing Millennial brand and his top LinkedIn networking tips.
In this episode, find out:
- How Jake got started with The Manufacturing Millennial
- How Jake creates engaging content on LinkedIn to build a recognizable brand
- Why more big brands aren’t taking advantage of repurposing manufacturing processes and creating engaging content
- The power of LinkedIn for anyone in the manufacturing industry and why Jake views LinkedIn as a social networking site for professionals
- How networking has benefited Jake and his personal brand
- The core reason why Jake pursued manufacturing
- Jake shares his thoughts on the best paths young people can take in manufacturing
- Why the manufacturing industry needs millennials and their innovations
- How to find time to build a personal brand
- Jake’s tips for LinkedIn networking (plus mistakes to avoid).
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Stop selling your product, start solving problems…If you solve the problems, selling is easy.” – Jake Hall
- “Millennials are some of the most innovative people out there.” – Jake Hall
- “The manufacturing workforce is aging, and as people in skilled trades are retiring, there are huge gaps out there for new electricians and programmers.” - Jake Hall
Links & mentions:
- The Manufacturing Millennial, a solution to help manufacturing companies learn more about new tech, automation, and Industry 4.0.
- Feyen Zylstra, a team of highly skilled thinkers who help electrical and tech industries with innovative solutions.
- Titans of CNC, one of Jake’s favorite LinkedIn accounts to check out.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Drive Real Business Results through Digital Marketing with RōBEX’s Craig Francisco
Craig Francisco is a modern sales & marketing guru in manufacturing and beyond. In his 25 year career, he's served as an operations leader, a podcast host, a sales consultant, and now he’s the President at RōBEX. This brand-new automation company is taking the world by storm with an incredible team and deep expertise in the food, glass, and tissue industries, just to name a few.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we discuss Craig’s varied career, some tips he’s picked up over the years, and how to stay relevant online. We look at what type of social media content most resonates with people and how to build a solid strategy. We round off with some of Craig’s best tips for staying ahead online and how to measure your progress.
In this episode, find out:
- We start by discussing how RōBEX helps businesses find automated, smart technology solutions
- What lessons Craig has picked up throughout his career from mentors and books
- Craig discusses why there’s no reason you can’t be successful
- Craig reveals why creating customer avatars is step one in any successful marketing plan
- How to create valuable content on social media and avoid common mistakes
- How RōBEX manages to stay consistent (even through a pandemic)
- The importance of measuring the results of your strategies
- How to stay relevant online, despite all the competition
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The content is the most important thing in social media, not the frequency” – Craig Francisco
- “No matter what you do or where you decide to put your money, always measure the results” – Craig Francisco
- “Make sure you are figuring out how to stay relevant online” – Craig Francisco
Links & mentions:
- RōBEX LLC, an industrial robotics and industrial automation company with uncommon experience & expertise
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Craig’s top book recommendation for sales success
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, one of Gary Vaynerchuk’s best books on tactical social media strategy
- Benchmark, the top steakhouse in the Toledo area and one of Craig’s personal favorites
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Venture Capital, Manufacturing, & Single Malt Scotch with Exposition Ventures' Karen Kerr
Karen Kerr has a long track record in Venture Capital and manufacturing. For over 2 decades, she has been developing technology-based businesses, serving as Executive Managing Director at GE Ventures, as well as the Senior Director of New Ventures and Alliances at USC's Stevens Center for Innovation (just to name a few). Today, she's the Managing Director at Exposition Ventures in Chicago, IL.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we discuss Karen’s exciting career in venture capital, how she got started and what she has planned for the future. We also take an in depth look into where manufacturing fits into venture capital, as well as which companies are leading the way with innovative technologies. We round off our talk with what Karen prioritizes when looking for new companies to invest in.
In this episode, find out:
- We start by discussing Karen’s background and how she first got into venture capital
- What type of firms Karen’s worked with in the past
- Karen discusses her projects with Exposition Ventures
- We talk about what venture capital looks at when considering new businesses
- How GE Ventures has changed over the years
- Karen discusses how far into Industry 4.0 we really are
- Karen talks us through her interest in manufacturing and technology
- Interesting companies that are harnessing Industry 4.0
- We wrap up our conversation by talking about Karen’s love of baseball and single malt scotch.
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The entrepreneur is the most critical thing, and her ability to build a high-functioning team.” – Karen Kerr
- “It’s really how you manage people in teams…that’s what makes for a successful business.” – Karen Kerr
- “Companies that can address challenges that apply to different industries…that’s what I look for” – Karen Kerr
Links & mentions:
- Exposition Ventures, Venture Capital advisory services
- mHUB, an innovation center which removes barriers for hardtech entrepreneurs and manufacturers
- Pitchbook, a financial data and software company to help venture capitalists discover new opportunities
- Bruichladdich Distillery, a single malt distillery on the Isle of Islay in Scotland
- Springbank 21, Karen Kerr’s favorite single malt
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Start a Successful Industrial Podcast with EECO's Chris Grainger
Chris Grainger has had a long, illustrious career in electrical distribution, currently serving as the Engineering & Services Manager for the Electrical Equipment Company, better known as EECO. Now, he’s also the host of the podcast EECO Asks Why, a show that focuses on the heroes and ideas impacting the industrial world.
In this episode, we talk about the origin story of how Chris’s career in electrical distribution got started, how he launched his amazing podcast, and how he secured buy-in from his company. As we dive further into Chris’ love for podcasting, we cover the nuts and bolts of running a good, consistent podcast. Last but not least, we talk about some of Chris’s biggest lessons from podcasting that you’ll want to pay close attention to if you want to start a successful podcast of your own!
In this episode, find out:
- We start the conversation by addressing what the podcast, EECO Asks Why, is about
- What drew Chris to the manufacturing industry (and held his interest for 18+ years!)
- Chris reflects on his self-awareness journey that brought him to the service side of the business
- What systems and processes help Chris balance his day job and his passion for podcasting
- We talk about all the ways Chris prepares for an interview and the importance of doing your front-end homework on your guests
- Chris reveals one of the most unexpected lessons he learned from hosting a podcast
- Why Chris and EECO decided to record and publish two podcast episodes per week instead of one
- Chris shares some incredible results that have been generated from the EECO Asks Why podcast
- Chris discusses what has been the most rewarding part of hosting a podcast for him personally
- What hobbies have kept Chris occupied lately besides hosting an amazing podcast
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you really care about the guest and you want to put the best spotlight you can on the guest, you better do your front-end homework.” – Chris Grainger
- “Everybody has a different style…find one that works for you and make it yours.” – Chris Grainger
- “When passion and talent align, you get that moment of joy, where you feel like you're doing what you're supposed to be doing.” – Chris Grainger
Links & mentions:
- EECO Asks Why, an industrial distribution and manufacturing industry podcast focused on the people and ideas in this industry (not product)
- EECO (Electrical Equipment Company), leading industrial automation and electrical distributor serving Virginia and the Carolinas
- Tom Woodson on EECO Asks Why, Episode 36 of EECO Asks Why featuring one of Chris Grainger’s standout guests
- Chris Grainger on LinkedIn
- EECO on LinkedIn
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Following Your Passion in 3D Printing with Greg Paulsen
Greg Paulsen is the Director of Application Engineering at Xometry, offering industry-leading manufacturing and 3D printing on demand. While we can’t help but highlight Greg’s experience as a wine educator back in his college days, today, he leads the Application Engineering team at Xometry as an advanced manufacturing expert and 3D printing evangelist.
In this episode, we talk about the inner workings of 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Greg is so passionate about his role in the 3D printing universe that it is sure to inspire you to follow your own passion in your career. Greg also shares some actionable tips to help advance your career before he debunks some of the biggest myths around 3D printing and lets us in on a few industry secrets. Finally, we wrap up the conversation with a discussion focused on Greg’s second passion – good wine and good company.
In this episode, find out:
- How Greg adapted a unique perspective of 3D additive manufacturing
- Greg reveals how he got started in the wine industry
- How Greg went from working in wine education to his current role as Director of Application Engineering at Xometry
- Greg debunks two common myths around 3D printing
- How prototyping is like “going from an analog to a digital camera”
- Why Greg is so passionate about 3D printing
- Greg shares some great career tips and advice to help you get your dream job
- How manufacturing and real production as the new 3D printing frontier can scale in terms of customer acceptance, cosmetics, cost, output, etc.
- How the aerospace industry accumulates an amazing ROI
- The ROI benefits of adopting metal additive manufacturing in aerospace
- Greg reveals what comes first – CAD or 3D printing
- We wrap up our conversation with some wine recommendations, and Greg shares a simplified description of what Xometry does
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Someone who's a fantastic communicator, who can also learn a technical expertise, is a jewel.” – Greg Paulsen
- “Manufacturing and real production is the new 3D printing frontier.” – Greg Paulsen
- “In 3D printing, you can put different features together in a way that you couldn't naturally combine.” – Greg Paulsen
Links & mentions:
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Anatomy of a Targeted Ransomware Attack with SCADAfence CTO Ofer Shaked
We’re back with another cybersecurity edition of the podcast, only this time, we’re focused on ransomware. Today we’re joined by Ofer Shaked, Co-Founder and CTO of SCADAfence, an Israel-based security company with the most comprehensive OT and IoT cybersecurity platform for critical infrastructure and enterprises. He’ll be sharing the details of a targeted ransomware attack he and his team recently helped resolve.
In this episode, we’ll cover why targeted cyberattacks are becoming more common, why manufacturing is such a hot target, and what it’s like being on the ground floor of a cyberattack. Ofer walks us through how the SCADAfence team responds and the steps they take to address these events. Finally, we’ll share what might be next in the cyberthreat landscape.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
All Things HR and Manufacturing with TriNet’s Kristin Russum
Kristin Russum is a Director of Human Capital Services at TriNet. Having spent almost 2 decades as an HR leader across a number of companies, at TriNet, she’s now helping small and medium size businesses implement full-service HR solutions tailored by industry.
In this episode, Kristin takes us through her journey in the HR world and shares some of her best tips HR tips that every manufacturing leader should keep in mind. From succession planning to creating workplaces that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive, Kristin makes it clear that creating a people-centric organization doesn’t just stop and start at the HR department.
About TriNet:
TriNet is a professional employer organization that provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
From eCommerce to Side Hustles with GenAlpha President & COO Kristina Harrington
Kristina Harrington is an eCommerce expert with no shortage of experience when it comes to easing the process of doing business with manufacturers. Having moved up the ranks with large equipment companies like Bucyrus and Caterpillar, she is now the President and COO of GenAlpha, a B2B eCommerce software business for equipment manufacturers.
In this episode, we hear about Kris’ career journey and how her work experiences took her from Wisconsin to Latin America and back to cofounding GenAlpha. She gives us a rundown of GenAlpha’s Equip platform and how manufacturers should be leveraging eCommerce and analytics to grow their business. Finally, we’ll get to hear about Kris’ agricultural side hustle and the lessons she’s learned from farming that have helped her in her career.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Using Business Process as a Differentiator with Paul Van Metre
Paul Van Metre is a machine shop owner-turned-entrepreneur. After starting Pro CNC in Bellingham, WA in 1997, he recently went on to co-found ProShop, a cloud-based ERP software system that combines elements of an MES (a manufacturing execution system) with a QMS (a quality management system) into a single platform.
In this episode, Paul shares his story about starting a company right out of college some Formula SAE buddies and how the challenges they faced as machine shop owners inspired them to create ProShop. In addition to hearing some of the lessons that Paul has learned throughout his entrepreneurial career, we discuss why systems, documentation, and business processes are the key differentiator for manufacturers – particularly machine shops – in today’s market. We even get into a little car talk before the interview wraps up, so make sure to stick around until the end!
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Why Manufacturers Need to “Stop Being the Best Kept Secret” with Curt Anderson
Curt Anderson, author of the fantastic book “Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies,” and eCommerce Evangelist for Manufacturers at Ecommerce MGMT, is an eCommerce whizz with some great tips to share.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Curt shares how he first dived into the world of eCommerce. He explains why he wants to help manufacturers get on that path too. He discusses the common mistakes that custom manufacturers make and why they should “niche down” and focus on their “soulmate” customers for the best chance of success.
He shares his thoughts on the wider industry, why the big marketplaces are so successful, and why you should always aim to make a great first “webpression.”
In this episode, find out:
- How when Curt discovered eCommerce, it was like “a dream come true”
- Why Curt wants to help custom manufacturers have a digital transformation
- What the entrepreneurial curse is
- Why manufacturers need to niche down
- How finding your “soulmate” customer can transform your growth
- Why online marketplaces are the place to be
- Why you should treat your website like a five-star resort
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Who is that ideal dream customer? In the book, I call them “soulmates” …basically, your website is a matchmaker, so who can we really connect with?”
- “There's a lot of different marketplaces that you can take advantage of. And what are they doing? They make that great first impression because they have multimillion if not billion-dollar budgets. So put your products on the marketplaces.”
- “Stop being the best-kept secret. So say you're rocking it, you've got the best website on the planet, you've got to dominate search.”
Links & mentions:
- Ecommerce MGMT, a place for digital and eCommerce resources for manufacturers.
- Stop Being the Best Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies, Curt’s fantastic book on building an effective eCommerce strategy.
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Stories in Welding, Employee Retention, and Gratitude with Lisa Ryan
Lisa Ryan has one of the most unique trajectories that you’ve ever seen in the industrial sector. She’s gone from welding to med device sales to where she is now as an author and keynote speaker that helps manufacturers solve their employee engagement and retention challenges. In addition to writing books like Manufacturing Engagement, she’s the Founder of Grategy, a training & coaching business dedicated to helping leaders keep their top talent from becoming someone else’s.
In this episode, Lisa shares the ups and downs of her career and the lessons learned along the way. We also cover the importance of empathy and communication when it comes to employee engagement before wrapping up with a conversation about trade skills and career paths.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Turn Your Brand's Podcast into a Content Goldmine
Chris goes solo in this episode to share a podcast version of a keynote he recently gave at Content Marketing World 2020. While the majority of podcasts have less than 1,000 listeners per episode (and that's okay!), today you're going to learn how to make tens of thousands of impressions with every episode you release.
Whether you're a brand or an individual that's considered adding a podcast to your content strategy - or maybe you already have one within your content repertoire - today's show contains the foundational skills and tools you need to create a goldmine of highly-sharable audio, visual, and written content. That way, you can meet your audience wherever they are spending their time, whether that’s on social media, YouTube, or your website.
BONUS: BIG NEWS + 3 Reasons I'm Grateful I Worked at Rockwell Automation
We have a short episode for you this week folks, and it's because there are some exciting updates coming to Manufacturing Happy Hour! Tune in to hear all the details on Chris' latest career move, a new partnership, and an honest reflection on 11 years spent working for Rockwell Automation.
Ensuring OT Integrity and Establishing a Culture of Security with Mark Carrigan, COO of PAS Global
We have another security episode in store for you this week. We’re talking to Mark Carrigan, the COO of PAS Global, a company that reduces process safety risks and delivers software solutions that prevent, detect, and remediate cyber threats.
In this episode, we kick things off by defining what “OT integrity” means while taking on some misconceptions about cybersecurity. We also discuss establishing a culture of safety and security in the process industry before covering the impact that digitalization is having on the cyber threat landscape. All of this while giving a couple of shoutouts to our favorite Houston, TX pubs.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Family Businesses, Moneyball, and Supply Chain Innovation with ShelfAware CEO Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a supply chain innovator, speaker, and the CEO of ShelfAware. After being raised in and working for his family’s industrial business O-Ring Sales and Services, ShelfAware developed out of that company and now provides an RFID-powered solution that gives wireless traceability to a manufacturers’ inventory.
In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Andrew takes us behind the scenes to look at ShelfAware’s origin story. We hear how much he learned growing up in a family business and what led him to start ShelfAware.
Andrew explains how automation has been key to growing his business and why he uses the idea of “incremental innovation” to scale his company sustainably. We also hear the lessons he learned from the movie Moneyball and some top tips he has to share for other manufacturers.
In this episode, find out:
- How growing up in a family business introduced Andrew to entrepreneurialism
- The origin story of ShelfAware
- Why automation can be a great way to boost your competitive advantage
- How the movie Moneyball inspired him
- What incremental innovation is and why it’s the best way forward
- Why manufacturers should focus on developing young talent (even if they lack experience)
Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
- “We have to have fun. In our workplace, we have to take some risks. And we have to be willing to get messy, or we’ll never take that next step in innovation.”
- “I think a lot of manufacturers should throw out all of their experience requirements when they're hiring new folks for their company.”
- “Look at innovation as a race, a marathon, a long race with huge goals. But you're going to run your incremental races as a series of sprints to get to that big finish line.”
Links & mentions:
- ShelfAware, RFID technology manufacturer that automates supply chains
- ShelfAware’s YouTube channel, short and sweet videos about ShelfAware, manufacturing musings, and hot takes on where the industry is heading
- Jack Stack Barbecue, an upscale Kansas City BBQ chain with several locations across the city
- Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, an old-school BBQ joint set in an old gas station
Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How a Career in Manufacturing Prepares You for Entrepreneurship with Kiley Summers, Founder of SpenDebt
Kiley Summers is a manufacturing leader turned financial services entrepreneur. He’s the Founder of SpenDebt, a financial technology company that helps people payoff debt through micropayments in every day transactions. But prior to that, he came up through the ranks in engineering, operations, and business unit leadership at PepsiCo.
In this episode, Kiley takes us through his journey to becoming an engineer, a leader in manufacturing, and ultimately, an entrepreneur. Kiley shares stories about his background and the biggest lessons he pulled from his time working at Frito-Lay’s Rosenberg, TX plant that he now uses to navigate the challenges of running his own business. Plus, you’ll hear how SpenDebt is changing the game when it comes to paying off debt, along with a couple of other tasty conversations and takeaways.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leading Your Team in the New Normal | Sales & Marketing Game Changers Mini-Series | Ep. 4 of 4
It’s the final episode of our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! Chris is responsible for hosting duties this week, and he’ll be joined one last time by 5 other sales & marketing experts to take on the topic of leadership in 2020.
In this last installment of our 4-part series, we’ll be sharing our observations about leadership since the world changed in March 2020. Our panelists will each boil leadership down to a single word, share stories of where they’ve seen leaders emerge, and wrap things up with advice that anyone can use to step up and lead in this brave new world.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Top 5 Manufacturing Solutions in 2020
What are the top solutions for manufacturers that we’ve come across in our first year of this podcast? This week, we’ll be sharing the best technologies and companies we’ve come across through our podcast interviews and virtual events since we started the show last summer. From technologies that address the workforce skills gap to those that reduce your bottom line without sacrificing new business and revenue, these companies are taking on the biggest issues facing manufacturers in 2020.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Reducing Risk to Make Sales Easier | Sales & Marketing Game Changers Mini-Series | Ep. 3 of 4
Welcome back to another episode of our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! The third edition of our 4-part panel discussion features Chris and 5 other sales & marketing gurus sharing their thoughts on the most pressing topics for B2B business leaders in 2020 and beyond.
Are there things getting in the way for you and your organization to make sales? Part three is all about identifying and eliminating those roadblocks impacting sales and marketing. We share our perspectives on the top roadblocks, how to detect them, and wrap up with pointed tactics on how to reduce them.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Leveraging Data to Stop Selling Naked | Sales & Marketing Game Changers Mini-Series | Ep. 2 of 4
We’re moving right along in our Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series! In the second edition of our 4-part panel discussion, Chris is once again joined by 5 other sales & marketing experts to take on some of the most pressing topics for B2B business leaders in 2020.
In part two, we’re shifting the focus from marketing to sales as we discuss the importance of listening, tracking outcomes, and creating a marketing strategy that is all about the customer. Said another way, it’s not about you! We’ll all share 1 thing that leaders can change to not only impact sales, but gain a ton of authentic customer feedback in the process. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a conversation about leveraging data so that you never have to “sell naked” ever again.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
From Military Leadership to Revolutionizing Job Shop Manufacturing with Jason Ray
Jason Ray is the CEO of Paperless Parts, a company on a mission to make manufacturing more accessible. After spending 8 years in the Navy in leadership roles ranging from Supply Corps Officer to Additive Manufacturing Lead, Jason co-founded Paperless Parts, and through their cloud-based sales and quoting software solutions, he's helping job shop manufacturers quote faster, win new customers, and increase revenues.
In this episode, Jason takes us through his story as a military leader and how it ultimately led to the creation of his current company. On the surface, this episode is about Paperless Parts’ software solution that’s streamlining the quoting and sales process for job shop manufacturers. But beyond the ins-and-outs of their software, we’ll cover bigger topics like customer experience, digital transformation, and the workforce skills gap. Whether you’re in a job shop or not, this one is jammed with lessons for leaders across the manufacturing sector.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Marketing That’s Seen, Heard, and Felt | Sales & Marketing Game Changers Mini-Series | Ep. 1 of 4
Welcome to the Sales & Marketing Game Changers mini-series, a 4-part bonus edition of Manufacturing Happy Hour where we’ll be tackling the most pressing topics facing B2B business leaders through weekly panel discussions. Your host Chris Luecke is joined by 5 other B2B sales & marketing experts to take on some of the most pressing topics for business leaders in 2020.
In our first edition of the Game Changers, we’ll be focusing on authentic, modern marketing. We start by debunking some of the biggest misconceptions about marketing before hearing multiple perspectives on what effective marketing looks like today. Finally, we share actions you can take right now to make your marketing more impactful.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s sales and marketing leaders. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/GameChangers for a full list of resources from these episodes and to connect with the other panelists. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Publishing & Promoting Strategies for Marketing to a Technical Audience
Wendy Covey from TREW Marketing rejoins us for a bonus episode where we get into the details of content marketing to a technical audience. In this short episode, we’ll cover the specifics of both publishing and promoting content. We start by focusing on a company’s website as the primary publishing platform and why it needs to be an effective marketing tool, from responsiveness to frequency of updates, even to the code behind it. We also cover why having a marketing automation platform and an integrated CRM is essential for measuring how marketing is performing. Finally, Wendy covers inbound and outbound strategies, including how to attract people to your site and move them through the buyer’s journey, as well as working with industry publications and LinkedIn strategies for pulling in new clients.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Marketing to a Technical Audience with Wendy Covey
Wendy Covey is a maven of technical marketing. She is the CEO & Founder of TREW Marketing, an agency that educates middle-market engineering companies on technical buyer behavior and how to utilize inbound marketing and sales methodologies to generate more demand. She is also the creator of Content Marketing, Engineered, a podcast, book, and now a digital training course focused on building trust and converting technical buyers with compelling content.
In this episode, Wendy shares plenty of tips for engaging a technical audience, but not before she shares her own story that got her to create a marketing agency of her own. We’ll discuss the type of content that technical buyers are looking for, as well as how to make technical content cool, interesting, and informative. Wendy has plenty of stories to share from her decades of experience, and we’ll even walk you through the steps companies should take to start creating better technical content.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Building an Industrial Marketing Roadmap with Joe Sullivan
Joe Sullivan has been making his mark on B2B marketing for well over a decade. He's the Founder of Gorilla76, an industrial marketing agency that helps mid-sized B2B manufacturers identify, attract, engage, and drive sales opportunities with ideal-fit customers. Most recently, he launched The Manufacturing Executive Podcast, a show focused on conversations with passionate manufacturing leaders who have compelling stories to share about their successes and struggles.
In this episode, Joe gives us a thorough crash course in marketing for industrial clients. We debunk some common misperceptions around marketing before Joe shares Gorilla76’s Industrial Marketing Roadmap strategy. The best content comes from the minds of your experts, and we’ll cover how to extract knowledge to create material that solves your customers’ problems and draws in new clients. From budgeting to pillar content to social media, we’ll cover plenty of strategies that will turn your marketing from an expense into a sales-generating machine.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Smart Manufacturing in the Brewing Industry Q&A (Pt. 2 of 2)
We’re back with the Q&A segment of our live fireside chat in this bonus episode on the brewing industry. This time, the attendees from one of our recent “virtual happy hours” with our Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community get to ask the questions. We discuss why people, process, and technology are so critical to digital transformation in brewing, while tackling recent events and their impact on brewers. From COVID-19 & remote work to flexibility in markets like Germany where purity law is king, there’s more great discussion amongst our panelists from the Canadian beer market.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Smart Manufacturing in the Brewing Industry (Pt. 1 of 2)
We invited a panel of industrial brewing experts onto one of our recent “virtual happy hours” with our Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community, and the conversation was too good not to turn it into a podcast! This episode features a fireside chat that we co-hosted with Steve Grundy, the Founder & CEO of Top 5 Solutions, who assembled a rockstar cast of beer industry leaders, including:
- Connor MacDonald, a Brewing Automation and Controls Expert at McRae Integration
- Stephen Rich, Brewmaster and Director of Innovation & Education at Cowbell Brewing
- Nicholas Chan, Owner of ICONICK Project Group
In this first episode of our 2-part deep-dive into the beer industry, our panelists cover:
- Smart manufacturing and brewing industry technology
- Trends impacting manufacturing and the associated need for flexibility in beer-making
- An in-depth discussion on sustainability, including examples of lowering your carbon footprint and reducing water usage
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Scaling a High Growth Company with Plethora CEO Jim Quinn
Jim Quinn knows a thing or two about successfully scaling companies. Throughout his long career as an operations leader, Jim has optimized supply chains for profitable growth at companies like Apple, FitBit, and Applied Materials, just to name a few.
Jim is now the CEO at Plethora, a company that provides flexible Manufacturing as a Service options for making custom parts in as fast as 3 days. In this episode, we discuss how Plethora’s novel software automates the quoting, DFM, and CAM processes for manufacturers looking to bring their CAD files to life quickly and economically through precision CNC machining. Beyond Plethora, Jim shares some of his best operations & supply chain lessons with stories and strategies from all points of his career. From Buddhism to cucumber-basil gimlets, this episode has it all.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
End-to-End Digital Transformation with Bob Murphy and Scott Feldmann
When it comes to digital transformation in manufacturing, no one has more experience and passion than Bob Murphy. Bob is the Sr. VP of Connected Enterprise Consulting at Rockwell Automation and one of the organization’s leaders that led Rockwell through their own digital transformation across their global manufacturing facilities.
In this episode, Bob links up with Scott Feldmann from Accenture’s Industry X.0 team to share the strategies and stories of a successful enterprise-wide MES implementation. From aligning the right people, processes, and technologies to expanding a transformation beyond the four walls of the enterprise – creating a ‘digital thread’ that starts with your suppliers and ends with your customers – Scott and Bob share real-world examples while addressing listener questions during one of our recent virtual happy hours.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity, Startups, and Examining Unconscious Bias with Galina Antova
Galina Antova is a security savant and the Co-Founder of Claroty, a leader in cybersecurity for operations technology for critical infrastructure. But, we cover a whole lot more than attack vectors and the current security threat landscape on today’s show.
In this episode, we kick off our interview discussing OT security strategies before moving to discussions on startups, managing rapid growth, and taking on unconscious bias in the workplace. Galina has thrived as a leader in a male-dominated industry, and she shares her story as well as the actions everyone can take to even the playing field.
From leading through uncertainty to navigating through a “perfect storm” in OT cybersecurity, this episode is packed with value from start to finish.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
B2B Marketing Lessons from a B2C Company with Corey Smale
How do you rebrand an iconic St. Louis beer that’s 169-years-old? You need to understand the cultures it connects with, create a customer base that drives the brand forward on your behalf, and have passion that allows you to make courageous decisions.
No one knows this better than master marketer and “conductor of creativity” Corey Smale. Corey is the Brand Manager for Stag Beer, one of Pabst Brewing’s regional beers. Over the past year, Corey has reshaped the brand while still respecting its heritage, and it’s reflected in the beer’s sales growth.
In this episode, Corey walks us through his journey as a marketer – most recently leading the Stag brand – and how they’ve connected with their audience and executed on “dope ideas” – from live events to user-generated content – that have resulted in gaining market share for the first time in years. There are plenty of actionable marketing ideas that B2B brands can pull from this beer-fueled conversation.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity Mini-Series: ICS Product Security & Standards (ISA/IEC 62443) (Ep. 4 of 4)
In this last episode of our cybersecurity mini-series with Rockwell Automation, we’re switching our focus to industrial control system product security. This includes an overview of security standards like ISA/IEC 62443 and how they apply to ICS providers of products and services.
Seasoned security experts Megan Samford and Shoshana Wodzisz jump on the show this week to walk us through our topic. With their focus on global product security, we’ll dive into how ICS security fits into critical infrastructure, as well as the ins-and-outs of IEC 62443. From the importance of 3rd party certification to why it's important to avoid repurposing IT standards, our series wraps up with some actionable details that every information security leader should hear.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How a Strong Company Culture Leads Through Crisis with Dan Stutterheim
We probably all remember where we were when news started to break about COVID-19 shutting down the world around us. Dan Stutterheim was at the NCAA Big 12 Tournament when he got word that sports – and everything else – were going on hiatus. As it became clear that life as we know was about to change, he quickly doubled-down on protecting his team and his business.
Dan is the CEO of Kasa, a Salina, KS-based controls and automation company that is known just as much for their resilient culture as they are for their engineering expertise. In this episode, Dan walks us through the steps he took to keep his people and his business healthy at the start of COVID-19. This includes activities Kasa had been focused on long before the pandemic, including courageous culture dialogues and narrowing focus to a few key success metrics. Dan also shares lessons he’s learned from his team as they navigate these uncharted waters, and new business practices they plan to maintain moving forward.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Roller Coaster Rankings with Josh Liebman (Episode 17, Round 2)
We just finished discussing what manufacturers can learn about operations and customer experience from the amusement park industry, so now let’s have some fun. Josh Liebman from the AttractionPros podcast is back for another episode, only this time, it’s all about roller coasters.
Josh and I have each ridden our fair share of coasters around the world and it’s a wonder that we kept this episode to less than an hour. We’ll be sharing some of our favorite rides, trips, and stories about some of the craziest coasters on the planet. While we might not be talking about industry best practices in this episode, there’s no better topic to give us a short “vacation” from our typical content.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
What Manufacturers Can Learn from the Amusement Park Industry with Josh Liebman
Do you love roller coasters? Great! Then you’ll love this episode! Once you look behind the curtain, amusement parks are basically one giant industrial operation. Today, we’re going to be pulling some manufacturing lessons from the world of attractions and entertainment.
From ride operations to consulting, Josh Liebman has made a career out of having a fun. He’s the co-host of the AttractionPros podcast and has worked in the amusement industry for over a decade. Having picked up a thing or two about keeping a park running and creating an unforgettable customer experience, Josh shares what he’s learned through stories from his days operating roller coasters and leading guest service communications at some of the world’s most renowned theme parks. From Universal Islands of Adventure to Cedar Point, this episode covers some thrilling ground while providing cross-industry advice for leaders in fast-paced environments.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity Mini-Series: Defense in Depth & NIST Framework (Ep. 3 of 4)
Asset inventory. Anti-malware strategy. Risk assessments to look at your overall OT readiness. There are more than a few investments that need to be made to have a robust industrial cybersecurity program. But it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, let alone a massive capex investment.
In this episode, Rockwell Automation’s Global Services Portfolio Commercial Team Lead Kamil Karmali returns to Manufacturing Happy Hour for the 3rd installment of our cybersecurity mini-series. Kamil first takes us through Defense in Depth, a multifaceted layering approach to security including policies, physical requirements, and even device-level requirements. Then, we define the NIST Framework and its 5 functional topics: identifying, protecting against, detecting, respond to, and recovering from cyber threats.
Kamil gives some great detail on “good, better, and best” approaches to cybersecurity that any manufacturing leader can act on regardless of the time and capital they have available. We even provide the perfect starting point along with some great case studies so that you know there’s more than one way to run a successful cybersecurity program.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
The Future of Systems Integration with Tim Shope
Tim Shope and his team at Avid Solutions are redefining what it means to be a systems integrator. While they specialize in process control and integrated solutions, they’re taking their craft a step further and offering true industrial IoT solutions, from wearables to remote access.
In this episode, Tim and I discuss smart manufacturing in the context of the collaborative work Avid has been doing with CESMII: The Smart Manufacturing Institute. We’ll discuss the impacts of AI on controls programming, the democratization of application libraries, as well as some cool examples of smart manufacturing projects that Avid Solutions is doing in conjunction with CESMII and the University of North Carolina.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity Mini-Series: Security Fundamentals & “Cyber Hygiene” (Ep. 2 of 4)
“Shiny Object Syndrome” is a big issue when it comes to cybersecurity investments. That last thing you want to do is invest a lot of money into cybersecurity solutions before having a grasp on the fundamentals.
In this second installment of our cybersecurity mini-series, we’ll cover the basic steps all enterprises should take to improve cybersecurity. Umair Masud – Rockwell’s Director of Technical Security Oversight to the CISO – will walk us through the the fundamentals of cybersecurity, focusing on 3 essential pieces of a good security program: Processes, People, and Technology.
We’ll explore these fundamentals, or “cyber hygiene” as they’re often called, in the context of security programs & risk assessments, specialized cybersecutiry jobs, and a deep-dive discussion around patch management.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Cybersecurity Mini-Series: Why Security Matters (Ep. 1 of 4)
Welcome to the first ever Manufacturing Happy Hour mini-series. For the course of this 4-part series, we’ll be teaming up with Rockwell Automation’s cybersecurity team to bring you actionable security advice for industrial manufacturers.
Steve Ludwig – Program Manager for Safety & Security at Rockwell Automation – joins us for our first episode. We start off with the basics as Steve shares why cybersecurity matters and why it’s a vital piece of a digital transformation journey; security isn’t just about protecting data and intellectual property, but assets, workers, and the environment as well.
We’ll cover security in the context IT and OT integration, discuss the inherent link between safety and cybersecurity, and wrap up with some discussion on where these cyber threats are actually coming from.
After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Identifying Cost Savings That Save Jobs with Josh Fox
Bottom Line Concepts is helping companies save jobs and protect employee benefits. How do they do this? They partner with companies – from manufacturers to retailers to professional sports organizations – to reduce their costs by auditing for refunds and negotiating for future savings.
CEO Josh Fox jumps on the show today to share his story and walk us through Bottom Line’s performance-based business model. Josh shares stories and great examples from inside and outside of the manufacturing industry, as well as ways for both companies big and small to partner with Bottom Line. We’ll also get to know Josh a bit more as he shares why he’s been driven to keep at this business for over a decade.
We traveled down to Beverly Hills for this conversation, and it was actually the last in-person interview we did before shelter-in-place took effect in March 2020. Honestly, when it comes to identifying cost savings to protect jobs and benefits, the timing couldn’t be better.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Redefining Manufacturing in a Wartime Situation with Matthew Putman
Matthew Putman is a Renaissance Man for the 21st century. He’s a scientist, author, teacher, and jazz pianist, as well as the CEO of Nanotronics, a science technology company that brings together robotics, automation, 3D imaging, and artificial intelligence for powering factories. They’re on a mission to redefine manufacturing for the future.
In this dynamic interview, Matthew provides an overview of Nanotronics’ Brooklyn Navy Yard Smart Factory, manufacturing supply chains and leadership in the face of a wartime situation like COVID-19, as well as the intersections of art and science as it relates to his work in AI. From examples of their technology in practice to actionable tips for leading through uncertainty, few guests are able to cover such a range of topics as thoroughly as Matthew Putman.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: Q&A with Chuck Swoboda & Chris Luecke | Discussing Innovation as a Mindset
In our last full-length episode, Chuck Swoboda joined us for a discussion about innovation at Milwaukee Brewing Company. Since we recorded the show in front of a live audience, in this bonus episode, we’re answering your questions about innovation, covering everything from risk-taking to getting organizational buy-in on your innovative ideas.
Make sure to check out our full interview in Episode 13, and subscribe to Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap.
Exploring Innovation as a Mindset with Chuck Swoboda
Chuck Swoboda had an illustrious career at Cree, Inc., and even as a retired CEO, he’s still keeping busy and learning. Chuck now hosts the podcast Innovators On Tap, a show that explores what innovation really looks like through interviews with leaders and change-makers across a range of industries. He’s distilled these lessons through his upcoming book The Innovator’s Spirit, which comes out on May 5, 2020.
Chuck and I met up for a live podcast at Milwaukee Brewing Company in – you guessed it – Milwaukee, WI. After throwing a literal happy hour with industry leaders from Rockwell Automation, Marquette University, and Milwaukee manufacturing community, we sat down for a discussion on what innovation really means and how it’s played a role in our respective careers. Make sure to check out Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap, and I hope you enjoy this first ever 2-way interview here on Manufacturing Happy Hour.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: What the "New Normal" Might Look Like for the Manufacturing Industry
Social distancing might be a thing right now, but that won’t stop Manufacturing Happy Hour from bring together a bunch of industry leaders for a drink! Tune in this week to hear live footage from the first ever “Virtual Happy Hour” hosted by the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community. Over 10 marketers, systems integrators, recruiters, and professional association leaders gathered on Zoom for a conversation about the impact the Coronavirus is having on manufacturing, but also to share optimism as to how this “new normal” could result in tremendous opportunities in digital transformation, E-learning, and virtual training just to name a few.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: How the Coronavirus is Impacting Global Manufacturing, and What You Can Do About It
COVID-19 – better known as the Coronavirus – continues to spread and disrupt the global economy in the process. The manufacturing industry is not immune to its effects, especially as the virus’ origins and highest number of cases are in China, a country which plays a key role in almost every manufacturer’s supply chain.
So whether the Coronavirus is a pandemic or not, what can you as a manufacturing leader do to understand its effects on your business and, more importantly, what actions can you take to keep running and growing your business? In this timely bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’ll take a look at how the virus is impacting global supply chains and how leaders in operations, sales & marketing, and the C-suite can respond in turn.
This episode barely scratches the surface of an issue worth discussing further, so make sure to join the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community on LinkedIn to join the conversation.
How an On-Demand Labor Platform is Solving the Labor Shortage with Veryable’s Noah Labhart
Veryable just might be the solution to the workforce shortage challenges we as manufacturing leaders are all too aware of. Veryable is an on-demand marketplace for manufacturing labor, essentially making it “The Uber of the Factory Floor.” You can ramp up and ramp down your workforce as needed, while operators that use the platform have the benefit of creating a flexible work schedule. It’s a win-win for both the manufacturers and the people that keep those plants running.
Veryable CTO Noah Labhart jumps on the show this week to share his own story going from developer to company co-founder, as well as some stories about the Veryable platform that really showcase its power to bring manufacturing into the 21st century by taking on one of the biggest issues facing manufacturers today.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: 3 Takeaways from the 2020 A3 Business Forum
A3 is the Association for Advancing Automation, and at the beginning of every year, they host their annual business forum. Michael "Sully" Sullivan from the automation industry talent search firm Miller Resource Group had the opportunity to attend this past January, and in this edition of "3 Quick Things," Sully shares his 3 biggest takeaways from the event. From evolving perceptions around automation's role in job creation to the economic outlook for the manufacturing industry in 2020, this bonus episode is great food for thought as manufacturing leaders continue to navigate the year - and decade - ahead.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Creating a Strong Safety Culture with Joe Geng
Workplace safety: One of the most important priorities for any manufacturer. Joe Geng has spent his entire career focused on helping people stay safe even in the toughest of work environments through his work at Superior Glove, the largest producer of work gloves in Canada. Now, he’s captured some of his biggest findings on workplace safety through his new book Rethinking Hand Safety: Myths, Truths, and Proven Practices.
In this episode, Joe takes us through his journey into the family business, and his most important findings about workplace safety, including how trust is the foundation of a safe work culture as well as the psychology behind wearing (and not wearing) proper PPE. You’ll hear plenty of stories from the new book and actionable tips that will allow you to assess the state of your culture of safety within your own business or operation.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
“Innovation is a Process to Improve the Human Condition” with Travis Sheridan
Travis Sheridan really does have the coolest job in the world. As the former President of Venture Café Global Institute (and the current Chief Community Officer of Wexford Science & Technology), he’s traveled the globe helping establish innovation communities in cities like Warsaw, Tokyo, and Philadelphia. He’s basically the Anthony Bourdain of startups.
In this episode originally recorded for the show Pubcast Worldwide, Travis shares his thoughts on innovation and whom it should benefit. From scalable venture-backed startups to solving systemic societal issues, we cover a lot of ground, including:
- Why failure shouldn’t be celebrated
- Whose human condition is being improved by technology
- How innovation and collaboration vary from culture-to-culture
We’ll even take a deep-dive into some of the specific Venture Café communities Travis has helped establish, including St. Louis, Rotterdam, and Sydney. There are plenty of parallels between startup life and the challenges manufacturers face – regardless of where you are in the world – and Travis has the passport stamps to prove it.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: 3 Tips for Practicing Gratitude
As 2019 draws to a close, we jump into another edition of “3 Quick Things” that’s all about gratitude. In this bonus episode, we cover daily habits for exercising gratitude that can help any manufacturing leader stay focused and think bigger as they lead their teams and businesses into the next decade.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned for all of our full-length episodes. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Engage the Modern Customer Using Social Media
As a manufacturing company, how is social media currently playing a role in helping your business grow? Is it generating leads? Is it engaging your existing customer base? Are you regularly participating in conversations on LinkedIn, or are you just posting from time-to-time, usually in the form of some arbitrary holiday post?
Whether you answered yes or no to any of these questions, you’ll want to tune into this episode as Chris walks through 6 strategies that you as a manufacturing leader can use to build your brand, community, and funnel while strengthening your overall business. From advanced tactics to actions that any employee can take to start using social media more effectively, Chris covers the specific tools and habits you need to increase your online presence and keep your brand at the front of your customers’ minds at all times.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
BONUS: 3 Actions Manufacturing Leaders Should Take in 2020
With 2019 coming quickly to a close, we have a short episode for you this week to help you jumpstart the new year. In this first ever bonus edition of “3 Quick Things,” Chris takes lessons from the first round of Manufacturing Happy Hour interviews and distills those into easy actions you can take in 2020. From creating & communicating a vision for new manufacturing technologies to leveraging a community of mentors that can help you take your business to the next level, tune in for this quickie of an episode, and make sure to come back next week for another full-length edition of the show.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How Stylish Steel-Toe Shoes are Empowering Women in Industry | An Interview with Xena Workwear CEO Ana Kraft
Anastasia Kraft loved her engineering career in project management but hated the bulky, made-for-men work boots she had to wear on job sites. Realizing that she wasn’t alone in this feeling, she created a company that would solve this problem for her and all other women in the industry…
Ana is the Co-Founder & CEO of Xena Workwear, a new Milwaukee-based industrial apparel company that’s leveling the playing field for women in engineering, manufacturing, and construction thanks to their stylish steel-toe shoes. She believes that what you wear impacts your confidence at work, but more importantly, she’s on a mission to make STEM-related fields more accessible to women.
In this episode, Ana shares her entrepreneurial journey of starting Xena Workwear, why female role models in industry are critical for getting girls interested in STEM, and how male allies can take an active role in supporting women in these industries. There are plenty of startup stories, travel tales, and Wisconsin beers to go along with these topics, so grab a cold one and join us for the conversation.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Digital Transformation Explained (Over a Beer) | Live from Automation Fair 2019
Have you been hearing about “Digital Transformation” and “Smart Manufacturing” but want to know if these are anything more than buzzwords? Are you wondering how to start taking advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things in your manufacturing operation? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone just simplified and explained these topics in a way that you could understand them while hanging out at a bar? Well, our panelists answered all of these questions and more during our first ever LIVE episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, recorded at the unofficial Automation Fair 2019 Kick-Off Party in Chicago.
We were joined by 3 experts in Digital Transformation for this episode – including Tom Gaudet from PTC, Beth Parkinson from Rockwell Automation, and Ryan Wasmund from Concept Systems – who shared their insights and examples of successful Industrial Internet of Things implementations throughout this beer-fueled discussion. And, in an effort to avoid excessive industry jargon, we kicked the conversation up a notch by playing “The Digital Transformation Drinking Game” from start to finish. Curious how that turned out? Then tune in to this week’s episode for actionable advice, starter tips, and a little bit of fun around Digital Transformation.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap with Joe Carson
Like many entrepreneurs, Joe Carson was leading a successful career at a large company. After spending his first 5 years out of college at Rockwell Automation, he didn’t want to risk living with regret and couldn’t resist the startup urge any longer. Joe is the Founder of Pacific Blue Engineering, a Long Beach-based control systems integrator that’s been growing across California and beyond for over 4 years.
In this episode, Joe walks us through his own journey of building Pacific Blue Engineering and the investments he makes in himself and his team to stay on top of their game – both technically and physiologically. We even get his perceptions on the future of automation, and why the opportunity to migrate legacy control systems and enable the Connected Enterprise have Joe excited for what’s ahead.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
New Business Models in Manufacturing with Michael Cromheecke
SteamChain.io is fundamentally changing the way that equipment manufacturers and end-users collaborate with one another. Their new “Machine-as-a-Service” solutions not only improve machine productivity and performance, but allow businesses to accelerate toward mutual desired outcomes.
Co-Founder Michael Cromheecke jumps on the show to dissect this new business model and illustrate where it’s already seeing success in the manufacturing sector. He shares the story of his own corporate-turned-entrepreneurial journey before taking a technical deep-dive as to how SteamChain is leveraging blockchain to ensure secure agreements and transactions between OEMs and end-users. After hearing the financial, technological, and relationship impacts outlined in this episode, every manufacturing executive will want to start exploring this as-a-service business model.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Educating the Engineer of the Future with Dr. Kris Ropella
Dr. Kris Ropella is Dean of the Opus College of Engineering at Marquette University, and a true enabler of the engineer of the future. In this episode, Dr. Ropella meets up with us at Caffrey’s Pub on Marquette’s campus to discuss how engineering education is evolving to incorporate more creativity, diversity, and leadership while better preparing engineers for the manufacturing industry and beyond. From ballroom dancing to learning through failure to the changing face of engineering, this episode is packed with stories you won’t want to miss.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Growing Manufacturing in Transitioning Economies with Michael Goldberg & Brandon Cornuke
How do you turn areas that were once manufacturing powerhouses back into regions with thriving economies? Brandon Cornuke & Michael Goldberg believe developing strong manufacturing ecosystems is a big part of the answer.
Brandon Cornuke is the Vice President of Startup Services at MAGNET, a Cleveland-based organization that helps manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow their operations, workforces, and startups. Michael Goldberg is a Professor of Design & Innovation at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and leader of the successful Coursera MOOC “Beyond Silicon Valley.” These two individuals are on a mission to help budding entrepreneurs in Cleveland and other transitioning economies get the education and resources they need to build successful companies.
In this episode, we discuss how the future of manufacturing is technology-driven, the type of support ecosystems that are necessary to help manufacturing companies grow and prosper, and the role that education will continue to play in enabling the manufacturing workforce, all the way down to the trade level. Michael and Brandon have plenty of examples to share about manufacturers that are taking advantage of the resources they have available, regardless of whether they’re in Bosnia, Indonesia, or Cleveland.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset in Manufacturing with Krisztina “Z” Holly
Krisztina “Z” Holly has had quite the illustrious career in tech and manufacturing. Her list of accomplishments includes creating the first ever TEDx events, working for multiple successful tech startups, spearheading innovation centers at USC and MIT, and currently, serving as the Founder & “Chief Instigator” for MAKE IT IN LA – LA Mayor Garcetti’s regional maker-focused non-profit – and her own podcast “The Art of Manufacturing.”
Z joins us on the show today to tell us how manufacturing is “sexy” while covering a range of topics – from iterative design processes to sustainable manufacturing. We focus on the importance of manufacturing ecosystems, exercising that entrepreneurial mindset, and why manufacturers need to dream big.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
How to Create a Winning Company Culture with Dan Voit
Dan Voit is the CEO of Blentech, an industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in advanced cooking and mixing technologies based in Santa Rosa, CA. It’s no simple task to run a profitable manufacturing company in the middle of Sonoma County, but with cutting-edge technologies like their CookerCloud coupled with an ultra-strong company culture, Dan and the team at Blentech continue to find ways to win and grow.
In our conversation, Dan walks us through his journey into the food sciences world and why he chose to step up as a leader at the company. As both a Chief Executive Officer and a seasoned CrossFit athlete, Dan shares several his key habits for setting and maintaining goals, and how he still carves out time to make culture-building at Blentech a top priority.
Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Podcasten Manufacturing Happy Hour är skapad av Chris Luecke. Podcastens innehåll och bilderna på den här sidan hämtas med hjälp av det offentliga podcastflödet (RSS).
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.