In this Straight Talk With Chris episode he unpacks his internship journey at EECO that was 20 years ago. The three areas that he remembered the most were the opportunity he had to explore and learn about distribution. He also recalled how open everyone was and willing to teach him about the industry. He concludes with the importance he had with his mentor and how he guided him and truly cared about his path. Internships are an incredible way to bring new people into industry and some of Chris' ...
Jan 16, 2022•6 min
So Chris got on a roll with this one and spoke to how features and benefit days are over. He stresses the importance of understanding the problems that are trying to be solved. Another area he suggests is to be succinct in your solution. The quickest to the answer these days is the one that provides the most value. Finally he speaks to the power of listening with intent to understand instead of to respond. Maybe this is the year you challenge yourself and others around you to focus on solving pr...
Jan 12, 2022•6 min
Our heroes always stress the importance of networking. Chris wanted to provide some tips he's learned as you work on building your professional network in your career. He discusses areas such as social media, the importance of sharing ideas and how impactful groups can be. Networking has shifted in many ways and there are some nuggets of wisdom here that can help you break past the wall and start building meaningful connections in the future. Connect with us on LinkedIn and let us know how your ...
Jan 09, 2022•6 min
With a new year comes a new opportunity to build good habits that will help you bring the best version of you at work. Chris talks about the importance of starting your day off right, the importance of boundaries and how using PTO is in place to help everyone rest and recharge. Here's to a fresh new year of ideas and heroes that make industry great! Host: Chris Grainger Executive Producer: Adam Sheets Podcast Editor: Andi Thrower Industry War Story Submission: Send us a DM! Facebook Instagram...
Jan 05, 2022•7 min
In the first "Straight talk with Chris" episode he breaks down some of the craziness of 2021 that he saw. No doubt the supply chain issues hit everyone hard and made it a challenging year. His points of communication, patience and the need for more manufacturing in America are areas that will bring us together moving forward. Happy New Year from the EECO family and many blessings for you all in 2022! Host: Chris Grainger Executive Producer: Adam Sheets Podcast Editor: Andi Thrower Industry War S...
Dec 29, 2021•8 min
In this special hero episode we are flipping it around on Chris. In true EECO Asks Why fashion we are staying true to our love of families and Chris has his daughters lead the interview. They have a blast talking about his past and learned some new things about their dad along the way. Listeners know that Chris is a proud girl dad and it was fun to see him light up when sharing stories with Chloe and Ava. From the Rock, to the Robertson's, to fun memories as a child riding four-wheelers this con...
Dec 21, 2021•36 min
95 guests strong and each season gets better on EECO Asks Why! We had a blast with our Holiday's with our Heroes and have some new plans for 2022. You will start to see some "Straight Talk with Chris" episodes dropping over the next few weeks and be sure to check out the special Hero conversation is episode 177. Thank you for staying with us for another amazing season and remember - Keep Asking Why! Host: Chris Grainger Executive Producer: Adam Sheets Podcast Editor: Andi Thrower Industry War St...
Dec 19, 2021•7 min
Our hero Amos Purdy is leading the way and helping many in industry reach their new goals when it comes to technology and data! He holds master degrees in both electrical engineering and business and they help him connect the dots for many on both sides of the aisles. He loves helping others realize the insight that is available with the latest IOT and IIOT devices and how better data driven decisions are key to the next evolution of industry. Amos got specific on how young engineers can begin i...
Dec 15, 2021•27 min
"Give me a complex problem, let me own it and let me try to solve it." That sums up our hero Sandy D'Souza and how he is leading the way at Fiix Software. Sandy's journey starts at his roots in Toronto and he has many lessons learned along the way that is sure to help others in the pursuit of their personal best. He gives great insight to what change management looks like for those in industry and how the evolution of technology is disrupting the game in a good way. The trick he shares is that y...
Dec 12, 2021•25 min
Our hero Hussain Al-Khalaf has an amazing journey and his passion for life is incredible. His path has included time in Iraq, Beirut, Abu Dhabi, Canada , Washington and Georgia. Going from Abu Dhabi to Canada was quite the culture and temperature shock which he embraced. He shares amazing advice for the next generation of engineers and how manufacturers could act to showcase the multitude of opportunities that exist. Hussain has such a positive outlook on everything he tackles. He is an avid run...
Dec 08, 2021•32 min
Richie Fortenberry is leading the way in helping industrial end users enhance their safety and security as a consulting engineer at Prism Systems. His journey through engineering actually started with his love of music. As an avid musician he had an interest in audio engineering and that has led him down a fantastic journey in learning. He has a passion for security systems and provides insight to what he is seeing everyday as the Industry 4.0 revolution is unfolding before his eyes. He lives in...
Dec 05, 2021•35 min
Buckle up for this hero episode where Daniel Herrington shares his amazing journey. He is a proud NC State Wolfpack alum and the first professional race car driver to be on EECO Asks Why. Daniel completed his graduate work at Duke University and is now the CEO of Voxel Innovations which is located on Tarheel Street in Raleigh - he's all over the place and having a blast! Daniel shares about his passion for pulsed electrochemical machining and how he's taking that industry head on and making a si...
Dec 01, 2021•28 min
Claire Stevens summed it up with her "why" when she said she loves finding solutions to problems. From her early childhood days where she analyzed the angles on her smore's around the campfire to her collegiate studies at Duke University she loves challenging her thinking and learning how items work. You did read that right - Duke University - and she works at NC State so that can create some fun work dynamics which bleeds over to her family where her father attended NC State and her sister atte...
Nov 28, 2021•39 min
Paul Van Metre learned at an early age that he has a passion for building things and that led him down an amazing journey. His love for cars grew exponentially when he entered a program that let him design, build and even race open wheel cars. He actually owns the car he designed and it was through all of that where he fell in love with machining. With six partners, 2000 square feet and one machine his career began. From there it has blossomed and now at ProShop ERP he leads the team in helping ...
Nov 21, 2021•28 min
From her roots in Eastern Tennessee to leading the team at Onex Ashleigh Walters has an amazing journey! She shares about how she has been able to lead her team through two major crisis at Onex and the lessons learned along the way. As the author of "Leading with Grit and Grace" she opens up about the process she put in place to complete the book and how she learned so much along the way. Ashleigh is big on helping the next generation learn about the many possibilities that exist in manufacturin...
Nov 17, 2021•25 min
Graham Staples is making an impact in industry everyday and shares about his amazing journey as our hero! From his time at NC State to the many roles he's held at RoviSys he's been at the forefront of industry and helps people achieve their automation and modernization goals on a daily basis. He shares how it is so important to focus on how we all learn as individuals. Learning how to outfit your toolbox to solve real world problems is something he strives to do everyday as the needs of industry...
Nov 14, 2021•28 min
Knowing the difference between breakers and fuses can be tricky. This is a common question we get asked and thought Jonathan Fuller would be just the guy to break down those two technologies. Jonathan walks through items to consider such as time to react and how different conditions can be protected with each device. Understanding overload conditions is important and he does a great job of demystifying this area to help others provide better circuit protection. When designed correctly a circuit ...
Nov 10, 2021•16 min
From the heart of Texas our hero Wendy Covey is leading the way by helping engineering companies evangelize their messages to the audiences they want to serve. Being a Texas Aggie herself Wendy has a passion for her craft and her journey is full of inspiration. She offers great advice to the next generation of industry leaders and believes in the power of putting yourself out there to learn from others which could lead to opportunities you could only dream of. Reps and at bats are key to growing...
Nov 07, 2021•20 min
Culture in a successful manufacturing operation is key. Jon Meighan unpacks the ideas of lean manufacturing and 5S by highlighting by the effectiveness of these initiatives comes back to culture every time. For those new to these topics he explains that the essence of what you are trying to accomplish is remove those items that do not add value to your customer from your process. Jon gives meaningful examples of how he has implemented lean manufacturing into his process at Lake Erie Rubber and s...
Nov 03, 2021•26 min
Joe Frank has a passion for learning and technology. He turned that passion into an outstanding career and shares about his journey and lessons learned along the way in this hero episode. The speed at which technology moves can be mind boggling and Joe highlights how that is the most fulfilling part of his career. If you have a personality that likes to be challenged and constantly evolving he suggests stepping into industry could be the best decision you ever make. Joe reveals that asking the r...
Oct 27, 2021•32 min
The best way to learn about a career path is directly from the expert themselves. Chester Burke is a phenomenal controls engineer and unpacks what to expect from this fun and challenging role. He digs deep behind the curtains of how controls engineers automate production equipment by utilizing the latest technology on the market. No two days are the same and the constant challenge is something that drives Chester to keep learning and evolving. Chester shares advice for the next generation and sh...
Oct 24, 2021•30 min
Thomas Domitrovich is making a huge impact on industry and is leading the way at Eaton by educating so many people on the wonderful world of power. He shares how his journey started in Pennsylvania and one of the first projects he ever did where he had to do short circuit calculations. Now when most people do these they use software but Tom performed this by hand and absolutely nailed it! He learned so much through that process and his passion for teaching others pours out in everything he does....
Oct 20, 2021•33 min
Get ready for an in depth opportunity to learn about a type of machining that is cutting edge "no pun intended". Pulsed Electrochemical Machining (PECM) is a highly specialized type of solution for industry and in this episode Daniel Herrington from Voxel Innovations breaks down the origins of PECM and how it is growing to serve industry in the future. He explains how this is a non-contact type of process and the immaculate precision that can be produced via this technology. There are industries...
Oct 17, 2021•29 min
Meaghan Ziemba is leading the way and inspiring young minds all over as she advocates for the wonderful world of manufacturing. She hosts a phenomenal show called Mavens of Manufacturing and is on the front lines of helping the next generation of industrial leaders find their path. In this hero conversation Meaghan gives us a peak behind the curtains at what drives her passion and some of the ways she's found to truly engage and support others. She has some of the best advice for others and her ...
Oct 13, 2021•35 min
Protection of electrical circuits can be tricky to understand. Jonathan Fuller is an expert in these devices and breaks down how to differentiate between short circuit and overload protection. He points out that it starts with understanding what the upstream potential is that could damage the equipment from a huge inrush of instantaneous current. The short circuit device is the equipment that springs into action in these instances and can save end users a lot of headache, damage and potential do...
Oct 10, 2021•10 min
Scott McNeil is one of the most passionate people in industry and his love for what he does comes out in everything he does. In this hero conversation Scott takes us back to where it all began when he jumped into the wireless game 16 years ago. He served some time in his local school district and even supported a community college. Since joining GPA he's ad the opportunity to service the industrial market and he's loving every minute. Scott speaks to the opportunities that exist in the industria...
Oct 06, 2021•22 min
What an amazing season of EECO Asks Why. With 12 idea and 11 hero episodes there was so much to unpack. Special thanks to all the guests who made it special. In this recap Chris walks through what he remembers the most and gives a sneak peak into what's coming down the line. Get ready for our Holiday's with the Heroes in season six. Chris also introduces the newest member of his crew to the EECO Asks Why audience and opens up about some of the areas that's keeping him busy. Thank you for listeni...
Oct 03, 2021•12 min
For those that never had to convert an across the line starter to a Variable Frequency Drive this is the episode for you! Mike Rathbun is an expert in this area and he unpacks items to consider before making this conversion. There are many reasons why an application would benefit from a VFD and the most prominent are when a variable speed requirement could improve operations. There are also end users that want to focus on energy efficiency and this could yield great results. Mike gets tactical a...
Sep 29, 2021•17 min
We're going international and had the awesome opportunity to talk with Nataliya Kilmovskikh and hear her amazing journey. She lives in Denmark and has traveled the world throughout her career. Nataliya wasn't always on the automation track and was teaching English in China several years ago. Her fire for automation started burning when she was introduced to industrial robots and knew that was the future she wanted. Hearing how she made her education choice was insightful and the way the curricul...
Sep 26, 2021•29 min
Buckle up and hang on as Mary Bruce Clemons unpacks the topic of STEAM in this idea conversation. Many will remember Mary from her hero episode where she journeyed from Harley sales to engineering and for those that missed it you'll quickly pick up on her passion for industry. Many are familiar with STEM initiatives and Mary explains how the "A" (which is where arts are introduced) is where true connection can be made with so many young minds. She breaks down how modern medicine would not be wha...
Sep 22, 2021•23 min
