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 t...
Mar 08, 2022•43 min•Ep. 83
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’...
Mar 01, 2022•29 min•Ep. 82
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 compilat...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 16 min
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 ...
Feb 15, 2022•36 min•Ep. 81
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 f...
Feb 08, 2022•43 min•Ep. 80
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 s...
Feb 01, 2022•34 min•Ep. 79
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...
Jan 25, 2022•40 min•Ep. 78
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 ste...
Jan 18, 2022•37 min•Ep. 77
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 co...
Jan 11, 2022•40 min•Ep. 76
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 ca...
Jan 04, 2022•45 min•Ep. 75
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 de...
Dec 28, 2021•40 min•Ep. 74
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 g...
Dec 14, 2021•41 min•Ep. 73
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 episod...
Dec 07, 2021•47 min•Ep. 72
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 h...
Nov 30, 2021•44 min•Ep. 71
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 gue...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 22 min
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 H...
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 10 min
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 ...
Nov 16, 2021•40 min•Ep. 70
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...
Nov 09, 2021•35 min•Ep. 69
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 ...
Nov 02, 2021•43 min•Ep. 68
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 i...
Oct 26, 2021•44 min•Ep. 67
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, M...
Oct 19, 2021•36 min•Ep. 66
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 ge...
Oct 12, 2021•42 min•Ep. 65
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 co...
Oct 05, 2021•39 min•Ep. 64
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 manufa...
Sep 28, 2021•53 min•Ep. 63
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 Veryab...
Sep 21, 2021•38 min•Ep. 62
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.
Sep 14, 2021•9 min
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 g...
Sep 07, 2021•38 min•Ep. 61
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-s...
Aug 31, 2021•46 min•Ep. 60
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 an...
Aug 24, 2021•57 min•Ep. 59
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 sect...
Aug 17, 2021•48 min•Ep. 58
