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’...
Oct 24, 2023•48 min•Ep. 158
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 attra...
Oct 17, 2023•43 min•Ep. 157
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 ski...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 156
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!
Oct 03, 2023•25 min
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 st...
Sep 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 155
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 evol...
Sep 19, 2023•36 min•Ep. 154
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 ...
Sep 12, 2023•44 min•Ep. 153
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 manuf...
Sep 05, 2023•35 min•Ep. 152
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-qualit...
Aug 29, 2023•52 min•Ep. 151
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,...
Aug 22, 2023•48 min•Ep. 150
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 fo...
Aug 15, 2023•44 min•Ep. 149
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 marke...
Aug 08, 2023•53 min•Ep. 148
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 ...
Aug 01, 2023•45 min•Ep. 147
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-Mur...
Jul 25, 2023•29 min•Ep. 146
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 ...
Jul 18, 2023•44 min•Ep. 145
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 wh...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min•Ep. 144
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 man...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min
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 a...
Jun 27, 2023•32 min•Ep. 143
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 glo...
Jun 20, 2023•53 min•Ep. 142
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, ...
Jun 13, 2023•47 min•Ep. 141
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.
Jun 06, 2023•40 min
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.
May 30, 2023•24 min
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 h...
May 23, 2023•57 min•Ep. 140
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 & Appli...
May 16, 2023•45 min•Ep. 139
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, p...
May 09, 2023•45 min•Ep. 138
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 tha...
May 02, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 137
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...
Apr 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 136
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 pl...
Apr 18, 2023•36 min•Ep. 135
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!) ...
Apr 11, 2023•42 min•Ep. 134
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 t...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 133
