This week our guest is Todd McCracken, President and CEO of the National Small Business Association (NSBA) . NSBA is the nation’s first small business advocacy organization and is proud to be staunchly nonpartisan. In this episode, Todd discusses his 37-year career with NSBA and how their advocacy work has evolved. He shares his insights into the Corporate Transparency Act, workforce retention, healthcare, and other key issues facing small business owners today. Todd’s top DC area food picks inc...
Jan 16, 2025•35 min
On this week’s episode, we’re wrapping up the Rundown for 2024! Inspired by Spotify Wrapped , here are some top highlights from this year’s episodes: Most Popular Episode - Episode 81 featuring Frank “Sully” Sullivan of DayGlo Color Corp Best Local Spotlight - Episode 78 featuring Rosemary Mudry of the Cleveland Public Market Corporation Most Personable Episode - Episode 69 featuring Joe Cimperman of Global Cleveland Most Thought-Provoking Episode - Episode 77 featuring Terrence Southern of Robo...
Dec 05, 2024•19 min
Our guest this week is Caleb Townsend, Co-Founder of Factur , an agency that provides marketing and sales services to B2B manufacturers and industrial distributors. In this episode, Caleb delves into the common challenges industrial companies face with their sales and marketing efforts. He shares Factur's industry-specific approach to lead generation, content strategy, and business development and debunks misconceptions about outsourcing. Hailing from Carmel, Indiana, Caleb’s restaurant pick is ...
Nov 21, 2024•37 min
This week our guest is Dana McCallum, the Vice President of North American Sales and Partnerships at Xact Metal . Dana’s career has always been within the manufacturing industry but she shares how she transitioned from marketing to sales and tells about her current sales role with Xact Metal. She offers insight into the rapid evolution of 3D printing and the advancements it’s making for manufacturers. She also shares her advice for supporting and mentoring underrepresented groups in manufacturin...
Nov 07, 2024•34 min
Our guest this week is Joe Manofsky, Co-Founder of One Step Ahead Ohio ! In this episode, he shares the inspiration behind One Step Ahead Ohio, the nonprofit he helped to launch in 2021. He offers insight into the varied ways they support the Northeast Ohio community and how OSAO sets itself apart from traditional nonprofits. Joe joins during Manufacturing Month, so he also elaborates on one of their core initiatives, the Skilled Labor Foundation, which advocates for the benefits of a career in ...
Oct 24, 2024•34 min
This week our guest is Ron Bower, Founder and President of InterviewPath. In this episode, Ron shares his journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship and explains how his two talent management ventures, InterviewPath and Brickpath Group , complement each other. He offers his seasoned take on all things talent—from overcoming common recruiting challenges to refining your interview process, and most importantly, how leaders can stay ahead of the curve regarding generational workforce shifts. H...
Oct 10, 2024•53 min
Our guest this week is Jim Vinoksi, the Host of Manufacturing Talks ! In this episode, Jim offers us insight into his career journey and how he became a prominent thought leader in the manufacturing industry. He shares how his contributions to Forbes inspired his podcast, Manufacturing Talks. Jim and Paul also discuss current manufacturing trends as they relate to the upcoming election, reshoring, workforce development month, and more. As a Michigan native, Jim shouts out Rush Creek Bistro as hi...
Sep 26, 2024•48 min
This week our guest is Jeffrey Stern, Principal at The O.H.I.O. Fund. Jeffrey joins us to discuss his latest venture, The O.H.I.O. Fund , a unique investment fund focused on driving Ohio’s economic future. He explains the concept of the industrial renaissance that Ohio is undergoing and emphasizes how strategic investments in manufacturing and technology position our state for long-term growth. He also hosts Lay of the Land , a podcast focused on telling entrepreneurial stories in Northeast Ohio...
Sep 12, 2024•49 min
Our guest this week is Frank “Sully” Sullivan, President of DayGlo Color Corp . In this episode, Sully walks us through the colorful history of DayGlo and its impact on various industries, from safety to fashion. Since being named President in 2023, he shares how he’s worked to navigate an iconic brand through a competitive market. He also shares how they prioritize a culture of transparency and offers a perspective on how they hope to keep innovating. His top restaurant picks include Cabin Club...
Aug 29, 2024•50 min
This week our guest is Torino Fitzgerald, Vice President of Talent and Cultural Transformation, at Process Technology. Headquartered in Willoughby, Ohio, Process Technology is a global manufacturer of thermal and power supply products. Torino joined their team in 2023 and has played a pivotal role in transforming and scaling their company culture initiatives. In this episode, Torino offers his expert perspective on cultural transformation and unlocking people's potential. This episode is a must-...
Aug 15, 2024•37 min
Our guest this week is Hector Hernandez, Inside Sales Specialist at Xaloy! Xaloy is a global leader in screw, barrel, and front-end component manufacturing. Headquartered in Austintown, Ohio, they have been a long-time partner of Rust Belt Recruiting. ( Listen to Episode 71 featuring Trudy Cheney of Xaloy ) Hector was recently placed in his new role with Xaloy through Rust Belt Recruiting. We are thrilled to have him join us to share more about his candidate experience and his career in the manu...
Aug 01, 2024•30 min
This week our guest is Rosemary Mudry, Executive Director of the Cleveland Public Market Corporation (CPMC), a non-profit focused on Cleveland’s iconic West Side Market. In this episode, we learn about the roots of the West Side Market, what makes it so unique, and how CPMC is working to preserve that. Rosemary offers us insight into why the shift to a non-profit happened and how it allows CPMC to be more nimble in approaching challenges and opportunities. She also shares with us the long-term v...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min
Our guest this week is Terrence Southern, Founder & CEO of Robotopia , an Advanced Automation Systems Integrator and Workforce Development company. Terrence is a nationally recognized thought leader, strategist, and consultant in the manufacturing automation industry and we are thrilled to have him on the podcast! In this episode, Terrence shares his career journey, his dedication to making STEM education accessible and exciting for the next generation of our workforce, and what the future l...
Jul 08, 2024•40 min
This week our guest is Jason Therrien, the President & CEO of thunder::tech , an integrated marketing agency. In this episode, Jason shares how thunder::tech has expanded over the past 25 years, including how he’s evolved as an entrepreneur and leader. He shares his expert insight into the dynamic world of modern marketing with us, focusing on employer branding. He offers actionable advice for small to mid-size manufacturers on developing and leveraging a strong employer brand. Jason’s resta...
Jun 20, 2024•38 min
Our guest this week is Lindsay Fleuriet, the Creative Director of Postindustrial Media . We are thrilled to have our second guest from Postindustrial Media join us to give an update on all things Postindustrial. (Listen to Episode 64 featuring Carmen Gentile of Postindustrial Media ) In this episode, Lindsay offers us insight into her role as Creative Director and how she helps to shape the artistic direction of the publication’s narrative and their other efforts. We also learn about her childho...
Jun 06, 2024•43 min
In celebration of National Skilled Trades Day (May 1st, 2024), we are joined by Neftali “Nef” Sanchez of Martindale Electric Co. ! Nef was placed by Rust Belt Recruiting at Martindale in 2019. He shares with us how that opportunity came to be and what his experience working with Rust Belt was like. He has found great success in his time at Martindale and he shares with us the positive relationship he has maintained with his employer and the opportunities that a career in the skilled trades has a...
May 01, 2024•32 min
This week we are joined by Scott Paul, the President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) . AAM is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership formed in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers. Scott shares with us how the AAM was formed and what they are currently doing to advance their mission of strengthening American manufacturing. Scott and Paul discuss the renaissance of skilled trades and other manufacturing trends such as reshoring and electric ...
Apr 18, 2024•41 min
Our guest this week is Bob Businger, the Chief Financial Officer of Ramco Specialites Inc. ! In this episode, Bob shares what Ramco does and how they have grown in recent years, aided in part by their partnership with Rust Belt Recruiting. He gives us insight into how he operates as their CFO and we get his take on AI in the finance industry, along with other manufacturing trends such as investing in automation and reshoring. His favorite restaurant picks are Barrio , Kasai Sushi in Wadsworth, a...
Mar 21, 2024•47 min
This week we are joined by Trudy Cheney, the Vice President of Global Human Resources at Xaloy . In this episode, we hear from Trudy about her career journey and how she ended up in HR, specifically HR for industrial businesses. Trudy and Paul discuss all things HR - what HR really is, how to strategically work with partners to achieve your HR goals, HR trends, and more. We also hear about Trudy’s involvement with the Mahoning Valley Manufacturer’s Coalition (MVMC) and her upcoming involvement w...
Feb 29, 2024•42 min
Our guest this week is Brendan Anderson, the Founding and Managing Partner of ScaleCo Capital . ScaleCo Capital is a Cleveland-based lower middle market private equity firm that focuses on control-oriented leveraged buyout and growth equity investments in fast-growing companies based primarily in the Great Lakes region. In this episode, we heard from Brendan about how he got his start in private equity, lessons in entrepreneurship through acquisition, and his personal and professional journey wi...
Feb 15, 2024•34 min
We are thrilled to kick off our 2024 episodes with such a fantastic guest! For this episode, we are joined by Joe Cimperman, President of Global Cleveland . We hear from Joe about growing up on the East Side of Cleveland as the son of immigrant parents and how it shaped his dedication to and appreciation of Cleveland. He and Paul discuss the ideals of America, civic engagement, and lessons in gratitude. We also hear from Joe about the mission of Global Cleveland and what they have in store for 2...
Feb 01, 2024•43 min
This week we are joined by Adam Graves, President of the Pizza & Snacking Division at Nestlé . In this episode, we hear about Adam’s career journey with Nestlé over the last 16 years. He got his start as a marketing intern and has worked his way into his current position, which Paul has dubbed the greatest title of any podcast guest so far! Along with working in a variety of functions, he has also worked across the world in California, Switzerland, Colombia, Canada, and now Ohio. We learn ho...
Dec 14, 2023•32 min
Our guest this week is Paul Roetzer, Founder and CEO of the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. This episode is a must-listen if you are interested in (or even apprehensive of!) artificial intelligence. Paul shares with us how he got interested in AI in 2011 while he was running his marketing agency and how marketing and AI have evolved since then. He talks about the pivotal shift that AI made in 2022 when it became accessible to the public and how that has shifted the general perceptio...
Nov 30, 2023•40 min
This week we are joined by Dan Rose, a Certified EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide . In this lively conversation, Paul and Dan discuss the multiple businesses that Dan has built and sold and what that taught him about entrepreneurship. They also talk about how to overcome risk aversion and different ways to define and approach happiness and success in relation to entrepreneurship. Dan also shares with us about EOS and how it helps various organizations succeed. Dan’s restaurant picks include Pier...
Nov 16, 2023•41 min
On this special episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Bryce Sylvester, Senior Director of Site Strategies for Team NEO . He joins us to discuss Team NEO’s upcoming Developing Opportunities event on November 14th. We learn more from Bryce on how his career journey brought him to his current role with Team NEO, which focuses on site development and location analysis throughout the Northeast Ohio region. Bryce and Paul discuss the importance of driving change in our communities and the significa...
Nov 02, 2023•33 min
Our guest this week is Dr. Sherry Cross, the Director of Adult Education & Assistant Principal at Youngstown City Schools. Dr. Cross has held a variety of positions in the education field and in this episode she walks us through her career journey and how she gained her expertise. She also shares with us what adult education looks like in today’s climate and how their program keeps pace with a variety of industries to fuel demand for skilled professionals. Other topics discussed include how ...
Oct 19, 2023•40 min
This week's guest is Carmen Gentile, Founder & Editor-at-Large of Postindustrial Media. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in the revitalization of Rust Belt communities. In this episode, Carmen shares with us the story behind the inception of Postindustrial Media , a venture motivated by the shockwaves that the 2016 election started and driven by a mission to foster understanding of communities in the region. His unique perspective, informed by growing up in New Kens...
Oct 05, 2023•51 min
This week we are joined by Josh Cramer, the Director of Education & Workforce Development at American Makes and the National Center of Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM). As a long-time educator, we hear Josh’s insights on how the education industry has evolved, namely the expanded opportunities for non-traditional career paths. He also shares with us his passion for workforce development, the critical work and mission at NCDMM - America Makes, and the needs of our workforce. As a...
Sep 21, 2023•40 min
On this episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Jim Cavoli, President & COO of Swagelok . In this episode, we hear from Jim about his career journey with Swagelok over the years and how he approaches being a business leader. Jim and Paul also discuss manufacturing in Northeast Ohio, what Swagelok is doing to mentor careers in manufacturing, and Jim’s involvement as a board member for Global Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Partnership . Jim’s recommendations for authentic Italian are Valerio...
Sep 07, 2023•40 min
This week we are joined by Robert Guy for Episode 61! Robert is the Controller of WLS Stamping & Fabricating Co. , a full-service short-run stamping and fabrication facility. They have two locations in the Cleveland area and have been partners with Rust Belt Recruiting since 2021. Listen in as Robert shares his perspective on running a manufacturing operation, including finances, training their workforce, working with Rust Belt Recruiting, and more. Robert’s Cleveland food recommendations in...
Aug 24, 2023•38 min
