In this conversation, Chief Technology Officer of HighByte, Aron Semle, dives into the concept of Industrial DataOps. He talks about some of the unique challenges with collecting and managing data in manufacturing environments and the importance of contextualizing it all to drive action. Aron also touches on the the rise of AI agents. He explains how agents can automate complex tasks, capture tribal knowledge, and empower operators with real-time insights, helping manufacturers of all sizes impr...
Jul 01, 2025•Season 1Ep. 264
In today's conversation, CEO of JBM Packaging, Marcus Sheanshang, will share how his company's Fair Chance Hiring program – focused on recruiting, hiring and training previously incarcerated individuals – has not only filled critical staffing gaps but created transformational second chances in their lives. From setting up training equipment inside prisons to providing comprehensive support services, this second-chance program is making a meaningful difference – both for his employees and the com...
Jun 24, 2025•Season 1Ep. 263
In this episode, founder and CEO of NORAMARK, Michael Kornuta, shares how his experiences in design and fabrication have led him to observe a lack of connectivity among U.S. manufacturers – particularly when compared to the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem. And he'll offer a perspective on why stronger networks that are rooted in trust will be key to the future of American manufacturing.
Jun 17, 2025•Season 1Ep. 262
Is American manufacturing falling behind? In this episode, Drew Allen, CEO of Grace Technologies, warns that the rise of advanced manufacturing in China is creating urgency. From extensive investments in solar and nuclear power to the expansive rise of dark factories, China’s manufacturing facilities are running faster and smarter. We'll talk about why upgrading our energy infrastructure, embracing relentless factory iteration, and building anti-fragile, highly adaptable teams are vital for keep...
Jun 10, 2025•Season 1Ep. 261
Alex Webster, Founder and CEO of SDMS Robotics, shares his unconventional journey from film school graduate to CNC machinist and ultimately to robotics entrepreneur. In this conversation, Alex pulls back the curtain on the real-world challenges facing machine shops today, from labor shortages to high operational costs of floor space. He also illustrates how success in modern machine shops isn’t just about adding robots to existing processes. It’s about rethinking and reshaping those processes to...
Jun 03, 2025•Season 1Ep. 260
In this conversation, Chief Revenue Officer at MachineMetrics, Graham Immerman, unpacks the evolution of manufacturing software — from the early challenges of “blind” factory operations to the power and pitfalls of MES systems today. Most importantly, he breaks down what he believes manufacturers TRULY need in their production software – from downtime tracking and OEE to scheduling and work order tracking.
May 27, 2025•Season 1Ep. 259
For so many owners of midsized B2B manufacturing organizations, their companies are like children to them. For years (or often decades) they've nurtured them and watched them grow. And inevitably, the time comes to prepare for an exit from the business. It's an overwhelming prospect with so much to consider. Amy Julian and Bryan Graiff of Armanino are here to talk about all of those factors, including the following: – When to start planning – How to identify the value drivers (and value eroders)...
May 20, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 258
With the reshoring of American manufacturing all over the headlines during this first half of 2025, the question from inside the industrial sector seems to be, "How are we supposed to make that happen on such an fast timeline?" In today's conversation, Founder and President of Cleveland Automation, Rylan Pyciak, will talk about some of the obstacles in our manufacturing infrastructure that will inevitably slow us down – from production of raw materials to a complex, internationally dependent sup...
May 13, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 257
When you've got five projects on your plate and a sixth one gets added, but it's not due for another year, how worried are you about getting it done? Rhetorical question of course. But my guest today will tell you why we need to change that mindset. In today's episode, Clint Padgett, CEO and President of Project Success, Inc, will talk about how to plan for and manage successful projects that finish on time and without that dreaded sense of panic as the deadline approaches – or worse yet, passes...
May 06, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 256
Last week I was approached by some of my manufacturing leader friends about a panel they just recorded on the MakingChips podcast about a critical issue that's likely familiar to many of you by now. And that is: Defunding of the MEPs or Manufacturing Extension Partnerships. In case you're not familiar, the MEPSs are public-private partnerships that exist in every state throughout the US. These organizations exist to help small manufacturers with everything from securing grants for training and u...
Apr 29, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 255
Whether you're packing up shop and moving to a new location or you're expanding your manufacturing operation, opening up a new facility is no small deal. From planning the timeline of events to scouting a new geographic location to assuring the on-site requirements meet your needs to mitigating downtime during a move, there's a lot to account for. Pat Reilly, Executive Vice President and industrial real estate broker at JLL, has spent his career helping industrial sector organizations navigate t...
Apr 22, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 254
From COVID (and the labor and supply chain obstacles that came along with it) to the recent challenges we're now facing with tariffs, the current generation of manufacturing leaders has fought through quite a bit in just a short period of time. My guest today, Melanie White, will talk about the current manufacturing landscape specifically, but in the context of her 79-year old family-owned business, Hellwig Products, where she serves as the fourth-generation CEO.
Apr 15, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 253
A handful of years ago, we started to see primitive forms of chat bots on company websites. Fast forward to today and not only is this kind of AI technology more advanced, but it's learning how to replicate human behaviors. In this episode, Naresh Ram, Chief Science Officer at AAXIS, will talk about the emerging power of AI "agents". And if that's a term you and those around you are NOT familiar with right now, it certainly will be soon. As he'll tell you, AI agents have the ability to ask the q...
Apr 08, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 252
For 250 consecutive Tuesdays, I've published a new episode of this podcast. In this short-and-sweet retrospective – episode #251 – I'll talk about six ways this show has helped change the trajectory of our business at Gorilla 76 over roughly the past five years in hopes that you might find some inspiration. They are: 1. Direct and indirect impact on new customer acquisition 2. Direct financial impact through sponsorships 3. Elevation of brand perception – both for my company and for me personall...
Apr 01, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 251
Jim Mayer, Founder of The Manufacturing Connector, has coined a term that he calls "The Industrial Brand Death Cycle", which he describes as follows: Weak leadership leads to weak culture, which leads to employee disengagement, which leads to fake branding, which leads to failed marketing, which leads to customer distrust, which leads to the company's struggles. Then, leaders get replaced and more often than not, the cycle repeats. In today conversation, Jim will talk about how authentic culture...
Mar 25, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 250
I've often compared building a website to building a house. You can tear it down and rebuild from the ground up. You can gut it to the studs, putting in all new plumbing, electric and HVAC. You can renovate a few rooms. Or you can simply put on a fresh coat of paint. But how you do which approach makes sense for your website? What are the signals that tell you it's time to at least do something? And how do you plan for a website that's not just a digital brochure, but instead a tool that drives ...
Mar 18, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 249
As Garrett Partridge and Dan Wyatt of ARC Technology Solutions will tell you, everyone wants the perfect product, but very few companies invest in testing that product throughout the manufacturing process to make perfection a reality. In this conversation, we'll explore why testing needs to be approached not as a compliance checkbox at the end of your production process, but instead as a strategic lever for improving quality, reducing waste, driving operational efficiency and ultimately, giving ...
Mar 11, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Daniel Doderer of Flack Global Metals is an economist living inside of the steel industry. And he'll tell you that here in the first quarter of 2025, less than two months after the Trump administration has taken back the reins, the industrial sector landscape is nothing short of dynamic. In our conversation, we'll dive into the potential impact of the President's plans for tariffs on the US manufacturing sector. We'll touch on everything from inflation to wages to commodity pricing to buyer beha...
Mar 04, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 247
Mike Payne, Owner of Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication, will tell you that somewhere between 60 and 75% of machinists want to own their own businesses some day. But owning a business can sound scary. He'll also tell you that on the flip side, so many small manufacturing business owners don't necessarily understand their options when the time comes to exit. In our conversation today, we're talking about buying and selling manufacturing businesses – from both angles. And Mike is no stranger to ...
Feb 25, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 246
Paul and John Lordan are brothers and co-business owners of Steele Canvas Basket — a manufacturing organization that's been around for more than 100 years. Now here's what's interesting... While the business environment has changed dramatically over the course of a whole century, their core product has remained largely the same. So how's that possible? As these two manufacturing leaders will tell you, success has been a product of the fundamentals: Focus. Resilience. Product quality. Open-minded...
Feb 18, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 245
Reshoring is a word you probably hear often if you work in the manufacturing sector. And Harry Moser, founder of The Reshoring Initiative, is one of the individuals leading that charge. In this conversation, Harry will not only talk about the benefits for US manufacturing organizations of bringing production back to the US, but also what's at risk for the future of our economy and our national security if we don't. There's no fluff in this episode, which Harry has packed full of actionable ideas...
Feb 11, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 244
From from reshoring to digital twins to evaluating new automation technologies to optimizing production workflows, today's manufacturing leaders have a LOT to think about. In this conversation, Chris Lupfer of Bosch Rexroth lean into his 25+ years of manufacturing and automation experience to unpack what he believes are some of the most important considerations for manufacturing leaders here in 2025.
Feb 04, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 243
For many years robots were used to perform repetitive tasks in low variabilty environments and required on-site automation engineers to program and run those systems. But we're now living in an era where machine learning and AI technology are making high-mix, low-volume environments ripe for automation. In this conversation, co-founder and CEO of Tutor Intelligence, Josh Gruenstein, will unpack what's now possible and share how his company is making it a reality.
Jan 28, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 242
As host of this podcast, I've had many conversations about how to reach the next generation, expose them to opportunities in manufacturing and skill them up accordingly. But what about skilling up the EXISTING workforce? My guest today, the Owner and CEO of Pindel Global Precision, poses the question: "When's the last time you heard about someone offering a mid-career apprenticeship – whether for machining, the trades or industrial maintenance?" His solution – a concept he's dubbed "Forwardskill...
Jan 21, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 241
From government regulations, to recent supply chain challenges to consumer-driven pressure, we're living in a world where demand for sustainable manufacturing practices is coming from all around us. Noah Helman, Co-Founder and CEO of iMicrobes, is leading a company that's using renewable, low-carbon feedstocks to create net-zero, bio-based materials. In this conversation Noah will talk about where bio-manufacturing is headed, and why it matters for the future of our manufacturing economy, our na...
Jan 14, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 240
2024 was a year of uncertainty for many manufacturing leaders. The economy was unpredictable. High interest rates created hesitation in making investments. And we awaited the outcome of a very polarized election. But here were are beginning a fresh year. So what's ahead? My guest today, Cara Walton, is a manufacturing intelligence advisor. As a Director at Wipfli, she and her team continuously perform extensive research across the manufacturing sector. And in today's conversation, she'll dive in...
Jan 07, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 239
My guest today, Doug Woods, is President of AMT (The Association for Manufacturing Technology). And as he'll tell you, from opportunities being created by reshoring to major government investments to advanced technology that includes additive, AI, machine learning, augmented reality, robotics and automation, he believes right now is simply a great time to be in manufacturing.
Dec 31, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 238
"Your equipment may be complex, but selling it shouldn't be." This is the headline you'll find on the company website home page of today's guest, Le'ora Lichtenstein. Co-founder and CEO of Corbel, a modern equipment finance business, Le'ora will talk about how the way CapEx equipment can be both bought and sold is evolving. And in particular, she'll dive into an intriguing way to finance equipment purchases that her team has made possible. Whether you're on the buying end, the selling end or bot...
Dec 24, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 237
In this conversation, CEO of Squint, Devin Bhushan, talks about augmented reality. First of all, what exact IS it? And secondly, how the heck does it fit into a conversation about manufacturing? From training and troubleshooting to quality and worker productivity, Devin dives into the wide range of opportunities created when you're able to layer digital information on top of what you physically see in front of you on the manufacturing floor. Let me introduce him.
Dec 17, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 236
Social media. Manufacturing. Do these two things REALLY fit together? And if so, how? Should I as a manufacturing leader really care about things like: – Building brand awareness? – Or telling our company story? – Or establishing an influential voice in our product category? And is social media truly a place where I can do all of that? In this conversation, Jake Hall, also known as The Manufacturing Millennial, makes a compelling argument for why the answer to these questions is a resounding "ye...
Dec 10, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 235
