Would you rather focus on people or profitability in your business? You can’t have it all. But maybe you can… Maybe people and profitability go hand in hand, and each makes the other stronger. In this episode of The Manufacturing Executive, I talk with John Kramer, Chairman & CEO at Cambridge Air Solutions, and Marc Braun, President at Cambridge Air Solutions, about what it means to restore glory and dignity to manufacturing through both culture and business practices. We also talked about: ...
Jun 29, 2021•29 min•Ep. 55
There’s this perception that manufacturing jobs are dirty and dangerous. But in the modern era of manufacturing, that perception is changing as jobs are becoming more and more rooted in technology. In this episode of The Manufacturing Executive, I talk with Dr. John Mitchell, President & CEO at IPC, about the move from “dirty and dangerous” manufacturing to high-tech manufacturing. We also talked about: How IPC is using education to transform the negative manufacturing perception. How manufa...
Jun 22, 2021•21 min•Ep. 54
Remember fax machines? They were going to revolutionize the way we did business. Then came dial-up modems and email. Now, our customer gives us a CAD file. We can create a toolpath in a snap. Like technology, organizational culture has completed several revolutions in a single lifetime. The speed of those revolutions is increasing, and manufacturing transforms every five years. What's coming next? In this episode of The Manufacturing Executive, Jim Carr, President at CARR Machine & Tool, Inc...
Jun 15, 2021•45 min•Ep. 53
If the Wright Brothers lived in the 21st century, they might be the Lonsberry boys. Andy Lonsberry earned his Ph.D. by researching machine learning and artificial intelligence for bipedal walking robots. His brother focused on biologically spiking recurrent neural networks. Together, they dived deep into allowing nonlinear systems to learn how to improve themselves. Then these two Ohio boys and their autonomous robot traveled to the west coast in search of funding. The trio came home with $15 mi...
Jun 08, 2021•25 min•Ep. 52
If we want to balance America's $800 billion trade deficit, we need to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. — 5 million manufacturing jobs to be exact. The ancillary benefits would be enormous. We'd reduce CO2 emissions 40-50%, slash the budget deficit, improve unemployment, and bolster national defense. What's stopping us? In this episode of The Manufacturing Executive, Harry Moser, Founder of the Reshoring Initiative, talks about his mission to bring 5 million manufacturing jobs back to t...
Jun 01, 2021•27 min•Ep. 51
Baby Boomers are retiring. Manufacturing is booming in 2021. And emerging generations aren't considering careers in the field. There just aren't enough people to do the jobs that need to be done. How will manufacturers fill the skills gap Boomers are leaving behind them? In today's episode, I talk with Matt Guse, President at MRS Machining Company, about an actual manufacturing operation happening within the walls of a Wisconsin high school. Here's what Matt and I discussed: How Matt launched, f...
May 25, 2021•25 min•Ep. 50
How do you define marketing success? Many manufacturing organizations are sales-centric. They may not even support a marketing department beyond a content team. Consequently, they don't measure marketing success. But if you've taken things a step further, you've probably discovered how convoluted a measurement system can be. In today's episode, I, Joe Sullivan, share my thoughts about how to straighten out your marketing success measurement system. I dive into topics such as: Defining your terms...
May 18, 2021•25 min•Ep. 49
A lot of companies are started by people who are experts in their craft, but are not great at building companies. But how do you learn to let go of the day-to-day? How do you, as a founder, learn to focus on developing repeatable and scalable business processes in order to grow and scale your business successfully? On this episode of the Manufacturing Executive, I sit down with Paul Van Metre. Paul is the Co-Founder of ProShop ERP, and our conversation on this episode centered all around: Why fo...
May 11, 2021•33 min•Ep. 48
Are you prepared to exit your company? Many business owners haven't thought about transitioning from their position of leadership. But it's inevitable that you'll hand over the keys to your business one day. When that day comes, will you know what your options are? In today's episode, I talk with Chris Redmond, Senior Vice President at Capital For Business, about transitioning ownership or leadership of an industrial enterprise. Here's what Chris and I discussed: Three different approaches to pr...
May 04, 2021•28 min•Ep. 47
Mass production alone is not enough. We all want customized products. Twenty years ago, it was easy. Educate your workers about your single unique product. In a world driven to customization, however, no worker can learn 400 different products. No *human* worker, that is. But a digital worker might. Could robotic camera vision streams be the solution? In today's episode, I talk about building custom machine vision and robotics solutions with Jonathan Berte, Founder at Robovision.ai. Here's what ...
Apr 27, 2021•24 min•Ep. 46
If you want to build thought leadership around a product category, you need to create a community. The longer your sales cycle and the more complex your product, the more critical your community. But how do you build a community around your product and not around yourself? In today's episode, I talk about the keys to success on social media with Sam Gupta, Host, Community Builder, and Founder at WBSRocks. Here's what Sam and I discussed - What an online community is - Different platforms for bui...
Apr 20, 2021•53 min•Ep. 45
15 years ago, Mike Weinberg had a bold perspective on sales which was to stick with the fundamentals and don’t fall for the ‘shiny new toys.’ His bold perspective paid off as he now consults some of the largest sales teams across the globe on fundamentals that have stood the test of time. On today's episode, I talk about sales strategy with Mike Weinberg, Consultant, Speaker and Author of three Amazon #1 Bestsellers.’ Here's what we discussed: Sales discovery, learning, strategy and implementati...
Apr 13, 2021•48 min•Ep. 44
Robots have been around since Mamie Eisenhower presided over the White House. But recent advancements in robotics have helped bring automated workers out of big automotive companies and into mainstream manufacturing. Are the robots coming for your team's jobs? How should manufacturers determine whether or not to add a robot? In this episode, Ryan Lillibridge, director of business development at Mission Design & Automation, discusses the impact of robotics in the manufacturing sector. Here's ...
Apr 06, 2021•25 min•Ep. 43
Don't think. Just make parts. Ever had a manager tell you that when you offered a suggestion for process improvement? Leaders' words carry weight and affect people. They can affect how you think about your employer and even change your career forever. In today's episode, Joe Molesky, vice president of operations at MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, discusses why people feel the way they do about your company and the simple keys to changing it. Here's what Joe and I talked about: Why canned lean too...
Mar 30, 2021•26 min•Ep. 42
If you have a defined sales process, you're ahead of 50% of the manufacturing companies out there. But without one, you can't measure efficacy or deliver maximum value to your customers. Your organization will suffer. Why is it so hard for manufacturers to draft a sales playbook? And what's the right solution to this problem? In today's episode, I discuss creating a sales playbook for manufacturers with Kevin Roach, President at Harpak-ULMA Packaging. He's the first Gorilla 76 client I've ever h...
Mar 23, 2021•36 min•Ep. 41
The younger workforce in manufacturing is looking for more out of leadership. In particular, millennials want to know why the organization is doing what it's doing. And they want a voice in their company's continuous improvement. How can we embrace the energy, curiosity, and brain power that younger members of the workforce are bringing with them? In today's episode, I talk about the generational transition in leadership with Paul Brauss, CEO Blue Line Technology and author of Dare to Improve Yo...
Mar 16, 2021•26 min•Ep. 40
Audio is huge right now. Podcasts are part of that, of course, but so are webinars. The unique magic of the webinar lies in its interaction. Your viewers can ask questions or offer ideas during the event. Most companies just use webinars to sell products. But if you create a webinar with no agenda other than helping your audience do their jobs better, you can win big in the long term. In today's episode, I talk about how to make magic with webinars with Matt Sciannella, thinker and strategy dire...
Mar 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 39
Risk management isn't an accident. If we're going to survive, then we have to plan for unforeseen events. Like 2020… and 2021. But you can't insure everything, and rate increases seem to be hardening. What can manufacturers do to manage risk more effectively? In today's episode, I talk with Van Carlson, founder and CEO at Strategic Risk Alternatives. Van brings to the conversation more than 25 years of experience in insurance. He focuses on solving client risks through risk alternatives and mana...
Mar 02, 2021•29 min•Ep. 38
Manufacturers love trade shows. But for a year, we've had to do without them. Plus, shows may never come back the way they once were. How can manufacturers create content, build relationships, and generate leads without shows? In today's episode, I talk with Chris Luecke, podcast host and community builder at Manufacturing Happy Hour. Chris offers a full plate of both strategic advice and down-and-dirty tactics about how sales-focused organizations can think more like marketers. Here's what we d...
Feb 23, 2021•35 min•Ep. 37
Every company has an operating system that determines how people solve problems, plan, prioritize, communicate, and measure success. Often, an operating system is inconsistent, though, leading to employee frustration and burnout. In today's episode, I talk with Joel Wittenbraker and Luke Wittenbraker. This father-son duo leads Mactech On-Site, one of the world’s foremost providers of on-site machining services, heat treating services, and stress-relieving equipment. Here's what we discussed: Wha...
Feb 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 36
Does technology have to be all or nothing? Is it possible that in our increasingly data-driven manufacturing environment, we're losing sight of the value provided by human input? In today's episode, I talk about those questions with Martin Cloake, CEO at Raven.ai. Martin is an experienced executive and award-winning technology entrepreneur with a background in manufacturing, data science, IT, and operations management. Here's what we discussed: How Martin merged his varied background experiences...
Feb 09, 2021•31 min•Ep. 35
Video- and- audio-based content humanizes the people behind the information. You can see someone's face in a video or hear their voice in a podcast. They suddenly become a real person to you. Yet, manufacturing marketers are slow to embrace content that moves outside of print. We're missing out on a lot! In today's episode, I talk with James Carbary, founder of Sweet Fish Media, about why podcasting creates powerful marketing experiences and tools. Here's what we discussed: How audio content can...
Feb 02, 2021•26 min•Ep. 34
The industrial sector's labor market has shifted over the past decade. From the emergence and adoption of recruiting technologies by Indeed and LinkedIn to the widening manufacturing skills gap, most manufacturers face stiff challenges on the recruiting and hiring front. On today's episode, I talk about solving the problems in hiring with Patrick O'Rahilly, Founder at FactoryFix.com. Here's what we discussed: Recruiting and hiring mistakes manufacturers make today What it costs to make a hire Th...
Jan 26, 2021•21 min•Ep. 33
Think about the experience of walking into an Apple store. Or the ease and simplicity of making a purchase on Amazon — 30 seconds, one click, and you're done. More and more, B2B buyers expect B2C buying experiences. In light of that, what does “customer experience” mean to you? On today's episode, I talk about customer experience with Sultana Mangal and Annie Dohle, both Account Executives at Gorilla 76. Here's what we discussed: What kind of experience B2B buyers expect How to differentiate you...
Jan 19, 2021•30 min•Ep. 32
In today's podcast, I break down a simple three-step framework for what a mid-sized B2B manufacturer should be doing to fill the sales funnel in 2021. This year, we still can't rely on trade shows or other in-person meetings. Here's what I recommend you do instead: Focus on the right people from the right companies Create amazing content specifically for them Distribute that content consistently to as many of the right people as possible To ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufactur...
Jan 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 31
Artificial intelligence...machine learning...blockchain...digital transformation. All buzzwords marking the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 4.5. In this episode of the podcast, I talk with someone who's right in the middle of it all. Justin Goldston, PhD is a professor of project and supply chain management at Penn State University. He works closely with the Penn State Sustainability Institute to blend technology into organizational sustainability efforts. Justin and I discussed: What w...
Jan 05, 2021•21 min•Ep. 30
What is Voice of Customer? How can Voice of Customer be used to curate tailored content across your industry? Why is this important? These are a few of the many questions answered on today’s show with industry expert, Dave Loomis. In this episode, Joe Sullivan of Gorilla 76 speaks with Dave Loomis, President of Loomis Marketing on episode 28 of The Manufacturing Executive podcast. Our dynamic conversation covered... How do you facilitate a voice of customer meeting? What are the benefits of a vo...
Dec 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 29
Somewhere along the way, we all run into that guy... The customer's procurement guy... The buyer. And with supply chain disruption fresh in all our minds, it's time we talked to that guy. In this episode of the podcast, I spoke with Aaron Brimer, a supply chain leader and founder of the Manufacturing Procurement Guy podcast. We talked about mitigating risk through smart procurement practices. Aaron and I discussed: Second sourcing Inventory management Negotiation ...And the role engineers play i...
Dec 22, 2020•26 min•Ep. 28
I asked listeners what topic they wanted to learn more about on the podcast. You said "expanding into international markets." So I put the word out among my network and discovered today's guest. He founded a gas company in 2002 that now does business in many foreign countries. My guest on this episode is Ashley Madray, executive vice president of Gas Innovations, a producer, purifier, and packager of specialty gases. Ashley and I discussed: Who he is, how his company began, and how it expanded i...
Dec 15, 2020•28 min•Ep. 27
The workplace is experiencing a massive transformation. I thought we should start at a high level and talk about that. So we did. In this episode of the podcast, I spoke with Jon Franko (I just call him "Franko"), my co-founder here at Gorilla76, about how to grow a great team rooted in relationships. Franko and I discussed: What employees value most in an employer right now A little thing we do called “Retention Brainstorming” and how it can help you How to use Glassdoor to your advantage To en...
Dec 08, 2020•41 min•Ep. 26
