This ex-Navy Seal, turned manufacturing CEO believes the future of workforce development and training falls not only on the shoulders of the trade schools, but also the employers themselves.
Imagine the power of standing next to a piece of machinery and answering a prospect's questions on a sales call. Or leading a product training session for a new customer, right there inside of your manufacturing facility, on camera. Our guest today has figured all of this out. And it's changed his business forever.
If you want to run a killer manufacturing business, you need to avoid the silent business killers that can keep you from the success you’ve worked hard to earn. Today, we’re speaking with Steve Blue, CEO of Miller Ingenuity, about his recent article Seven Silent Business Killers. He shares the seven silent killers (along with a bonus one) manufacturers need to be on the lookout for and how to treat them before it’s too late. Some highlights: Everyone makes nice in meetings Innovation is DOA Hidi...
Most organizations spend more time and resources on new customer acquisition rather than talent acquisition, but why is that? Our guest today joins us to explain how organizations can showcase why their business is a great place to work and how to hire the right people for the job. Jay Veniard is the Founder and CEO of Ventech Search Group, a company on a mission to help organizations hire the best sales talent in the market. In this episode, Jay offers insights on how companies can hire and ret...
Some of the best conversations we have on this show are with Presidents and CEOs leading midsize American manufacturing companies. Listen in as our guest provides his insights into running a company that is a leader in innovative tooling and casting solutions. Mick North is the President and CEO of Anderson Global Inc. , a full-service supplier for the design and build of complex foundry tooling. In this episode, Mick talks about his experiences leading a midsize American manufacturing company. ...
The term “sustainability” is used loosely among manufacturing leaders today. Most will say sustainability matters, but how many run their organizations with sustainable practices as their focus? Our guest today is a CEO who operates her business with a sustainability mindset and tells us what that looks like inside a manufacturing organization. Sara Irvani is the CEO at Okabashi Brands , one of the 1% of remaining domestic shoe manufacturers with a mission to prove that sustainable American manu...
We've all heard of Injection Molding and Additive Manufacturing, but what about Additive Molding? Our guest today is pioneering a business for high-volume production using molding. Riley Reese is the Co-Founder and CEO of ARRIS , a technology company enabling the design and manufacture of the highest-performance products. In this episode, Riley talks about Arris's Additive Molding™ technology and how they are discovering new ways to manufacture composite parts at scale in ways that weren't previ...
Rather than our typical interview, in this episode, we syndicated an episode from our second podcast, The Manufacturing Marketer , a show focused on marketing for B2B companies inside the manufacturing ecosystem. In this episode, our team of strategists at Gorilla answer questions that they have received from our recurring live event, Industrial Marketing Live , from marketing folks working inside manufacturing companies. Join us as we discuss: Trade show strategy and how trade shows can be used...
Some of the most famous and successful entrepreneurs fall on the autism spectrum. Autism is a highly stigmatized disorder, but our guest today will share his insights on why people on the spectrum can be some of the most brilliant thinkers around. Peter Mann is the Founder and CEO of Oransi , a leading manufacturer of air filtration and ventilation products. A United States Military Veteran, Peter served 4 years in the Navy, including a tour in the Red Sea during the first gulf war. Peter is lat...
Our guest today has his eyes set on how we can pull together our resources to revitalize American manufacturing and take steps towards creating vibrant opportunities in the next decade. Doug Berger is the Founder and Team Leader of Industry Reimagined 2030, a non-profit with a mission to bring a generational sea-change in US industry and to transform 50,000 companies into world class over the next 10 years. Listen in as Doug explains how Industry Reimagined is the catalyst for national associati...
We’re at the threshold of an information revolution around cloud-based hardware, and our guest today will explain why moving to the cloud can save your business. Michael Corr is the Founder and CEO of Duro Labs , a cloud SaaS PLM platform enabling the utilization of hardware development for the next generation of hardware teams. Listen in as Michael explains the need for cloud based hardware in your manufacturing business. Join us as we discuss: Some of the biggest problems caused by manual proc...
Sometimes it's easier to follow the status quo than switch things up, especially when running a second or third-generation family-owned business. Listen in as Michelle Acosta , Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Acosta Sheet Metal shares her experiences as well as her vision for leading this family business into the future. Join us as we discuss: Things that commodity-driven businesses can do to make it about more than just price when talking to prospects and customers Taking a proact...
What do manufacturing organizations need to consider on the marketing front as we head into the new year? In this solo episode, I’ll take you through the marketing playbook we use for our manufacturing clients at Gorilla. Join us as we discuss: Becoming the expert resource for your audience Capturing existing demand and creating new demand The 4 pieces of our marketing framework: the Road Map, the messaging strategy, the content and the campaigns How do you quantify the effectiveness of your mar...
During a time when finding labor is challenging, there are some things the manufacturing sector can learn from the “gig economy.” Our guest today provides his insights on sourcing and upskilling the manufacturing workforce. Jason Radisson is the Founder and CEO of Shift One, a platform that is helping solve the global shortage of skilled front-line workers, with more than 300,000 users, from nurses to solar technicians. Since becoming an entrepreneur, Jason has worked with more than a dozen firs...
In the business realm, the encompassing term ‘supply chain’ is relatively new, and the roles within it, including procurement, are even more contemporary. Having only been around since the 80s, organizations are still finding ways to streamline their procurement processes and enable teams to elevate organizational success. According to our latest guest, Rob Pakalski, CEO & Co-Founder of Datum, many organizations make the mistake of treating procurement as an administrative role. In fact, whe...
What was once a manufacturing process reserved for low-volume prototyping has found its home in various production applications. Our guest today breaks down post-print processes and lets us in on what he refers to as the dirty little secret of additive manufacturing. Jeff Mize is the CEO of PostProcess Technologies, the international leader in automated post-printing solutions for additive manufacturing. He has a proven track record of scaling startups in new markets and driving growth. In this ...
Our guest today thinks of himself as a treasure hunter not for gold and silver but for used machinery parts, and in this episode discusses how one man’s trash can be another’s treasure. Listen in as Noah Graff, Vice President of Graff-Pinkert & Co. talks about: New trends and insights coming from the precision machining space What is treasure hunting How supply chain challenges have affected large equipment manufacturing What's going on in the world of machine parts...
Our guest in this episode knows both sides of the US/Mexico border very well and provides insights into a term he calls “ally shoring” – the opportunity for US manufacturers to expand manufacturing operations across the southern border. Listen in as Founder and Managing Director of Nepanoa, Alberto Villarreal, talks about: What ally shoring means and how it compares to offshoring across seas The benefits for American manufacturers when they're opening facilities in Mexico or other Latin American...
In its earliest stages, most technological innovations are reserved for those with the most capital. In manufacturing, when you add the scalability of digital products to this, you end up with what our guest calls “the great equalizer.” Raj Batra is the President of digital industries for Siemens USA, where he oversees all development, engagement, marketing, sales, r&d, vertical industry, and manufacturing activity for the automation business. With over 25 years of experience, Raj is a thoug...
Sometimes it feels like technology and humans are at odds with each other, but our guest today will tell you that the future of manufacturing will involve technology that supports human beings. Trond Undheim is a futurist, scholar, venture partner, nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council, co-founder of Yegii, and lead ecosystem evangelist at Tulip. Trond hosts the Augmented Podcast and is the author of Augmented Lean. In this episode, Trond talks about how the best leaders in manufacturing im...
Technology has brought us to a place where mobile phones have better cameras than the most advanced manufacturing lines had ten years ago. Vision inspection technology has come so far that the barriers to entry in terms of investment and technological feasibility have made vision automation accessible to all manufacturers. Austin Appel is the Co-Founder of Overview, an AI deep-learning vision platform for manufacturing. At Overview, Austin is responsible for leading product development and opera...
For years sustainable business practices have been a plus in manufacturing organizations. But when forced to make a decision between profitability and sustainability, most leaders will choose profitability. Our guest today will tell us why the link between profitability and sustainability is closer than ever. Lauren Dunford is the CEO and Co-Founder of Guidewheel, a company whose mission is to empower all the world's factories to reach sustainable peak performance. In 2022 Guidewheel was recogni...
Creating an online community can be challenging and far-fetched for many. When it’s done correctly, it can foster communication in a way that creates a feedback loop between you and your customers. Joining today are two of Gorilla 76's own strategists, Brendon Forrest and Peyton Warren. In this episode, Brendon and Peyton explain how to apply an online community to a business setting. Join us as we discuss: What an online community is Examples of thriving online communities in the manufacturing ...
Although the physical labor Boomers can provide in the manufacturing workforce has diminished, we cannot ignore the expertise and knowledge they bring to the table with years of experience in this industry. Will Healy III is a founding board member of the Advance Manufacturing Industry Partnership (AMIP), whose mission is to connect manufacturers, educators, and workforce partners to evangelize the positive outcomes of manufacturing careers. Will has more than 16 years of experience in various d...
The narrative around robotics, automation, and industry 4.0 technology are that these technologies are out of reach and require overwhelming investments and change to company infrastructure, but with advancements in technology across the manufacturing sector, this narrative is changing quickly. Fady Saad and Mark Martin are General Partners at Cybernetix, a venture capital firm leading the way for investment into early-stage robotics, automation, and AI startups. Fady is also the Co-Founder of M...
It is easy to do the same thing repeatedly, but there is no better time than now to start thinking differently as a manufacturing leader. Nikki Gonzales is the Head of Partnerships for Quotebeam, a collaborative marketplace and workflow platform for the industrial automation industry. She helps buyers cut their sourcing time from weeks to days by building partner relationships with distributors and manufacturers in the space. Nikki is also the host of the Automation Ladies podcast, where girls t...
When someone says “made in America,” it has always been said with a sense of pride. It is a term that has traditionally been associated with quality and reliability. But what does “made in America” mean, and do the benefits of keeping things stateside outweigh offshoring operations? In 2013, Brandon Acker purchased Titan Abrasive Systems after spending five years learning the ins and outs of the business. As President of Titan Abrasive, Brandon oversees the design and manufacturing of the compan...
Innovative organizations have figured out that employee engagement highly depends on the employer-employee experience you provide inside your organization. The changes that covid has brought to the workplace over the last two years have affected the experience businesses can provide to their employees. Julie Jeannotte is the Employee Engagement Expert & Senior Researcher at OfficeVibe. With over 15 years of experience in the HR industry, Julie is an expert at helping organizations understand...
Ongoing learning and professional development are necessary for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve. And this episode’s guest has constructed his business around this exact idea. Tim Wilborne is the owner of TW Controls with his wife, Amber. Tim began working in a machine shop at the age of 12 and eventually found his way into industrial controls. While his wife was eight months pregnant, they started TW Controls with the primary goal of helping you become a better technician. Tim brings...
MJ Peters joins us two years after her first appearance on our show to talk about the evolution of workforce collaboration among engineers in manufacturing. Currently the VP of Marketing at CoLab Software, MJ brings a mix of industrial and SaaS experience to her role. Before CoLab, MJ worked with 50+ venture-backed b2b software companies on their demand generation strategies at Refine Labs. And prior to that, she spent six years working at FTSE 100 Halma PLC, a group of mid-sized manufacturing b...
