Machine Shop Mastery

From shadowboxing aerospace tool kits with a CO2 laser to running thousands of work orders annually across machining, sheet metal, and waterjet operations, Low Country Aerospace  has grown by embracing systems, trust, and relentless customer focus. In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Paul Van Metre sits down with founder Barry Russell to unpack the unconventional path that transformed a small...

There are certain companies in manufacturing that are so woven into the fabric of the industry that you almost stop noticing just how influential they've been. That was my realization after sitting down with Matt Schron from Jergens. Like a lot of machinists, I've spent decades around Jergens products without fully appreciating just how deep their roots go, from workholding and lifting solutions t...

When I sat down with Alex Mazerolle from Archer Precision, I thought I knew where the conversation was going. We were originally planning to talk about their ProShop journey and some of the operational improvements they've made along the way. What I didn't expect was to walk into a full-on masterclass in how to build a modern, high-performance machine shop. As Alex started sharing his perspective,...

What happens when a shop owner refuses to accept the tradeoff between developing people and driving efficiency? In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery,  Brian Kippen shares a story that feels less like a linear journey and more like a carefully engineered system—one where workforce development and automation aren't competing priorities, but deeply connected levers for growth. Brian's path into ma...

What do you do when your entire business model collapses almost overnight? For Sven Klatt and the team at Vineburg Machining, the answer wasn't to retreat—it was to reinvent. After losing their three largest customers to overseas outsourcing in the early 2000s, the company made a bold decision: walk away from high-volume commodity work and rebuild from the ground up around complex, high-mix machin...

What does it really take to build a $50 million machine shop from scratch? In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with David Dussault and Joel Lape, co-founders of P1 Industries, to unpack one of the most impressive growth stories I've come across in manufacturing. They started with a single used lathe and a Bridgeport—and over the past 20 years, they've built a 150-person operation...

What does it look like to build a manufacturing company where the primary purpose is to create joy through kindness?  In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Jean Pitzo of Ace Metal Crafts shares how that philosophy shaped her leadership approach and helped grow the company into a thriving, multi-division manufacturing organization. Her story challenges the traditional notion that success in manu...

In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, I sit down with Skip Markley of Die Craft Machining & Engineering to explore a transformation story that spans more than two decades. Skip walks me through how he acquired a small shop running on manual equipment and carbon paper work orders and gradually evolved it into a standardized, process-driven CNC operation serving the steel mill industry. It's a ca...

What happens when an entrepreneur with deep manufacturing roots but limited machining experience buys a 30-year-old job shop? In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Billy Banks shares what it looks like to step into ownership, inherit a legacy culture, and begin reshaping a business with fresh energy, new leadership philosophy, and a long-term growth vision. Just 13 months into owning General Ma...

Taking over a family machine shop is one challenge. Scaling it rapidly while navigating defense-industry cybersecurity requirements is another entirely. In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Paul sits down with Jessica Eckman of Bent River Machine, an Arizona-based factory tooling and automation company that has been building complex equipment since 1978. After Jessica and her husband took over...

Buying a machine shop from the outside can sound intimidating. For Nik and Aaron of Mahler Machining, it was also an opportunity. In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Paul sits down with the two partners who acquired a precision machining business in Vancouver, British Columbia after spending nearly a decade in corporate finance and private equity. Instead of continuing to advise businesses fr...

In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Paul sits down with Dave Hataj, third-generation leader of Edgerton Gear in Wisconsin. What begins as a conversation about a custom gear job shop quickly unfolds into something much larger — a story about culture change, humility, sabotage, burnout, mentorship, and the responsibility manufacturers carry in shaping the next gener...

What happens when a high-performance race shop decides to jump into aerospace and defense manufacturing — and goes all in? In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Marty Moran of TKO Precision Machining and TKO Motorsports in Reno, Nevada. What started in 2008 as a motorsports-focused shop building custom race cars and high-end components evolved into a serious aerospace and defe...

What does it take to grow a third-generation family machine shop into a diversified, nearly 100-person operation pushing $20 million in revenue? In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Zac Overton of Overton Industries to unpack the evolution of a business that started as a 900-square-foot carbide tooling shop in 1968 and grew into a multi-division manufacturing company spanning...

Taking over a family machine shop is never just a business decision. It's personal. In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Nubia Perez of Gretna Machine Shop to talk about what it really means to carry a founder's legacy forward while finding the courage to lead in your own way. Nubia shares the origin story of Gretna Machine Shop, founded by her father after immigrating to the...

Some machine shop owners talk about people-first leadership. Few are willing to put everything on the line to prove it. In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Gary Poesnecker, founder of Spectrum Machine & Design, whose leadership was tested when the world shut down. Faced with collapsing demand during COVID, Gary made a decision most owners wouldn't: he borrowed over $1 millio...

Most machine shops grow by adding capabilities, chasing new markets, and saying "yes" as often as possible. Forest City Gear took the opposite path — and built a 123-person company by doing it. In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Kika Young, President of Forest City Gear, to unpack how extreme specialization became the company's competitive advantage. Instead of trying to be...

Reaching 100 episodes is more than a milestone. It's a moment to step back and recognize what's been built together. In this special compilation episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I reflect on the most powerful ideas, lessons, and human stories that emerged from the first 99 conversations with shop owners and manufacturing leaders across the industry. When this podcast started, I thought we were c...

Some manufacturing businesses grow because of timing, technology, or market opportunity. Others endure because of values. In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Bill Cox of Cox Manufacturing, a nearly 70-year-old family business whose legacy was forged through resilience, faith, and an unwavering commitment to people. Bill shares the remarkable origin story of Cox Manufacturing...

What does a truly dialed-in machine shop look like behind the scenes? In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Jayme Rahz of Midway Swiss Turn, one of the most intentional and well-run shops I've come across. I met Jayme at the Top Shops Conference, where Midway Swiss Turn was recognized for Shop Floor Best Practices, and after this conversation, it's easy to see why. Jayme share...

Staying in business for decades requires more than machines, processes, and good customers. In this episode of  Machine Shop Mastery , I sit down with Bonnie and Ken Kuhn of Kuhn Tool, a multi-generation, family-owned shop in northwest Pennsylvania that has quietly endured for more than six decades. What makes this conversation special isn't just the longevity of the business, but the way Bonnie a...

In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, I finally sit down with Shane Grant from Machining Momentum, a guest I've been hoping to have on the show for a long time. Shane has spent the last decade building his shop from the ground up, literally starting in a backyard pole barn and growing it into a precision-focused operation that's now hitting its stride in a new industrial facility. What makes Sh...

One of the questions I think about constantly is what actually makes a machine shop valuable. Not just today, but five, ten, or even twenty years down the road. It's easy to point to machines, revenue, or backlog, but the real drivers of long-term value usually run much deeper. That's exactly why I wanted to sit down with Jamie Goettler, Chief Revenue Officer of BTX Precision, for this episode of...

Some conversations stay with you long after you hit "stop" on the recorder—and my time with Gabe Draper  is absolutely one of them. I've known Gabe for years, but I never fully understood the depth of the journey he endured as he attempted to take over, stabilize, and ultimately shut down the family machine shop. His story isn't just informative; it's gut-wrenching, enlightening, and, ultimately,...

Buying a machine shop is never simple — and for Matt Fortner , it was a leap into the unknown. Coming from backgrounds in plumbing, industrial fittings, product development, and even scrap metal buying, Matt felt a pull to get back to "building something real." That pull led him to Progress Machining in Muskegon, Michigan — a shop he became the fifth person to attempt purchasing. Once inside, Matt...