Manufacturing Talks

Send us Fan Mail The money game when it comes to funding your industrial business just got a bit easier. Scott Peper, founder and CEO of Mobilization Funding, joined us to discuss his journey from sales in the medical device industry to founding Mobilization Funding, which provides working capital loans to manufacturers and commercial contractors. Scott highlighted the importance of understanding...

Send us Fan Mail Talk about a vital subject! Our host Jim Vinoski interviews Brent Sadler, a retired US Navy Captain and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, about the sorry state of American shipbuilding and the US Navy's needs. Sadler highlights the US Navy's shortage of ships, emphasizing the need for 575 ships to counter threats from China and Russia. He discusses the d...

Send us Fan Mail It's always a treat to hear from folks who are building new American manufacturing businesses. So chatting with Michael Goerlich, who makes gun holsters just outside of Cleveland, was great fun. Michael, owner of Raven Concealment Systems and president of Threshold Strategic Consulting, discussed his journey from a failed college student to a successful manufacturer. He detai...

Send us Fan Mail Man, this one was so much fun! I had one of my new favorite authors ever, Zach Hanson, join me to discuss ideas on closing the skilled trades gap from a very personal point of view. Zach is the author of "The Trade Gap," about his journey from a white-collar tech job to learning trades in rural Idaho. Zach discusses the societal push for college over trades, his personal...

Send us Fan Mail Jim Vinoski hosts Mike Becker in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk to set the example that people with opposing views can address their differences rationally and respectfully. Mike, a consultant at Becker Quality Improvements, shares his background in food safety and continuous improvement, highlighting issues like cost pressures and inadequate sanitation practic...

Send us Fan Mail What a great show it made to have as our guest the one and only Scott MacKenzie, manufacturing advocate and industry commentator extraordinaire! Scott is managing director of Industrial Talk Media, and he shared his journey from starting an industrial maintenance company to launching a media platform. He emphasized the importance of storytelling in manufacturing and the need to in...

Send us Fan Mail Anyone in industry knows the harsh reality of the skilled trades gap. Every affected business needs to be involved in bringing more of our youth into careers in the trades. Want a great example? That's exactly why we invited Angie Simon, co-founder of the Heavy Metal Summer Experience, and Maria Ford, President of Commercial and Industrial at Stanley Black & Decker, to th...

Send us Fan Mail How can work process automation help your manufacturing team? That's exactly what Filip Aronshtein joined us to talk about. He's co-founder and CEO of Dirac, a company that automates digital work instructions for manufacturers. Dirac's platform generates 3D animated assembly instructions from CAD files, improving efficiency and reducing errors. The company recently...

Send us Fan Mail With factory tech being all the rage in manufacturing these days, it was a treat to get some insights from a global expert. Andre Moreno, Senior Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, joined us to discuss his company's extensive experience and offerings in industrial automation and its focus on power generation, sustainability, and reindustrialization...

Send us Fan Mail Shep Hickey founded Bryzos, a metals trading platform, and he hosts the podcast "Irregardless." Shep shares his journey from steel distribution to digital trade, emphasizing the need for efficient systems and technology. He discusses the importance of team building, focusing on aptitude and adaptability. He highlights the significance of multimedia for business transpare...

Send us Fan Mail Paul Tice, author of *The Race to Zero: How ESG Investing Will Crater the Global Financial System,* recently wrote an article about the Trump administration's plan to do away with the EPA's Obama-era Endangerment Finding that classed CO2 as a pollutant. He joined us to dive into that excellent news as well as other heartening developments regarding regulations in general...

Send us Fan Mail One of the most amazing categories of story out there is where huge tech leaps in manufacturing completely reshape how we make things. That's why this chat with Jim Belosic, founder of SendCutSend, is so riveting. Jim Belosic discussed his journey from graphic design to manufacturing. He highlighted the company's innovative approach, which leverages software to streamlin...

Send us Fan Mail Lawrence Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, about his journey and insights on free markets and business policies. Larry credits his father's common sense and anti-communist sentiments for his advocacy of liberty. He discusses his roles at the Mackinac Center and FEE, emphasizing the importance of free market principles and deregulation. Larry h...

Send us Fan Mail It's always a good show when we talk about metal. So it was pure awesome having Merrin Muxlow, who leads partnerships for the Investment Casting Institute, join us to tell us about the world of metal casting. Merrin discusses the importance of investment casting in various industries, including aerospace and heavy machinery, and highlights the need for localized production du...

Send us Fan Mail So, this dude sends me a copy of his book... then pesters me relentlessly to read it. And I'm really glad he did. Jeff Leimbach's *Broken Supply Chains: How Financial Engineering Hollowed American Manufacturing and the Complex Journey to Resilience* absolutely nails the main factors that drove so much of American industry overseas. So it was a treat to have him on the sh...

Send us Fan Mail What a great bunch of know-how Ed Marsh, founder of Ed Marsh Consulting, brings us in this episode! He discusses the importance of revenue growth in manufacturing and emphasizes the need for a systematic approach similar to manufacturing's continuous improvement, focusing on integrated steps and prioritizing efficiency. Ed highlights the disparity between advanced manufacturi...

Send us Fan Mail What a treat it was to have Patrick Anderson, founder of Anderson Economic Group, join us to discuss the economic impact of electric vehicle (EV) costs and tariffs on the automotive industry! Patrick always brings fresh, informed insights backed with oodles of research. Patrick highlighted that EVs are more expensive than traditional vehicles, with real-world costs often exceeding...

Send us Fan Mail Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies as a whole have not been doing well lately. They're the ones that make your foods and beverages as well as other daily use items like toiletries and cleaning supplies. But there are winners and losers in the mix. Peter McDonald, founding partner at McDonald's Strategy Partners, joined us to do a deep dive on which CPGs are doing we...

Send us Fan Mail The inimitable Mike Rowe joined us to talk about his passion for promoting skilled trades, highlighting the significant increase in open positions from 2.3 million in 2009 to 7.6 million today. We chatted about his new partnership with PureTalk, a wireless company, to support veterans transitioning into trades. All that and a whole lot more! Mike Rowe's Passion for Promoting...

Send us Fan Mail "Manufacturing jobs aren't coming back to America, because rich nations are always service economies." Wrong on all counts! Our esteemed host explains why this oft-repeated statement is flat-out false, and what has really led to the decline of much of American industry. We're already reshoring, and we can cement that trend and accelerate the recovery of America...

Send us Fan Mail Noel Joyce, an assistant professor at NYU Shanghai, discussed his open-source adaptive quad mountain bike design. After a mountain biking accident left him a wheelchair user for 20 years, Joyce pursued industrial design. He designed a bike to address the limitations of existing adaptive bikes, which often break down and are cost-prohibitive. Joyce's bike is modular, made from...

Send us Fan Mail Matt is Head of Reindustrialization at Veryable. We featured them in our early days, when the company's CEO, Mike Kinder, joined us for our Episode 11. Now, with reindustrialization happening in real time, Matt is here to tell how Veryable is uniquely suited to helping supply chain companies with their labor needs as they grapple with the volatility that new opportunities bri...

Send us Fan Mail Peace Corps veteran Clay Martin found his calling, and he's now founded company #2 that's focused on helping industry employers find skilled workers who want to come here from Puerto Rico. In case you weren't previously aware, that is a territory of the United States, so the people there can come here with no red tape and no immigration complications. And there are...

Send us Fan Mail One half of the Energy Bad Boys came back on the show to discuss our electric grids and the good, the bad, and the ugly about them. Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling published a Substack last month telling how my home state of Michigan's insane energy policies will likely shut down the last remaining iron mine in the Upper Peninsula, the Tilden mine. Now Isaac is on the show to do...

Send us Fan Mail Chris is with Global Search Network and is Senior Talent Acquisition Leader for Consumer Packaged Goods North America. So he is right there on the front lines of today's tough recruiting game. Chris joined us to share valuable insights on what he sees every day that can help you no matter what part you're playing: hiring manager, HR, recruiter, or candidate. Here are the...