capacity

Wildland firefighter turned aerospace shop owner. In this episode of Capacity , Sunny Han sits down with Rhys Anderson, Founder & CEO at Method MFG in Austin, Texas, to unpack how he’s built a high-mix, high-requirement aerospace machine shop around systems, communication, and careful technology bets. Rhys shares: How a childhood in a Montana sewer and fab business led to a love for making thi...

What does it mean to be a steward of a century-old sheet metal shop? Luigi “Lou” Sposito, Owner and President of A.G. Miller in Springfield, MA, joins Sunny Han to talk about legacy, data, and the next generation of fabrication. Lou shares why he sees himself not as an owner, but as a caretaker of a long-standing manufacturing business built on people, relationships, and precision. He explains how...

In this Capacity episode, Sunny visits ACP (Formely ACP Waterjet - west of Boston) to talk with founder Carlos Fernandes about starting a shop in a recession with no manufacturing background, scaling through smart risk, building instant quoting and e-commerce, wiring systems together with APIs, and creating a culture where AI and automation add jobs by boosting throughput. Carlos shares the early...

What does it take to turn a small, family-run shop into a precision powerhouse? In this episode of Capacity , Fulcrum CEO Sunny Han talks with Hernan Ricaurte , President of Ricaurte Precision Inc. , about how the company scaled nearly 4× in just 8 years while serving some of the most demanding industries: aerospace, defense, medical devices, and even rocket components. From achieving AS9100-certi...

Engineer-turned-owner Chad Jones bought a 40-year-old manufacturer, nearly sank it in year one, then rebuilt culture and systems to double revenue with one new hire . Hear his playbook: fair-value deal math, cash discipline, profit sharing, and ops upgrades.

What happens when a violin-making hobbyist builds one of the most trusted machine shops in the aerospace world? In this episode, Sunny Han sits down with Joe Osborn and Michael Langston of OMW Corporation to uncover how a tiny garage startup became a key AS9100 supplier for the private space and satellite industry. Discover how OMW scaled without selling out, why they turn away customers who don’t...

What happens when you trade stability for risk and lead with faith instead of fear? In this episode, Chris sits down with Fritz and John of Rock Run Industries, a father-son duo who turned a garage hobby shop into a thriving sheet metal fabrication powerhouse with over 150 employees and #35 on thefabricator.com’s FAB 40 list this year. From bold equipment bets and low turnover to a culture rooted...

Johnson Metal Works is a specialty subcontractor for structural fabrication, erection, and industrial manufacturing in Bozeman, Montana. In this conversation, husband-and-wife duo Scott and Courtney Johnson walk us through their journey from traditional employment to running their own metal fabrication business — sharing the risks, rewards, and real-life lessons along the way. They share about the...

How did Grady Cope go from working on oil rigs to running a machine shop? And how did he grow from operating a manual mill and lathe to managing a 25,000 sq. ft. facility filled with advanced CNC machines? Fulcrum Founder & CEO Sunny Han sits down with Grady to hear the story of how he started and grew Reata Engineering & Machine Works—and the lessons he’s learned along the way. ⌲ Find out...

Cody Goff is the 3rd-generation owner of Vilonia Metal Works in Vilonia, Arkansas. Vilonia Metal Works specializes in laser cutting, forming, and fabricating for the restaurant industry. Learn more at www.viloniametalworks.com.

Black Mountain Manufacturing Founder Jonathon Friedl joins Fulcrum Founder & CEO Sunny Han to share his journey from studying to be a doctor to running an innovative sheet metal fabrication and machine shop in Greeley, Colorado. Listen in to hear wild tales from welding in the oil industry to figuring out how to sustain a rapidly growing manufacturing startup.

MetalFab Group & Stainless Works President Gregory Fuller and Vice President Jason Snyder chat with Fulcrum CEO & Founder Sunny Han about their growing businesses. MetalFab Group is the job shop side of the business, focused on laser cutting and sheet metal fabrication, and Stainless Works is the product division, building performance exhaust systems — two different business models sharing...

In this episode of the Capacity Podcast, President of CAMM Metals Matt Soucie shares his story. From humble beginnings in his father's garage to becoming a key player in the precision sheet metal fabrication industry, Matt shares the trials, triumphs, and transformative strategies that propelled CAMM Metals to the forefront of aerospace, military, industrial machines, and medical industries. H...

The Father-daughter duo leads two manufacturers in Escanaba, MI: Sarah heads up operations at Advanced Precision Solutions (APS) while Chris continues to build both companies as President and CEO. APS is a machine shop making customized products for industrial, food, and automotive customers. Independent Machine Company (IMC) is a steel fabricator for the railroad industry, holding the title of la...

Manufacturing leader Stephen Reh joins Fulcrum CEO Yu Sunny Han to talk about how he went from discovering CNC machines to becoming the President of Rehtek Machine Co.

Owner of Badger Metal & Machine Fabrication, Abraham (Abe) Ingersoll, shares his experiences from working in the industry to establishing his own business, emphasizing innovation, team spirit, and the importance of embracing new technologies. From the impacts of laser welding to future visions of AI in manufacturing, Abraham and Fulcrum CEO Sunny Han chat about the past, present, and future of...

CEO and founder Ann Mountjoy shares her approach to leading Seattle-based fabricator, Common Fibers. Operating from a 20,000-square-foot hub, Common Fibers creates carbon fiber parts in aerospace, automotive, and beyond. Ann discusses her open-book philosophy, emphasizing industry growth through shared knowledge. Learn about the value of cross-training, versatility, and a craftsman-like mindset in...

After several successful years in corporate America, Scott Hartrick stumbled upon a business opportunity when making his wife metal flowers out of cheap steel spoons. What began as a craft became Aluma Flowers , Hartrick’s first business. One thing led to the next, and Hartrick started taking on local odd jobs for metal fabrication, seeing more and more of a need for high-quality, quick turnaround...

Kirk McCauley is the President of American Engineering and Metalworks (AEM) in North Canton, Ohio. See more about AEM at www.aemquality.com. Learn more about fulcrum at fulcrumpro.com.

Rodd Blessey is the president at Aldine Metal Products in New Milford, Connecticut. Learn more about Aldine at www.aldinemetal.com.

Jeff Murphy leads Reformed MFG, a superalloy CNC Shop and 2nd Chance Employer in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Read more about Reformed at www.reformedmfg.com.