Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Podcast

When most people think about cybersecurity, they think of stolen passwords and data breaches. But what happens when the targets are the systems that keep buildings running, water flowing and energy moving? In this episode of the Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Podcast, hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil sit down with Danielle “DJ” Jablanski, a leading OT cybersecurity strategist at STV. Together, we move past the a...

Everyone wants seamless industrial data. Fewer people talk about the tradeoffs beneath it. Recorded live at the CSIA Conference in Baltimore, Gary Cohen sits down with Skkynet CEO Gary Tillery to discuss industrial connectivity, cybersecurity, system integrator partnerships and the future of manufacturing technology. Tillery shares insights from more than 30 years in industrial automation, includi...

What does it take to grow from a controls engineer in the plant to the CEO of a global system integrator, all while the definition of automation project keeps changing? Recorded live at the CSIA conference in Baltimore, this Ctrl+Alt+Mfg episode features Daniel Gomez, CEO of Omnicon, recognized as a 2026 System Integrator of the Year. Gomez shares the playbook behind scaling delivery across region...

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Josh Peeno, P.E., joins the conversation to explore why so many digital transformation and AI initiatives in manufacturing fall short. It’s not because the technology isn’t powerful; it’s because it often isn’t built for the realities of the plant floor. Drawing on his experience in heavy manufacturing and industrial AI, Peeno explains why successful transformation...

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neal sit down with John Dyck, CEO of CESMII, and John Harrington, chief product officer at HighByte, to talk about why interoperability is one of the biggest barriers to smart manufacturing. As manufacturers invest in connected systems, cloud platforms, analytics and AI, many are still struggling to turn that technology into real business v...

What’s really holding manufacturers back from smarter maintenance? While many point the finger at AI or automation, bad data might be the real culprit. In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Paul Ross of Limble and Ross Fergerson of RBC Bearings about why so many plants are still stuck in reactive maintenance mode and what it takes to move toward more proactive, d...

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg , Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Adrienne Meyer, CEO of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), about why system integrators are becoming more essential than ever in modern manufacturing. As companies push ahead with AI, digital transformation, robotics and smarter automation, integrators are the ones connecting systems, software and operations t...

Manufacturing may be stabilizing but its workforce is at a turning point. In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Amara Rozgus, editor-in-chief of Plant Engineering, breaks down insights from the 2026 Plant Engineering Salary Survey. The data shows a highly experienced, well-paid and satisfied workforce, but one that’s rapidly nearing retirement, with too few junior engineers coming up behind them. We di...

Digital transformation remains a top priority for manufacturers, but many initiatives still stall between strategy and execution. In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Dan Furrow, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. industrial, global accounts and international markets, at Wesco, and Luis Atencio, solutions architect for Wesco’s smart manufacturing team, join the podcast to explore what sep...

Cybersecurity threats are no longer confined to IT systems. They’re now crossing into the physical world, with real consequences for manufacturing, supply chains and critical infrastructure. In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil are joined by Ian Bramson, vice president of global industrial cybersecurity at Black & Veatch, to unpack what this shift means for indu...

Automation is no longer optional, but where should manufacturers invest to see real returns? In this episode of C trl +A lt +M fg , we’re joined by Mark Hoske, editor-in-chief of Control Engineering , to break down the findings of the 2026 State of Industrial Automation Report . We discuss where automation is delivering measurable ROI, why advanced process controls continue to lead, how manufactur...

What if you could test changes to your manufacturing process without risking downtime, scrap or costly mistakes? In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg , hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neal are joined by Matt Wise , CEO of E Tech Group , and Cole Switzer , principal full stack developer and head of advanced software, to break down the real-world impact of digital twins in modern manufacturing. The conver...

As 2025 winds down, Ctrl+Alt+Mfg is taking stock of what actually mattered in manufacturing this year. In this year-end special, hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil are joined by Mike Ouellette , senior editor at Engineering.com , to unpack the real state of digital transformation on the plant floor—beyond the buzzwords. They dig into: Why digital transformation isn’t new, and how today’s wave dif...

Why do so many MES and industrial software projects fail and how can manufacturers finally fix the problem? In this episode, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Ryan Crownover, director of digital plant at Vertech , about why industrial software shouldn’t be treated as special and how adopting agile, iterative development can dramatically improve ROI and user adoption. We dig into: • What manu...

Digital transformation is everywhere — but what does it really mean for manufacturers? In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg , hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil sit down with Alicia Lomas , founder of Lomas Manufacturing, to talk about the practical side of Industry 4.0. From connecting data and building smarter control rooms to bridging IT and OT teams, Alicia explains how real transformation starts...

Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue — it’s a manufacturing issue. In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg , hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Leah and Jeremy Dodson, co-founders of Piqued Solutions, about the evolving threats facing operational technology (OT) environments. From the myth of the “air gap” to the rise of AI-driven defenses, the Dodsons explain why factories must rethink securit...

In this episode of Control Alt Manufacturing , hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil sit down with John Lee , senior manager of manufacturing intelligence at Matrix Technologies , to explore how manufacturers can connect data from legacy systems, automate securely and prepare for the rise of AI on the plant floor. John shares how companies are tackling the challenge of disparate data , why data inte...

Ctrl+Alt+Mfg publishes new episodes every two weeks and is available on ControlEng.com and major podcast platforms. The opening episode, “Resetting and Rethinking Manufacturing,” introduces the show’s themes and shares highlights from WTWH Media’s 2025 automation research. Hosted by Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil.  *** If you like this podcast, get more episodes at controleng.com or ctrlaltmfg.cast...