Fully Open (by ValveMan)

Matt Thiel doesn’t see “employees first” as a slogan — he sees it as the engine for growth. Because in industrial, you don’t get to coast. You either build a culture that unlocks potential, or you fall behind. In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast, host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Matt Thiel, President of AUMA Actuators. Matt walks through the 9-year journey that led to a 35% increase in o...

Jeff Scott doesn’t talk about “growth” like a slogan — he talks about it like a responsibility. Because in industrial, you don’t get to coast. You either build capability, or you fall behind. In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast, host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Jeff Scott of NOSHOK. Jeff has spent 51 years inside the business, starting in shipping and receiving as “the third man” in a 40...

He lost the family company.   Then he bought it back. Bert Lowden didn’t inherit Aquatrol — he had to fight for it.   This is the story of what happens when legacy slips through your fingers… and what it takes to rebuild it from the ground up. 🔊 In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast: • The pain of losing a family business   • What it takes to buy back a legacy — with no safety net   • The rea...

Brian OLeary doesn’t just run a family business — he stewards a legacy. And that mindset has guided him through decades of growth, succession, and strategic ownership at REOTEMP Instruments. In this fourth episode of the Fully Open Podcast , host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Brian to explore the generational reality of industrial leadership — and why equity, stewardship, and long-term trust are...

Scott Grimes doesn’t sell — he solves. And that mindset has carried him through decades in industrial filtration and process sales at Donaldson Company. In this third episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan) , host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Scott to explore how sales has evolved — and why curiosity, empathy, and technical understanding are still the real differentiators in industrial markets. 💡...

Bruce Broxterman doesn’t just build companies — he builds billion-dollar exits. In this second episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan) , host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Bruce to unpack how he built, bought, and grew one of the biggest names in the valve industry — and how his playbook still drives results today. 💡 What you’ll hear: How Bruce scaled a small business into a billion-dollar exit Buy...

Rick Wentzel doesn’t just sell valves — he helped shape the entire North American valve landscape. In this first episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan) , host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Rick to talk about his journey from Vietnam platoon sergeant to co-founding Bonomi North America and launching game-changing valve and actuator lines across the country. 💡 What you’ll hear: How Rick pioneered th...

“I got robbed on Christmas Eve. That was my first day as a valve salesman.” Rick Wenzel’s story starts in chaos — and turns into a career that helped shape the U.S. valve industry. This is the official trailer for Fully Open (by ValveMan) — a show about the people who keep plants running. We talk to field engineers, plant managers, valve pros, and maintenance leaders.  Not about theory. About what...