Iowa Manufacturing Podcast

In this episode, Carl Behne, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hy-Vee Health/Exemplar Care, discusses how their concierge healthcare model is revolutionizing healthcare in Iowa. Exemplar Care's recent partnership with Hy-Vee has accelerated its expansion, making innovative healthcare more accessible in new communities, including rural manufacturing towns. By prioritizing quality and convenie...

Dave Machovsky, a former 3M executive and expert consultant with Mindset Innovations, discusses the revitalization of the Training Within Industry (TWI) Methodology on the Iowa Manufacturing podcast. TWI, a program developed during World War II, taught millions of workers to perform their jobs with skill, safety, and conscientiousness but fell out of use in the 1980s. Now, through his work with Ma...

This episode features Newton "Fig" Jensen, founder of Empigo Academy, discussing how his faith-based high school focuses on Career and Technical Education (CTE) to equip students with hands-on skills in technical fields, including manufacturing. Jensen explains the academy's unique approach to closing Iowa's skills gap by combining career-readiness training with biblical values. Jensen also highli...

On this episode of Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, Stephen Coleman from Colewell Automation explains how automation is helping rural manufacturers combat workforce shortages. Stephen discusses how many rural manufacturing companies are unable to meet production needs due to a lack of workers, often turning down projects. Through automation—specifically robotics, assembly, and 3D bin picking—repetitive...

In this episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, Leisa Fox interviews Dave Schwartz, Special Projects Director for Lutheran Church of Hope, about the event God's Heart at Work, featuring Mary Andringa, Chair Emeritus of Vermeer Corporation and Rachelle Keck of Grand View University. Building on the conversation with Mary and Jerry Foster about the third phase of life, Dave shares insights from h...

This episode of *The Iowa Manufacturing Podcast* features Mike Wagner of White Rabbit Group, discussing the concept of *Response Readiness*. Mike dives into the challenges of effective collaboration when dealing with complex problems, particularly when working with highly skilled individuals. He emphasizes the importance of identifying your natural response type—whether you're a Teller, Accepter,...

In this episode of *The Iowa Manufacturing Podcast*, Janice Marquardt, founder of Passwall Solutions, discusses how Iowa manufacturers can optimize their supply chains in a post-COVID world. With tighter margins and the need for improved cash flow, supply chain roles have become more strategic. Janice shares how her audits help companies reduce waste, streamline operations, and achieve on-time, in...

In the latest Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, Scott Turczynski, COO of Heartland Companies, shares his decision to transition from his role in commercial subcontracting to becoming a developer and distiller in Bondurant. With decades of experience in construction, Scott is now focused on transforming Bondurant's historic grain elevators into unique spaces as part of the city's Grain District Downtown...

In this episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, we talk with serial entrepreneur Dave Haney, who shares his strategic pivot from brokering shipping and freight to brokering energy, specifically natural gas, in Iowa. With the current economy causing revenue shortfalls for many manufacturers, Dave explains how Iowa's unique unregulated natural gas market offers significant opportunities for cost...

In the podcast episode with Caleb Brus, we explored the significance of ERISA's anniversary on September 2nd and the upcoming National 401(k) Day on September 6th. The conversation began by distinguishing between qualified and non-qualified retirement accounts. Caleb provided insights into how each type of account operates under different tax structures and the benefits and limitations associated...

In this follow-up episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, we continue our conversation with Dave Zrostlik, CEO of Stellar Industries, along with Drew Larson, Partner at BrownWinick. In the first episode, we explored the remarkable legacy of Frances Zrostlik and his pioneering role in shaping Garner, Iowa's economic landscape. Now, we take a closer look at how that legacy has evolved through the...

In this episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, Stellar Industries' CEO Dave Zrostlik shares the inspiring story of his father, Frances Zrostlik, a visionary entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in shaping Garner, Iowa's economic landscape. The conversation highlights the lasting impact of Frances, who founded Iowa Mold Tool, IMT Transport, and Stellar Industries. Garner now celebrates his le...

In today's podcast, Leisa Fox welcomed Nick Ott, an Employment and Labor attorney from BrownWinick, to discuss the recent waivers granted by Iowa Workforce Development, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to perform hazardous work. Nick provided an in-depth analysis of the interaction between state and federal laws, explaining how state waivers operate within the constraints of federal restrictions. He...

In this episode of the Iowa Manufacturing Podcast, we sit down with EHS expert Linden Terpstra to explore critical practices and strategies for ensuring environmental, health, and safety compliance in manufacturing. Linden shares her wealth of knowledge on how companies can effectively navigate the complexities of EHS by adopting best practices. She emphasizes the importance of engaging in best pr...

Throughout our careers, we navigate three distinct phases of life: Foundation, Framework, and Finish. The Foundation phase, encompassing the first 25 years, is where our values and character are shaped. During the Framework phase, we experience personal growth and often face self-imposed pressure for immediate success. Mary Andringa, Chair Emeritus of Vermeer, emphasizes that the most significant...

There are 1000s of systems in place to analyze and optimize the people side of a business and probably even more systems to optimize processes. Where these two analyses coincide is where the magic happens.  Scott Burgmeyer with Become More Group sits down with Leisa Fox, The Host of The Iowa Manufacturing Podcast to understand the tools available and the impact of truly digging into psychometrics...

Non-competes are used to create a competitive playing field for employers all over the world.  The FTC has banned their use and a recent lawsuit in Texas is creating challenges to enforcement.   The ban, to come into effect September 4th of 2024, is in question. BrownWinick Employment Chair, Dani Smid and Associate Julie Solis-Alvarado help decipher the FTC's Non-compete ban and offer great advice...

So many efforts today are dedicated to building great leadership skills. What if you flip the script and expend just as much effort on followership? It's working for some of the nation's most successful companies.  Helping organizations achieve the highest form of leadership, growing new leaders, Mike Wagner and White Rabbit Group are transforming management training by focusing on true connection...

Leisa talks to Amner Martinez, founder of Infinite Resources recruiting firm and Amplified DSM, a truly diverse podcast studio, Amner talks about ways to target employees no one else knows exist.  Becoming the "cupid" of match making employers and employees, Amner has made "pre-cruiting" the core of what he does.   Targeting applicants that are currently employed, building trust and showing them a...

Great Oaks, Iowa's first public charter high school, targeted at kids who have abandoned their education, will fill many needs.  The greatest need might be considered a workforce pipeline that equips these oft forgotten kids with skills to immediately plug them into jobs that build financial success and rewarding careers. Available as an option to anyone in the metro with transportation availabili...

Matt Strawn has played an important role in championing progress and prosperity in Iowa. A visionary leader whose impact on Iowa's business landscape and community well-being has been transformative, now the CEO of the Iowa Lottery, Strawn's dynamic leadership has not only enhanced the Lottery's operational success but also driven significant economic benefits for the state. His tenure is marked b...

61% of millennials are living paycheck to paycheck.  The same percentage - 61% of 18 - 34 year olds would switch employers for a job offering same-day pay.  With the exorbitant interest charged by pay-day loan companies and the 1.9 - 2.9% charged to employees through most companies who offer same-day pay these days, we are simply compounding the problem.   Anthony Hughes and his company Earned Fin...

For decades, Iowa's education system has been designed to lead kids to very general, liberal arts degrees with little learning that could be applied directly to their future careers.  With the passage of Senate File 2411, a more comprehensive approach to Career and Technical Education creating clearer career paths in targeted industries like Advanced Manufacturing will become a reality. President...

At RCS Millwork, Joe Keller knew it was time to get out of the way so he could lean into his true role as Innovator. The journey led to displacing his dad from the office, identifying someone to take the role as integrator and unleashing the power of creativity and innovation that had been simmering throughout his almost 200 employee workforce.  Joe and his team are firing on all cylinders as they...

Clow Valve, after almost 250 years is more productive and innovative than ever. After a focused effort on culture, getting the right people in the right seats, Mark Willet and his team decided they needed to rally around a cohesive vision to get everyone aligned on vision. A conversation with Rob Taylor, an Entrepreneurial Operating System implementor, and seeing how well it was working with peers...