Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

Every employer has to deal with the complex issues that are a part of employment law in the modern age. But they also have to run a shop that is well-tuned and efficient. Too often those two responsibilities conflict in ways that they don’t expect. In this episode of Making Chips, Jason and Jim are going to chat with Karla Dobbeck, a Human Resources specialist who has some very practical, insightf...

Today’s episode of Making Chips features a listener question. You can leave your question for Jim and Jason to answer by going to  www. MakingChips.com  to leave your question. They just might answer it on an upcoming podcast episode. Today’s question has to do with costing out a job. Is there a standard formula or way to price out jobs in light of workers who are manning more than one machine, et...

We introduced you to Patricia Miller of Matrix IV back in episode 26 and in today’s episode we’re going to do a deeper dive into the challenges and victories Patricia has faced as she’s taken over the reigns of her family’s ailing manufacturing company. The insights she shares as a former marketer from the biotech field, looking into the manufacturing industry for the first time, are very insightf...

Marketing is an important part of any business. It’s got to be because it’s how you let people know who you are and what you do. That’s something that can never change. But the WAY you marketing has GOT to change. Why? Because the world we live in changes. People are repulsed or attracted by different things today than they were even a few years ago. Marketing has got to flex with the times.   In...

That’s what Patricia Miller’s professional associates told her when she started investigating the possibility of taking over her family business after she’d already pursued and been successful at a career that included marketing, corporate leadership, and politics. Put yourself in her shoes and you’ll probably understand why they said what they did. She’d already experienced many perks that manufa...

It’s a manufacturing renaissance   Where do you typically find the best employees for your manufacturing company? How do you go about finding them? As you’ll hear from Jim and Jason’s stories in this podcast episode, everyone gets into the business through a different path. But the guys believe there’s a huge reservoir of future manufacturing leaders in High School students.   Why High School stud...

If you are a manufacturing leader and you are not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist. - Jim Carr   That’s how strongly Jim feels about the power of having a presence on LinkedIn. It’s not just for job-seekers, it’s for anyone who wants to engage in dialogue and exchange of information in a business niche. Manufacturing is one of those and you might be surprised at the amount of information flowing back...

If you don’t know how to calculate SFPM, you’re losing money!   Every now and then we like to go to square one to discuss some fundamental issues surrounding the work done in the average machine shop. This episode is one of those episodes. Jim and Jason are talking SFPM - Surface Feet Per Minute in this episode. If you don’t understand what SFPM is, or if you don’t know how to calculate it, you ne...

  A corporate snapshot that has nothing to do with a camera!   Shop owners know what they do because they do it every day. But how do you communicate your areas of specialty and expertise in a concise, powerful way so that your prospective clients are able to get it right off? That’s what a corporate snapshot is for.   In this episode of Making Chips, Jim and Jason invite 3 guests into the study w...

Today Jason and Jim are coming to you from Chicago, the “Windy City!” They are there because they’re chatting with Jon Baklund , a veteran tool and die maker who started in the manufacturing industry when he was 19. His father still works in the shop daily, and his wife works in the business as well - so it’s a true “family” business. His business, Baklund R & D is heavily involved in #d printing,...

This is a hot topic edition where Jim is asking Jason about vending systems for the machine shop. You may have the impression that vending machines are just for the huge companies that crank out bazillions of widgets every day. But is that true? You’re going to find out that and a ton more about machine shop vending systems in this episode of Making Chips.   There are many misconceptions about ven...

In this episode, we interview Julie Poulos about the brand image of your manufacturing company and why strategy is most important.  Being "the best kept secret" should NOT be your goal.  Julie tells us why starting with a new website or a new logo is NOT the right first step. Marketing Steps: 1. Competitive Analysis 2. Interviews 3. Online Analytics 4. Influencer Identification (Defining Your Buye...

In this episode, we interview Ray Zaganto, who created a new concept called "The Hardware Store" for reaching his customers by being innovative, thinking outside the box and finding the Alpha Engineer. Your "first place" is your home.  Your "second place" is the workplace.  The "third place" is another location that connects you into a community and facilitates creative interaction. A lot of compa...

In this episode, we interview Michael Magliano, an industrial real estate broker from Cushman & Wakefield, about strategies for buying, selling and leasing industrial real estate. In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article that asks the question: "What Do Manufacturing Workers Want From Their Employer."

In this episode, we interview Ray Ziganto, President of Bi-Link, a global manufacturing company about his take-aways from the Crain's Manufacturing Summit. • How does a manufacturing company stay on the leading edge? • How do you re-think manufacturing education? • Start with small steps. Cary Wood, President, Chief Executive Officer, Board Member of Sparton, talks about how to train and relate to...

What are the 3 most important actions that manufacturers can take now to improve their utilization of CAM software?  In this episode, we interview Matt Sump with ShopWare, one the top resellers of MasterCAM Software.  Jim answers the question: If you put 10 machinist in a shop and gave them a piece of material and a print, how many different ways will they produce that part? We discuss: • Latest t...

In this episode, Jim and I discuss how you can receive grant money to expand your manufacturing business.  We specifically discuss the Federal TAAF Grant that Jim was awarded, the process that he went through, the reimbursed expenses and how he coupled two programs together. Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms  MakingChips.com/TAAF In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article in the...

Roberts Swiss, a 60 year old manufacturer of Precision Swiss Machined Parts. Fernando gives actionable advise to others who are not born into privilege and do not have a lot of resources, but desire to seek advancement starting from the ground floor. Fernando attributes his career success to: • Taking advantage of learning from every possible resource - including the people who stood in his way •...

When should the owners of a business start succession planning? NOW! In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article stating that slow manufacturing growth doesn't matter to the economy.

Should you implement Robotics into your company? In this episode we interview Brian Panek from Panek Precision about robotics. We discuss the basics of robotics, how it has changed his manufacturing and the culture of his company. PanekPrecision.com LinkedIn.com/in/brianpanek Universal Robots In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss that MakingChips has been featured on iTunes New & Noteworth...

Who is in your network? In this episode we discuss the power of networking and how to properly cultivate relationships in your industry. Join MakingChips at the 3rd Annual Crain's Midwest Manufacturers Summit. Crain's Manufacturing Summit 1. Networking is a long term process 2. Should you stalk them on LinkedIn? 3. When you think that it is time for the hard sell…wait. 4. Ask for an introduction....

What is the right method for getting paid for your work? This is a subject that both Jim and I were reluctant to talk about; however, our goal is to bring the Metalworking Nation together as a community to talk about topics that people are afraid to bring up. What are your typical terms? Do you offer payment via credit card? Should you require a credit card for initial orders? Do you have a define...

Years ago, most businesses did not have a vision or a mission for their companies. It was simply a matter of "blocking and tackling" your team through wins as the company grew (you buy more machines as the customers come). Now, most businesses are caught up in the Wall Street mindset that if you are not growing, you are dying. Should every manufacturing company have this mindset or can we do bette...

The image is that manufacturing is a dirty, physical, turning-cranks, labor intensive job, but the facts is that the machining industry is one of the most technological forward and innovative industries. In this seventh episode, Jim and I discuss how the industry has changed along with machine and software technology. Jim tells an interesting stories about when his dad ran the shop and one of his...

Are international standards important for your company or your partners? In this sixth episode, Jim and I discuss standards and the impact of ISO on his company. We discuss the specific standards of ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) & OHSAS 18001 (Health & Safety). Fun Facts: ISO, the International Organization of Standards, has 3 official languages (English, Fren...