Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

Most mom-and-pop shops don't have to worry about recruiting, hiring, and retaining talent until they decide they want to grow. When you find yourself needing to recruit and hire talent, where do you start? Start with your core values. Your company needs core values and a clear mission and vision to hire the right people, build the right culture, and retain your team long-term. Lindsey Nix and Ange...

MakingSparks has  officially  arrived! Matthew Nix and I, Casey Voelker, are here to speak to the welding and fabrication industry. And just like MakingChips, we want to equip and inspire while attracting the next generation. Everyone will have some takeaways from MakingSparks. In this episode, Matthew shares more about Nix Companies and their explosive growth over the last 20 years. We'll also co...

Are you in welding or fabrication? Are you a long-time listener of MakingChips who's just been  waiting  for content that speaks directly to you?  The wait is over . In this episode of MakingChips, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix join us to introduce a brand new addition to the MakingChips lineup:  MakingSparks . Casey and Matthew will be hosting the show that will bring even more industry voices to...

You've found your acquisition target. They've committed to selling you the business. Now the real work begins. It's time for  due diligence . Where does due diligence start? What factors should you consider? How do you build a checklist?  Jason, Nick, Adam Schmitt, and I tackle due diligence in this episode of MakingChips. Because if you're not doing due diligence, you may miss important factors t...

How do you increase your capacity, make more chips, and bring on new clients without  buying a new machine or pitching yourself to a single end user?  Buying a company . Acquisitions are a large part of how we've all built our companies. But how do you start acquiring companies? Why would you want to?  In this episode of MakingChips, Adam Schmitt—the Managing Partner of ProFab Alliance—joins Jason...

Once you've implemented lean manufacturing, how do you sustain a lean culture? How do you motivate your team to focus on continuous improvement? How do you inspire them to keep reaching and passing their goals?  In this episode of MakingChips—part 2 of a live panel discussion at TSMA with special guests Doug Bawel, Femi D-Etti, and Jake Ward—we dive into what it takes to maintain a lean culture. I...

What is your definition of lean manufacturing? One definition of lean is "Maximizing the flow of value through your business to your customer." We all want our business to be customer-centric, right? It's a given that we all want to reduce waste and improve efficiency. But how do you do that? On this episode of MakingChips, we recorded a live panel discussion at TSMA with special guests Doug Bawel...

What is going on with the economy? We're all feeling a slowdown in the manufacturing industry.  So what gives?  What happens in the economy can be directly impacted by politics. It can be impacted by war. It can be impacted by interest rates and the rising costs of consumer goods. Nicole Wolter—the President and CEO of HM Manufacturing—joins us again to dissect what we see happening with the econo...

Today's controversial topic: What is a woman…in manufacturing? We need to inspire the next generation of women to pursue a career path in manufacturing. But is the "sex sells" movement killing any chance of that? I'm Nicole Wolter—the President and CEO of HM Manufacturing. In this episode of MakingChips, I share how we can attract more women to manufacturing. Because if you're not making chips, yo...

Many companies strive to move toward digital transformation. Some struggle with the process. Others—like JJR Fabrication—see remarkable results. They've seen enormous efficiency and throughput improvements by embracing digital workflows while ensuring the physical side of their shop is in full alignment.  This includes doing things like lean manufacturing work, Kaizen activities, and really embrac...

How do you grow a business while raising a family? When you and your spouse are business partners, how do you choose what to prioritize and when? Matthew and Lindsey Nix have been navigating this challenging road together for years. In the second part of a two-part episode (check out episode #1 first), Matthew and Lindsey share some of the lessons they've learned about leadership and family life....

What is it like to be married  to your business partner ? Especially when both people are very involved in the business. The metalworking industry is dominated by family-owned businesses. I'd love to see more husbands and wives team up to grow manufacturing together. In the next two episodes of MakingChips, special guests Lindsey and Matthew Nix share what it's like to grow a business as a united...

Are you embracing automation in your shop? Or are you hesitating because you're unsure how to implement it so that you're making the best use of your time and money? Brian Kippen—the owner and CEO of KAD Models & Prototypes—reframes how you can use automation.  In this episode of MakingChips, Brian Kippen, Steve DeGrasse, and I share how you can approach automation from a different perspective. Be...

I created a campaign to  build awareness for machinists . Why? Because, sadly, the general public knows very little about manufacturing. They don't look around them and see what we see: That almost everything is machined.  So in this episode of MakingChips, I'll share a few ways you can highlight manufacturing in your communities. It's not just to build awareness but to also grow interest in manuf...

Paul Van Metre is no stranger to MakingChips, and we've shared his story before. But this time, we're looking at it through a whole new lens. Paul and his partners started in the industry running a machine shop. Then, it morphed into a software company:  ProShop . What started as a solution to  their  problems became a solution for thousands of businesses.  How has ProShop become a game-changing E...

How do you create and cultivate a manufacturing leadership mindset? What can you do to recharge? How do you take care of yourself so you can take care of your team? How do you unify your team toward a shared goal? Special guests Eric Nekich 5th Axis® Workholding, Michael Gaunce with SCHUNK USA, and Kaleb Mertz with AME help me tackle these questions in this special round-table episode of MakingChi...

What is the most impactful factor that helps machine tool distributors sell tools? Is it the quality of the tools themselves? Is it the skill of the salesperson? Is it the service that the distributor can offer? Tony Harrod—General Manager at Methods Machine Tools, Inc.—believes that one of these things sets you apart: Service : But is the answer  really  that simple? If you aren't providing quali...

In this special Bonus Chips episode of MakingChips, we're guests on Chris Luecke's podcast, Manufacturing Happy Hour. Of all the manufacturing podcasts, we both double down on leadership topics. So in this episode, we seek to tackle one question:  What does it mean to be a manufacturing leader?  Tune in to hear what it takes to lead. Because if you're not leading your team, they won't be making ch...

In 2018, the US Government set a standard for cybersecurity, so anyone in any industry that touched the US government had to meet the requirement—but it wasn't happening. Now, CMMC is coming out and you  will  be audited. So what is CMMC? Does your shop need it? How can ProShop ERP help you accelerate the adoption of the different security standards? We cover it all in this episode of MakingChips....

There is a widening disparity in the manufacturing industry: Insanely busy shops and shops that are barely treading water. In any business, there will always be companies that thrive and grow and those that don't. But successful shops are doing something differently. In this episode of MakingChips, Kelsey Heikoop shares four things you can do differently to get more business and make more chips. B...

We are melting our faces off with some hot sauces in this episode of MakingChips. Why? Because spices break down barriers. And as these hot sauces break down our mouths, you may just get some answers you weren't expecting about everything from mental health to making investments. So join us as we work our way through a  Lethal Dose  of  The Hottest Sauce in the Universe  and reach  The End  of thi...

We've moved on to medium sauce and we are on FIRE. We're in manufacturing, so the MakingChips podcast covers all things manufacturing. But we're also human, and we value the importance of being transparent and talking about things like mental health.  So in this episode of MakingChips, we cover some of the most challenging things we've faced both personally and as manufacturing leaders. So as we w...

We're tasting our way through 12 different types of hot sauce chosen by none other than me, Tony Gunn, the Global GM at MTDCNC.com. Meaghan Ziemba of Mavens of Manufacturing also joins us as we work our way through some chicken wings.  We'll talk about our backgrounds, how we balance life and work, and mental health in manufacturing. Balance is important, and if you don't have it, you won't be Mak...

Does Titan still run a shop? Does he believe in digital transformation on the shop floor? Why did Titan seek out jobs no one else wanted? In this special edition of MakingChips, Titan Gilroy answers burning listener questions while simultaneously sharing some spectacular advice for manufacturing leaders everywhere. We recorded a short and sweet episode so we could all get back to MakingChips, beca...

Automation continues to be a popular and divisive topic in the manufacturing world. Automation is important for attracting and retaining young talent  and  growing your business. So we've been working hard to highlight the importance of automation—and where you can dive in—with our Lights Out series.  Chris Luecke—the host of Manufacturing Happy Hour—has a similar goal. We're using our platforms t...