Manufacturing Happy Hour

Are you ready for a ton of insights from FOUR industry leaders? On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re whetting your Automate appetite again, sharing super-interesting highlights from Automate 2022, ahead of the 2023 event later this month.  We are joined by Misa Ilkhechi, founder and VP of Product and Partnerships at Formic, Kel Guerin, co-founder and CIO at Ready Robotics, Etien...

Time to buckle up for a masterclass in manufacturing with not one – but three – manufacturing experts!  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we share the best of three interviews conducted at Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI. Chris sits down for conversations with Milton Guerry, President of Schunk, Mike Cicco, President & CEO of FANUC America Corporation and Søren Peters, CEO of HowT...

What happens when you put a food and beverage industry leader, a brewer, and an industrial specialist who’s seen hundreds of manufacturing facilities on the same stage? You get this week’s episode.   CBT Company recently invited Manufacturing Happy Hour to host a live panel discussion at Cincinnati's iconic Rhinegeist Brewery on the future of food & beverage manufacturing. We were jo...

It’s time for two manufacturing podcasts to collide!  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’re delighted to speak to Nick Goellner and Jason Zenger, hosts of the fantastic MakingChips podcast.  Nick and Jason discuss their route into making the podcast, how it’s grown and evolved over the years and the attributes that make a true manufacturing leader.  In this episode, fin...

Things move quickly in manufacturing, so how do we stay efficient in the now, while building a strong team for the future?   On this episode, we invite Pam Frost, President of RND Automation, on Manufacturing Happy Hour.  Pam discusses employee retention, promoting from within and playing to your own and your employees’ strengths.  Plus, she reveals why she came out of retireme...

We’re stepping into the future in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to look at how RIOS is helping to pave a way for the “factories of the future.”  We sat down with CEO and Founder Bernard Casse to get his take on where automation and robotics fit into factories and what a smart factory will actually look like. Bernard explores the benefits of using automation to speed up processes, c...

Building an iconic brewing company for your university community, plus getting real-world business experience? Sounds like a dream come true.  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Jackson Cosgriff, Student, and John Knapp, Director of Innovation Alley at Marquette University.  We hear the backstory and behind-the-scenes processes of Innovation Alley and its stude...

Thinking of breaking out of your bubble to get the most out of your career? This could be the push you need.  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Sean Mulherrin, Product Manager at EPLAN.  Sean discusses how globetrotting has benefitted his career, explains his passion for apprenticeships and shares his ideas on panel design.  Plus, he explains why budding...

As generations retire and millennials take up the baton, this week’s guest knows business is in safe hands. But how can the new generations of manufacturers best leverage economics to succeed in business?  We are delighted to be joined by Alan Beaulieu, President and Principal of ITR Economics, at the A3 Business Forum in Orlando, FL.  In this short episode, Alan discusses how he makes e...

Ready for a masterclass in automotive manufacturing? Strap in!  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by Vicki Poponi, Vice President – Industry Advisor, Automotive at Salesforce. She discusses her route into the industry and provides a glimpse into the world of software-enabled vehicles. Plus, she explains what the connected car means for consumers, why the customer is a...

Reshoring, customer success, and sustainability – just some of the topics we cover in this cornucopia of an episode with Sean Murray, VP of Customer Success at Bright Machines. Sean joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his career and his insights into the industry. We explore the concept of software-defined manufacturing, why there’s such a push toward re-shoring and the be...

We all know how fast-paced the world of manufacturing is…and when processes and technologies progress, so does the way we work.  On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Nicole Wolter, President & CEO of HM Manufacturing, reveals all about her management style, interview processes and focus on young talent.  Plus, she tells us about what it’s like to take over a family business,...

We cover a whole lot of ground in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour – from Industry 4.0 to innovation in industrial sectors, IIoT, connectivity, machine learning, proof of concepts, and everything in between. Joining this episode is Igor Marinelli, Founder of TRACTIAN, who has plenty of insights, perspectives, and advice to share on condition monitoring and more. Igor details his background...

It’s time for a comprehensive history lesson in industrial automation recruiting. We sat down in the MRG Studios in Naperville, Illinois, with Gary Miller, CEO of Miller Resource Group, an industrial recruiting firm focused on hard-to-find personnel in automation, robotics, food and beverage and more. We’ve gotten to know a few members of the team over the years, which is why it was about time we...

What is the current state of manufacturing? Who better to ask than Willem Sundblad, CEO and Co-Founder of Oden Technologies, who commissioned The State of Manufacturing 2022 report? Surveying over 300 manufacturing leaders has highlighted some fascinating food for thought on topics like the labor market, inflation, demand changes, investing in sustainability, and more. Willem joins Manufacturing H...

It’s been about two years since Andrew Crowe, public speaker and Founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, was last on the show in episode 46 – and so much has happened since then. This time around, we sit down over a couple of beers in St. Louis to catch up on what he has been working on and how much The New American Manufacturing Renaissance has grown since. The New American Manufac...

Strong values like sustainability, empathy, and wellness might seem at odds with running a successful business for some, but not Sara Irvani, CEO of Okabashi. In fact, values like these have been fundamental to Okabashi’s success since it launched in 1984. Sara joins this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour to clue us in to what it’s like leading a family-owned and operated shoe brand. A proudly U...

For many people, YouTube is the first port of call for instructions. Whether it be for simple things around the house like setting up a new TV or building a cabinet, or more complex things entirely.  One man covering those more complex things is Tim Wilborne. Tim’s YouTube channel, which has amassed over 50,000 subscribers, focuses on industrial automation, programming PLCs and helping you be...

While the metaverse is a relatively new concept for most of us, this week’s guest has worked in this space for some time. Our guest on Manufacturing Happy Hour is emergent technologist and GatherVerse founder, Christopher Lafayette. Tune in to hear about Christopher’s background, what his job title really means, his take on the metaverse’s role in manufacturing and MedTech and the importance of in...

Is there really a manufacturing skills gap? Why is manufacturing moving back to the U.S.? And how can machine shop owners switch to an investment mindset? These are all great questions that we answer in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.  Jason T. Ray is the Co-Founder and CEO of Paperless Parts and a former Manufacturing Happy Hour guest. He jumps back on the show for a discussion on...

What’s the most important part of starting and running a manufacturing business? The finances? The team? The materials?  Well, this Manufacturing Happy Hour guest has some expert insights, experience and advice, so stay tuned.  It’s time to hit the slopes for this week’s episode as we invite Mike McCabe, CEO and co-founder of Folsom Custom Skis, to share his story and provide top tips fo...

We're back for Part 2 from the 2022 Vision Show, hosted by A3, the Association for Advancing Automation.

In October 2022, we ventured to Boston, MA for the Association for Advancing Automation's annual Vision Show and Autonomous Mobile Robots and Logistics Conference (AMRL). In the past, these had been 2 separate events, but this year, A3 brought them together under one roof. You really can't have robotics without imaging and you can't have mobile robotics without machine vision. The tie-ins are endl...

We’re all familiar with Microsoft. That’s a given. But we’re certainly not all familiar with the autonomous AI work they are doing.  That’s why we called on an expert to give us the lowdown on what autonomous AI means, highlight its risks and opportunities and give us his verdict.   On episode 118, Brian Evergreen, Global Head of Autonomous AI Co-Innovation at Microsoft, joins Manuf...

This week, we're diving into gener8tor's OnRamp Manufacturing Conference. gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations, and their OnRamp Conferences are a subset of that. gener8tor’s annual manufacturing event brings together startups, investors, and corporations for this unique “dealmaking conferen...