Rust Belt Rundown

In celebration of National Skilled Trades Day (May 1st, 2024), we are joined by Neftali “Nef” Sanchez of Martindale Electric Co. ! Nef was placed by Rust Belt Recruiting at Martindale in 2019. He shares with us how that opportunity came to be and what his experience working with Rust Belt was like. He has found great success in his time at Martindale and he shares with us the positive relationship...

This week we are joined by Scott Paul, the President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) .  AAM is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership formed in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers. Scott shares with us how the AAM was formed and what they are currently doing to advance their mission of strengthening American manufacturing.  Scott and Paul di...

Our guest this week is Bob Businger, the Chief Financial Officer of Ramco Specialites Inc. !  In this episode, Bob shares what Ramco does and how they have grown in recent years, aided in part by their partnership with Rust Belt Recruiting.  He gives us insight into how he operates as their CFO and we get his take on AI in the finance industry, along with other manufacturing trends such as investi...

This week we are joined by Trudy Cheney, the Vice President of Global Human Resources at Xaloy . In this episode, we hear from Trudy about her career journey and how she ended up in HR, specifically HR for industrial businesses. Trudy and Paul discuss all things HR - what HR really is, how to strategically work with partners to achieve your HR goals, HR trends, and more.  We also hear about Trudy’...

Our guest this week is Brendan Anderson, the Founding and Managing Partner of ScaleCo Capital . ScaleCo Capital is a Cleveland-based lower middle market private equity firm that focuses on control-oriented leveraged buyout and growth equity investments in fast-growing companies based primarily in the Great Lakes region. In this episode, we heard from Brendan about how he got his start in private e...

We are thrilled to kick off our 2024 episodes with such a fantastic guest! For this episode, we are joined by Joe Cimperman, President of Global Cleveland .  We hear from Joe about growing up on the East Side of Cleveland as the son of immigrant parents and how it shaped his dedication to and appreciation of Cleveland. He and Paul discuss the ideals of America, civic engagement, and lessons in gra...

This week we are joined by Adam Graves, President of the Pizza & Snacking Division at Nestlé .  In this episode, we hear about Adam’s career journey with Nestlé over the last 16 years. He got his start as a marketing intern and has worked his way into his current position, which Paul has dubbed the greatest title of any podcast guest so far!  Along with working in a variety of functions, he ha...

Our guest this week is Paul Roetzer, Founder and CEO of the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. This episode is a must-listen if you are interested in (or even apprehensive of!) artificial intelligence. Paul shares with us how he got interested in AI in 2011 while he was running his marketing agency and how marketing and AI have evolved since then. He talks about the pivotal shift that AI...

This week we are joined by Dan Rose, a Certified EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide .  In this lively conversation, Paul and Dan discuss the multiple businesses that Dan has built and sold and what that taught him about entrepreneurship. They also talk about how to overcome risk aversion and different ways to define and approach happiness and success in relation to entrepreneurship. Dan also shares...

On this special episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Bryce Sylvester, Senior Director of Site Strategies for Team NEO . He joins us to discuss Team NEO’s upcoming Developing Opportunities event on November 14th. We learn more from Bryce on how his career journey brought him to his current role with Team NEO, which focuses on site development and location analysis throughout the Northeast Ohio...

Our guest this week is Dr. Sherry Cross, the Director of Adult Education & Assistant Principal at Youngstown City Schools.  Dr. Cross has held a variety of positions in the education field and in this episode she walks us through her career journey and how she gained her expertise. She also shares with us what adult education looks like in today’s climate and how their program keeps pace with...

This week's guest is Carmen Gentile, Founder & Editor-at-Large of Postindustrial Media. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in the revitalization of Rust Belt communities. In this episode, Carmen shares with us the story behind the inception of Postindustrial Media , a venture motivated by the shockwaves that the 2016 election started and driven by a mission to foste...

This week we are joined by Josh Cramer, the Director of Education & Workforce Development at American Makes and the National Center of Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM). As a long-time educator, we hear Josh’s insights on how the education industry has evolved, namely the expanded opportunities for non-traditional career paths. He also shares with us his passion for workforce devel...

On this episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Jim Cavoli, President & COO of Swagelok .  In this episode, we hear from Jim about his career journey with Swagelok over the years and how he approaches being a business leader. Jim and Paul also discuss manufacturing in Northeast Ohio, what Swagelok is doing to mentor careers in manufacturing, and Jim’s involvement as a board member for Global...

This week we are joined by Robert Guy for Episode 61! Robert is the Controller of WLS Stamping & Fabricating Co. , a full-service short-run stamping and fabrication facility. They have two locations in the Cleveland area and have been partners with Rust Belt Recruiting since 2021. Listen in as Robert shares his perspective on running a manufacturing operation, including finances, training thei...

On this episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Shannon Lee, Executive Director of Leadership Columbus . Leadership Columbus provides state-of-the-art education and training for emerging and existing leaders.  In this episode, Paul and Shannon discuss what it means to be a leader, the nuances of leadership, and the resources that are available to prioritize learning how to be a successful leader....

Our guest this week is Sandy Doyle-Ahern, President of EMH&T . EMH&T is a civil engineering firm based in New Albany, Ohio that offers a variety of services such as landscape architecture, infrastructure evaluation, urban design, and more. In this episode, we learn about Sandy’s extensive career with EMH&T and how their service offerings have evolved. Paul and Sandy also discuss some k...

On this episode we are joined by Sheri Chaney Jones, the CEO & Co-Founder of SureImpact. SureImpact is a software that enables day to day case management and data collection, while also enabling organizations to manage, measure, and communicate their unique social impact in the nonprofit sector. In this episode, Sheri shares her lessons in entrepreneurship and her insights on how social change...

We have an exciting episode this week on the Rundown! Taylor Evans (Founder & Owner, Rust Belt Recruiting) takes over as host this week to help our listeners get to know his close friend and our host, Paul O’Connor. This is a great episode to learn more about the host you hear each week. Listen in to learn about why they chose Episode 57 for this conversation, how Paul and Taylor became friend...

This week we are joined by Kyle Triplett, Director of Aluminum at Olympic Steel ! In this episode Paul and Kyle discuss their experiences at Ohio University and how their student involvement influenced and enhanced their careers. Kyle tells us about his extensive career with Olympic Steel and how his role and the company has expanded over the years. Paul and Kyle also discuss the benefits of caree...

Our guest this week is Dr. Ethan Karp, President and CEO of MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network .  In this episode we learn about Ethan’s educational background and what led him to ultimately pursue the impact that business and manufacturing can make. He shares with us the vision of MAGNET and how they aim to grow the local economy through collaboration.  He offers us his insight...

On this episode of the Rundown, we are joined by Elad Granot, the Dean of John Caroll University’s Boler College of Business .  Elad shares with us how his career evolved beyond venture capital and marketing strategy into higher education in his current role. He offers his perspective on the landscape shifts in higher education, specifically in Midwest business schools. He tells us about Boler’s J...

On this episode we are joined by Megan Kim! Megan is the Senior Vice President of Membership Development and Marketing at Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), our region’s leading economic development organization. She is also the Executive Director of COSE , (The Council of Smaller Enterprises) a non-profit designed to help small businesses succeed.  Megan details her career, starting with her in...

Our guest this week is Connie King, Workforce Development Director for the Precision Metalforming Association ! In this episode Connie offers us her expert take on workforce trends and the importance of investing in and upskilling workers. We also learn more about what resources PMA provides their members such as METALFORM EDU . Paul and Connie also discuss AI and automation in relation to how the...

Joining us this week on the Rundown is Miguel Lugo, the Chief Operating Officer at E.C Kitzel and Sons . In this episode, Miguel shares with us his inspiring story of career advancement in the manufacturing industry from general laborer to COO.  Listen in to hear what E.C Kitzel and Sons does, how Miguel approaches his role as COO, and his advice for career advancement and leadership. He and Paul...