The Manufacturing Executive

For many years robots were used to perform repetitive tasks in low variabilty environments and required on-site automation engineers to program and run those systems. But we're now living in an era where machine learning and AI technology are making high-mix, low-volume environments ripe for automation. In this conversation, co-founder and CEO of Tutor Intelligence, Josh Gruenstein, will unpack wh...

As host of this podcast, I've had many conversations about how to reach the next generation, expose them to opportunities in manufacturing and skill them up accordingly. But what about skilling up the EXISTING workforce? My guest today, the Owner and CEO of Pindel Global Precision, poses the question: "When's the last time you heard about someone offering a mid-career apprenticeship – whether for...

From government regulations, to recent supply chain challenges to consumer-driven pressure, we're living in a world where demand for sustainable manufacturing practices is coming from all around us. Noah Helman, Co-Founder and CEO of iMicrobes, is leading a company that's using renewable, low-carbon feedstocks to create net-zero, bio-based materials. In this conversation Noah will talk about where...

2024 was a year of uncertainty for many manufacturing leaders. The economy was unpredictable. High interest rates created hesitation in making investments. And we awaited the outcome of a very polarized election. But here were are beginning a fresh year. So what's ahead? My guest today, Cara Walton, is a manufacturing intelligence advisor. As a Director at Wipfli, she and her team continuously per...

My guest today, Doug Woods, is President of AMT (The Association for Manufacturing Technology). And as he'll tell you, from opportunities being created by reshoring to major government investments to advanced technology that includes additive, AI, machine learning, augmented reality, robotics and automation, he believes right now is simply a great time to be in manufacturing.

"Your equipment may be complex, but selling it shouldn't be." This is the headline you'll find on the company website home page of today's guest, Le'ora Lichtenstein. Co-founder and CEO of Corbel, a modern equipment finance business, Le'ora will talk about how the way CapEx equipment can be both bought and sold is evolving. And in particular, she'll dive into an intriguing way to finance equipment...

In this conversation, CEO of Squint, Devin Bhushan, talks about augmented reality. First of all, what exact IS it? And secondly, how the heck does it fit into a conversation about manufacturing? From training and troubleshooting to quality and worker productivity, Devin dives into the wide range of opportunities created when you're able to layer digital information on top of what you physically se...

Social media. Manufacturing. Do these two things REALLY fit together? And if so, how? Should I as a manufacturing leader really care about things like: – Building brand awareness? – Or telling our company story? – Or establishing an influential voice in our product category? And is social media truly a place where I can do all of that? In this conversation, Jake Hall, also known as The Manufacturi...

In this conversation, Thom Walstrum, a principal business economist in the economic research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, talks about the current state of US manufacturing. He'll share his thoughts about the manufacturing outlook for 2025, trends in the manufacturing sector's share of our nation's GDP over time, how that compares to other countries, and more.

In many instances where we put AI technology to use in our personal lives today – whether that means using ChatGPT to research a subject or taking recommendations from Netflix about what other shows or movies we might like – the stakes are pretty low. But as CEO of Fero Labs, Berk Birand, will tell you, on the shop floor in a manufacturing facility, where critical decisions are being made every ho...

We all know there are labor gaps on the manufacturing front lines. But today my guest, CEO of TBM Consulting Group, Bill Remy, will argue that those gaps are also emerging (and will continue to emerge) in manufacturing leadership as well. In our conversation, he'll talk about not only WHY this leadership problem is growing, but what we can do about it inside our companies to develop more effective...

This episode is conversation that I recently recorded with Wendy Covey – CEO and Co-Founder of TREW Marketing – a marketing agency that works exclusively with companies marketing to engineers in industries that range from embedded design to control and automation. And as you'll learn shortly, Wendy and her company TREW Marketing joined forces early this year with my agency Gorilla 76 to put on a v...

In this conversation, product configuration expert and co-founder of Configit, Henrik Hulgaard, talks about product modeling ahead of production. More specifically, he'll dive into the ways model-based engineering can help manufacturers: - Reduce product complexity - More easily meet sustainability requirements and regulations - Break down knowledge silos between different parts of your organizati...

Traditionally, for a lot of small and medium-sized manufacturers, lower production volume has made it difficult to justify major investments in automation. But if the technology can be made simple enough for practitioners on the shop floor to manage it themselves, new automation opportunities can be unlocked. In this conversation, Founder and CEO of Vention, Etienne Lacroix, will talk about produc...

In today's conversation, Plant Manager at Geislinger Corporation Jason Woodard will be talking everything apprenticeships. He'll dive into: – The value an apprenticeship program creates for your organization AND for the apprentice – How to get started with building a program – Where to find resources to support you in doing so – And much more A manufacturing leader who was once an apprentice himse...

Finding the right suppliers can be challenging for manufacturing leaders. Especially on a short timeline, and when quality control and lead times are at risk for customers. And on the supplier's end, filling capacity and expanding into new business opportunities can be equally challenging. My guest today, Markus Seibold, is the founder of a marketplace for parts manufacturing called MakerVerse. In...

If common belief holds that high-mix, high-variability manufacturing applications are not meant for automation, then my two guest today are here to bust that myth. In this conversation, Co-Founders of GrayMatter Robotics, Dr. Ariyan Kabir and Dr. SK Gupta will talk about: - How the advancement of robotics technology is rapidly changing what's possible with manufacturing automation - How to build r...

Leadership transitions are hard. They're hard for the leader who's on his or her way out. They're hard for the incoming leader, stepping into a brand new role. And they're hard for everyone else at the organization living through the disruption and uncertainty that naturally comes along with a big change. Jon Summers, President of Noble-X Companies, is a manufacturing leader who's dealt with chang...

Think about your most important product. Who are your suppliers? Do you know who's supplying THEM? And in turn, do you know who's supplying the suppliers of your suppliers? CEO of BioMADE, Doug Friedman, is an expert in the biochemical manufacturing space. And today, he's here to explain why every manufacturing leader should care about the global chemical supply chain. Because regardless of how ma...

Abby Smith, President and CEO of Team Pennsylvania, has figured out how to bring together the public and private sectors to move manufacturing forward in her state. She'll talk about exactly what they're doing and how they're doing it. My hope is that some of you listening today will walk away feeling inspired and triggered with ideas for what similar things might be possible in your own region.

When you're leading a manufacturing organization that's thriving (or even growing bit by bit), somewhere along the way you're likely to run into a problem you can't ignore. And that is: We're out of space. In this conversation, Alex Garland and Christopher Yows from Burns & McDonnell will talk about the different layers of complexity involved with manufacturing facility expansions and what you sho...

My guest today (and my business partner of 18+ years), Jon Franko, is also the host of The Manufacturing EMPLOYER podcast. Whereas my show is designed for CEOs, Presidents, Owners and those leading manufacturing organizations, Jon's show is directed at those responsible for recruiting and retaining talent (as well as building great cultures) inside of the same companies. In this episode, Jon will...

Quality management isn't just about the mitigating defects to optimize profit or to increase customer satisfaction. In mission-critical environments, quality management means keeping people safe when lives are at stake. Naveen Poonian, President and CEO of iBase-T, is a manufacturing leader whose software for the defense and aerospace industries plays a key role in doing exactly that. And he's her...

Digital twins. Digital threads. Cloud computing. Edge computing. Simulations. Brownfield. Greenfield. If you're a manufacturing leader and your blood pressure starts rising when you see terminology like this, you're not alone! Because ultimately what matters to you is that production in your facility is running smoothly. And big technology transformations can feel really scary. But at the same tim...

I've had a lot of conversations on this podcast about bringing manufacturing jobs back onto American soil. But my guest today, John Gardner, goes a layer deeper – asking us to rethink the idea of free trade altogether. John, the author of "How to Make America the Manufacturing Super Power of the World", passionately shares his thoughts about: – The national security risk posed by an American suppl...