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Vinoski

Meet the well-heeled manufacturing executive who never left the shop floor!

Manufacturing Talks

Browse Jim Vinoski’s more than 200 columns – with nearly 1 million pageviews – he wrote for Forbes magazine about the producers who manufacture your world!

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Listen to “Manufacturing Talks” with your host Jim Vinoski. Jim talks with influencers in the manufacturing industry who share wisdom and insights into the products that improve your life.

PODCAST

Want your paint to stick? Your bearing to roll? Mark Malburg on why surface metrology is important
33:44
He calls it "the silver tsunami!" Colin Dowd from Armanino on how to address the workforce challenge
30:14

He calls it "the silver tsunami!" Colin Dowd from Armanino on how to address the workforce challenge

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for a few years, you know we're facing a big problem getting the talent we need. And industry is in a particularly dire state. That's why it was so valuable to have Colin Dowd join us for Episode 131. He heads up strategy for manufacturing and distribution at Armanino, one of the 20 largest independent accounting and business consulting firms in the nation. He's been warning people in industry and transportation about the "silver tsunami," the giant wave of our most knowledgeable people who are retiring en masse as we speak, and he's got some great suggestions on what we ought to be doing about it. Here are some highlights: 5:00 - Armanino: a top 20 accounting and consultancy company 6:30 - the workforce problems we're seeing now will only get worse 7:00 - next five years, almost every Baby Boomer will be retired 14:20 - time to start making succession plans for all levels and all skills 16:00 - an important part of the solution: mentorship programs 21:30 - back office opportunities 25:00 - expanded recruiting and its tie to skilled trades and second chance candidates And there's a whole lot more too! Tune in for the whole thing. Please subscribe here and follow us on LinkedIn and X (@MfgTalks) to get all our latest news! And sign up for our host Jim Vinoski's newsletter: https://manufacturingtalks.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a638889c51ada0b68286582bb&id=3d3266fb79
Mark Peters from Butterball Farms on second chance hiring and running a business right
35:25

Mark Peters from Butterball Farms on second chance hiring and running a business right

Mark is one of the manufacturing executives our host interviewed for his recent Forbes article on hiring the formerly incarcerated. Mark's company, specialty butter producer Butterball Farms in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been doing second chance hiring for almost three decades now, and Mark had lots of lessons to share about that. He also shared his broader philosophy on how to run a business well, as he covered in his book, The Source. Mark's second book is in the works now. Called The Retention Trap, it focuses on recruitment, people development, talent retention, and a lot more, and Mark talks about that as well. Here are some highlights: 3:00 - why Mark wrote The Source and what it's about 7:15 - the critical importance of manufacturing jobs and careers 10:45 - the Butterball Farm story with second chance hiring 19:15 - the reality of how poor the current hand-off is for people exiting prison and re-entering society 22:15 - in Michigan, a person leaving prison may be released in a city he or she has never even lived in before 23:45 - resources for employers looking at second chance hiring: Thirty-Two-Two (see link below) 24:45 - the main thing for employers is not to be afraid of it 30:30 - Mark's second book, The Retention Trap, and what it's all about: focusing on the wrong things, and the need to invest in our people and be curious about their lives There's so, so much more here. Do check out the whole thing. Here are links to the various things we discussed: Butterball Farms: https://butterballfarms.com/ The Source: https://www.amazon.com/SOURCE-Mark-Peters/dp/1735895016 Thirty-Two-Two: https://thirtytwotwo.org/ Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2024/09/20/second-chance-hiring-has-become-a-critical-need-for-manufacturers/
Anthony Constantino of Sticker Mule on making stickers and standing up to trash media outrage
35:40
Lester Young gives us his personal experiences with second chance hiring
39:15

Lester Young gives us his personal experiences with second chance hiring

There are a lot of stories out there about the companies that have blessedly tackled the desperate need for a pathway back to gainful employment and a meaningful career for those who've served time in prison. But you don't hear too many stories from the other side, from the people who have successfully made the transition back from the world of incarceration. So it was a treat to hear from Lester Young, who not only forged that kind of success for himself thanks to an early opportunity from Tyson Foods, but has since become an author, speaker, activist, and advocate to help others along that same path. Here are some highlights: 4:30 - the mountain of challenges people face re-entering society from prison 7:30 - a simple challenges example that can still be overwhelming: navigating a fast-food restaurant 9:30 - Lester's opportunity: Tyson Foods gave him his first job after prison 11:30 - early understanding from a supervisor with a relative who was incarcerated 12:30 - typical blind spots: needing a person to help the candidate, and the need for emotional support 15:30 - zero to 100 days after release are critical, especially with regard to the psychology of money 19:15 - it takes five years to completely re-integrate 24:00 - for companies: create the environment to create great people 28:30 - conduct a needs assessment, including housing and transportation 33:30 - states should do more to educate companies on the benefits of engaging in second chance hiring There's an incredible amount of depth in what Lester has to say, since he lived it himself. This one's critical in so many ways, and manufacturing is uniquely positioned to help make a big difference in the lives of people and the state our communities. Do check out the whole thing! Lester's website: https://path2redemption.org/ (you can buy his books and connect with him for speaking gigs there!)
Mikhail Taver educates us about investing in industrial AI
24:51
We need smarter energy policies - and our favorite scientist Mark Mills is on the job!
44:35

We need smarter energy policies - and our favorite scientist Mark Mills is on the job!

Polymath Mark Mills joins us again for a rousing discussion of what's ailing America when it comes to ensuring affordable and reliable energy. Mark is putting the finishing touches on his new outfit - he's now the Executive Director of the National Center for Energy Analytics. He joined us for Episode 118 to tell us about their first paper coming out about the deleterious effects of the SEC's new climate reporting requirements, and a whole lot more. Here are some more details: 3:50 - the needs for EV infrastructure 6:00 - the SEC's new regs (making my old pals at General Mills figure out how much CO2 is produced to make their Cheerios, for example) 9:30 - the effects of this kind of back-door legislation through regulation 11:50 - nothing exists without hydrocarbons 15:00 - the regulatory costs for manufacturers 21:40 - grid battery storage costs for given backup time periods (SHOCKING!) 25:30 - Germany goes all net zero and their electricity costs triple 27:15 - making the business environment friendly for manufacturing 30:00 - ROBOTS! 32:30 - humanoid robots in particular - why Mark is a fan As with every time Mark visits us, this one is riveting and invigoratingly educational. Tune in for the whole thing! Mark's new think tank: https://energyanalytics.org/ Mark's book that he mentioned at the start: The Bottomless Well: The Twilight of Fuel, The Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy https://www.amazon.com/Bottomless-Well-Twilight-Virtue-Energy/dp/0465031161/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AY8BDUQNYY72&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Vrsp_5SSNXi8E7MKFBVYTy4m2Vnra_4p9yl4HafWFNXJ1shyctKA8m2U4Z9eEKbUcEwWtvjAsBg9drA8JODY_DPGFyGFZFNrXZRv_P-saP3tY-WDRpB8duyQL20zgm6S0dkZ-vnK89cV4Tqqt7DbKjOaO8XYG762Huc982xughh8-huccc1Nejpm6Xh8wD3MEAvlLQhNyvy-PWW7crgne3GY4SMPUNqlIMpCBrcHMVM.IFOef_KRgiYrOSK0_5aW09XFdUIqcXO0Zv7H35s4AWM&dib_tag=se&keywords=twilight+of+fuel&qid=1725926593&sprefix=twilight+of+fuel%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1
About Me
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Jim Vinoski is the industry executive who entrenched himself in the front lines of manufacturing over his 30-year career. He helped companies such as Ralston-Purina and General Mills make products ranging from food to plastics and paints to bourbon. Jim tells you the stories of successful enterprises built from blood, sweat and tears through his column in Forbes magazine.

“I got off the phone with Jim, and all I could do was smile. Jim is a genuine, charismatic individual who is making the most of his opportunities, and sharing them with other people for a bigger purpose. His writing is top-notch, it's specific, and I am excited to continue following his journey!”

–Jordan Gross, Author

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