The Stormy Kromer is the most iconic product ever to come out of the Northwoods of the Upper Midwest, and it's proudly made in Ironwood, Michigan. Check out our video on just how they produce this must-have bit of winter wear - sponsored by MaintainX! (https://www.getmaintainx.com/) Video credits: Manufacturing Talks logo: John E. Vinoski Title concept: John A. Vinoski Intro music: Kassogtha, “Welcome to the Machine” (a cover of the Pink Floyd original) – used by the band’s kind permission (https://kassogtha.com/) Background music: "Burn The World Waltz" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Many thanks to the wonderful folks at Stormy Kromer – Jacquart Fabric Products for the video footage! (https://www.stormykromer.com/)

Entytle co-founder and CEO Vivek Joshi joined us for Episode 137 to talk about how his company can help you use big data and AI to do all the above. Here are the highlights: Chapters 00:00 - Intro 03:30 - Why he founded Entytle 07:00 - The Installed Base Intelligence Platform 07:45 - Where equipment data comes from: ERP and CRM 10:00 - Baby boomer retirements and the tribal knowledge challenge 11:30 - Massively mixed equipment fleets 13:30 - How generative AI helps 16:45 - The problem of being caught up in firefighting 17:30 - The IT challenge: no new systems 20:30 - Benefits: gaining market and wallet share 22:00 - Future opportunities for Entytle: asset action plans and streaming data directly from assets And much, much more! Tune in to the whole thing and learn all about it.

Today's manufacturers have to tackle a lot of challenges: lack of skilled labor (or any labor, for that matter!), product differentiation, business direction, where to invest capital, and on and on. It's been a while since we had a thorough dive into all things manufacturing, so it was great fun to have Chuck Coxhead join us to offer his views. Chuck is General Manager at Koaxis, a maker of coaxial RF cable assemblies. Plus he has decades of frontline manufacturing experience, so he's just the guy to help folks navigate all those thorny industrial challenges. Here are the highlights: Chapters 00:00 - Intro 04:30 - what manufacturing workers do is cool! 09:30 - the general state of manufacturing - it varies by sector 12:45 - the Boeing example 14:45 - Men in Black paraphrase: "A person is smart... but people are stupid, nervous, etc." 15:45 - Lucent - "too big to fail" 23:45 - how to differentiate 25:45 - advice for US manufacturers 21:30 - automation and robotics 30:30 - some things can't be automated 32:00 - autonomous mobile robots 32:45 - reshoring 34:45 - brainstorm with beer! Tune in and check out the whole thing - it will be worth your while!

Here's a video of how an uber-cool shotgun suppressor is made using 3D printing by Next Chapter Manufacturing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. #manufacturing #shotgun #suppressor The intro music is by Kassogtha, used with their kind permission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAqtkVi6KM If you need metal 3D printing services, contact Next Chapter Manufacturing through their website: https://nxcmfg.com/ Ditto for manufacturing business advisory and copywriting from our sponsor, Cosgrove Content and Consulting: https://www.cosgrovecontent.com/

#manufacturing erp #erp software #best erp for manufacturing She's back! Joining us once again for Episode 135 is Kerrie Jordan from Epicor. She gives us all the latest on ERP software custom-built for manufacturers, along with some big news for the Epicor business. Here are the highlights: Chapters: 00:00 - show intro 02:15 - Kerrie's start in manufacturing at Oakley 05:00 - "Manufacturing the Future" podcast 08:45 - worker engagement 12:45 - worker-management gap 16:00 - ideas portal 18:30 - fitting upskilling into a busy day 20:30 - addressing turnover 25:00 - set your plant up for success with new tech and modern tools And there's so much more! Tune in and check out the whole thing. Share it with your like-minded friends, offer your comments and questions in the comments section, and subscribe! Voice of the Manufacturing Manager report: https://assets.epicor.com/m/35c5d217e82f89ba/original/Voice-of-the-Manufacturing-Manager.pdf

It's a Manufacturing Talks first: two family members on successive episodes! Last week we had nuclear expert Dan Malburg, and this week we've got his nephew Mark Malburg to tell us all about measuring surfaces. Mark is President at Digital Metrology Solutions, and he's here to explain why a total geek-o-rama subject like surface metrology is actually vitally important for everyone. Here are some highlights: 3:30 - recognizing the business opportunity 4:30 - advice: keep your employer as your first customer 6:00 - what metrology is 9:30 - what surface attributes are needed for various applications 11:00 - ball bearing example 13:00 - the various measurement technologies 13:30 - why not frickin' lasers? 14;15 - 3D measuring 15:45 - how technology can be a thorn 17:00 - how numbers don't describe enough for surface measures 20:30 - the challenge of "seeing" beneath the surface 23:30 - a new challenge: 3D printing 25:30 - a coming challenge: getting data connected to what matters 28:30 - surfaces are art, not science Yes, this one is a geek-fest for engineers like me. But it's also got very practical advice and education for anybody. Tune in and check out the whole thing! Be sure to add your comments and questions, and like and subscribe here for more great shows - plus go follow us on Linkedin too! Tell a friend! Don't forget to vote on which Malburg was the winner!

It's pretty clear we need to change course when it comes to our energy policy. Dan Malburg, who has worked in the nuclear energy field for a good long time, and who now serves as Senior Maintenance Instructor for nuclear power plants, joined us to explain why nuclear is our answer. Here are some highlights: 3:00 - reasons nuclear is important: reliability, availability, and footprint 7:30 - addressing safety concerns 11:45 - an update on the restart of Michigan's Palisades nuclear power plant 15:45 - modern upgrades for operations and safety 17:30 - where things stand with Palisades - power generation once again in about a year 19:45 - the potential addition of small modular reactors at Palisades - transmission is the key 21:45 - emergency response 23:15 - spent fuel handling and the need to educate the public Dan is a true wealth of knowledge, so tune in for the whole thing! As a Michigan Tech grad, he also requests that you check out Huskies for Common Sense, and we're happy to support their mission: https://huskiesforcommonsense.org/ Please be sure to subscribe here and follow us on LinkedIn, and share this with your friends!

Here's some more excellent expert input on confronting the manufacturing workforce challenge! Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer at SME (formerly the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) joined us to talk about the nature of the problem and how companies can get ahead of the game. Here are some highlights: 2:15 - SME history and focus - advancing technology and talent 8:00 - smart manufacturing guidance 9:15 - building the talent pipeline with our youth 11:45 - the labor contraction everywhere and the gig economy 13:45 - the effects of the Inflation Recovery Act and CHIPS and Science Act 14:15 - PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) 17:00 - companies are stepping up more now 21:45 - productivity per worker is flat - tech won't replace jobs, but will upskill for greater productivity 25:45 - without structure, companies will struggle with upskilling - talent management should be part of KPIs 31:45 - workforce attraction and retention strategy And oh so much more! Tune in for the whole show - you'll be glad you did. Put your questions and observations in the comments section, please, and be sure to subscribe to the show and follow us on LinkedIn!

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

Episode 130 features the Senior Vice President Services - Americas Hub at ABB, Pedro Robredo, who heads up all things electrification for that technology giant. Pedro talks about new technologies to help manufacturers with electrical reliability and cost effectiveness, as well as new business models like assets as services to assist industry with needed equipment upgrades. Here are some highlights: 3:50 - the scope of ABB's electrifications services group 4:30 - ABB's purchase of GE Industrial 6:30 - the move from the break-fix mentality to advisory services focused on electrical safety and reliability (monitor assets and show up when needed) 8:15 - the asset as a service model 11:30 - the Subaru example 13:00 - electricity demand 14:30 - the SDI Heartland example 19:15 - electrical equipment shortages and supply chain constraints 21:00 - sensors on transformers and other equipment to extend life 23:45 - using technician data entry on tablets and AI to capture information and create actionable reporting 26:15 - future-proofing There's a whole lot of enormously important content here for anyone involved in manufacturing. Check out the whole thing, and please put your thoughts in the comments section! And don't forget to like, share, and subscribe with abandon!

Simeon Wallis and Adam Beckerman join us once again from their advisory and accounting firm Aprio for Episode 129 to bring us up to speed on how industry and the country stand economically. They cover all the ups and downs - interest rate changes, sentiment among their clients and in the manufacturing marketplace, the state of supply chains, and oh so much more! Here are some highlights: 6:00 - the state of the economy 7:50 - manufacturing sentiment 10:00 - Covid and the supply chain discombobulations, and refilling the supply chain 13:00 - ISM survey vs. Aprio client input 15:00 - new orders vs. inventories 22:00 - what happens after election and Fed rates uncertainties are resolved 23:00 - the mortgage rate impact 24:00 - advice to manufacturers: look for ways to get more efficient Tune in and get all the latest intelligence to help you navigate things in your own corner of the business world. Please make generous use of the comments section for your own observations or for any questions you might have. And as always, please subscribe and tell your friends and colleagues to do the same!

Ian Peterman founded his own design firm out in Los Angeles to demonstrate his philosophy of designing products and systems for sustainability (a.k.a., The Peterman Method). He joined us for Episode 128 to tell us all about that and more. Ian is not just the CEO of Peterman Design Firm - he's also host of the Conscious Design Podcast, has a book he wrote with his wife Jessica called Conscious Design, and he's the LA Chapter Chair of the Industrial Design Society of America. So he's pretty invested in this stuff! Here are some highlights from the episode: 3:00 - Peterman Design firm philosophy: coming in as an R&D partner 6:30 - looking at full product life cycles 11:00 - Conscious Design book - a product of the pandemic, when he lost some clients and had some extra time on his hands 16:50 - marketing sustainable products 22:30 - sustainability is efficiency 28:30 - future opportunities: clean energy, new tech platform development Peterman Design Firm: https://www.petermanfirm.com/peterman-method/ Jessica and Ian's book: https://www.consciousdesignbook.com/

Here's a preview segment of our full-length interview with Mark, where he gave us the whole story of his company's longstanding work with the formely incarcerated. You can see the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/3cieYVTNCBM

Semiconductor manufacturing is its own little special corner in the vast manufacturing edifice. It was definitely informative to hear from Gloria Kee, VP of product management at Model N, part of Vista Equity Partners and a revenue optimization and compliance advisory firm serving pharmaceutical, medtech, and high-tech innovators. She brought us the latest and greatest of the history of semiconductor production, what's hot now in the sector, and what to look for down the road. Here are some highlights: 2:10 - the history of the semiconductor industry 4:00 - why semiconductor production mostly went offshore from America 5:00 - Taiwan - TSMC holds the most proprietary and advanced chips on the market 6:40 - the CHIPS and Science Act and its effects 10:00 - the workforce and talent challenges 12:00 - the "silver tsunami" and how it affects chipmaking ("pass the torch") 15:45 - the race to innovate 16:45 - the Chinese response It was fascinating to learn from Gloria that, as very different as chipmaking is from most mainstream manufacturing, many of the same challenge and opportunities exist there as do in the rest of industry. There's a whole lot more to learn, so tune in for the whole show! If you like it, don't just hit the like button and the subscribe - leave your comments, and share this video on your social media! And text your friends that they HAVE to watch it!

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/

It should come as no surprise that manufacturers are struggling to get the workers they need, especially when it comes to skilled trades. Taylor Evans, President of Rust Belt Recruiting in Cleveland, Ohio, is right in the thick of things. He's now using the methods recruiters have previously reserved for the professional classes to got after these highly sought-after workers. It was extremely informative to get Taylor's views on the world of recruiting and manufacturing staffing. Here are some highlights: 7:00 - skilled trades workers are every bit as professional as you or me 8:00 - Rust Belt Recruiting provides a higher level of service to those in the trades 12:00 - the effects of reshoring 15:30 - there's currently a bit of stagnation, but not too many laying off 20:00 - business have closed because of lack of available workers 23:30 - the effects of the "silver tsunami" 27:00 - college or not? Change the conversation This is obviously a top subject for anyone in industry! Tune in and check out the whole thing.

There are two distinct stories in this episode featuring the CEO of Sticker Mule. The first one is about how Anthony and his business partners built a successful business making and selling stickers (and now a whole lot more!) It's a great tale of launching an Internet business on a wing and prayer, and lots of hard work. The second one is about how Anthony sent an email to his customers after President Trump was shot beseeching people of all political stripes to stop the hate. And the partisan lapdog media set on him like a pack of hyenas - but to his credit, he didn't back down one bit! Here are some highlights: 2:45 - how Sticker Mule came about 7:30 - focus on fixing problems 9:00 - now at 1,200 people, in 39 countries, with 100 engineers, and building their own machines 10:15 - how Anthony started boxing professionally in Mexico 13:25 - their storage platform and buying and selling manufacturers' products 15:30 - all manufacturing is in the US 19:30 - invest in developing their own highly specialized software (no off-the-shelf ERP or MRP) - most systems would break with their volume 21:15 - simple metrics and dashboards AND... 22:00 - the Trump email drama and its outcome This is not just a set of two amazing stories, but it's a great primer on how to start and run a business and how to stand up for what's right. You really should tune in for the whole thing.

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!)

You may have heard a bit about AI, am I right? But have you heard about how to whether a specific AI business is a good economic opportunity? Mikhail Taver is here to help. He founded his own investment company, Taver Capital Partners, that was focused on AI back before the big hype took off, and he joined us to talk about how he tells a good bet from a bad one. Now he's launching an outfit specifically focused on industrial AI, so he also gave us insights on what manufacturers should be looking at when folks come along to sell them the "latest and greatest" in AI applications. Here are some highlights: 3:35 - founded his company in 2016 5:15 - now working on a second fund focused on industry 12:30 - how manufacturing AI startups can get it right (hint: focus on manufacturing first!) 15:30 - pace your runway! (It's a marathon, not a sprint) 16:30 - get somebody onboard with business know-how 17:30 - for manufacturers: AI is not magic - treat it as just another tool 19:00 - launch into AI project gently - your workers probably fear it Our chat with Mikhail was a great mix of education about how the VC world views AI and manufacturing combined with practical advice for both AI startup folks and people in manufacturing looking to make use of those tools. Tune in and check it out. Please do throw your questions or your own observations in the comments! And please text a friend to watch this one if you found it interesting!

We don't often delve into the world of advertising here, but how can you succeed as a manufacturer without it? Fortunately for Episode 121 we connected with one of the best ever, Adman Emeritus John Bowman from Admeritus. John's now mostly retired, but he regaled us with absolutely fascinating stories from his career working with great consumer products companies like Folger's, P&G, and General Mills. Here are some highlights: 5:30 - John's dad, a mechanical engineer, Boy Scout Troop Leader, and a SeaBee who was there for D-Day, and his effect on John's career 13:30 - the first segment of John's career, with companies like Dannon and Goodyear, when he learned to get out into the manufacturing plants 15:00 - the second segment of his career, with companies like De Beers, GM, and P&G, spent building their ad campaigns 16:00 - the third career segment, getting strategic with KitchenAid and seeing how business is done 19:00 - the fourth segment, when John was with Saatchi & Saatchi and focused on General Mills and global leadership 22:00 - advice for manufacturing: get a seat at the table (business strategy and communications strategy) 26:00 - looking for common ground and getting close to the consumers 28:30 - stories from Sikorsky and Folgers There's a whole lot hear to dive into, so dive away!

Too many emissions reduction-driven or otherwise environmentally friendly new methods of manufacturing simply cost too much and require too much new equipment and plant disruption, so they rarely fly without big dollops of government pork. That's why it was such a great time chatting with Ryan Gilliam for Episode 120. His company, Fortera Corporation, has a modified way to make cement (the "glue," as he puts it, for concrete) that not only cuts CO2 emissions, but increases yield with equipment that bolts right onto existing cement-making processes and a production method that's economically competitive with existing ones. Here are some highlights: - 6:30: why CO2 emissions are so high in how we make cement today - 9:15: how Fortera's new production materials fit right in with ASTM regulations - 10:15: how Fortera makes the process more efficient by weight of production at the kiln - 11:00: the new process achieves 70% CO2 reduction even using existing fossil fuel power - 14:15: the new process is economically competitive even with capital and operating expenses figured in - 22:30: current blends are comparable to existing cement in flow and set times - 26:00: the ideal future - zero net CO2 cement production Tune in and here all the geeky details! This is some really good stuff.

We don't talk about the steel industry near enough around here. Yet it's the fundamental form of manufacturing, a precursor to so much other production! So it was a true pleasure to be joined for Episode 119 by Anna Frounfelker. She's cut her teeth in the industry with several different companies over her nearly ten years of experience. She's currently the Inside Sales Representative and Director of Social Media Marketing for Ferrosource, a global procurement and distribution company focused on supply chain and risk management in steel. Tune in and hear Anna share what she's learned in the past decade! Here are some highlights: 7:30 - the appeal of steel for young women 10:15 - the lowdown on the proposed US Steel purchase by Nippon 12:45 - the national security implications of the steel industry 14:30 - Anna's biggest challenges so far 18:00 - tariffs 22:15 - how the steel industry can appeal to the younger generations - a strong culture of "work hard and play hard" We think Anna is going places in the content creation world, so tune in and you can say you saw her here before she hit it big!

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

Adam Gluck was a founding engineer on Uber's engineering strategy team, where got an early education in development and operations (DevOps). He quickly learned how industrial coding errors and cybersecurity breaches are increasingly a very costly Achilles heel for manufacturers. He founded Copia Automation to help tackle the problem, so it was extremely educational to have him join us for Episode 117. Here are some highlights: 2:15 - DevOps 4:00 - Copia and industrial DevOps 5:30 - source control: testing, deployment, and monitoring 7:00 - device links and backup 9:00 - problems in industrial coding 10:00 - the compounding of the problem with much more automation coming 16:00 - the disconnect between popular apps and industrial programs 18:30 - "shadow IT" - who's touching your software??? (ad hoc changes) 19:00 - "the PLC stopped working" 23:00 - cybersecurity 25:45 - the governance control problem - source control These are critical topics if you're in manufacturing, so do tune in and learn all about them!