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!

Model No. produces high-end light fixtures and furniture with a new end in mind: elevating the experience while eliminating the waste. They collaborate with architects and designers along with industry partners to use regenerative and biodegradable materials. It was a treat to have Phillip Raub, CEO of Model No., and Rahul Kasat, VP at 3D Systems, to talk about the methods the company uses to become more circular. Here are some highlights: 8:00 - the part material science development plays 10:00 - printing with biodegradable materials to reduce costs and increase value 11:00 - the new capabilities of 3D printers 15:00 - the kinds of printing materials used 22:00 - customer-driven R&D at 3D Systems 24:50 - contract manufacturing and partnerships as a part of Model No.'s business 27:00 - using recycled materials in 3D printing And there's so much more! Tune in and check out the whole show - it's extremely educational and uplifting!

There have been countless breathless reports about the ongoing "boom" in American manufacturing. After all, look at the countless billions of dollars being spent to build plants! Good times are back! Except they aren't. Actual manufacturing activity is down, and has been in contraction mode for a long time. Tune in and learn from your host why pork-fueled spending like what we're seeing now almost never delivers the goods when it comes to actual functioning, job-creating, value-delivering manufacturing plants. The "boom" we're seeing now is a bad episode that's been repeated again and again. Bad enough that politicians constantly play this game, but to have people who ought to know better in our own world of manufacturing also getting suckered by this fairy tale now is really just too much. Sources: Granholm projects: https://dailycaller.com/2021/01/27/jennifer-granholm-michigan-energy-companies-bankrupt/ Inflation Reduction Act and Chips and Science Act delay and cancellations: https://seekingalpha.com/news/4141224-delays-impact-40-of-biden-administrations-biggest-climate-projects-ft Whitmer administration projects: https://www.bridgemi.com/business-watch/michigan-has-spent-1b-ev-battery-plants-so-far-theyve-created-200-jobs July ISM PMI report: https://www.ismworld.org/supply-management-news-and-reports/reports/ism-report-on-business/pmi/july/

It was fascinating speaking with Nick Haase, who co-founded MaintainX to bring modern tech solutions to manufacturing maintenance. You'd think that's a pretty niche application, and yet almost every central element of his platform he brought up also proved to be a fundamental good business practice. Here are the highlights: 2:40 - the MaintainX story 7:00 - the importance of user friendliness 10:00 - disconnects on software development 12:30 - integrating with other systems 14:50 - underutilized systems: OEM data, how to gather it, and how to make it actionable 20:00 - AI and machine learning 21:40 - the quality of data is critical: how to build a data foundation (1. capture structure, and store; 2. work towards predictive) 25:30 - the importance of knowledge capture and transfer for developing the workforce of the future 27:50 - augmented reality Nick brought us a whole bunch to think about, but trust me - it will be worth every minute for you to tune in to the whole thing! The MaintainX website: https://www.getmaintainx.com/

Matt Guse started in machining as a teenager and eventually took over the machine shop his dad founded. Along the way he became a fierce advocate for his team members and for new ways to develop the workforce of the future. Oh, and a committed bicyclist just like your host, so be ready for some serious bike talk toward the end. Here are some highlights: 4:00 - making the business work 5:20 - get help! Matt hired a part-time CFO 6:40 - find a mentor 7:10 - sports officiating lessons for business 12:20 - developing the future workforce: Cardinal Manufacturing (covered in a previous episode of Manufacturing Talks - see link below) 17:00 - appearing on Fox Business 20:40 - the importance of company culture 24:30 - a long chat about cycling Matt brings some seriously inspirational ideas from his manufacturing and entrepreneurial experiences. Tune in and check out the whole show! Links: Our episode about Cardinal Manufacturing featuring Craig Cegielski: https://youtu.be/chE36ahWPdo The M.R.S. Machining website: https://www.mrsmachiningco.com/

Calling off work is the easiest thing to do, right? Maybe not, and maybe that breakdown in communications is costing you a lot more than you think. Sheila Stafford, co-founder and CEO of TeamSense, joined us for Episode 112 to explain how her company's platform to facilitate offtime call-ins for your team members can actually reduce absenteeism and improve productivity. Sheila learned all this firsthand in her time on the floors of various manufacturing operations. The dysfunctional communication methods she witnessed for herself inspired her to help found and launch TeamSense. Here are some highlights from our chat: 7:30 - manufacturing-specific design - careers vs. jobs 8:40 - it's not an app, so people don't get bent out of shape about you commandeering their personal devices 11:00 - remove manual processes and multiple different contact methods, and automate the data 12:30 - fix language barriers! 18:30 - it's an employee portal! 22:00 - facilitate schedule and vacation management 25:30 - future opportunity: leverage AI to add more automation Tune in for an extremely educational conversation! The TeamSense website: https://www.teamsense.com/

Alex Krüger is the co-founder and CEO of United Manufacturing Hub (UMH), our subject company, and Frank Thelen is co-founder and CEO of Freigeist, a venture capital fund that's backing them. They joined us for Episode 111 to explain all about why digitalization is now a must for manufacturing companies, and how you can best go about it. Here are some of the highlights: 5:30 - your digital use case and single source of truth 11:45 - how to build internal tech innovation - it has to become part of your company's DNA 14:00 - how to make your data actionable 19:00 - reduce complexity and try something out 24:00 - get manufacturing people and the manufacturing world involved Find out how UMH is helping manufacturing companies become tech companies, and learn some specific changes you can make so you don't get left behind in this critical transition.

Bruce Bigelow joins us for Episode 110 to share the latest and greatest in one of the biggest coming pieces of science technology ever. The Giant Magellan telescope, which is being constructed in Chile, will open up vistas of our universe we couldn't even have dreamed about a few years ago. This instrument features some extraordinary designs and manufacturing methods that enable it to do what it will be able to do. Bruce tells us all about them, and about where things stand on the building of this amazing scientific tool. Their website: https://giantmagellan.org/ The latest news: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/06/13/2898457/0/en/Giant-Magellan-Telescope-Enclosure-Ready-for-Construction.html My Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2022/08/02/magic-mirrors-will-power-the-giant-magellan-telescope/

Multiple generations of ownership of a family business make for a great story - but they also historically make for increasing difficulties in making the business work. Matthew Nix. President and CEO of Nix Companies, took the industrial company that his ancestors originally started as a blacksmith shop over 120 years ago and with the help of his wife and brother and others, grew it through acquisitions to include custom fabrication, maintenance services, real estate and other business areas. In addition to creating a true success story with the family business, Nix also helps set the example of valuing people and doing good for society by doing well as a business. Tune in and hear Matthew tell the whole inspiring story! Nix Companies website: https://www.nixcompanies.com/ Making Chips website (where you can find Matthew's content): https://makingchips.com/

Who knew the fast-growing car wash smash hit company Tommy's Express is also into manufacturing? When you learn why, it makes perfect sense. Ed Ouellette, the company's National Franchise Development Manager, joined us for Episode 108 to explain how so many of the cool and user-friendly features you see at Tommy's are there because they make them for themselves! Listen at around the 12:45 mark when Ed explains how that easy-to-drive-onto conveyor belt came from the carrot processing industry. Stay for his explanation at around 26:00 about how consistency is the key! There's a whole lot more before, in between, and after - check out the whole thing! And leave your questions and comments for us, and do please leave us a like, share the show, and subscribe!

It should be job one for everyone, but especially for manufacturers, to ensure the people who work for us go home every night in at least as good condition as they were in when they showed up for the job. Among other offeringss, Vector Solutions focuses on providing training that helps make that happen every single day. Clare Epstein, Vector's General Manager, Commercial Business Sector, joined us for Episode 107 to tell us all about it. This one's important, folks - tune in the for the whole thing! Link to the study Clare mentioned: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_QFsPHT5LUpb9CW9TTckMBxkZty2VBm-/view Vector Solutions homepage: www.vectorsolutions.com ** My apologies for the echo on my audio! Fortunately I was smart enough to let our awesome guest do most of the talking.

Nothing like throwing yourself a challenge! Los Angeles Brands has its production of skin care and beauty products right there in the LA area, just to make things interesting. Then they launch their products against some of the biggest, best-known, and best-funded brands there are! Lori Waiser and Brad Hollowaty joined us to tell us how they do all that successfully. There are a couple of big reasons we learn along the way, like how the two of them make a very powerful team by each bringing very different strengths to the mix, and how having a foot on both coasts (Brad and the HQ are out west, while Lori and her product expertise are in the New York City area) is a huge advantage. Other highlights: 13:00 - ask a lot of questions 14:40 - in this area of corner of business, manufacturing in the US is critical 16:00 - cost and regulatory challenges 20:30 - finding areas of white space to go after, and their innovative business model 24:50 - product advantages and creating differentiation It's one heck of a great story, and Lori and Brian tell it extremely well! Check out the whole show - you'll be glad you did! Oh, and here's their business link: https://losangelesbrands.com/