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/