MakingChips Podcast

Mike Payne has spent the last 20+ years deeply entrenched in the M&A process with dozens of companies throughout Oklahoma. Early in his career, he realized he loved the world of manufacturing. He also learned that he enjoyed operating a business. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to unfold. Then it happened: Six years […] The post MakingSparks: Oklahoma Meets Indiana – A Manufacturing Chat with Mike Payne Part 1, 406 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

Are you the type of manufacturing leader who prefers to do everything yourself? You learn and innovate as you go, right? We’ve learned from experience: There is an art and a science to recruiting. I’ve muddled through using LinkedIn Recruiter to make some hires. And while it’s a great tool, it can only do so […] The post Should You Use a Recruiter to Find Your Next Manufacturing Leader? 405 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

My shop has been restoring a 1959 Ford F10. When we decided to recreate a digital dash for the truck, we decided to ask the LinkedIn world for help. That’s when I met Ira Laughy with rapid3D. Rapid3D exists to solve complex measurement challenges to empower confident decision-making. We scanned the space and current dash […] The post The Journey from Scan to CAD to Part at Hill Manufacturing, 404 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

How important is building relationships and trust with your vendors? When you do have established relationships, are you placing too much trust in them? How do you balance being business savvy and trusting? Mark McCormack is known for saying “All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people […] The post Are You Putting Too Much Trust in Your Supply Chain? 403 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

What are the benefits of working closely with a local career & technical education center? You can have a huge impact on the local community, education system, and businesses. If you partner with a local technical center, it could have a far-reaching impact—and it just might help you recruit the next generation. Nix Partners with […] The post How Businesses Can Collaborate with Technical Education, 402 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

POV: You’re a woman with an entrepreneurial edge. You want to start a business. Why not consider the manufacturing industry? There are only 6,431 women-owned manufacturing businesses in the United States (representing just 2% of all manufacturing companies). 20% of them are minority-owned. This industry needs a woman’s perspective and expertise. So what does it […] The post SZN1: Should Women Entrepreneurs Choose the Manufacturing Industry? 401 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

POV: You’ve decided to start the process of implementing automation in your machine shop—but it isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. It’s a process that consists of failing forward and learning from every mistake. Tom Schroeder—the Executive Vice President at PBC Linear—joins us in this episode of Lights Out to share how to prioritize […] The post Lights Out: How to Prioritize Flexibility when You Invest in Automation, 400 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

There are around 17,000 contract manufacturing job shops in the US. That sounds pretty great, right? The truth is that growth is down 16% since 2008. Now, more than ever, we need new entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry. Matthew Nix, Paul Van Metre, Drew Crowe, and Mike Payne join me in this roundtable discussion to talk […] The post Do We Need More Manufacturing Entrepreneurs? 399 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

How can leadership remain connected to what’s happening on the shop floor? At Nix, we’ve found a creative way to bridge a gap that many businesses experience. We’ve implemented a program that allows our front line to address problems and propose solutions so that their everyday real-world problems are being fixed. Dakota Hunt and Jack […] The post MakingSparks: Staying Connected through Your Front Line Leaders Part 2, 398 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

How do we recruit more young talent to fabrication? How do we navigate rapid growth balanced with training and development? How do we help develop young talent into our future leaders? These are just a few questions we wrestle with in this episode of MakingSparks with special guests Dakota Hunt and Jack Henry Hagan. The post MakingSparks: Growing Shop Floor Front Line Leaders Part 1, 397 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

BWXT Mount Vernon produces components for naval nuclear reactors, used in submarines and aircraft carriers. Their sprawling facility is home to CNC machine tools and sophisticated welding and heat-treating equipment. In this episode of MakingSparks, General Manager Nate Foote shares more about their commitment to processes, their recruiting practices, and why the work they do […] The post MakingSparks: Manufacturing Precision and Processes with BWXT GM Nate Foote, 396 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

What are the pros and cons of plasma cutters vs. water jets vs. lasers? How does cutting with nitrogen differ from cutting with oxygen? How is technology driving innovation in fabrication? R.J. Reed and Brendon DiVincenzo join us in this episode of MakingSparks to cover all things lasers and fabrication. Because if you’re not MakingSparks […] The post MakingSparks: How Technology Drives Innovation on the Other Side of Metalworking Nation, 395 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

On December 7th, 2023, Jason had a heart attack, the type well-known as the “widow-maker.” Miraculously, Jason survived. Then he survived a heart transplant. January 19th, 2024, he went home. Jason beat the odds. In this episode of MakingChips, we’ll share Jason’s miraculous story. We’ll also share some of the lessons we’ve learned throughout the last […] The post An Important Update on Jason Zenger and the Leadership Lessons We Learned from It, 394 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

Every family business that’s growing and expanding runs into some challenges. From navigating tough conversations with family to determining a centralized versus decentralized model, there are numerous things to consider. Joe Patterson’s family business overcame the challenges that came their way and expanded globally. However, they had lofty goals for the business and ultimately needed […] The post MakingSparks: Expanding and Transitioning a Family Business in Manufacturing with Joe Patterson, 393 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

communication with your family? How do you foster open communication in difficult conversations? Running a family business is full of unique challenges—and successes—that many other businesses don’t have to think about. But navigating those challenges doesn’t have to be difficult. Tad Dickel returns in this episode of MakingSparks to cover it all. – Matthew Nix […] The post MakingSparks: Embracing the Family Aspect of Business with Tad Dickel Part 2, 392 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

Nix Companies is a fifth-generation family business in an industry that’s predominantly privately held and family-owned. Family-owned businesses are the fabric of our economy. Today’s guest on MakingSparks, Tad Dickel, is a Leadership & Strategy Consultant with a special interest in family-owned businesses. He helps them with everything from governance to succession planning. Tad shares […] The post MakingSparks: Navigating a Family Business in Manufacturing with Tad Dickel Part 1, 391 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

Cutting tool manufacturers have to remain on the cutting edge. If you do so, it’s possible to stay competitive. We know that a solid education and training for new talent is the best first step. But you also have to learn to embrace grit to make it through. We cover what else is important to […] The post SZN1: Manufacturing Fuels Grit with Drew Crowe and Andy Mueller Part 2, 390 first appeared on MakingChips Podcast.

Welcome to the MakingChips IMTS2018 wrap up podcast, recorded live from the final day of the show with guests Larry Turner, President and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA and Peter Eelman, Vice President of Exhibitions & Business Development at AMT. After a long and exciting week, Jim and Jason reflect on some of the trends The post ITMS2018 Wrap Up with Larry Turner and Peter Eelman appeared first on MakingChips.

Jim and Jason are live from IMTS2018 Day 5 with guests Jim King, Andrew Benson, and Meghan West to discuss industry 4.0 and its impact on the metal-working nation. How does a machine tool manufacturer, tooling manufacturer and a CAD/CAM company work together to elevate a manufacturing business? What is industry 4.0? Listen to this The post Industry 4.0 with Jim King, Andrew Benson and Meghan West appeared first on MakingChips.

Live from IMTS 2018 day four in Chicago, Jason and Jim are joined by Barry Walter, Dietmar Goellner, Craig Zoberis, and Teresa Beach-Shelow to give their insight and advice that will help manufacturers sleep better at night. There are so many decisions and challenges that manufacturing leaders face that it is sometimes hard to get The post How Manufacturers Can Sleep Better at Night with Barry Walter, Dietmar Goellner, Craig Zoberis, and Teresa Beach-Shelow appeared first on MakingChips.