Some conversations feel scripted. This one… absolutely did not. Larry Robbins walked in ready to talk life, passion, family, culture, workholding, philosophy, and whatever else popped into his head — and somehow it all connected back to manufacturing. This episode of MakingChips is one of the most unhinged, hilarious, honest, and wisdom-packed conversations we've ever recorded.

Larry has been in the industry for nearly 46 years, and he's collected enough stories, scars, and laughs for ten careers. From his father dragging him into the business ("long hair doesn't work here") to his famous explanation that SMW makes "magic hands," Larry blends humor and experience into lessons every shop owner needs to hear. His passion for the industry is unmatched — and his candor is even better.

Throughout the episode, the crew dives into culture, leadership, lying (don't), modularity, flexibility, high-density workholding, predictable setups, financing equipment, and why you should stop crawling across a dollar to pick up a dime. Larry opens up about the future of manufacturing, warns against bad advice, and reminds everyone that machining touches every single thing in the world.

If you're ready for an episode that's equal parts educational and unhinged in the best possible way, buckle up — Larry Robbins is in rare form.

Segments

(1:00) Larry's background, early failures, and the stories that shaped his approach to leadership
(3:31) An investment in ProShop is an investment in your business
(3:32) Culture, loving your work, and leadership lessons
(5:07) Entering the family business, retirement humor, and long-term commitment
(7:23) The reality of workplace culture, honesty, and handling difficult employees
(10:02) Integrity, truth-telling, and early lessons on character
(13:18) Appreciating machinists and the unseen parts of manufacturing
(15:05) Workholding vs. cutting tools and why workholding matters more than people think
(16:09) "Magic hands" — Larry's explanation of workholding for a 5-year-old
(17:20) Workholding misconceptions and the cost of poor setups
(19:00) Vendor trust, trying equipment, and choosing partnerships wisely
(20:22) Setup reduction, rigidity vs. flexibility, and predictable processes
(22:12) Cutting 12-hour setups and the value of internal vs. external setups
(24:16) Why we love Phoenix Heat Treating for Outside Processing
(25:24) Expensive machines + cheap vices = lost potential
(27:26) Modular workholding, infinite adjustment, and the origins of the industry
(29:18) When not to sell a customer — long-term trust over short-term gain
(30:19) Why shops "don't know what they don't know" about proper workholding
(31:58) Financing workholding and proving ROI to shop owners
(33:09) Tooling certs and buying the solution, not just the machine
(35:24) High-density workholding and maximizing machine real estate
(37:12) Protecting customers from bad investments and the role of good vendors
(38:01) The LEGO analogy and building reusable workholding systems
(40:13) Trusting experts and using the right resources in decision-making
(41:19) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
(41:57) Buzzwords like Industry 4.0 vs. solving real problems
(43:49) Competing with global labor costs and running unattended
(44:19) Extending the life of old machines with better processes
(46:41) Universal truth: If you're not making chips, you're not making money

Resources mentioned on this episode

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