Machine Shop Mastery 96. From Pole Barn to Precision Powerhouse: Shane Grant's 10-Year Shop Journey
In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, I finally sit down with Shane Grant from Machining Momentum, a guest I've been hoping to have on the show for a long time. Shane has spent the last decade building his shop from the ground up, literally starting in a backyard pole barn and growing it into a precision-focused operation that's now hitting its stride in a new industrial facility.
What makes Shane's story compelling isn't just the growth, but how intentionally it happened. He shares how early exposure to machining through a family business, followed by experience in automotive, industrial, and aerospace manufacturing, gave him the technical foundation to start a shop. But once he made the leap into ownership, he quickly learned that machining skill alone isn't enough to run a successful business.
We talk openly about the challenges he's faced along the way, including floods, fires, customer concentration risk, hiring struggles, and the pressure that comes with rapid growth. Shane is refreshingly honest about the emotional and mental toll of ownership, as well as the personal development work he's had to do to become a better leader for his team.
One of the most eye-opening parts of this conversation is how Shane built demand for his shop. Rather than relying on a traditional sales team, he leaned into storytelling and authenticity on social media, which now drives roughly 90 percent of his incoming work. This episode is full of practical lessons, leadership insight, and hard-earned perspective for anyone building or growing a machine shop.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...- (0:46) I introduce Shane Grant, his 10-year journey, and how social media has fueled his shop's growth
- (2:54) Getting started in machining at 15 through a family-owned shop
- (10:47) When shop ownership became a real goal instead of a distant idea
- (13:04) How customer concentration and a bankruptcy led to the family business closing
- (15:25) The hard difference between being a great machinist and running a business
- (16:02) Using SBA resources to learn insurance, planning, and business fundamentals
- (18:23) A snapshot of the shop today, including machines, inspection, and a recent facility move
- (21:03) Building a long-term vision that goes beyond just making parts
- (24:27) Why leading by example on the shop floor is essential to earning trust
- (26:17) How personal development and self-care became leadership tools
- (28:28) Keeping spindles busy by turning storytelling into a sales engine
- (32:52) Why attending the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop is worth the investment
- (35:52) Hiring challenges and finding talent through local colleges
- (37:57) Supporting workforce development through board involvement and educator collaboration
- (39:29) A moment that showed how manufacturing mentorship can change a career path
- (43:02) Year-over-year growth, momentum, and approaching the million-dollar mark
- (46:29) The shift from working in the business to working on the business
- (48:29) Cross-training, shared responsibility, and hiring with intention to protect culture
- (51:55) Managing the tension between rapid growth, quality, and cash flow
- (54:49) Responding to floods and fires with resilience and teamwork
- (58:25) Why waiting for the "right time" holds shop owners back
- (1:00:37) Growing your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
- Check out the SMW Autoblok catalog
- Register for the FREE 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop
- Connect on LinkedIn
- Machining Momentum LLC
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