229: Manufacturing Leadership in Indiana and Beyond: Live from Indianapolis, IN

We’ve been on tour for the past couple of months, recording live episodes in some of the manufacturing hot spots around the country. Indiana is our current stop, where Guggman Haus Brewing hosted us for an episode all about innovation, technology, culture, and, of course, Indiana’s manufacturing prowess.

Manufacturing makes up a huge portion of Indiana’s economy and culture, so we look behind the scenes at what the state is getting right to make it a manufacturing hub.

We welcomed Noel Hopkins, the Principal of Digital Growth at CliftonLarsonAllen and digital transformation expert, joins along with self-titled “private equity mercenary” Steve Martin, who sits on the board at Elevate Ventures. We also welcomed Kathy Miller, President and Co-Founder of YK2020 and OPSisters, plus co-author of the book Steel Toes and Stilettos.

Noel, Steve, and Kathy share their takes on local manufacturing and how it’s adapting to the rapid evolution of tech like AI. But it’s not just tech that’s shaping the industry. We also explore the human element of manufacturing and why we need leaders who are open to change and growth (even if it means making some mistakes along the way).

In this episode, find out:

• What can manufacturers learn from Indiana
• The role of digital transformation in manufacturing and the best ways to implement it
• Why leadership is key to driving transformation and the top characteristics good leaders need
• The challenges facing Indiana’s manufacturing industry from a private equity viewpoint
• Why you should always look at the problems facing your organization first, then find tech to solve it (not the other way around)
• Why fewer companies are using tech for the sake of it and are becoming more intentional
• Lessons learned from past experiences and why manufacturing is all about the people
• Areas where technology is making the most difference and how it impacts the people working with it
• How to build scale and transferability within organizations with the three Ps – people, planning, process
• The importance of having a vision and the ability to execute on it and why leaders are central to this
• Why hesitancy is the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now
• Innovation’s impact on psychological safety in the workplace, plus why we need to be open to making mistakes

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Tweetable Quotes:

•  ”If we create a culture that basically penalizes thinking, then we're never going to get any new ideas.” – Steve Martin
• “ I think the most dangerous thing manufacturers could do right now is pause or wait, or be overly cautious and risk falling way, way behind.” – Noel Hopkins
• “No matter what technology we're working with, what inventions, manufacturing is about people. And so, we can't lose sight of that.” – Kathy Miller

Links & mentions:

• CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), an advisory, audit, tax and consulting firm
• Industry Trends: Lessons Learned from Florida Manufacturing Days
• Guggman Haus Brewing, a family-owned microbrewery and coffee Haus in the northwest side of downtown Indianapolis
• Elevate Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Indianapolis

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.