Swarfcast
Today's Machining World
Noah Graff, used machine tool dealer and editor of Today’s Machining World, interviews machining company owners, equipment gurus, and experts with insight to help and entertain people working in the machining field. We discuss topics such as how to find quality employees, customer acquisition, negotiation, and the best CNC equipment options for specific jobs.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 22, 2024 • 5min
How Optimism Will Lead You to Luck in Business: Seeking Serendipity–EP 179
One of my favorite machinery dealers we work with is from Brazil. He specializes in sending machine tools to South America. A used machinery deal is usually a challenge to close—even if a customer says they need it. Even if it’s an excellent machine that’s rare on the used market, at a good price, it [...]
Dec 17, 2024 • 34min
Why Some People Build Companies and Others Don’t, Mike Payne (Part 2) EP 233
I often ponder—why do some people own and build companies, while most people are destined to spend their careers as employees. In Part II of my interview with Mike Payne, owner of Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication, we explore this question. Mike comes from a family of six generations of teachers, not business managers or entrepreneurs, [...]
Dec 10, 2024 • 37min
Manufacturing Acquisitions with Purpose, Mike Payne (Part 1)-EP 232
On today’s podcast, I’m talking with Mike Payne, owner of Hill Manufacturing and Fabrication in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to peek inside the mind of a prolific acquirer of manufacturing companies. Before purchasing Hill in 2018, Mike spent 20 years in M&A, orchestrating over 100 deals across nearly every industry. Since then, Mike has acquired four [...]
Dec 4, 2024 • 36min
Reducing Your Mfg. Customers’ Pain, with Federico Veneziano-EP 119
Today’s show is the first episode of a multi-part series about how machining companies acquire new work. Our guest is Federico Veneziano, CFO and COO of American Micro Products Inc., a precision machining company in Batavia, Ohio. Federico says one his key strategies for getting new customers is proving to them his company will minimize [...]
Nov 26, 2024 • 26min
3 Secrets to Buy Used Equipment like a Used Machinery Dealer-EP 231
Have you ever wondered how a used machinery dealer like myself approaches buying secondhand equipment? About a month ago, I did my first LinkedIn live talk and featured that subject. I focused the talk on my techniques for communicating with sellers and equipment experts. I believe the majority of people these days lean too much [...]
Nov 19, 2024 • 43min
Manufacturing Parts for the Department of Defense, with Mike Topolewski—EP 189
Sometimes machining companies tell Graff-Pinkert they have long running, lucrative jobs supplying parts to the D.O.D., and it always has seemed a little mysterious to me. What are these parts they are supplying to the government? How does a company get to become a supplier to the D.O.D.? Is supplying parts to the U.S. Government [...]
Nov 12, 2024 • 56min
Your Shop Is Too Slow, with Const Ivanov-EP 230
You may have noticed that I often talk about friction on this podcast. That’s because everyone has to fight friction in business—and there is A LOT of friction in the manufacturing business. Friction from time consuming stuff. Friction from stuff being too hard to figure out. Friction from stuff we’re not qualified to do or [...]
Nov 6, 2024 • 33min
Producing Tiny Parts with a Tiny Workforce on Swiss, with Dan Rudolph–EP 111
Today’s interview is an old favorite. It’s a story about a young entrepreneur and his father producing minuscule parts with no other employees than themselves and Dan’s wife. On today’s podcast we continue our season about Swiss machining. Our guest is Dan Rudolph, co-owner and founder of Rudolph LLC. Rudolph LLC produces medical parts as [...]
Oct 29, 2024 • 59min
How a $2 Million Dollar INDEX Multi-Spindle MAKES You Money, Richard Kingsbury-EP 229
Why would anybody buy a CNC multi-spindle for $2 million? Or $3 million for that matter? My guest on today’s podcast, Richard Kingsbury, has the answer. Richard is Managing Director of the Kingsbury Engineering Division, England’s INDEX distributor. In this interview, Richard gives a history lesson of screw machining. We discuss how you sell a [...]
Oct 23, 2024 • 28min
Growing a Machining Business, with Dave Thuro (Part 2)–EP 27
Today’s podcast is Part 2 of our interview with Dave Thuro, second-generation owner of Thuro Metal Products. In this episode, Dave discusses his growth philosophies. He believes in aggressively acquiring as many job opportunities as possible, but then saying no to most of them. The company tries to acquire at least two long term accounts [...]
