Machine Shop Mastery

55. High Spindle Uptime & Happy Employees with Nathan Byman from Wolfram Manufacturing Before Nathan Byman started Wolfram Manufacturing in 2011, he learned a lot about what he liked and didn’t like about machining and management, at other businesses.  He’s taken the best learnings (and a TON he’s learned since) to make Wolfram into a fast-growing powerhouse business that is extremely focused on technology, making chips ALL the time, and having very happy employees, who in turn delight their customers.  That’s turned into a software product called OnTakt which helps them manage all the details to get that super high spindle utilization. It’s a powerful and winning formula that you’ll want to learn more about. Enjoy the conversation. About Wolfram Manufacturing: Wolfram Manufacturing Technologies develops, distributes, and integrates advanced technologies that enable manufacturers to run CNC machines more profitably with less operator attention. Wolfram utilizes the advanced technologies they offer daily in their production CNC shop. They are the exclusive Caron Engineering integrator for the Western US. In April of 2022, Wolfram released its software, OnTakt, a machine monitoring and production management software that systematically and permanently reduces machine downtime. Wolfram Manufacturing Technologies has an open-door policy, inviting customers and prospects to see the technology in action their Production Technology Center. Follow Nathan and Wolfram Manufacturing on Social Media: Personal LI: /nathan-byman Company LI: /wolfram-manufacturing-technologies Website: www.wolframmfg.com FB: @WolframMfg IG: @wolframmfg X: @WolframMfg

54. The Virtues of Niche Manufacturing Excellence with Matt Gustafson from Clinkenbeard Matt grew up on the shop floor of Clinkenbeard, a business his father bought in the late 70s and he became a pattern maker. He is now the President and leads this incredible AS9100-certified company that specializes in highly complex 5-axis machined parts and highly specialized training devices for the defense and space industries. Picture a full-scale, 100% realistic model of an F35 engine for use by technicians learning to service these engines in the field. Super cool! And lucrative! While Matt doesn’t disclose their margins, they have exceptional revenue per employee, no doubt affected by their aggressive adoption of technology to increase efficiency, but also their specialization in niche industries where that specialization puts them in a great position to have strong financial performance. About Clinkenbeard: Since 1966 Clinkenbeard has served industrial and aerospace OEM’s with rapid turnaround complex machined parts and assemblies. We are a worldwide leader in the rapid prototyping and production of complex cast and machined parts and have the internal resources and the engineering horsepower to tackle large, complex problems with concurrent manufacturing engineering support. Follow Matt and Clinkenbeard on Social Media: Personal LI: /matt-gustafson Company LI: /clinkenbeard Website: www.clinkenbeard.com FB: @ClinkenbeardM2M X: @Clinkenbeard

53. Father & Son Fun = Success at Mactech with Joel and Luke Wittenbraker from Mactech Mactech is a fascinating business that specializes in on-site machining services and equipment.  It’s a very different type of business than a traditional machine shop where all work is done in a facility.  Their company history is a fascinating one, and a fun one, where we learn that hard work and fun can go hand in hand with great success. Learn about this great story and company in this entertaining episode that will surely leave you smiling! About Mactech: Mactech is one of the world’s foremost providers of on-site machining services, on-site heat treating services, and stress-relieving equipment. Mactech provides both products and on-site services for major industries worldwide including petro-chemical, pulp and paper, power generation and ship-building. Our key strength is the ability to assist you with routine and specialty applications – our on-site solutions team can handle any task and will develop solutions from start to finish. Mactech’s excellent reputation for short lead-time and quick response is unsurpassed in the industry. Follow Joel, Luke and Mactech on Social Media: Joel's Personal LI: /joel-wittenbraker Luke's Personal LI: /luke-wittenbraker Company LI: /mactech-on-site Website: www.mactechonsite.com FB: @mactechonsite

52. From Founding to Exit with Keith Bernardo from M&K Engineering The M&K Engineering story is a fantastic American Dream Story.  From immigrant founding parents, to the kids taking over the business, leading to an eventual successful exit to a much larger manufacturer.  Keith digs in deep on their story and the decisions and strategies that they employed to grow the team, the culture, and the client base. It becomes clear throughout the interview, why M&K was so successful. From learning from consultants and mentors, to their fanatical focus on culture, to intentionally building their vertical manufacturing capabilities, this is a brilliant study on how to do it right.  Get your notepad out and enjoy this episode with Keith Bernardo. Follow Keith on Social Media: Personal LI: /keith-bernardo Company LI: /blue-zone-capital-partners Website: www.bluezonecapitalpartners.com

Mark Heston, President of Colinear Machine, shares the remarkable journey of boosting revenue through strategic investments and fostering team cohesion. He discusses the challenges of meeting aerospace industry demands, efficient planning, pricing strategies, and navigating organizational changes. The importance of niche expertise and core competency in the machining business is highlighted.

50. From Tragedy to Rebirth with Ashley Parent of Mills Machine Works When Greg Mills was diagnosed with cancer, he had only a few months to live. His children, Ashley, John and Megan decided they wanted to carry on the family legacy that their dad and mom had started. So they jumped into learning as much about the business as they could, with the precious few weeks that their father had left. From that challenging transition comes a story of rebirth of what Mills Machine Works would look like in the future. Ashley shares the inspring and personal family story and her journey to become the president of their family machine shop. About Mills Machine Works: Mills Machine Works, inc. is a second generation family owned Machine Shop based in Lawrence, MA specializing and prototype and short run production CNC milled and lathe parts for the Defense, Space, Aerospace, Medical Device and Semiconductor industries. Follow Ashley and Mills Machine works on social media: LI: /millsmachineworks IG: @millsmachineworks Website: www.MillsMachineWorks.com

 49. Origins, Growth, and Lessons from a $60M Machining Company Matt Wardle is the president and owner of JD Machine, a three generation family-run precision machining business in Ogden Utah with over 200 employees and doing $60M in revenue. Originally founded by his father, and now with Matt’s kids coming up in the business, JD Machine has realized huge success by focusing on their 4 key systems, core values and culture, and a continuous improvement mindset, among others. They’ve also endured some very challenging times - such as after 9/11. But with hard work and belief in the future, Matt and his team are now leading a very aspirational business that you’ll want to learn more about. Enjoy the episode!! About JD Machine: Founded in 1979, JD Machine Corp. is a world-class precision machining & fabrication shop that manufactures high value machined parts, sheet metal components and complex assemblies. JD Machine’s core services include: CNC Machining, CNC Turning, CNC Milling, Sheet Metal Fabrication and Assembly and Testing. JD Machine’s expertise spans a wide range of applications and industries with the ultimate focus on providing world-class precision machining services that meet and often exceed customer expectations. Follow Matt and JD Machine on social media: Personal LI: matt-wardle-a7a73014/ Company LI: /j-d-machine-corp. Website: www.jdmachine.com FB: /JDMachine X: @JD_Machine

48. From Office Admin to Shop Owner with Allison Giddens of Win-Tech Allison is the co-owner of Win-Tech in Kennesaw, Georgia. As an early 20-something, Allison took a leap of faith, and a 30% pay cut to work at her neighbor's machine shop, with the hope that someday it would lead to something great.  Fast forward 17 years later, and she owns and runs the shop with her co-owner! It’s an inspiring and fantastic story.  With nearly 2 decades of experience under her belt, Allison has a lot of wisdom to share about running a thriving machine shop, and also extra insight into what any shop in the defense sector needs to be paying attention to in 2024. About Win-Tech: Win-Tech is an AS9100-certified aerospace machine shop, making custom parts per customer specification. They provide in-house manufacturing services and many processes to suite customer needs. Win-Tech has been a member of the community for over 25 years, and is proud to be a part of the small business community. Follow Allison and Win-Tech on social media: Personal LI: /allisongiddens Company LI: /win-tech-inc. Website: win-tech.net

47. Big Vision = Big Success in the Space Industry with Nathan Bourgeois from Oroborous Space & Defense Nathan Bourgeois is the founder and owner of Oroborous Space & Defense. Nate has an incredible story of success, founded from an audacious goal of building the best hardware that goes into space. That goal has driven him and propelled his company into a high-growth and profitable position, serving the who’s-who of the commercial space industry. You can’t miss this very inspiring and compelling story about why vision and mission is so critical to the success of a company. About Oroborous Space & Defense: Ouroboros Space and Defense specializes in multi-axis and mill-turn manufacturing solutions for complex, tight tolerance, and flight critical hardware. Follow Nathan and Ouroboros on social media: Company LI: /ouroboros-space-and-defense Personal LI: /nathan-bourgeois-058219133

46. Defense Industry Success with Derek Kowalski from LOC Industries Derek Kowalski was the second employee of LOC Industries when he was hired at the age of 19. He’s now the VP and co-owner of the shop that specializes in complex manufactured assemblies for the defense industry. Derek shares his story, which parallels the growth of LOC which focused on doing work directly for the DLA and the government as their main strategy when they started.  They now serve the who’s-who of defense prime contractors with a wide variety of manufacturing processes from machining, sheet metal, composites, plastics forming, injection molding, and more. It’s a great and inspiring story of success, so enjoy the conversation with Derek! About LOC Industries: LOC Industries was founded in 2009 to become a top provider of aerospace structures to various OEM's and the US Military.  They are a small business that focuses on providing our customers with the highest quality parts as quickly as possible.  These products can be seen on various aircraft, from the C-5 Galaxy and the B-52 Bomber; to the UH-60 Blackhawk and the AH-64 Apache. Follow Derek and LOC Industries on social media: Personal LI: /derek-kowalski-3b384b13b Company LI: /loc-industries-inc Website: www.locindustries.com