Manufacturing Culture Podcast

Emily Ting from CCS America joins Jim to talk about what culture actually feels like at work, how it shapes the day to day, and why marketing in industrial manufacturing is still years behind other B2B sectors. She walks through her journey from Japanese speaking intern to “do everything” marketer, three years working inside a Japanese headquarters, and the reality of being the bridge between leadership, engineers, sales and the outside world. Emily shares how she translates deeply technical machine vision concepts into something humans can understand, why AI has not killed the need for good lighting, and how a short book about penguins on a melting iceberg helped CCS rethink its culture and distributor program.What you’ll hearHow Emily defines culture as “what you feel in the air” when you walk into work, and why it can either energize you or quietly drain you.The story of how Japanese fluency opened the door at CCS, sent her to headquarters in Japan, and what she learned from that office culture.Practical tips for doing business and filming content in Japan, from privacy expectations to simple etiquette that changes how you show up.What it is really like to be the person who turns hardcore machine vision physics and jargon into useful stories and content.Why leadership asking for ROI without clear goals is such a common pattern, and how she tries to navigate that tension.How CCS Americas had to reset expectations after the Covid boom and get sales, marketing and engineering genuinely aligned again.Why industrial marketing is still behind B2B SaaS, and what manufacturers can borrow without repeating old mistakes.How the book “Our Iceberg Is Melting” turned into required reading and gave everyone a way to see themselves in the change story.Topics coveredCulture as lived experience versus official “values”Working in Japan, unspoken rules and privacy around filmingTranslating technical machine vision and lighting conceptsAI hype in inspection and why fundamentals still matterGetting leadership, engineers and marketing on the same pageRemote and hybrid culture in a small, spread out teamDesigning a distributor program as a culture project, not just a sales programThe messy reality of modern industrial marketingKey quotes“Culture is what you feel in the air when you walk into work. Do you feel ready to do what you set out to do, or like there’s a pressure sitting on your mind all day”“Marketing is much messier than people want. You rarely get a perfect straight line between what you did and the deal that closed.”“Sometimes the decision is no decision. Staying in the status quo feels safer than making a move that might go wrong.”“AI did not make lighting irrelevant. If bad lighting did not matter, those AI companies would not keep coming back to us for help.”“You do not always get the insight you want by asking the question directly. Sometimes you have to go the long way round to reach the part of the customer that actually decides.”

Jim sits down with tax strategist Nik Agharkar, for a conversation that starts with tax day anxiety and spirals into culture, capitalism, immigration, vo-tech, wealth inequality, and what it really means to build a healthy organization. Nik shares why he believes the tax code is an incentive system instead of a punishment, how leadership shapes culture, why Gen Z is choosing trades over college, and how America can rebuild its middle class by fixing the incentives we’ve quietly broken over the last 40 years. This episode is raw, political, personal, and surprisingly hopeful.Why this conversation mattersIf you lead a manufacturing team or run a business, your world is shaped by taxes whether you notice it or not. Nik lays out how incentives in the tax code ripple through hiring, layoffs, wages, infrastructure, and the decline of the American middle class. He explains why trades are rising again, why offshoring hollowed out capacity, and how culture starts with servant leadership rather than command-and-control. This is a rare conversation that connects factory floors, tax strategy, political history, and the lived experience of an immigrant family into one cohesive picture of where we are and what needs to change.What you’ll hear• Why “every day is tax day” if you touch money• Jim’s tax-induced heart palpitations versus Nik’s calm love of paperwork• Nik’s life-as-a-movie: middle school bullying, Jonah Hill, and learning to laugh at everything• His definition of culture built around ownership, servant leadership, and leading by example• Why rules for thee but not for me destroys culture — and what his HR-leader wife taught him about consistency• Growing up between America and India, and why the contrast taught him gratitude, discipline, and risk calculation• How scarcity abroad reframed what “risk” really means in America• Why going to college can be a bigger gamble than going into the trades• The surge of Gen Z and Gen Alpha entering the trades and rejecting the old college playbook• Offshoring, the collapse of vo-tech, and how we quietly kneecapped our own middle class• How tax cuts incentivized bad business, short-term hiring cycles, and underinvestment in people• The 1950s wealth distribution Americans still prefer — and how far we’ve drifted• Why wealth concentration is dangerous, not just unfair• The forgotten history of charitable foundations exploding when tax rates were high• How small businesses pay the price because they don’t have tax departments• Why a kid would be better off buying a Haas machine and starting a job shop than taking on six-figure student debt• The infrastructure crisis — and why we’re not ready to bring manufacturing back onshore• Politics, social media, and how outrage culture destroyed our ability to talk to one another• Why Americans should be critical of every administration, not cheerleaders for a team• The simple fixes: higher corporate taxes, better incentives for small business, and fully funded vo-tech• Nik’s parting message about being better to each other and limiting social media for your own sanityNik’s takeWe’ve got to stop dividing ourselves and start thinking clearly again. Limit your social media. Be better to your neighbor. And stop cheering for politicians — they work for you.Jim’s takeThere aren’t many people who can connect tax code, culture, and the collapse of the middle class and make it interesting, but Nik does it. This one goes way off the rails in the best way.

Ian Wilson is a creative turned industrial brand strategist who believes real culture is the level of authenticity people can bring to work. In this episode, he and Jim talk about why manufacturing feels more grounded than other industries, why specs and machines are only half the story, and how authenticity—not polish—is what builds trust online and on the shop floor.What You’ll HearHow Ian went from writing music to building brands in manufacturingWhy he believes “you can’t hype up a spring” and what that says about honesty in marketingWhat culture really means inside an industrial businessHow family-owned manufacturers can turn values and pride into their strongest brand assetWhy too many manufacturers are still “allergic to marketing”The difference between performative culture and real cultureHow to pull real company values from leadership to the shop floorWhy brand voice matters even when buyers only care about specsHow to make digital feel authentic without fluffThe future of manufacturing culture, community, and educationTopics CoveredAuthenticity and culture in manufacturingIndustrial marketing and brandingAI’s role in marketing and creativityBridging creative and engineering mindsetsDefining company values with honestyCommunity and workforce development in the tradesKey Quotes“Culture is the level of authenticity people can bring with them to work.”“You can’t hype up a spring. It either works or it doesn’t.”“Some manufacturers are allergic to marketing—but that’s exactly where the opportunity is.”“Pretty is easy. Authentic is hard.”“The future of manufacturing is stronger communities and better futures for our kids.”Jim’s TakeIan brings a mix of humor, depth, and hard truth that’s rare in branding conversations. He reminds us that the best marketing doesn’t try to make manufacturing look cool—it shows the real pride and people behind the work.Connect with the Manufacturing Culture PodcastFollow for weekly conversations with the people shaping culture across the industrial world.

Julie Runez leads marketing for a custom automation firm that designs and builds one-off manufacturing machinery. She came back to work after years at home with her kids, brought a journalist’s curiosity, and learned industrial marketing from the ground up during the early months of 2020. Without case studies she could publicly share and with very long, high-stakes sales cycles, Julie shifted the strategy away from chasing clicks to creating in-person proof. The result is a zero-cost lab inside their facility where vendors and manufacturers test ideas together, train teams, and de-risk projects before anyone signs. We talk culture, kindness in leadership, learning fast, and why most problems are system problems, not people problems.Why this conversation mattersIf you sell complex, capital equipment under NDA, the usual playbook won’t carry you. Julie shows how to earn trust when buyers need confidence more than content, and how to build culture around the people you want to attract.What you’ll hearHow journalism skills, parenting, and resourcefulness translated into an effective solo marketing role.Why kindness from the founder set the tone for culture and risk-taking.The limits of digital in NDA-heavy environments and how in-person proof fills the gap.Inside the lab concept and how cross-vendor collaboration builds end-to-end confidence.Using ClickUp and simple SOPs to turn tribal knowledge into systems.Handling the “I’m in over my head” moments by finding the skill, the person, or the room that solves it.Topics coveredCulture as the environment you create for the people you want.Experimenting, failing forward, and deciding what actually works for your business.Sales cycles that run from a year to many years, and how to stay relevant in the meantime.Bringing vendors, engineers, and customers together to test and train before purchase.Storytelling that focuses on outcomes, not features.Letting the next generation toss the box aside rather than just think outside it.Quotes to pull“When you buy a drill, you’re buying holes. Our buyers need confidence their problem will be solved.”“In tough moments it’s usually a system problem, not a human problem.”“The lab is our proof. People can see parts move, get training, and leave with answers.”“Kindness from leadership makes everything else solvable.”GuestJulie Runez is the marketing lead for a custom automation and machine-building company serving life sciences and other regulated industries. She built an in-house lab program that lets manufacturers and vendor partners test concepts, train operators, and de-risk projects at zero cost.SponsorMed Device Boston at the BCEC, September 30 to October 1. A sourcing and education expo with suppliers, workshops, and expert-led sessions for the next generation of med-tech.

Sydney Mrowczynski didn’t plan to end up under a welding hood. As a teenager she dreamed of fashion design — until a boyfriend told her she couldn’t weld. Challenge accepted. A few years later, she’s worked across multiple shops, learned how things really get built, and is now studying industrial management and applied engineering at Southern Illinois University to bridge the gap between the floor and the front office.This episode of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast is a crash course in what real culture looks like from someone living it. Sydney’s take is simple: great culture means communication, teamwork, and quality. Most shops have one or two of those — rarely all three. She shares what it’s like being the only woman on the floor, the extra proof she’s had to carry into every new job, and why too many people get comfortable doing things “almost right” for 20 years.We get into failure as a teacher — how welding forces you to face mistakes and learn faster than any classroom. Sydney talks about integrity, leadership, and the shops that cover bad welds instead of fixing them. She lays out the difference between a leader who checks in, listens, and teaches versus one who just points and barks orders.If you run a team, hire apprentices, or manage training programs, you’ll want to hear her take on trade schools too — how they teach to plate instead of teaching to reality. She argues that students should weld on rusted, greasy, and painted metal, not perfect coupons, if they’re expected to survive their first week on the job.Sydney is now balancing school with work at Tenco Hydro in Sugar Grove, Illinois, helping bring metal fabrication in house and ship their first stainless wastewater tank. She’s seen the gaps firsthand — and she’s building the bridge from within.It’s an honest, sharp conversation about what manufacturing culture really needs: leaders who communicate clearly, care about quality, and build environments where new talent wants to stay.SponsorMed Device Boston is your go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo, September 30 through October 1 at Boston’s BCEC. With 200+ suppliers, 1,500+ attending professionals, and expert-led workshops on 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing, it’s built to advance the next generation of medical device innovation. Visit meddeviceboston.com to register.ConnectFind Sydney Mrowczynski on LinkedInSubscribe to the Manufacturing Culture Podcast on YouTube and your favorite platform.

In this episode of The Manufacturing Culture Podcast, Jim sits down with Chris Humphrey, Business Development Manager at AirPro Fan & Blower Company, to explore how purpose, people, and love of neighbor shape lasting manufacturing cultures. From growing up in a motorcycle dealership to hiking the Appalachian Trail during a “quarter-life crisis,” Chris shares how his journey through machining, engineering, and leadership led him to rediscover the true purpose behind manufacturing — building communities, providing meaningful work, and caring for people along the way.Together, they unpack what culture means beyond the walls of a company, how leadership grounded in empathy can transform performance, and why AirPro’s employee-owned model has created one of the most authentic examples of modern manufacturing culture today.What You’ll Hear:Chris’s early years in machining and how vocational education shaped his careerThe “quarter-life crisis” that changed his perspective on work and purposeWhy every manufacturing job supports six others and how that drives community impactLessons from the rifle industry on culture, stress, and leadershipHow AirPro Fan & Blower built a thriving employee-owned culture around love of neighborThe difference between condemning managers and leaders who come alongsideWhy culture, not compensation, is the real key to long-term retentionHow manufacturing can reclaim its image and attract the next generationThe future of manufacturing through technology, AI, and purpose-driven leadershipKey Quotes:“Manufacturing supports my community. That realization changed everything for me.”“Love of neighbor is a culture driver. It changes how you lead, how you sell, and how you care for people.”“People remember who you are, not just what you did.”“When a company puts care at the center, success takes care of itself.”Topics Covered:Manufacturing culture, leadership, purpose, employee ownership, community, vocational education, business development, supply chain, culture change, mentorship, AI in manufacturing, future of work.Jim’s Take:Chris’s story is a reminder that culture isn’t a policy — it’s people caring for each other. His journey from shop floor to business development shows how purpose evolves but never disappears when it’s built on the right foundationMed Device Boston — The go-to med tech sourcing and education expo, September 30th–October 1st at Boston’s BCEC. Explore the next generation of medical device innovation at meddeviceboston.com.

Katie Friday is a sales engineer who took the scenic route into manufacturing. She started in social work, battled through an engineering pivot at WVU, worked her way from project engineering to sales, and now lives at the intersection of customers, controls, and culture. We talk about resilient learning, why great SOPs read like fifth grade science, the reality of safety projects, and how leadership sets the tone for teams. There is a rom-com opening scene, a baby blue Beetle, and a giant robot in Wilmington. Most of all, there is a clear picture of how supportive culture turns new hires into future leaders.Why this conversation mattersCulture is a team sport and leadership is the lever. Katie shows how cross-functional respect between engineering, maintenance, and operations speeds projects up, how good documentation creates confidence on the floor, and why automation does not erase jobs. It raises the skill ceiling and demands better training.Conversation highlightsMeeting story at IMTS and a friendship that started in an elevator.Katie’s rom-com life pitch featuring a 2013 baby blue Beetle and a bee.Switching from social work to industrial engineering and learning resilience the hard way.From receptionist to project engineer to sales engineer and why talking to customers clicked.The coolest project sighting, a towering broadcast robot and the crews that build stages for NASCAR, ESPN, and even the Super Bowl.Safety projects move first and fast, and the scheduling whiplash that brings.SOPs that actually teach, pictures over jargon, and testing docs with non engineers.Women navigating a male heavy field, boundaries, and a shoutout to mentor Kimberly Pelke.Why new adopters of automation are the next wave and how AI will show up on the plant floor.Topics coveredCompany culture as daily behavior, not a poster on the wall.Leadership modeling communication and teamwork.Sales engineering as translator between customers and controls teams.Budget timing, stakeholders, and the real blockers to moving from design to execution.Operator training that matches the tech.Automation as job shifter and skill builder, not a job eraser.Women in STEM, representation that changes decisions, and early pipeline programs.Quotes“I do not mind being the dumbest in the room. It just means I am learning.”“Good culture feels like a team that actually communicates and still pulls toward the same goal.”“Automation does not eliminate people. It asks them to learn new skills.”“Great SOPs should read like fifth grade science. Pictures help people keep the line running.”GuestKatie Friday is a sales engineer working across pharma, food and beverage, rubber and tire, and other regulated environments. She graduated from West Virginia University in industrial engineering, cut her teeth in project engineering, and now helps manufacturers scope, justify, and deliver automation upgrades with Industrial Automated Systems and sister company Triune Electric.Shoutouts and resources mentionedIndustrial Automated Systems and Triune Electric.Mentor Kimberly Pelke, director of business development.Move Over Bob, a culture first magazine introducing young women to trades.Rosie Riveters, early STEM confidence through productive struggle.Vendors seen on the floor, including Siemens, Rockwell, and Schneider Electric.WVU, the scene of the pivot and the grind.SponsorMed Device Boston is a sourcing and education expo at Boston’s BCEC, September 30 to October 1. Two hundred plus suppliers, hands on workshops, and expert led sessions focused on the next generation of med tech. Register at meddeviceboston.com and plan your visit. The link is in the show notes.ConnectHost, Jim Mayer. Subscribe to Manufacturing Culture on YouTube and your favorite podcast app. Share the episode with a friend who is wrestling with training and documentation after an automation upgrade.

Culture is the lens through which everything happens.Kate Glantz joins the show to talk about building a culture-first movement that puts real tradeswomen at the center of the story.We get into why representation changes decisions, how a print magazine in schools can beat the algorithm, and why AI might shrink some white-collar roles while exploding demand for blue-collar work.Kate shares the why behind Move Over Bob, the plan to go beyond construction into semiconductors, data centers, mining, and civil infrastructure, and a practical path for companies, schools, and parents to get involved.What You’ll Hear• How Kate’s through line is helping women reach financial independence and why that domino changes families and communities• Why storytelling is not fluff and how culture speeds up real change on the ground• Why recruiting women is part of a bigger youth awareness gap and the messenger problem in the trades• How Move Over Bob uses tactile print to reach students, libraries, nonprofits, and even women’s prisons• The winter issue plan that connects welding, ironworking, and heavy equipment to data centers, chips, mining, and civil projects• How AI and automation can erase some office jobs while creating a massive need for electricians and craft labor• Leadership lessons from tech and Hollywood to construction and workforce• A five-year outlook where the trades get a glow-up without sugarcoating the work• Exactly how to support the mission and why this is pro-Bob, not anti-BobTopics CoveredCulture as catalyst, not garnishRepresentation, role models, and behavior change in teensCTE awareness, apprenticeships, and the cost myths around collegeWorkwear, PPE, and making safety and self-expression compatibleSemiconductor and data-center build-outs and what they mean for craft careersAI’s impact on labor markets and why electricians matter more than everPartnership models for associations, contractors, and brandsKey Quotes“Culture is the lens through which everything happens.”“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”“Entrepreneurs don’t see problems. They see opportunities.”“If not us, then who.”“We’re not asking Bob to leave. We’re asking him to scoot over so we can build the table together.”About the GuestKate Glantz is the co-founder of Move Over Bob, a culture-driven platform bringing tradeswomen into the center of mainstream culture and into schools at scale.Her background spans Peace Corps, tech, Hollywood, and national policy work, all pointed at a single why: helping women reach financial independence.Website: https://moveoverbob.comHow to Get Involved• Profiles and school visits for tradeswomen who want to demo and speak• Advertisers, sponsors, and associations who want to expand the talent pool• Educators, CTE directors, and librarians who want copies for studentsStart at moveoverbob.comSponsorMed Device Boston is your go-to med-tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 to October 1 at the BCEC in Boston.Over 200 suppliers, 1,500 attending professionals, and OEM decision-makers.Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof.Register at meddeviceboston.comWatch & ListenFull episode on The Manufacturing Connector website and on YouTube.

Rosemary Coates, founder of the Reshoring Institute, brings over 30 years of experience in global supply chains to the conversation. She discusses the real impacts of reshoring versus offshoring, emphasizing that while offshoring surged due to low labor costs, the tide is shifting slowly as factors like carbon footprints and automation influence decisions. Mexico emerges as a competitive alternative due to proximity and lower costs. Rosemary also highlights the need for new skills in manufacturing and how community colleges can play a key role in rebuilding the workforce.

A candid conversation with high school engineer and FIRST Robotics alum Natalie Macias about curiosity, consistency, and carving out room for young makers inside a sometimes closed-off industry. We talk early exposure to CAD and flight sims, why manufacturing is the first mile of everything, the lemon tree lesson on failure, and how leaders can be firm yet flexible. Natalie wants more hands-on opportunities before college and a more welcoming on-ramp for students who are ready to show up.Guest:Natalie Macias, student engineer from Los Angeles, senior capstone lead, robotics team veteran, and Future Faces of Manufacturing feature with AMT. She’s using LinkedIn to learn directly from practitioners and find mentors across the industry.What you’ll hear:How a DOD Starbase program quietly introduced CAD, chemistry, and flight simulation to a curious kid from South CentralWhy FIRST Robotics felt like a real company under deadline, with design, programming, assembly, and manufacturing all moving togetherThe jump from loving law to choosing engineering, then finding home in manufacturingA classroom set up like DARPA, complete with two “companies” competing for a contract under a mentor who worked at Northrop GrummanWhy opportunity before college is the missing bridge and how dual-enrollment and apprenticeships could fix itLeadership as knowing your people, staying open to feedback, and bending for the needs of the group without becoming a people-pleaserCreating space in schools so students can actually grow rather than learn inside a boxFailure as pruning a lemon tree so the next season grows strongerUsing LinkedIn for mentorship and perspective, not just job huntingThe ask to our audience for college experience stories from programs that truly delivered hands-on engineeringKey quotes:“If you keep showing up, even if you didn’t do well, you’re showing that you want to be there. That goes a long way.”“Manufacturing is phase one. Piece by piece, chip by chip, you’re contributing to something bigger.”“Failure isn’t to stop us. It’s pruning the dead branches so the tree can grow.”“Be firm where it matters and flexible where it helps the group.”“Create space for growth. Don’t keep students in a box, then act surprised when they don’t grow.”Topics covered:Early STEM ignition through Starbase and school projectsFIRST Robotics as a training ground for teamwork and urgencyHands-on access for high schoolers versus the current college-first gateHow industry perceptions can intimidate newcomers and how to fix that welcomeLeadership habits students will actually followNatalie’s college search and what she’s looking for in an engineering programThe pace of automation and why that excites herNatalie’s ask to listeners:If you studied engineering or work in manufacturing, message Natalie on LinkedIn with what your university actually did to prepare you. What labs, co-ops, shops, or professors made the difference. Short stories beat brochures.Sponsor note:Med Device Boston is the go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 through October 1 at Boston’s VCEC. 200 plus suppliers. 1500 plus attending professionals and OEM decision makers. Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof. Register and plan your visit at meddeviceboston.com.Resources mentioned:Starbase STEM programFIRST Robotics CompetitionProject-based capstone with a Northrop Grumman mentorDual-enrollment and apprenticeship models for high school studentsHow to support Natalie:Share a warm intro to mentors who welcome high school talent into labs, job shops, and build teamsInvite her to tour your facility or shadow an engineer for a daySend those honest college experience notes she asked forAbout the Manufacturing Connector Network:We help brands and builders turn trade shows, plant tours, and expert interviews into a steady pipeline of video, audio, and social content. On-site capture, mobile studio, short-form editing, podcast production, and distribution that stays consistent week after week. If you’re heading to a show or launching a product, we’ll bring the cameras and do the heavy lifting.