The Manufacturing Executive

From COVID (and the labor and supply chain obstacles that came along with it) to the recent challenges we're now facing with tariffs, the current generation of manufacturing leaders has fought through quite a bit in just a short period of time. My guest today, Melanie White, will talk about the current manufacturing landscape specifically, but in the context of her 79-year old family-owned business, Hellwig Products, where she serves as the fourth-generation CEO.

A handful of years ago, we started to see primitive forms of chat bots on company websites. Fast forward to today and not only is this kind of AI technology more advanced, but it's learning how to replicate human behaviors. In this episode, Naresh Ram, Chief Science Officer at AAXIS, will talk about the emerging power of AI "agents". And if that's a term you and those around you are NOT familiar with right now, it certainly will be soon. As he'll tell you, AI agents have the ability to ask the question, "What would a human do next?" Things like: – Check inventory – Place an order – Call frontline workers to check availability – Or start scheduling production

For 250 consecutive Tuesdays, I've published a new episode of this podcast. In this short-and-sweet retrospective – episode #251 – I'll talk about six ways this show has helped change the trajectory of our business at Gorilla 76 over roughly the past five years in hopes that you might find some inspiration. They are: 1. Direct and indirect impact on new customer acquisition 2. Direct financial impact through sponsorships 3. Elevation of brand perception – both for my company and for me personally 4. Doors opened in the manufacturing sector 5. The content machine 6. Market research

Jim Mayer, Founder of The Manufacturing Connector, has coined a term that he calls "The Industrial Brand Death Cycle", which he describes as follows: Weak leadership leads to weak culture, which leads to employee disengagement, which leads to fake branding, which leads to failed marketing, which leads to customer distrust, which leads to the company's struggles. Then, leaders get replaced and more often than not, the cycle repeats. In today conversation, Jim will talk about how authentic culture, as well as authentic marketing begins with the leader. More specifically, he'll explain why leadership in manufacturing today means being visible – not only out there on the shop floor – but also publicly, as the face of the organization.

I've often compared building a website to building a house. You can tear it down and rebuild from the ground up. You can gut it to the studs, putting in all new plumbing, electric and HVAC. You can renovate a few rooms. Or you can simply put on a fresh coat of paint. But how you do which approach makes sense for your website? What are the signals that tell you it's time to at least do something? And how do you plan for a website that's not just a digital brochure, but instead a tool that drives meaningful, measurable impact for your business? My two guests today, Gorilla 76 Digital Creative Director Randall Zaitz and Gorilla 76 Head of Performance Marketing Kevin McClary, have collectively been a part of countless website projects for B2B manufacturers. And they're here to break all of this down.

Garrett Partridge, CEO of ARC Technology Solutions, and Dan Wyatt, an innovation consultant, delve into the vital role of manufacturing testing in achieving product excellence. They argue that testing should not just be a compliance step but a strategic advantage. Topics include the complexities of electronics testing and the benefits of modular approaches. They also discuss how data analytics and AI can enhance testing methodologies, along with the evolving landscape of manufacturing relationships and the urgency of addressing testing bottlenecks.

Daniel Doderer of Flack Global Metals is an economist living inside of the steel industry. And he'll tell you that here in the first quarter of 2025, less than two months after the Trump administration has taken back the reins, the industrial sector landscape is nothing short of dynamic. In our conversation, we'll dive into the potential impact of the President's plans for tariffs on the US manufacturing sector. We'll touch on everything from inflation to wages to commodity pricing to buyer behavior, as we all try to figure out the state of our economy, and where things may be headed.

Mike Payne, Owner of Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication, will tell you that somewhere between 60 and 75% of machinists want to own their own businesses some day. But owning a business can sound scary. He'll also tell you that on the flip side, so many small manufacturing business owners don't necessarily understand their options when the time comes to exit. In our conversation today, we're talking about buying and selling manufacturing businesses – from both angles. And Mike is no stranger to the topic.

Paul and John Lordan are brothers and co-business owners of Steele Canvas Basket — a manufacturing organization that's been around for more than 100 years. Now here's what's interesting... While the business environment has changed dramatically over the course of a whole century, their core product has remained largely the same. So how's that possible? As these two manufacturing leaders will tell you, success has been a product of the fundamentals: Focus. Resilience. Product quality. Open-mindedness of leadership. Respecting the people. Commitment to their community. My key takeaway? You don't have to go cheap or sell out to run a great manufacturing business.

Reshoring is a word you probably hear often if you work in the manufacturing sector. And Harry Moser, founder of The Reshoring Initiative, is one of the individuals leading that charge. In this conversation, Harry will not only talk about the benefits for US manufacturing organizations of bringing production back to the US, but also what's at risk for the future of our economy and our national security if we don't. There's no fluff in this episode, which Harry has packed full of actionable ideas and advice both for manufacturing leaders and for the leaders of our country. Please take a moment to fill out the reshoring survey Harry is running at reshorenow.org! You can find a link on the home page slider.