The Manufacturing Executive

158 weeks and 158 episodes ago we launched this podcast, The Manufacturing Executive, as a resource for CEOs, Presidents and owners. Last year, we introduced a second podcast, The Manufacturing Marketer as a learning resource for those inside of the same organizations with "marketing" in their job titles. And this April, we rounded it out with the launch of our third podcast, The Manufacturing Employer, for the hiring managers, HR pros and culture builders inside of the industrial sector. In this conversation with the host of our new show, my business partner Jon Franko, we'll talk about why we're doing it and what's ahead.

Jason Pace, manufacturing COO, shares the 5 key transformations for transitioning a lifestyle business to a growth business in manufacturing. They discuss leveraging technology, combating labor shortages, streamlining operations, and mitigating risks through outsourcing and fractional skill sets. They also emphasize the importance of delivering high value to customers through lean management and standardized processes.

Over the past few years, we've all seen and experienced the effects of rising labor and material costs. But as John Abplanalp, President & Principal Consultant at Tight Lines Advisors, will tell you today, alongside these challenges, productivity in US manufacturing is at it's lowest point in 75 years. Put all of this together, and the recipe for profitability becomes pretty a challenging one to make. This episode is all about productivity, and why it needs to be a core area of focus as we look ahead to the future of American manufacturing.

The motivation for today's manufacturing workforce goes much deeper than salary and benefits alone. Individuals want to know that they matter, that their work is making an impact, that they have a voice and that it's being heard. Michael Sullivan, Senior Recruiter at Miller Resource Group, spends as much time with employers as he does with job candidates. And in this conversation, he'll talk about what today's manufacturing workforce actually wants.

Lack of trust. Lack of goals. Lack of skill. Lack of risk tolerance. In this episode, industrial marketing consultant Julian Schaaf explains why these are the four biggest problems that plague slow-moving marketing teams in the manufacturing sector. He also explains how to overcome these barriers so you can blow your competition away.

More than ever before, it's not just a stable job plus a paycheck that motivate people, but also the opportunity for growth and career advancement. In this conversation, Patrick Curry, President of Fullerton Tool Company, talks about designing intentional career paths for your people.

If you're looking into the manufacturing sector from the outside, the numbers will show you how underrepresented women are in this sector. And if you already work in manufacturing, you know this just from looking around. But Alicia Gilpin is working to change all of this. A business owner, non-profit founder and podcast host, Ali G is a source of inspiration for women currently in manufacturing who are struggling to find their voice, as well as for young women whose careers lie on the horizon.

What options do I have for transitioning the ownership of my business? How has the market for selling my business changed over a wild few years of pandemic and supply chain disruption? Is transitioning to an employee-owned model an option? And how do buyers evaluate the value of the company I've built and grown? These are all questions that any manufacturing business owner who may be looking to exit in the years ahead might be asking. Keith Butcher, Managing Partner at ButcherJoseph & Co., is an expert in this arena and he's here to answer these questions.

On the surface, there are many forces driving the sustainable manufacturing movement in our world today – from government initiatives to consumers to corporations. But as Mark Remmert, CEO of Green Dot Bioplastics, will tell you, at the core the sustainable manufacturing movement is simply the human need for survival. In this conversation, Mark offers his perspective on why sustainability matters, where bioplastics fit into the picture and what the future may hold for sustainable manufacturing.

Every day we use a wide range of digital technology in our personal lives. But in our work lives here in the manufacturing sector, there tends to be more resistance to technology adoption. In this conversation, Matthew Wright, Founder of Specright, will make the argument for digitization through the lens of product and packaging specification management. Matthew will discuss the role of technology in creating efficiencies that drive profitability, improving communication among team members, retaining tribal knowledge and attracting the next generation of the workforce.