The Manufacturing Executive

A lot of companies are started by people who are experts in their craft, but are not great at building companies. But how do you learn to let go of the day-to-day? How do you, as a founder, learn to focus on developing repeatable and scalable business processes in order to grow and scale your business successfully? On this episode of the Manufacturing Executive, I sit down with Paul Van Metre. Paul is the Co-Founder of ProShop ERP, and our conversation on this episode centered all around:Why focusing on repeatable and scalable processes is the ONLY thing that’s going to grow your businessWhy you should be working ON the business, not IN the businessThe process of evolving from a machine shop into a software businessTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Are you prepared to exit your company?Many business owners haven't thought about transitioning from their position of leadership. But it's inevitable that you'll hand over the keys to your business one day. When that day comes, will you know what your options are?In today's episode, I talk with Chris Redmond, Senior Vice President at Capital For Business, about transitioning ownership or leadership of an industrial enterprise.Here's what Chris and I discussed:Three different approaches to private equity investmentHow to differentiate your company for prospective buyersWhere owners seeking outside investment should startTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Mass production alone is not enough. We all want customized products. Twenty years ago, it was easy. Educate your workers about your single unique product. In a world driven to customization, however, no worker can learn 400 different products. No *human* worker, that is. But a digital worker might. Could robotic camera vision streams be the solution?In today's episode, I talk about building custom machine vision and robotics solutions with Jonathan Berte, Founder at Robovision.ai.Here's what Jonathan and I discussed:His personal journey into the vision component of roboticsHow AI's vision is advancing right nowThe most important applications of AI in the manufacturing processTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

If you want to build thought leadership around a product category, you need to create a community. The longer your sales cycle and the more complex your product, the more critical your community.But how do you build a community around your product and not around yourself?In today's episode, I talk about the keys to success on social media with Sam Gupta, Host, Community Builder, and Founder at WBSRocks.Here's what Sam and I discussed- What an online community is- Different platforms for building community online- Focusing on your audience's problems – not your productTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Mike Weinberg, sales consultant and author, shares timeless sales principles and fundamentals. They discuss sales discovery, customer needs, and the importance of a compelling sales story. They emphasize the value of focusing on customer challenges instead of self-focused information. They also highlight the importance of strategic targeting, research, and tailored messaging in sales and marketing. They caution against falling for fads and emphasize the value of sticking to proven strategies and hard work.

Robots have been around since Mamie Eisenhower presided over the White House. But recent advancements in robotics have helped bring automated workers out of big automotive companies and into mainstream manufacturing.Are the robots coming for your team's jobs? How should manufacturers determine whether or not to add a robot?In this episode, Ryan Lillibridge, director of business development at Mission Design & Automation, discusses the impact of robotics in the manufacturing sector.Here's what Ryan and I talked about:The biggest changes happening in roboticsHow to evaluate when adding a robot makes senseAre robots an opportunity or a threat?To ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Don't think. Just make parts. Ever had a manager tell you that when you offered a suggestion for process improvement? Leaders' words carry weight and affect people. They can affect how you think about your employer and even change your career forever.In today's episode, Joe Molesky, vice president of operations at MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, discusses why people feel the way they do about your company and the simple keys to changing it.Here's what Joe and I talked about:Why canned lean tools don't workListening to your customers and to your teamWhat people-first leadership really meansTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

If you have a defined sales process, you're ahead of 50% of the manufacturing companies out there. But without one, you can't measure efficacy or deliver maximum value to your customers. Your organization will suffer.Why is it so hard for manufacturers to draft a sales playbook? And what's the right solution to this problem?In today's episode, I discuss creating a sales playbook for manufacturers with Kevin Roach, President at Harpak-ULMA Packaging. He's the first Gorilla 76 client I've ever hosted on the show, and I loved it!Here's what Kevin and I talked about:Ways to align your sales process with the buyers' journeyWhy OEE and TCO need to be part of the sales conversationHow to overhaul the way you go to market with your sales teamTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

The younger workforce in manufacturing is looking for more out of leadership. In particular, millennials want to know why the organization is doing what it's doing. And they want a voice in their company's continuous improvement.How can we embrace the energy, curiosity, and brain power that younger members of the workforce are bringing with them?In today's episode, I talk about the generational transition in leadership with Paul Brauss, CEO Blue Line Technology and author of Dare to Improve Your Legacy. Here's what Paul and I discussed:What the new generation of workers means for manufacturing executivesHow to move from top-down leadership to a team-centered approachWhy a production plant is one of the single best marketing tools a company hasTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for The Manufacturing Executive in your favorite podcast player.

Audio is huge right now. Podcasts are part of that, of course, but so are webinars. The unique magic of the webinar lies in its interaction. Your viewers can ask questions or offer ideas during the event.Most companies just use webinars to sell products. But if you create a webinar with no agenda other than helping your audience do their jobs better, you can win big in the long term.In today's episode, I talk about how to make magic with webinars with Matt Sciannella, thinker and strategy director at Gorilla 76. Here's what Matt and I discussed:How your webinars could be capturing a larger market shareWhat to do a webinar aboutMaking the most of a digital live-eventTo ensure that you never miss an episode of The Manufacturing Executive, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or here.