Manufacturing Talks

Author of the recent book, *The Next American Economy: Nation, State, and Markets in an Uncertain World,* (https://www.amazon.com/Next-American-Economy-Markets-Uncertain/dp/164177276X) and Distinguished Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, Samuel Gregg joins us for Episode 56 to talk about the wisest public policies for manufacturing. He tells us why tariffs and having the government picking winners and losers have been shown again and again not to work, and how they hurt the people they're supposed to help. Tune in for some really intelligent perspectives on why free markets are the best in general and the best for industry! You can find more of his excellent work here: https://www.aier.org/people/samuel-gregg/ This episode aired originally on YouTube on Aug. 15, 2023.

After reading the immortal Gary Paulsen's childrens' book *Hatchet,* Phil Rink's daughter couldn't find anything else good to read. And that's because far too many modern kids' books are politicized, vulgar garbage. So Phil took matters into his own hands and began writing them himself. His are not politicized, are not vulgar, and are not garbage. Quite the opposite - they're good reads not just for kids, but for adults too! Why does this matter in manufacturing? Because Phil also takes on some technical challenges as subject matter, whether it's a Mars mission or solar power. That's the kind of reading that will help develop the engineers and manufacturing operators we'll need in the future, and make readers out of them to help them become lifelong learners. That's why it matters. Tune in to our Episode 52 and hear Phil tell all about how he got into writing for kids. Then order the books for yourself, whether you have kids or not. They're that good. This episode aired originally on YouTube on July 18, 2023.

Gail Robertson is Chief Curiosity Officer at her own manufacturing-based PR firm, GailNow. She also calls herself a recovering journalist, and is deeply concerned about where that profession is headed. But for our Episode 53, she joins us to tell her whole career story, and to encourage the rest of us to act like the real journalists of old, and challenge the orthodoxy that's being forced on us - whether it's in business, politics, or our personal lives! Tune in for one of our most enlightening and informative episodes yet! This episode aired originally on YouTube on July 25, 2023.

Matt Croson, President of the American Gear Manufacturers Association, jumps on with us for Episode 51 to tell us all about what his outfit does. Come for the education about gear-making standards and education, and stay for the discussion about heavy metal music! Oh, and if you think gears are a thing of the past with high tech taking over, think again. Matt fills us in on all the lates and greatest uses of gears, in everything from spacecraft to EVs. This episode appeared originally on YouTube on June 28, 2023.

For Episode 48, physicist, technology forecaster, speaker, and author Mark P. Mills joins us to chat about why one of the biggest bottlenecks in the "energy transition" is mining, metals, and minerals. He gave a very lengthy and detailed talk about it at the beginning of the year (see link below), and now he chats with our host Jim Vinoski to tell about some of the basic problems we're already starting to run into. He's a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a Faculty Fellow at Northwestern University, and a Strategic Partner at Montrose Lane, an investment firm focused on energy technology. Tune in a learn all about it! You can find Mark's talk, and some of his other work, at these links: The energy transition delusion: inescapable mineral realities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOEGKDVvsg Articles: https://manhattan.institute/person/mark-p-mills Website: https://www.tech-pundit.com/ This episode aired originally on YouTube on June 6, 2023.

Jake Bernal joins us for Episode 49. He's an engineer who works for Hyundai's New Horizons Studio on their totally cool concept car, the Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV). Jake also teaches at Montana State University in Bozeman. Tune in and hear all about this insanely awesome piece of design and engineering: how the company chose Bozeman for its new R&D facility last year, some of the particular technology challenges, where things stand today, and where they're headed. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2020/10/21/hyundai-and-autodesk-join-forces-to-design-ultimate-mobility-vehicles/ https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/company/newsroom/hyundai-new-horizons-studio-to-design-and-build-ultimate-mobility-vehicles-in-bozeman%252C-montana-0000016829 This episode aired originally on YouTube on June 13, 2023.

It's Episode 50!! To celebrate, we've got our first return guest. Eric Starkman is one of the most courageous voices out there in journalism, bucking the narrative to fill us in on what's really going on in the world of business and policy and so much more. He talks about the rapidly approaching energy crisis and how the reliable electricity we've become accustomed to looks to be on its way out. And about the cratering quality of American cars! Tune in to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! And do follow Eric on LinkedIn, and subscribe to his work at https://starkmanapproved.com/. This episode aired originally on YouTube on June 20, 2023.

They make the coolest product ever manufactured. Therefore, it was destined someone from the company would make an appearance here on Manufacturing Talks! For our Episode 47, Doug Peters, Regional Sales Manager at the Zamboni Company, joins us to fulfill that destiny. He tells us all about the history of the company and its iconic products, his favorite moment of his career, and not just a little bit about hockey. Tune in and hear about the whole story! This episode aired originally on YouTube on May 30, 2023.

For our Episode 43, we chat with Melissa McMinn, Master Engraver at Melissa M Studios. She tells us how she got where she is, the tricks of her trade and the tools she uses, the kinds of work she does, and yes, the story of those fabulous dueling pistols! She's just one of three female Master Engravers in the whole United States. Watch for the clips showing how she does her thing, and featuring a collection of the amazing work she's done. This episode aired originally on YouTube on May 2, 2023.

Episode 44 features the co-founders of Red Land Cotton in Alabama, Anna Brakefield and her dad Mark Yeager. Mark is a longtime cotton farmer who built his own cotton gin years ago and was looking for a way to get more money for his crops. His daughter went to school for marketing and was good and ready to go into business with her dad, so they founded their company back in 2015. Their first products were super-high-quality bed sheets, and they've done so well that they've since expanded into apparel and accessories too. Tune in to hear the amazing story of these two entrepreneurs and how they flew in the face of common wisdom to successfully make textiles right here in the good ol' USA! This episode aired originally on YouTube on May 9, 2023.

Episode 45 features photographer extraordinaire Viktor Mácha from Prague. When he was still a youth, his parents stopped on a trip to show him some of his country's steel industry, and from that moment he was hooked. (A student of religion and theology, he describes that moment as "a religious experience.") As market downturns and globalization took their toll on steel plants around the world, Viktor decided he would make his mark by documenting as many of them as he possibly could. Now he visits as many countries as he can and gets into as many steel mills as he can to take his amazing photos. Tune in to hear him tell the whole story of how he got started and how it's going now, and to see a small collection of his amazing artwork as well! This episode aired originally on YouTube on May 16, 2023.

Episode 46 features our host Jim Vinoski telling why things are getting critical when it comes to reliable and affordable electrical power. For manufacturing, this is the #1 risk in the medium to long term. You need to understand what's happening, and get involved in driving a major policy course correction. Here's some reading on the subject: https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2023-5-14-biden-federal-government-goes-full-suicide-bomber-against-america https://www.utilitydive.com/news/most-of-us-faces-elevated-risk-of-summer-blackouts-extreme-heat-nerc/650531/ https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/york-gets-tough-owners-natural-091501926.html https://starkmanapproved.com/the-night-the-lights-go-out-in-america/ https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/05/here-come-the-blackouts.php This episode aired originally on YouTube on May 23, 2023.

Episode 40 features Lance Neirby, CEO of Montana Silversmiths in Billings. Learn how he went from undergrad in Minnesota to a Master of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology to Tiffany to Montana! It's a heck of a story. Lance not only knows the ins and outs of metalsmithing and jewelry making, but he's also doing a bang-up job running the show at his small outfit in the Treasure State. Tune in for a great personal story and an even greater lesson in how to run a business. This episode aired originally on YouTube on April 11, 2023.

For Episode 41, we're joined by Cedrik Neike, CEO of Siemens Digital Industries and Member of the Board for Siemens overall. He has two vital messages. First, if you're in manufacturing and you're not working on digitalization, you're getting left behind. And second, no matter how big your company is, Siemens is here to help, with a new modular product offering that lets you pick and choose what you go after and when. Plus he's just got a whole lot of other great insight into what's hot in the industrial world. Tune in and check it out, and leave your thoughts in the comments section! This episode aired originally on YouTube on April 18, 2023.

Episode 42 is a very special one, featuring yours truly, Jim Vinoski! I was invited to speak at the Manufacturing and International Trade Day in Helena, Montana, in early 2023. I spoke about the state of manufacturing in the world and in the US, and why I think Montana is positioning itself extremely well to compete for manufacturers looking for a good place to settle. Many thanks to the Montana Chamber of Commerce and the Montana Manufacturing Association for having me out there, and for their kind permission to use the video they took as material for this episode. Let me know what you think of how I did in the comments section! This episode aired originally on YouTube on April 25, 2023.

Want to learn what's going on in the world of 3D printing (a.k.a. additive manufacturing or AM)? Nadav Goshen is the CEO of UltiMaker. They recently merged with MakerBot, and now the combined companies are off to the races expanding the market for their existing printers, and looking to the future at new opportunities. Nadav joined us to tell us all about his fascinating background, what got him into the AM world, and what's big now and down the road at UltiMaker. This episode aired originally on YouTube on April 4, 2023.

Paul Van Metre joins us for Episode 37, talking about his custom ERP for machine shops. He previously owned his own machine shop, and learned along the way what he really needed when it came to business software. That's why he shifted hears and helped found ProShop, the ERP solution for machine shops. His software is focused on giving machine shop owners, managers, and workers exactly what they need to maximize the efficiency of their operations. Tune in and listen as Paul shares what his experiences on the front lines taught him, and how he's brought that knowledge to making his software solution the right one to take your machine shop paperless and to bring it into the 21st century, whether it's your first ERP or you're replacing one that just hasn't gotten the job done. This episode aired originally on YouTube on March 21, 2023.

Are US automakers headed back to the bad old days of the 1970s? Journalist Eric Starkman joins us for Episode 38, a special episode of our show to drill into that question. Eric worked in Detroit (among other places) years ago, and he still regularly covers the big stories from the Great Lakes State. Nowadays he exposes the warts that ought to be exposed at his own outlet, Starkman Approved (www.starkmanapproved.com). Unfortunately, he's had a lot of warts to expose when it comes to the car industry lately. Like half a century ago, American-made cars today are suffering from a steady stream of quality defects and recalls, and the companies that make them have made some rather questionable business decisions lately. Tune in and hear Eric tell the whole sad story. This episode aired originally on YouTube on March 28, 2023.

Montana may not be a state that, when you first think about it, has manufacturing come to mind for you. But there are plenty of reasons it should be, as our Episode 35 spells out. It was great fun to chat with Scott Sehnert about his adopted home state. Scott is a VP at First Security Bank Montana in Bozeman, and he also serves as President of the Montana Manufacturing Association. Tune in and hear him chat about all the great things that the Treasure State has happening to make it a great place for manufacturers to set up shop. Check out the whole thing! Hit the "like" button, share the episode, and sign up as a subscriber! This episode aired originally on YouTube on February 21, 2023.

Our Episode 36 is all about this reality: the #1 middle- to long-term risk to American manufacturers is our increasingly unreliable energy supply. So this episode diving into the reasons things are headed the way they are, and what we can do about it, is our most important one so far. David Blackmon, energy writer, consultant, and analyst, and "miner of absurdities," has been warning us about this for years. It was incredibly educational to hear him talk about how really awful policy decisions are putting our energy security into doubt. This one is a must-see. Tune in and watch the whole thing. And if you're a manufacturing leader, educate yourself, start helping educate everyone else, and start speaking up and demanding wiser policy decisions. This episode aired originally on YouTube on March 7, 2023.

It was such a lot of fun hearing from Kerrie for Episode 32 about everything Epicor has going on. Epicor is a software development company specializing in its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suite that's designed specifically for manufacturers. As I mentioned in our chat, I know a lot of you out there get a bad taste in your mouth anytime you hear "ERP." But if you haven't checked out the latest developments, do give our chat a listen, because ERPs have come a long way since the days of the "jack of all trades, master of none" non-solutions. Plus, Kerrie is a fellow camping enthusiast, so tune in to hear our outdoors stories too! This episode aired originally on YouTube on January 3, 2023.

Melissa Martin has a whole lot to tell you about what we all need to be doing to rebuild our nation's pipeline of skilled workers. She has not just one, but TWO jobs where she does her part for all that. She's Director of Marketing at LAB Midwest, a distributor for the whole upper Midwest of training curricula and equipment for the workplace and for STEM materials for schools. And she's the producer of the TechEd Podcast, where she helps bridge the gap between the technical education world and the workforce. So she's a true expert in this stuff. Tune in to our Episode 33 and hear her share what schools, businesses, and students should be doing to build the manufacturing workforce we need for the future. This episode aired originally on YouTube on January 17, 2023.

Gabe Draper is a self-proclaimed failed machine shop owner. Now he's in another business to help manufacturers avoid the mistakes he made. He joined us for Episode 34 to tell us all about it. He's co-founder of Factur, his company that hunts customers... for their customers. They're all about lead generation, using their specialized tech and tools to generate high-quality sales. Tune in and hear Gabe talk about how you can diversify your customer base and make your business more robust. Plus he shares some amazing news about his family, and he and I compare notes about bicycling. What's not to love? Check out the whole thing! This episode aired originally on YouTube on February 7, 2023.

One thing it's pretty common for manufacturers to miss the mark on is marketing. Especially today, when just about everything marketing-related is changing so fast, though, it's a critically important topic. So it was a treat for our Episode 29 to host Aaron Marks, who founded Aspire Marketing Group because of the opportunities he saw in this particular vein. Aaron has nearly two decades of marketing leadership expertise, focused on digital and inbound marketing. His specific focus has helped manufacturers and distributors deliver marketing success. His mission is always to construct, manage, and implement strategies that deliver value to both his clients and their customers. Tune in and hear all about it! This episode aired originally on YouTube on November 15, 2022.

It's all too common in manufacturing circles to hear about the operations improvement projects that didn't pan out, the Lean transformation that sputtered, or the cultural reset that never got off the ground. Making sure those kinds of failures don't happen is Dan Burgos's stock in trade. It was lots of fun chatting with him for Episode 31 and hearing his thoughts on what both leaders and front-line workers need to do to make these efforts successful, how to identify a bad employee fit before bigger problems arise, and how to successfully transform your company culture. Tune in and check out the whole thing! And please like, share, and subscribe. And if you're thinking that it's time to go to work on your own culture, you can get a head-start by using Dan's nifty self-assessment tool: https://alphanovaconsulting.com/business-self-assessment-forms/ This episode aired originally on YouTube on Dec. 20, 2022.