One of the best things about a career in manufacturing is that there’s so much variety! One person who can attest to that is Sheena Patterson, who joins us in this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour.

Sheena has been zooming through an incredible career in manufacturing that's taken her from the Midwest to Silicon Valley and back in less than a decade. Having led as an engineer with companies like Ford, Tesla, and Zoox, she's now the Vice President of Operations at Path Robotics, a company that's leading the way in automated welding robots.

In this episode, Sheena takes us through her different job roles over the years, what it’s really like to work with Elon Musk, and how she got into the robots-as-a-service field. We hear what working in an automotive plant is like and why people management and relationships are an overlooked part of the manufacturing world.

In this episode, find out:

• How Sheena made the move from Ford to Tesla
• Why people management and relationships are a vital yet overlooked part of manufacturing
• Why the midwestern startup scene is booming
• How Path Robotic’s robot-as-a-service works
• Sheena’s top tip for those new to manufacturing

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “The industry and technology are changing so much that you can't just drop a piece of equipment and say, ‘Good luck, I hope this lives for the next 30 years.’ You need that as-a-service support model.”
• “The biggest thing that has allowed me to get to the companies that I want to be at is never saying no to an opportunity.”
• “We have this influx of more talent, of different mindsets. And I think that just speaks volumes to what the Midwest is able to pull back from the coasts.”

Links & mentions:

• Path Robotics, manufacturers of autonomous welding robots
• Drive Capital, a venture capital firm founded to invest in tech start-ups outside of Silicon Valley, invested in more than 40 companies across the United States and Canada
• Watershed Distillery, dedicated to producing high-quality gins, bourbon, and other spirits in Columbus, OH

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.