Metal forming is an art, each piece of metal is unique in its characteristics and how it reacts to bends, turns, and is ultimately shaped into the products you use everyday. The people over at Behlen Manufacturing have found a mix between the art of metal forming and the process of manufacturing.

Much like how each piece of metal is unique, so are the employees of Behlen. Each team members' viewpoints, insights and ideas are captured through their AIM program, Awareness is Money.

Watch and listen to how Behlen's culture, focused around listening to and empowering their employees, helps drive safety and innovation throughout their manufacturing processes.

Norfolk, Nebraska is experiencing a similar problem as the rest of the rural United States: an increase in people, specifically younger talent, leaving the area in seek of a career elsewhere. Not because of a desire to, but because of the lack of opportunities to stay.

Angie Stenger leads Northeast Nebraska Growing Together, an initiative focused on connecting manufacturers, educators, investors and the community in an effort to grow the population and attract people to this region of the US.

Angie and her town of Norfolk are proactively transforming Northeast Nebraska's regional economy and stimulating its population growth by pairing entrepreneurs with investment capital and students to redesign a workforce that can compete in a knowledge-based economy where the sharing of information is valued more than the means of production.

Shawn brings his maintenance management perspective from his time in food production and how the sausage is made in Kansas City. The challenges and benefits in KC, what it takes from their partnerships that help.

Kansas City has a large base of OEMs and System Integrators that are focused on the food and Beverage space, supporting global end-users and manufacturers.

For Rensenhouse, they are focusing on how they can help them succeed in Kansas City and beyond, through how they focus, set up their business, keep learning and partner.

Learn more on what makes KC what it is and what Rensenhouse is doing to keep KC's food and bev moving forward.

Kansas City is a unique and vibrant food and beverage market. We talk to KC Bier about their focus on german style beer and what they are providing to the scene that is bringing different types of beers into the KC market. As well as the community of brewers that collaborate to work to drive better beverages to everyone.

When you think of Kansas City and craft beer, you think of Boulevard Brewing.

We talk about their 25 years of growth and expansion and what manufacturers can learn from their innovation and collaboration in the beer industry.

Hosted by ‪Manufacturing Happy Hour

Brought to you by and for the Industrial Solutions Network

Places like Kansas City’s West Bottoms district make up the foundations of American manufacturing and industry. And in this episode, we head straight to The Ship, a unique bar in the heart of the historic West Bottoms district to meet with Scott Brown of the Historic West Bottoms Association and General Counsel at Faultless Starch.

We take a look back into the history of the area and why West Bottoms was put on the map thanks to its proximity to the Kansas and Missouri Rivers and the early railroads in the 1860s.

Industrial Solutions Network: industrialsolutionsnetwork.com

Manufacturing Happy Hour: manufacturinghappyhour.com

Listen as Manufacturing Happy Hour talks to Doug Wilson of Marlen as they explore what food and beverage means to Kansas City and how Marlen is being a leader in the industry.

Marlen: marlen.com ‪

Industrial Solutions Network: industrialsolutionsnetwork.com

Manufacturing Happy Hour: manufacturinghappyhour.com

Brought to you by the Industrial Solutions Network, the Made Here series focuses on the stories of those that drive manufacturing forward, which drives the city they are a part of.

In this series, we are focused on the manufacturers in Louisville, KY. We are joined by Amatrol who are shaping the future of the manufacturing workforce, Opus Integration who are bring the bourbon industry into the 21st century, to E&H of the Industrial Solutions Network that is the glue of building and supporting this community.

Brought to you by the Industrial Solutions Network, the Made Here series focuses on the stories of those that drive manufacturing forward, which drives the city they are a part of.

In this series, we are focused on the manufacturers in Louisville, KY. We are joined by Amatrol who are shaping the future of the manufacturing workforce, Opus Integration who are bring the bourbon industry into the 21st century, to E&H of the Industrial Solutions Network that is the glue of building and supporting this community.