How Manufacturers Improve

This year we've seen explosive growth with over 100,000 listeners, leveraging some of the best talent the manufacturing industry!

In this episode we go back and review some of the top episodes you might have missed including:

• How to Kill your company with Strategic planning
• Influence Without Authority
• Improving Retention with Stay Interviews
• Developing an army of problem solvers

Learn more about today's sponsor by visiting www.wipfli.com/manufacturing

A problem well defined is a problem half solved. Enjoy this week's episode featuring Peter Fritsche, as he shares how The 5 why method can help you get to the root cause without jumping to conclusions. Download this week's resource by visiting: www.mfrall.com/resources

From supply lines down, to high demand and competition, if you've experienced material delivery delays you won't want to miss Kirby's conversation with Supply Chain leader Kat Perron!

Unfortunately, lots of manufacturers are seeing their lead times double on raw materials, parts, components, and even subassembly deliveries. We dive into options for you to consider if you are experiencing backlogs from supply lines being down, high demand, or new products being introduced to the market with higher margins. Keep listening to learn how to overcome your material delivery delays, and get things back on track!

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor: Bremer Bank knows that the value of partnership is measured in trust, earned by helping you anticipate and grow through changes. Learn more at www.bremer.com

We all want to help our customers, coworkers, and team members be successful… the challenge is accomplishing this while not stretching yourself to thin for to long! In this week's episode, Leigh Erickson and Kirby Sneen discuss how you can find your groove, work in your sweet spot, and get things flowing better so you have the energy required to tackle more problems without experiencing burnout.

Learn more about today's sponsor, by visiting www.wipfli.com/manufacturing

Have you ever been working with a team on a process improvement project and thought to yourself, "There has got to be a better way?" If you have, you won't want to miss Kirby's conversation with manufacturing executive David Badger.

David discusses the attributes of the most successful teams out there including: aligned goals, skilled leadership, support from sponsorship, courage, and having the project be a priority.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor. Bremer Bank knows that the value of partnership is measured in trust, earned by helping you anticipate and grow through changes. Learn more at www.bremer.com

Have you ever wondered how to position your manufacturing business so you can weather an economic storm?

On this week's episode, Kirby Sneen and Josh Howard, Chief investment officer at Bremer Bank, discuss the nuance of what makes up a recession, and how to best position your business to avoid the impact of a slowdown and continue to grow.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Konik. Whether you're seeking a direct hire or a contract employee, Konik's technical talent network can quickly build a high-caliber team to meet your needs. Contact them today at www.koniknetwork.com

On this week's episode John Hacker, the head of Finance for Design Ready Controls, shares how they ensure compensation adjustments are fair for the individual, in line with the market, and something the company is proud to offer!

Selecting a site for your next plant is a big decision with high stakes. The opportunity to make a mistake presents itself at every turn in the process. Choosing to go it alone could cost you million's of dollars in cash, cost savings, and opportunity costs, not to mention disappointed customers.

Enjoy this week's episode featuring with Justin Erickson and Royce Pavelka with The Brookshire Company as we talk about these mistakes and others they've seen made and what you can do to avoid them.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Bremer Bank. Learn more at www.bremer.com

On this week's special bonus episode of the Podcast, the winners of the 2022 Manufacturer of the Year Award Winners share about their growth, lessons learned, and what they are most excited for in the coming year! Thank you to Kent Djubek, President, Ajax Metal Forming Solutions, Brian L. Johnson, Vice President of Global Engineering, Reell Precision Manufacturing, and Dale Hentges, Plant Vice President of Operations, Boston Scientific.

Join us Thursday, Sept. 27th for the Awards, Keynote, Breakouts, and our Tour of Excellence. Visit www.Manufactureroftheyear.com for more information.

Great companies know how to set goals, figure out what barriers they are facing, and develop a plan to overcome those barriers. But that's not the hard part - The hard part is executing on the projects that make up the plan! You've got to learn how to manage scope, work with stakeholders, and balance their shifting priorities, all while not being the project management police.

Enjoy this week's conversation with 30-year project management veteran Scottie Holmes as he shares how to overcome these challenges and a few more.

Learn more and find the best peer group for you, by visiting www.MAPeerGroups.com

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, The Brookshire Company. With Brookshire, you get site selection carefully matched to your company's strategic plans and supported by thoroughly vetted local labor validation and a list of tax, finance, and incentive options your company can expect with each site. Learn more: https://brookshireco.com