Small problems often create the biggest losses. In this episode, James Harris shares how focusing on defects, root causes, and reliability transformed struggling operations and delivered major improvements.

Martin Engster sits down with James Harris, a U.S. Army Reserve officer and experienced maintenance and engineering professional. James discusses his journey through manufacturing, process improvement, and military leadership.

During the conversation, James explains how maintenance teams can move beyond reactive repairs and create lasting reliability. He shares stories from high-speed beverage production lines, discusses the importance of defect elimination, and explains why troubleshooting skills are more valuable than simply being the hero who fixes equipment after it breaks.

James also reveals how one project produced a 60% increase in profit by focusing on the small issues that others overlooked. He discusses root cause analysis, preventive maintenance, reliability-centered maintenance, and why quality should sometimes outweigh the lowest price.

------------------------- Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

What does it take to keep thousands of automotive glass components moving through production every day? In this episode, Martin Engster sits down with Todd Gibbs, Maintenance Manager at Carlex Glass, to discuss more than four decades of maintenance experience and the importance of building reliability into manufacturing operations.

Todd shares how his time serving in the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine program helped shape his approach to maintenance and reliability. From vibration analysis and thermography to root cause analysis and planned shutdowns, he explains why reliability-centered maintenance delivers greater value than simply completing preventive maintenance tasks.

Listeners will hear real-world examples of maintenance successes, including how upgrading conveyor chains eliminated costly downtime and how creative repairs helped avoid catastrophic failures while replacement parts were being scheduled. Todd also offers insights into automotive glass manufacturing, manpower challenges in the trades, spare parts strategies, and the role of new technologies like AI and 3D printing.

------------------------- Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode of Maintenance Manufacturing Insights, Martin Engster sits down with Korey Mertz of Advanced Machine Engineering to discuss why preventive maintenance is often overlooked and how manufacturers can move from reactive repairs toward a more proactive approach. The show notes follow recommended practices for strong podcast descriptions and listener engagement.

Korey shares his journey from studying mechanical engineering to leading business development within the Tool Clamping Systems Division at Advanced Machine Engineering. Drawing on years of experience working with drawbar systems and spindle components, he explains why monitoring pull force and understanding wear trends are essential to maintaining part quality and avoiding costly downtime.

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Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done.

Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

This week, Martin Engster sits down with Army veteran and maintenance leader Chris Skinner to discuss how AI, IoT sensors, and knowledge management are changing the future of maintenance and manufacturing.

Chris shares his journey from military aviation to Tesla and eventually to his current role as Facilities and Maintenance Manager at Technetics in South Carolina. Along the way, he developed a passion for reliability, predictive maintenance, and finding ways to preserve valuable knowledge before it disappears with retiring experts.

In this episode, Chris explains how his team moved beyond reactive maintenance and began implementing predictive technologies using sensor data, trend history, and AI tools. He also shares a real-world story about saving a critical furnace operation by capturing decades of tribal knowledge from an experienced OEM technician.

------------------------- Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done.

Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode of Maintenance Manufacturing Insights, Martin Engster sits down with James Brett, Senior Facilities Manager at Carbon Aerospace, to discuss the challenges of maintaining more than 1,200 assets across a large aerospace manufacturing operation. James shares how his team supports the production of carbon fiber aerostructures used on commercial aircraft, including control surfaces and engine components found on Boeing platforms.

The conversation explores the importance of preventive maintenance, asset management systems, equipment reliability, spare parts strategies, and the growing role of technology in modern maintenance programs. James explains how his team uses CMMS data, uptime tracking, and KPI monitoring to reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness.

Martin and James also discuss equipment obsolescence, standardizing critical components such as spindles, the future impact of AI on maintenance programs, and why proactive maintenance remains the key to avoiding costly failures.

Whether you work in manufacturing, maintenance leadership, facilities management, or reliability engineering, this episode provides valuable insights into managing complex operations while keeping production moving.

------------------------- Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode of Maintenance Manufacturing Insights with Martin Engster, Martin sits down with Ian Long, Senior Manufacturing Supervisor at Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, to discuss the realities of high-speed manufacturing, maintenance coordination, leadership, and continuous improvement.

Ian shares his journey from starting as a floorhand order builder to leading multiple production lines and overseeing teams responsible for keeping some of the fastest beverage manufacturing equipment operating efficiently. He explains how maintenance and production teams work together to solve equipment failures, manage downtime events, and maintain quality standards while producing thousands of products every hour.

The conversation explores everything from catastrophic equipment failures and emergency maintenance escalations to conveyor challenges, fill-rate accuracy, employee development, and the human side of manufacturing leadership.

------------------------- Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Martin Engster runs Centerline Incorporated, a family-owned CNC spindle repair shop based in the middle of the United States. In this episode, Martin explains what a CNC spindle is, why it matters to manufacturers, and how his team helps companies get back up and running fast when a machine goes down.

Martin also shares how military structure shows up in the way they work: keeping things simple, staying disciplined, and paying close attention to detail. He talks about the standards they hold themselves to, including tight tolerances that demand careful, consistent work.

You’ll also hear Martin’s personal story of coming to the United States from Germany as a kid, working through citizenship challenges, and how the Marine Corps helped him fast-track becoming an American citizen in 2001. Toward the end, Martin opens up about losing his father in November of last year and what it means to carry forward a 60-year legacy of spindle repair knowledge, now with Martin, his brother, and his 22-year-old son working toward a third generation.

To learn more about Centerline and CNC spindle repair, visit centerline-inc.com.

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Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track?

If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode, host Dave Dubeau sits down with entrepreneur and Marine veteran Martin Angster from Centerline Inc. to talk about the fascinating world of spindle repair, CNC machine services, and industrial manufacturing solutions.

Martin shares the inspiring story of how his family immigrated from Germany to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. What started with his father’s passion for machinery and cowboy culture eventually became Centerline Inc., a trusted industrial service company supporting industries like aerospace, automotive, dental manufacturing, and electronics.

The conversation also dives into Martin’s experience in the Marine Corps and how military discipline, high standards, and accountability shaped the culture of the family business. He explains why quality, reputation, and family values continue to set Centerline apart in a highly specialized industry.

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Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track?

If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader — we want to hear how you’re getting it done. Apply to be a guest on https://maintenancemanufacturinginsights.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Are you responsible for keeping machines running and production on track? If you’re a maintenance manager, tool crib manager, or shop leader at a manufacturing company, this show is for you.

Host Martin Engster sits down for conversations with people who actually work in the trenches of industry, for real talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what they're dealing with day-to-day.

From reducing unplanned downtime and managing MRO inventory to leading maintenance teams and optimizing tool crib workflows, Maintenance and Manufacturing Insights delivers practical, real-world stories you can learn from.

Whether you’re struggling with spare parts chaos, implementing a new CMMS, or just trying to get through the week without a production stop — you’ll find honest insights from peers who’ve been there.

Listen anywhere you get your podcasts.