Manufacturing at Heart

Joe Kashurba is a successful entrepreneur who started his first business in high school, an online marketing consultant with over a decade of experience, and a nationally award-winning website designer. He has worked with clients around the United States and internationally— ranging from tech startups to some of the largest manufacturing and construction companies. Joe graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Information Science and a minor in Computer Science.

Dr Lucy Rogers is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, problem solver, maker and Judge on the recent series of BBC Robot Wars. She is the self proclaimed cheerleader for the Maker Industry and Founder of the Guild of Makers ( www.guildofmakers.org ). In addition, Lucy also has a PhD in Bubbles (Fluid Dynamics), a City in Guilds in Wood-turning and a Cycling Proficiency Certificate! Lucy says "My family make things – from spinning to woodwork, metalwork to embroidery. Making is such a integral part of my life that it was only recently that I realised I am a 'maker' first and an 'engineer' second. To me it’s like saying I’m 5’6″ or have blue eyes. It’s just part of what I am. But I’ve realised not everyone is encouraged to make or even know what a maker is. I aim to change that.”

My guest today is Simon Bourne - founder of the Hand Dyed Shoe Company. He created The Hand Dyed Shoe Co. as it gave him a way of expressing himself. The brand is Simon Bourne. It is to express that he is individual, unique and different to you. In his shoes, he's created a legacy for himself, a platform to seek and walk his dreams. Emotion is a powerful thing. His mission is simple, to encourage you to express yourself, to be individual, be you.

My guest this week is Lucy Prior. Lucy works for the Rail Alliance and is their Membership Development & International Trade Director. She has a broad and varied railway background, having worked in the rail sector for a number of years working for manufacturing companies on both the infrastructure and rolling stock sides of the market and has focused specifically on export and domestic sales, marketing and business development. Her role at The Rail Alliance is multi-faceted, with a focus on delivering a quality service to existing members and to develop membership to expand the network and thus widen reach, service and capabilities. Her experience in a commercial environment lends itself well to support members when they embark upon or seek to increase export activities as well as advising on supply chain opportunities, sector news and the industry in general.

My guest today is Steve May-Russell, Managing Director & owner of Smallfry, an industrial design consultancy. For over 45 years, Smallfry have been specialists in mapping the journey from conceptualisation to commercialisation for their clients. They don’t just design products, they apply a combination of strategy, research and thought leadership to cultivate innovative cultures within businesses. One of the things that sets Smallfry apart from like-minded competitors is that they view each and every client as a partner, laying the groundwork for these transformative lightbulb moments.

My guest this week is based in Scotland. Gordon Coulter is the Chief Executive Officer of Exmos Ltd, a company specialising in Process Monitoring and IT Managed Services for Industry & Enterprise. With more than 25 years experience, Gordon and his team are trying to calm manufacturers when it comes to the phenomenon of Industry 4.0! Don't panic is their advice! So if you don't know your 'big data' or 'machine learning' is a step too far, this episode could be for you!

My guest on this week's episode is Bianca Elgar, founder and CEO of Bianca Elgar Ltd. Bianca creates heirlooms for a living - intrigued? Of course you are! Can't blame you! That's why I had to interview Bianca......Enjoy!

Flying high with Peter Bruch, Managing Director & Co-Owner, AE Aerospace Ltd. Peter Bruch is a highly resourceful, experienced Managing...

Kate Hills launched 'Make it British' in 2011 to support the fantastic manufacturers she knew were there. Almost a year ago since the infamous #Brexit vote, most UK manufacturers appeared to want to stay within the EU, according to a pre-Brexit study that was carried out by the EEF. And this sentiment was echoed by research carried out by Make it British a few weeks ago when they surveyed 120 UK textile manufacturers and 54% indicated that they wanted to remain, versus only 20% that thought they would be better off if the UK left the European Union.

My guest this week is Carl Baxter, Managing Partner at Clement Pierce. The results at Clement Pierce speak for themselves, their accomplished approach not only delivers top quality results but is supported by countless client and candidate testimonials of exceptional service received from the Clement Pierce Team. They have a 100% successful placement ratio for clients that engaged in their retained service.