Manufacturing Happy Hour

Artificial intelligence is THE hot topic at the moment – no matter what industry you’re in. For manufacturers, it could be a game-changer if you have a great strategy. 

But how do you get started with AI? Well, you’re in luck with this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour with Jeff Winter, Sr. Director of Industry Strategy & Manufacturing.  

Jeff breaks down some of the best strategies to thrive with AI. We cover everything from the differences between different AI types to the best use cases for AI for manufacturers and how to move forward in the age of Industry 4.0. Jeff is the go-to guy for all things Industry 4.0 on LinkedIn, and he shares bags of important data and advice in this episode about how manufacturers can achieve success. It’s not one to miss! 

In this episode, find out: 

• The differences between AI and machine learning 
• How manufacturers should approach AI 
• Where AI is underutilized 
• Use cases for manufacturers using AI 
• What the data says about investments in AI and Industry 4.0 strategies 
• The best practices for automation in Industry 4.0 
• Why you need to be a tech-forward company to attract talent 
• Why investing in people is still so important  

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “Seek hands-on experience. Theory and knowledge are essential, but practical experience is equally important. So seek opportunities to work on real-world projects […]This will enhance your problem-solving abilities and allow you to apply your knowledge in a practical setting.” 
• “Networking is valuable for career growth. You can do this by attending industry events, joining relevant online communities, and connecting with professionals in the field. Networking not only helps with job opportunities and collaborations, but it can also help with mentorships.” 
• “Industry 4. 0 is rapidly evolving and it's crucial for engineers to stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends. So offer training opportunities, offer certifications, give an allowance of funds for people to attend relevant workshops and conferences and continually to learn.” 

Links & mentions: 

• Hitachi Solutions, a global cloud-services, systems integrator; a 100% Microsoft platform-focused organization 
• Expanding AI’s Impact with Organizational Learning, MITSloan Management Review 
• The Future of Industrial AI in Manufacturing, a June 2023 report by the Manufacturing Leadership Council 
• IoT Signals Report, presented by Microsoft 
• 2023 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, presented by Rockwell Automation 
• Is Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing Working for You? A recent interview with Jeff in Control Engineering 
• Jackson Avenue Pub, home of the “Drunken Pear Burger” in Naperville, IL 

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.

We know what you’re thinking…this episode title is against everything we stand for! But hear us out… 

“Manufacturing should be boring” may sound like the antithesis of this podcast but, as you listen, you’ll understand what this guest means. 

On this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we are joined by St. Louis Makes Executive Director, Marc Bowers. St. Louis Makes is a non-profit helping emerging and mid-sized regional manufacturers drive sales expansion through product innovation and new marketing opportunities. 

Marc joins the show to discuss the main how-tos of running a manufacturing business, why old-school entrepreneurship is making a comeback and the advantages of thinking outside the box. 

Plus, an explanation for our title!  

In this episode, find out: 

• The infrastructure of St. Louis 
• The return of old-school manufacturing entrepreneurship 
• The customers manufacturing leaders should focus on 
• What to do before seeking out adjacent business opportunities 
• Why you need to know the business inside out 
• The benefits of taking alternative career paths 
• Leveraging the importance of education 
• Steps to buying a manufacturing company 
• Important how-tos when running a manufacturing business 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “Everything that I've learned, I've learned from somebody else. It’s not like the knowledge spontaneously popped into my head. The way I've done that is by taking calls where other people maybe wouldn't have.” 
• “So many people made the jump into high tech. They failed to realize that there was nothing but tech in manufacturing and it wasn't cool. I like doing the contrarian and at the time that was manufacturing.” 
• “The smaller the company, the bigger the opportunity…until you get too small.” 

Links & mentions: 

• Connect with Marc on LinkedIn 
• MarcBowers.com, helping companies drive up revenue through data-driven solutions for sales growth 
• St. Louis Makes, a St. Louis, Missouri-based 501c3 nonprofit and the only community peer group that serves emerging and mid-size regional manufacturers to help them drive sales expansion through product innovation and identification of new market opportunities 
• Cortex Center for Emerging Technologies (CET), an affiliate of St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation Community since 2012, the CET provides the infrastructure and resources needed for early-stage, high-growth companies in the fields of information technology, bioscience and consumer/manufactures products to innovate and thrive 
• O’Connell’s Pub, an old Irish bar serving up some of the best burgers in St. Louis 

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

What do golf, beer caps, and face masks have in common? It turns out this week’s guests on Manufacturing Happy Hour! 

Tether Golf Co-Founders Jesse Darley and Randy Koplin join the show to talk about their innovative new golf-inspired game and what it takes to get a product like that to market.  

Both Jesse and Randy are no strangers to product businesses, having launched products from beer cap maps to COVID-19 face mask accessories. This time, they turned their attention to design Tether Golf – a head-to-head putting game that brings a fun twist to golf. 

We talk about supply chains - how to pick one that allows you to scale and iterate quickly, and what Jesse and Randy have learned from their previous product businesses. Randy and Jesse also explain why business relationships with suppliers and manufacturers are the heart of any successful product venture. 

In this episode, find out: 

• How Tether Golf works 
• What they learned from previous ventures  
• Why finding local vendors is best for your supply chain 
• What you need to look for in a localized supply chain 
• Why business relationships are so important 
• Lessons learned from previous businesses 
• Why YouTube is such a helpful business resource 
• What the future holds for Tether Golf 
• Advice for aspiring product entrepreneurs 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “People wait too long in small businesses to offload the things that really someone else can do better.” – Jesse 
• “Make them, prototype them, and don't worry if it's a silly idea. Just get it out there.” - Randy  
• “Keeping [supply chains] local helps foster relationships.” - Randy 

Links & mentions: 

• Tether Golf, a head-to-head putting game co-founded by Jesse and Randy 
• Beer Cap Maps, the original laser cut plywood and steel maps of your state or country that let you create unique wall art using bottle caps from your favorite beverages 
• Jonco Industries, Milwaukee-based product manufacturers 
• Pubcast Worldwide, our first interview with Jesse (on a different podcast) from 2017 

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. 

You just can’t find the people these days, right? 

Anyone in the manufacturing, engineering, or construction industries knows that the top challenge right now is finding talent. There’s a shortage of willing and able workers in the U.S. – and immigration policies make it difficult to bring in talent from overseas.  

In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we head to Washington D.C. for a special live panel discussion from the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall. 

Marsia Geldert-Murphey, ASCE President-Elect, Thayer Long, President of the Association for Print Technologies and Steve Hall, Executive VP of ACEC, explore the reasons behind the talent shortage, how public policy could help, and how organizations are trying to attract the next generation of workers.  

In this episode, find out: 

• What employers can do to grow their applicant pool 
• How firms are trying to attract talent 
• Why you need to move people to the opportunities 
• How public policy could help  
• Why immigration rules need to be revisited  
• What drives young people  
• How organizations are reaching out to school and college-aged students  

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “When you look at countries like Germany, Belarus, South Korea, UAE, 30% of their graduates are STEM graduates. In the United States, it's 19%. It's a math problem. We just do not have enough people. So we have got to improve our immigration program.” – Marsia 
• “There's a lot of drivers that motivate young people today, and I don't think they always think about engineering as a way of accomplishing those goals. So [we need] messaging like that to young people through STEM programs.” - Steve 
• “If the government put a quarter of the amount of effort into promoting an apprenticeship and a career in the construction trade as they do by subsidizing and supporting college education, it’d have a tremendous impact to bring more people into our field.” - Thayer 

Links & mentions: 

• Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), an organization that’s advancing equipment manufacturers in the global marketplace. They're on a mission not only to help businesses succeed but to build a community so that the industry as a whole can make positive, lasting change. 
• American Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s oldest engineering society that represents more than 150,000 members in 177 countries.  
• Independent Electrical Contractors, a national trade association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors. 
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering industry, representing nearly 6,000 firms to advocate for policies at federal, state and local levels. 

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. 

More and more voices are being heard as the manufacturing community grows online. And while this can only be a good thing, it does make it tougher for individuals to be heard above the noise. 

In this episode, we welcomed James Soto, CEO of Industrial Strength Marketing, to talk about his tactics for getting his message across and building trust in the community.  

James explains why storytelling is so important, how different types of “noise” can hold manufacturers back, and why you need to fully understand channels to get the most out of them. He also shares his tips for succeeding with video content and discusses other ways to break through the noise online.  

In this episode, find out: 

• The early days of James’ career  
• The marketing problem in manufacturing 
• What trust in storytelling looks like  
• Why you should leverage the power of stories  
• The different types of noise in the industry  
• Why you need to “scrape the guardrails” 
• How to capture audience attention without video 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “If you can be yourself and really get good at it, that’s what people relate to, you know? Just be you.” 
• “I believe a lot in channel mastery. There's real science around both the structure of what you're creating and how you format it.”  
• “Fighting for the audience is so important because if they get what they want, your creative juices are flowing.”  

Links & mentions: 

• Industrial Strength Marketing, a full-service B2B industrial marketing agency, offering digital marketing solutions from web design to advertising 
• Rolf And Daughters, an industrial-chic restaurant with clever New American dishes, communal tables & inventive cocktails in Nashville, TN 
• Monday Night Brewing, a relaxed brewhouse offering craft beer, cocktails & snacks, including hummus & cheese platters 
• Bearded Iris Brewing, a taproom serving rotating, old-world style beer infused with Southern  
• flavors in comfy digs…also Chris’ favorite brewery in Nashville 
• The 5 Spot, an East Nashville neighborhood music venue with snacks & a full bar served in a relaxed hangout that hosts live bands & weekly dance parties 
• The Basement East, a casual hangout for live music by nationally touring acts where you might run into Jack White 
• Old Glory, a subterranean bar in Nashville, TN offering elevated cocktails served in a historic boiler room with iron & concrete 

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. 

What does it mean to have an experience mindset? 

Tiffani Bova, keynote speaker, author and Growth and Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to explain how manufacturing leaders can prioritize employee experience while still keeping customer experience front of mind, using research found for her book The Experience Mindset. 

When Chris saw Tiffani speak on the topic at a KUKA Robotics event, he couldn’t wait to get her on the show! In this episode, Tiffani shares why companies put customers’ needs first, why it pays off to prioritize your employees and why the C-suite view employee experience the wrong way. 

Plus, she reveals what manufacturers can learn from other industries and tells us the first steps to adopting an experience mindset. 

In this episode, find out: 

• What it means to have an experience mindset 
• Why customer experience can take priority over employee experience 
• How manufacturing leaders can get the balance right 
• Why positive employee experience aids customer experience 
• Why manufacturing companies should hire outside the industry 
• Why leaders should get out of the office 
• The first steps to implementing an experience mindset 
• The gap between C-suite and employee views on employee experience 
• What surprised Tiffani about her research 
• What manufacturers can learn from other industries 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “My advice to leaders would be – get out of your office. Go into the plant, use the systems, use the software. Use everything.” 
• “If our customers aren’t successful, we’re not successful.” 
• “If you only look in the same pool for hiring, maybe you miss out on the opportunity to bring in new skills.” 

Links & mentions: 

• The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth, by Tiffani Bova 
• Tiffani Bova, official website for keynote speaking, books, Tiffani’s podcast, and more 
• Connect with Tiffani on LinkedIn 
• Follow Tiffani on Twitter 

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. 

This just might be our biggest episodes ever. Today's episode is a recap of the 2023 Celebration of Construction Equipment on the Nation Mall, hosted by AEM, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. You'll hear from a ton of folks from the big names in equipment manufacturing as we discuss topics impacting the construction industry and beyond. In fact, seeing as how this is a manufacturing-centric podcast, you'll likely find that there are many parallels there are between construction and manufacturing.

In May 2023, the National Mall - the area right between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol Building - was covered with heavy equipment that was on display for all to see. This included some of the biggest earth-moving equipment from big names like Komatsu, Caterpillar, Bobcat, John Deere, and Volvo. All of this was done in an effort to showcase industry innovations like alternatively powered equipment, autonomous systems, as well as exhibits focusing on workforce development, safety, sustainable materials.

All of these interviews were recorded live, from a stage on the Capitol Mall, where we interviewed construction industry leaders across 14 different panel discussions and fireside chat-style conversations. This episode is a highlight reel with some of the top insights and takeaways from those discussions. This compilation should give you a vibe of the event and the type of work that the Association of Equipment Manufacturers is doing.

We also cover the type of collaboration that's needed between the the private sector and government to make meaningful progress toward getting folks educated and trained, filling jobs, and improving infrastructure. Finally, you'll hear some things we've never talked about on this podcast before. From aggregates to the recyclability of asphalt, we'll give you a nice behind-the-scenes into some of the processes and technologies that are big in the construction space.

This is a branding, marketing, and sales focused episode…but everyone needs to hear this! 

Our guest this week is Emily Wilkins, Founder & President of Marketing Metal, a company focused on helping radical job shops make big profits by creating a killer brand and building out a stupid simple marketing machine. Given this very loud mission statement, there's no better person than Emily to cover the strategies outlined today. 

In this episode, Emily shares the importance of focusing on a niche audience through the lens of her own story that led to her founding Marketing Metal.  

We also cover tactics and strategies that job shops and other manufacturers should consider adopting using one of her recent projects, Manufacturing Champions, as an example.  

Finally, Emily shares a short list of things manufacturers should start and stop doing when it comes to marketing, plus a few final tips and personal stories on leveraging your unique voice. 

In this episode, find out: 

• How Emily got started in manufacturing marketing 
• Why job shops sometimes forget their audiences 
• First steps for building a brand 
• The benefits of personal branding 
• The best ways of identifying your audience 
• The advantages of focusing on a niche audience 
• What job shops should start and stop in their marketing 
• Why job shops need to evolve online 
• How to mix your personality into personal branding 
• How Emily turns her struggles into strengths in her personal brand 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “When you bring some personal elements to (your brand), you look more human. That’s something all of us need right now.” 
• “When you’re talking about a very specific person, it’s a lot easier for them to identify themselves and for potential referrers to send you the right people.” 
• “Stop taking any project that comes to your door. It’s hard to say no if you’re in a cashflow problem, but how much is that job that’s not a right fit going to cost you?” 

Links & mentions: 

• Marketing Metal, building out meaningful, stupid-simple branding and marketing for machine shops, fab shops, OEMs, and systems integrators 
• Manufacturing Champions, a community of up-and-coming voices in manufacturing that you can leverage to help tell your brand’s story 
• The Southerner, southern–style dishes & cocktails are served at this relaxed lakeside venue with a comfy interior in Saugatuck, MI 
• Pumpernickels, modern and upbeat restaurant and bar in downtown Saugatuck, MI and Emily’s other go-to destination for bourbon old fashioneds 
• Taco + Bar, a community taqueria showcasing craft mezcal and agave cocktails alongside uniquely handcrafted tacos in Holland, MI 
• Connect with Emily on LinkedIn 

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. 

John Dyck, CEO of CESMII, is making his long-awaited debut on Manufacturing Happy Hour.

CESMII is a non-profit institute in the United States dedicated to smart manufacturing. Simply put, they’re democratizing the tools and technologies needed to bring smarter manufacturing operations to life. 

Smart manufacturing operations result in reduced costs, less complexity, and quicker time-to-value. All of these things make companies and the US manufacturing industry as a whole more competitive on a global scale.  

In this episode, John shares his background, what led him to CESMII, and what he's learned after finding himself in many roles that have put him on the bleeding edge of manufacturing technology. John also talks about the state of smart manufacturing’s adoption in the US and why there’s a sense of urgency to accelerate it.  

Finally, we discuss how to adopt smart manufacturing technologies, including both the technology itself and the mindset required to drive intelligent manufacturing innovations. 

In this episode, find out: 

• John’s career history 
• How CESMII democratize technology for the adoption of smart manufacturing 
• The definition of smart manufacturing 
• Why there’s an urgency around smart manufacturing 
• How the US can catch up with European and Asian markets 
• The outcomes of smart manufacturing 
• How to adopt a smart manufacturing mindset 
• How to find the right partners to guide the process 
• How smart technology could prevent pilot purgatory 

Helpful personas you need on board when adopting smart manufacturing: 

• Corporate supply chain leadership 
• Manufacturing leadership 
• Plant leadership 
• Plant workers 
• Operators 
• Technology providers 
• Vendors 
• Systems integrators and consultants 
• Machine builders 
• Knowledge providers  

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “Using data to transform how we work and become more competitive and productive – that’s where manufacturing leadership is.” 
• “We fundamentally believe that smart manufacturing as a mindset becomes the next generation of digital quality, digital improvement and digital safety.” 
• “I’ve found myself gravitating towards the bleeding edge (of manufacturing). That’s allowed me to work with forward-thinking manufacturing companies, systems integrators and machine builders who are early adopters of technology.” 

Links & mentions: 

• CESMII, the United States’ non-profit institute dedicated to smart manufacturing (SM), working to reduce cost, complexity, and time-to-value so all manufacturers can engage in Smart manufacturing 
• Smart manufacturing Executive Council, created by CESMII to engage business and technology executives, thought leaders, and visionaries advocating for the transformation of the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem 
• Smart manufacturing Mindset, CESMII’s monthly LinkedIn Live web series 
• SOUTHTEC, a manufacturing technology series event and trade show, taking place in October 2023 in Greenville, SC 
• Follow CESMII on LinkedIn 
• Follow CESMII on Twitter 
• Connect with John Dyck on LinkedIn 

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.

Additive manufacturing won’t solve your problems, but as our guest explains, it can make life easier. 

We’re back to our traditional format at Manufacturing Happy Hour and, on this episode, we are joined by Lisa D. Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies. 

Lisa explains her path into the industry, shares her experiences and busts some myths around additive manufacturing.  

Plus, she shares how we can create workspaces where people thrive, with tips on personal development, talent acquisition and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

In this episode, find out: 

• How Lisa entered the world of additive manufacturing 
• The biggest misnomers around additive 
• The importance of personal development 
• Different families within additive 
• Her top tips for talent acquistion 
• Take-home moments from Lisa’s talks 
• Why companies need to refocus on training new starters 
• How to create workplaces where people can work at their best 
• Why it’s time for a fresh perspective on diversity 

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! 

Tweetable Quotes: 

• “I believe that character is born in personal development.” 
• “[Additive manufacturing] is meant to make jobs easier and more efficient so the company can 10x their production.” 
• “People say ‘we've gotta get diversity, equity, inclusion experts. We've gotta do this, we've gotta do that’. There’s a whole lot of ‘we’ve gotta’ and very little ‘we’ve done’.” 

Links & mentions: 

• Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, pioneering the combination of 3D printing and machining 
• Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn 
• Follow Lisa on Instagram 

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.