Manufacturing Happy Hour

The future is digital, and the manufacturing industry is no exception. Jerry Foster, the CTO of Plex, is one of the select visionaries who jumped on the ‘digitization’ bandwagon quite early in the game. Plex is a company that paved the way for business enterprise software in the cloud through a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains.

Jerry joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to share the company’s unconventional origin story and to break down some of the most interesting parts of their annual State of Smart Manufacturing report.

It’s an episode packed full of great insights as we dig into topics like the role of AI in manufacturing and tech paralysis. Tune in to hear more about implementing new technology, plus insights into the worlds of racquetball and Star Wars.

In this episode, find out:

• What is smart manufacturing?
• How Jerry got his start in smart manufacturing
• What it was like to spearhead the first business enterprise software in the cloud
• Jerry breaks down the smart manufacturing growth trajectory
• How to form a successful integrated team
• Jerry discusses useful technologies that were once dismissed as “hype”
• How the role of blockchain fits into manufacturing
• How AI has evolved over the years
• What proactive leaders look like
• How to find a balance between profitability and sustainability
• How playing racquetball has influenced Jerry’s career
• Jerry’s advice to manufacturing leaders looking to leverage smart manufacturing

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:

• “Artificial intelligence or machine learning are the only ways to really tame the beast that is data management — it's like getting 100,000 interns to analyze all that data almost for free.”
• "In my opinion, it's the cloud and the convergence of that data and computing capabilities that have brought AI to the forefront.”
• “If you've got action-oriented people, no one's thinking about implications, and with analysis-oriented, you'll have great spreadsheets, but no results, so you need both.”

Links & mentions:

• Plex Systems, a smart manufacturing platform that connects people, systems, machines, and supply chains.
• Plex’s State of Smart Manufacturing Report, an annual report sharing insights from over 300 manufacturing leaders on the challenges facing their business and how they address them using technology.

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.

Divya Thadani leads PPG’s strategy and business development for the company's architectural coatings business in the US and Canada. But her impact doesn’t end there. She’s made her mark as a diversity, equality, and inclusion champion at PPG.

In this episode, Divya shares some insights from her childhood and how growing up in an entrepreneurial family influenced her life. She explains what she believes is causing the skill shortage gap in the manufacturing industry and how we can make these roles more accessible to underrepresented groups.

Divya sets the stage for how large organizations can help close the skill gap through the lens of PPG. She also gives some pointers on how individuals can foster positive organizational changes that transcend individual teams.

In this episode, find out:

• Divya’s experience coming from an entrepreneurial family
• The most important lesson Divya learned from her parents’ business
• Why Divya thinks a certain amount of naivety is bliss
• How to make engineering roles more accessible to underrepresented groups
• The forces driving the skill shortage of trade professionals
• How organizations can have a direct impact on educational opportunities
• Why it's important to invest in educational opportunities for underrepresented groups
• How PPG invests in the next generation
• How to create positive cultural change beyond your organization
• How the shift to digital impacts PPG’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
• Divya’s advice for young and upcoming professionals

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:

• "The digital shift has enabled us to think very differently about the way we work, how we work, where we work from, which all ties into the DEI conversation.”
• “Leadership teams need to think about constructive ways to drive cultural change while being intentional with how it permeates their business unit and the company as a whole.”
• “Enabling underrepresented minorities — whether it’s income or ethnic diversity — involves educating people about the possibilities and giving them access.”

Links & mentions:

• PPG Industries: An American Fortune 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials.
• PPG’s Sustainability Report: The company’s 2020 sustainability report strongly focused on its DE&I efforts.

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 goes on behind the scenes at some of the top theme parks in the country? A whole lot of custom scenic design, courtesy of 3dx Scenic, a L!VE company that creates immersive 3D expressive designs. Mark Rosenzweig, 3dx’s Senior Account Executive, joins the show to give some insight into what it’s like being part of a team that creates models for theme parks, exhibits, and more.

In this episode, Mark breaks down some of 3dx Scenic’s most exciting projects and the challenges that came along with them. He explains how indirect ROI works in a theme park versus projects with a more calculated ROI.

Mark also gives us a window into how 3dx Scenic focuses on storytelling with its projects, particularly for models in theme parks or big events. We also hear what Mark believes makes the best guest experience at a theme park.

In this episode, find out:

• What 3dx Scenic does
• Why it’s important to follow a passion with your work
• The most exciting projects Mark’s worked on
• How far creative liberty goes at 3dx Scenic
• How indirect ROI works in a theme park
• Why photo opportunities have a calculated ROI
• How 3dx Scenic has overcome challenges
• Why simplification is key to a good customer experience

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:

• "Budgets drive jobs. And as long as we have a client or a partner that we're working with that is as transparent as us, we're normally going to work with them. Not only for this job but also long term.”
• "Parks aren't adding the $20-$30 million coasters like they were three or four years ago. But they do have the capital to put on these events that have a very reliable ROI attached to them.”
• “Put the control in the guests’ hands and make it intuitive and easy.”

Links & mentions:

• 3dx Scenic, a L!VE company that create immersive 3D expressive design
• Rhinegeist Brewery, a craft brewery based in Cincinnati, Ohio

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.

Roman Piszcz is the Founder and CEO of Quotebeam, a new company that's reducing friction in the purchasing process and building a marketplace for automation parts, quotes, and collaboration. But before Roman became an entrepreneur, he was leading a team at Apple, and that’s where this week’s story begins…

Roman joined Apple back in 2016 and worked there for nearly five years as part of the iPhone product operations team. As it is with most entrepreneurs, his company was borne out of a particular pain point he noticed in the industry — the disjointed nature of the machine part procurement process.

These days, you’ll find him tackling a whole new set of challenges that he delves into in this episode. Roman also shares a few leadership tips he picked up from his time at Apple and as the CEO of Quotebeam. He gives us some insights into the manufacturing support network he’s building and shares what he sees on its horizon. 

In this episode, find out:

• Roman talks about his work with Apple
• The importance of raising team members to be leaders
• Advice for people managers moving to a new role
• What inspired Roman to create Quotebeam
• The communication problem Quotebeam is looking to solve
• How Quotebeam’s transactional and conversational aspects are part of its solution
• Unexpected challenges Roman faced as a startup owner
• How Roman’s experience at Apple feeds into his work at Quotebeam
• Why data is a huge part of decision-making in business
• Roman shares insights into Quotebeam’s core vision
• How Roman’s manufacturing support network ecosystem is evolving

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:

• “Running a start-up is an interesting journey. You get to break things, and no one yells at you.”
• “You don’t make decisions based on opinions, you make them based on data.”
• “Engineers don’t need to know everything. They just need to know where to find the right information.” 

Links & mentions:

• Quotebeam, the marketplace for automation parts, quotes, and collaboration
• Shadow Puppet Brewing Company, a production craft brewery with an open tasting room, located in Livermore, CA

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.

Sharad Chadha is the CEO of Sprecher Brewing Company and through hard work, risk-taking, and out-of-the-box thinking, he’s living the American dream. Originally an engineering major, Sharad topped that with an MBA and used his skill and business acumen to rise through the ranks at renowned companies like GE Healthcare, Electrolux, and Samsung. Now he’s pouring all his business acumen into running Sprecher, Wisconsin’s first craft brewery.

In this episode, Sharad gives us some insights into his diverse career and how it prepared him for his role as the CEO of Sprecher. He discusses some of the highs and lows of running a company as opposed to working for someone else.

Sharad also shares a few decision-making tips for manufacturing leaders, talks about what makes Sprecher stand out from the competition, and reveals his future plans.

In this episode, find out:

• What makes Sprecher special
• Sharad shares insights into his diverse career
• How Sharad’s numerous roles prepared him for Sprecher
• What inspired Sharad to buy a brewery
• What it’s like purchasing and running a company
• Why Sprecher produces sodas as opposed to spirits and hard seltzers
• Making decisions as a manufacturing leader
• Why Sprecher made the switch from beer bottles to cans
• Why looking at trends is vital before making big decisions
• How to manage and plan for big changes
• Sprecher’s progress during the pandemic
• The importance of hiring good leaders
• Sharad’s five year vision for Sprecher

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:

• “Challenging experiences teach you resilience and how to look at things from a different angle — and as long as you have that attitude, you can make it through anything.”
• “Working in a big company is great, but it's not as satisfying as working in a small company where when you do something, you can see the fruits of your labor.”
• “Running a plant is completely different from knowing about a plant or working with a plant to get your product."

Links & mentions:

• Sprecher Brewing Company Wisconsin’s first craft brewery since prohibition, specializing in the production of beers, flavored malt beverages, and sodas.
• Green River Soda A classic Chicago soda developed over a century ago, presently brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company

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.

Working on first-generation products and new product development is no walk in the park. But, Milo Werner, General Partner at The Engine, joined the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference to share her wealth of experience.

Milo joined Tesla in 2007 at a critical stage in the company's trajectory, where she led new product introduction launching the Model S and Model X powertrains. In addition to Tesla, Milo ran new product introduction at Fitbit, launching four factories in China and transitioning the company to fully automated production. Now she's a general partner at The Engine, where her dedication to solving some of the world's biggest problems, from climate to health to computing and beyond, continues.

In this extract from the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference, Milo gives us the low down on how she got her start in both Tesla and Fitbit. We hear about her triumphs and the challenges she faced developing first-generation and new product development. She also answers a bunch of intuitive questions from manufacturers in the audience.

In this episode, find out:

• How Milo got into Tesla and new product development
• Challenges she experienced while working on the Model-S powertrain
• Lessons learned from building a first-generation product
• Challenges when developing new products
• Milo’s transition from Tesla to Fitbit
• What characteristics need to align when evaluating a contract manufacturer
• Lessons learned from smaller companies making first-generation products
• Why it’s vital to be open to recommendations from contract manufacturers
• How to determine the specifications for how good a product feature should be
• How to manage people on long projects
• How to find out if you’re a fit for new product development
• The future of cars as a service

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:

• “New product introduction is a wonderful way to meet people and to be that glue that removes silos and brings people together as a cross-functional team.”
• “The CM industry is run on razor-thin margins, and they've been put in that corner by one customer after another.”
• “I want to solve problems in our community and society, and Tesla and Fitbit really spoke to me in that regard.”

Links & mentions:

• Tesla, an American electric vehicle and clean energy company that manufactures electric cars, battery energy storage, and other related products
• Fitbit, an American consumer electronics and fitness company
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, a management book that describes how companies go from being good to great
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a business book that describes the many pitfalls teams face as they seek to "grow together"

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.

If you can’t tell from the title, there’s a lot of variety in this week’s episode. Michael Wrinch is the President and CEO of Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management. From rides and attractions to projects that impact sustainability, Hedgehog’s motto is fitting: “We make complex visions a practical reality.”

In this episode, Mike gives a little background on why his company is called Hedgehog Technologies and where his interest in electrical engineering stems from. He explains his people-first approach to business and why that’s so important when creating infrastructure.

Mike also takes us through some of the complex projects he’s worked on. We round things up by getting a glimpse at some of the other interesting experiences he’s had. Spoiler alert: It’s everything from chimney cleaning to cheesemaking.

In this episode, find out:

• How Mike came up with the name Hedgehog Technologies for his company
• The importance of trust and accountability in teamwork
• What inspired Mike to transition from firefighting to engineering
• Mike explains his company’s core value
• How diversity fuels innovation
• Why Mike picks hard projects
• The trick to working with high-risk machines
• Mike’s experience as a fish factory worker and a cheesemaker

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:

• “Unless you have a real good understanding of how people are working within the infrastructure of this world, you can’t design great things.”
• “Different perspectives create insights into designs that we're working on that really matter.”
• “If you want a high-performing team, you need to trust each other, be accountable, and be hardworking.”

Links & mentions:

• Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management
• Ontario’s most northern First Nation goes green with their first solar project, an article on one of Hedgehog’s most significant sustainability and community-focused projects
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Wrinch
• Weekend Warrior: Michael Wrinch has a taste for danger, a 2019 article about Michael from BC Business

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 talk a lot about ways manufacturers can save money and grow their business on Manufacturing Happy Hour...digital transformation, process optimization, all of that.

Sometimes it makes sense to talk about the basics. While tax credits aren't necessarily "sexy," they can impact your balance sheet. Today we're focusing specifically on the Employee Retention Credit.

So how's this credit work? To answer that, we're bring back Josh Fox, CEO of Bottom Line Concepts, who appeared on Episode 15 of the show. In this bonus episode, Josh is going to take us through the Employee Retention Credit is, who qualifies, how it works, and how it can result in saving of 6 to 7 figures for small- to mid-sized manufacturers.

Sarah Boisvert has a long history in the manufacturing world. She started her career in lasers which fed into 3D printing, and now she's helping close the skills gap as the Founder of both the Fab Lab Hub and the New Collar Network.

In this episode, Sarah delves into the inspiration behind the New Collar Movement and how it’s impacted her career since then. She also explains the thinking behind Fab Labs and gives some insights into the programs offered, digital badges awarded, and unique teaching approaches applied.

Sarah goes on to highlight the value of problem-solving skills for the modern-day manufacturing workforce and explains why it’s so much more important than test-taking skills and knowledge regurgitation.

In this episode, find out:

• Sarah’s insights into the new collar movement
• How Sarah transitioned from working with lasers to 3D printing
• What fab labs are and how they operate
• The importance of problem-solving skills in manufacturing
• Where Sarah believes education will be in five years

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:

• “Unless you’re going to become an engineer, a doctor, or lawyer, college doesn’t necessarily ensure a successful career economically.”
• “A critical part of our program is to ensure people can apply for jobs with a portfolio because it tells an HR person so much more than a certificate or a degree.”
• “Today, it's easy to find an engineer but try and find a CNC machinist — it’s hard because everyone’s convinced that they need to go to college.”

Links & mentions:

• The New Collar Workforce: An Insider’s Guide to Making Impactful Changes to Manufacturing and Training by Sarah Boisvert
• New Collar Network, a non-profit organization that provides skill-specific, short, affordable training for new collar jobs
• Fab Lab Hub, a part of the international Fab Lab network that provides nationwide hands-on training for the new collar workforce

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.

Jay Douglass has been around robotics and technology for a long time. After a long history with Carnegie Mellon, he’s now the COO of the ARM Institute. This organization is creating a nationwide group of elite manufacturing, academic, technology, and government organizations that share the common mission of a robust U.S. manufacturing ecosystem, impacting everything from the US economy in general, all the way to national defense.

In this episode, Jay gives us a peek behind the scenes of what happens at the ARM Institute and how he got started there. He delves into the main problems the Institute exists to address as well as the progress they’ve made since their establishment.

Jay goes on to explain why it’s economically and politically important for America to build a strong manufacturing base. While he’s at it, he shares some interesting manufacturing insights from a historical standpoint.

In this episode, find out:

• What the ARM institute does
• How small enterprises can take advantage of robotics
• How Jay transitioned from business development to being the COO of the ARM institute
• The kind of projects funded by the ARM institute
• How the ARM institute empowers the manufacturing workforce
• Why scalability and skillset gaps are major issues plaguing the American manufacturing industry
• How a strong manufacturing base could benefit national security
• How to connect with the ARM institute

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:

• “America needs a real manufacturing base — we can’t have an economy that’s largely based on food production and popular culture.”
• “We’re not prototyping products as much as we are prototyping their manufacturing process.”
• “What we do is to help the smaller manufacturers get better and more competitive so they can deal with the challenges of the evolving economy.”

Links & mentions:

• ARM Institute, a national membership-based consortium that accelerates the development and adoption of innovative robotics technologies that are the foundation of every advanced manufacturing activity today and in the future
• RoboticsCareer.org, the ARM Institute’s site containing links to thousands of robotics training programs

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.