Manufacturing Happy Hour

Welcome to the first ever Manufacturing Happy Hour mini-series. For the course of this 4-part series, we’ll be teaming up with Rockwell Automation’s cybersecurity team to bring you actionable security advice for industrial manufacturers.

Steve Ludwig – Program Manager for Safety & Security at Rockwell Automation – joins us for our first episode. We start off with the basics as Steve shares why cybersecurity matters and why it’s a vital piece of a digital transformation journey; security isn’t just about protecting data and intellectual property, but assets, workers, and the environment as well.

We’ll cover security in the context IT and OT integration, discuss the inherent link between safety and cybersecurity, and wrap up with some discussion on where these cyber threats are actually coming from.

After you listen, forward this podcast to your company’s IT Manager or Chief Information & Security Officer. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com/Cybersecurity for a full list of industrial security resources from Rockwell Automation. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. 

Bottom Line Concepts is helping companies save jobs and protect employee benefits. How do they do this? They partner with companies – from manufacturers to retailers to professional sports organizations – to reduce their costs by auditing for refunds and negotiating for future savings.

CEO Josh Fox jumps on the show today to share his story and walk us through Bottom Line’s performance-based business model. Josh shares stories and great examples from inside and outside of the manufacturing industry, as well as ways for both companies big and small to partner with Bottom Line. We’ll also get to know Josh a bit more as he shares why he’s been driven to keep at this business for over a decade.

We traveled down to Beverly Hills for this conversation, and it was actually the last in-person interview we did before shelter-in-place took effect in March 2020. Honestly, when it comes to identifying cost savings to protect jobs and benefits, the timing couldn’t be better.

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

Matthew Putman is a Renaissance Man for the 21st century. He’s a scientist, author, teacher, and jazz pianist, as well as the CEO of Nanotronics, a science technology company that brings together robotics, automation, 3D imaging, and artificial intelligence for powering factories. They’re on a mission to redefine manufacturing for the future.

In this dynamic interview, Matthew provides an overview of Nanotronics’ Brooklyn Navy Yard Smart Factory, manufacturing supply chains and leadership in the face of a wartime situation like COVID-19, as well as the intersections of art and science as it relates to his work in AI. From examples of their technology in practice to actionable tips for leading through uncertainty, few guests are able to cover such a range of topics as thoroughly as Matthew Putman.

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

In our last full-length episode, Chuck Swoboda joined us for a discussion about innovation at Milwaukee Brewing Company. Since we recorded the show in front of a live audience, in this bonus episode, we’re answering your questions about innovation, covering everything from risk-taking to getting organizational buy-in on your innovative ideas.

Make sure to check out our full interview in Episode 13, and subscribe to Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap. 

Chuck Swoboda had an illustrious career at Cree, Inc., and even as a retired CEO, he’s still keeping busy and learning. Chuck now hosts the podcast Innovators On Tap, a show that explores what innovation really looks like through interviews with leaders and change-makers across a range of industries. He’s distilled these lessons through his upcoming book The Innovator’s Spirit, which comes out on May 5, 2020.

Chuck and I met up for a live podcast at Milwaukee Brewing Company in – you guessed it – Milwaukee, WI. After throwing a literal happy hour with industry leaders from Rockwell Automation, Marquette University, and Milwaukee manufacturing community, we sat down for a discussion on what innovation really means and how it’s played a role in our respective careers. Make sure to check out Chuck’s podcast Innovators On Tap, and I hope you enjoy this first ever 2-way interview here on Manufacturing Happy Hour.

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

Social distancing might be a thing right now, but that won’t stop Manufacturing Happy Hour from bring together a bunch of industry leaders for a drink! Tune in this week to hear live footage from the first ever “Virtual Happy Hour” hosted by the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community. Over 10 marketers, systems integrators, recruiters, and professional association leaders gathered on Zoom for a conversation about the impact the Coronavirus is having on manufacturing, but also to share optimism as to how this “new normal” could result in tremendous opportunities in digital transformation, E-learning, and virtual training just to name a few.

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

COVID-19 – better known as the Coronavirus – continues to spread and disrupt the global economy in the process. The manufacturing industry is not immune to its effects, especially as the virus’ origins and highest number of cases are in China, a country which plays a key role in almost every manufacturer’s supply chain.

So whether the Coronavirus is a pandemic or not, what can you as a manufacturing leader do to understand its effects on your business and, more importantly, what actions can you take to keep running and growing your business? In this timely bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we’ll take a look at how the virus is impacting global supply chains and how leaders in operations, sales & marketing, and the C-suite can respond in turn.

This episode barely scratches the surface of an issue worth discussing further, so make sure to join the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community on LinkedIn to join the conversation. 

Veryable just might be the solution to the workforce shortage challenges we as manufacturing leaders are all too aware of. Veryable is an on-demand marketplace for manufacturing labor, essentially making it “The Uber of the Factory Floor.” You can ramp up and ramp down your workforce as needed, while operators that use the platform have the benefit of creating a flexible work schedule. It’s a win-win for both the manufacturers and the people that keep those plants running.

Veryable CTO Noah Labhart jumps on the show this week to share his own story going from developer to company co-founder, as well as some stories about the Veryable platform that really showcase its power to bring manufacturing into the 21st century by taking on one of the biggest issues facing manufacturers today.

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

A3 is the Association for Advancing Automation, and at the beginning of every year, they host their annual business forum. Michael "Sully" Sullivan from the automation industry talent search firm Miller Resource Group had the opportunity to attend this past January, and in this edition of "3 Quick Things," Sully shares his 3 biggest takeaways from the event. From evolving perceptions around automation's role in job creation to the economic outlook for the manufacturing industry in 2020, this bonus episode is great food for thought as manufacturing leaders continue to navigate the year - and decade - ahead.

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

Workplace safety: One of the most important priorities for any manufacturer. Joe Geng has spent his entire career focused on helping people stay safe even in the toughest of work environments through his work at Superior Glove, the largest producer of work gloves in Canada. Now, he’s captured some of his biggest findings on workplace safety through his new book Rethinking Hand Safety: Myths, Truths, and Proven Practices.

In this episode, Joe takes us through his journey into the family business, and his most important findings about workplace safety, including how trust is the foundation of a safe work culture as well as the psychology behind wearing (and not wearing) proper PPE. You’ll hear plenty of stories from the new book and actionable tips that will allow you to assess the state of your culture of safety within your own business or operation.

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