Manufacturing Talks

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Matt is Head of Reindustrialization at Veryable. We featured them in our early days, when the company's CEO, Mike Kinder, joined us for our Episode 11.

Now, with reindustrialization happening in real time, Matt is here to tell how Veryable is uniquely suited to helping supply chain companies with their labor needs as they grapple with the volatility that new opportunities bring.

Matt is also the host of Veryable's podcast, US Manufacturing Today. Our host Jim Vinoski is appearing with him the same day this show first airs! See the link for his show at the end of these notes.

Here are some of the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - intro
02:30 - maximizing uptime and getting workers the feedback and upskilling they're looking for
04:30 - things affecting labor demand: regulatory reform, trade agreements, immigration reform
08:00 - how companies build a labor pool within the Veryable solution
10:50 - worker shortage? More accurate to say worker access
14:30 - what makes Veryable different: balancing worker supply and demand
18:00 - forcing the service economy: "It doesn't work in theory, and it doesn't work in practice."
22:30 - machines are great for physical tasks, but they make worker that's needed more upskilled and sophisticated
27:00 - how regulations just offshore our pollution and injuries
30:00 - opportunities for professionals

And so much more!

Tune in for the whole thing.

US Manufacturing Today podcast: https://www.veryableops.com/us-mfg-today-podcast

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Peace Corps veteran Clay Martin found his calling, and he's now founded company #2 that's focused on helping industry employers find skilled workers who want to come here from Puerto Rico.

In case you weren't previously aware, that is a territory of the United States, so the people there can come here with no red tape and no immigration complications. And there are a whole bunch of trained and eager workers wanting to do just that. Clay specializes in playing matchmaker between them and the companies here in the US that need their skills.

Here are some of the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
06:00 - the nuances that make it work
07:30 - the Puerto Rican economic challenges and effects of Hurricane Maria have made some people there look to the mainland for work
10:00 - no visa needed, no red tape - Clay can get you 12 to 20 workers here in 2-4 weeks
12:30 - Clay helps you deal with flights and housing
17:30 - being available and caring are easy things to say, but Clay believes in delivering
19:30 - Clay is now looking at adding nursing as a skill he recruits for - huge demand here!
21:15 - creating a program - help out as much as needed
23:15 - entrepreneurs: don't overestimate the risk! (Jeff Bezos)
27:30 - overcome your insecurity: connect widely, learn to deal with all different kinds of people

There's a whole lot more too! Tune in for the whole thing, especially if you're struggling to recruit for the skills you need for your industrial business.

Clay's website for Isla Talent: https://www.recruitingpuertorico.com/

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One half of the Energy Bad Boys came back on the show to discuss our electric grids and the good, the bad, and the ugly about them.

Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling published a Substack last month telling how my home state of Michigan's insane energy policies will likely shut down the last remaining iron mine in the Upper Peninsula, the Tilden mine. Now Isaac is on the show to do a deeper dive into that, the realities for all the states chasing the nonsensical green power dream, and how the Trump administration is trying to help.

Here are the highlights.

Channels:
00:00 - introduction
02:30 - taking always-on power for granted
04:00 - how the monopoly power generation companies benefit from building new stuff - even if it's ineffective
06:00 - Mitch and Isaac's Substack (link down below) - the rising costs for Michigan's electricity and what that means for the Tilden mine
10:00 - how the promises of the green energy activists about falling costs are untrue, and what the actual rising costs mean for consumers and jobs
12:45 - the problem of urban voters ignoring the needs and realities of largely rural mines, manufacturing, and supply chains
16:00 - the difficulty of getting the general public to understand the need for domestic metals and minerals supply chains
19:30 - the need for low-cost and reliable power for manufacturing and data centers
21:00 - the Trump administration's best moves: undoing Biden's bad stuff
22:00 - reconsidering the Endangerment Finding
29:45 - why "all of the above" is a bad energy answer
30:45 - nuclear
32:30 - the problems with Europe

This is a densely packed episode, so it's best to tune in for the whole thing.

Here are a couple of helpful links:
Mitch and Isaac's Michigan energy disaster Substack: https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/a-michigan-iron-mine-will-pay-15
The Always On Energy Research website: https://www.aoenergy.org/

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Chris is with Global Search Network and is Senior Talent Acquisition Leader for Consumer Packaged Goods North America. So he is right there on the front lines of today's tough recruiting game.

Chris joined us to share valuable insights on what he sees every day that can help you no matter what part you're playing: hiring manager, HR, recruiter, or candidate.

Here are the highlights:

Guest Introduction

Chris shares his background, including his initial job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and his transition to recruitment, emphasizing his preference for the family atmosphere at Global Search Network over corporate life.

Challenges and Market Dynamics

Chris discusses the importance of acquiring new clients to maintain a steady stream of job opportunities, as his core clients often have consistent needs.

He highlights the challenges of a slow market and the necessity of maintaining an active pipeline of both candidates and clients.

Chris describes the current job market as having many openings, with clients sometimes being too selective or taking too long in the interview process, leading to candidates accepting other offers.

He praises Chobani for having an efficient recruitment process and the ability to expedite decisions when needed, contrasting it with other clients who may take longer.

Client Relationships and Recruitment Processes

Chris elaborates on the importance of having a supportive and efficient recruitment process, using Chobani as an example of a client with a well-organized system.

He mentions the role of coordinators in managing the recruitment process, which helps in expediting decisions and keeping candidates updated.

Jim and Chris discuss the benefits of having a supportive and efficient recruitment process, with Chobani being a gold standard in this regard.

Chris shares his appreciation for having Chobani as a main client, noting their growth and acquisitions, and expresses a wish for more clients like them.

Impact of COVID-19 and Candidate Expectations

Chris notes the significant impact of COVID-19 on candidate expectations, particularly the desire for remote or hybrid work arrangements.

He observes that newer candidates prefer not to work on the manufacturing floor and often leave jobs quickly for career growth, unlike older generations who valued stability.

Chris emphasizes the importance of patience and performance in career growth, advising newer candidates to be patient and produce results before seeking promotions.

Jim and Chris discuss the misconception that there is a lack of workforce for manufacturing jobs, with Chris believing that a capable workforce can be found for any job.

Workforce Availability and Job Descriptions

Chris argues that there is always a workforce available for manufacturing jobs, despite the common narrative that there is a shortage.
He believes that if jobs were available in the U.S., the workforce would adapt and fill those roles.

Jim and Chris discuss the importance of detailed job descriptions to ensure candidates understand the requirements and fit for the job.

Chris shares his experience with remote roles and the challenges of attracting candidates who read the job description carefully, emphasizing the need for clear and accurate job postings.

Networking and Job Search Strategies

Chris advises job seekers to network on LinkedIn and connect with employees at companies they are interested in, increasing their chances of success.

He emphasizes the importance of reading job descriptions carefully and ensuring that candidates meet the requirements before applying.

Chris highlights the success of LinkedIn as a job board, noting its dominance over other job boards like CareerBuilder and Monster.

Jim and Chris discuss the importance of cutting through the noise of technology and making mea

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Right on cue, all the major media outlets are chiming in on how "manufacturing jobs aren't coming back," with claims that deindustrialization is somehow just a natural and wonderful thing for a wealthy economy.

Nonsense.

Your host with the most, Jim Vinoski, takes apart the "evidence" for those claims piece by piece, and then points out the elephant in the room: it's over-regulation that has caused the problems, and radical deregulation is needed to revitalize our industrial base.

A few highlights:
Wealthy countries naturally become service economies: hogwash
Manufacturing employment naturally drops as a country modernizes: nope
Productivity improvements explain all losses of US manufacturing jobs: uh-uh

Tune in for the whole priceless education!

Here are my last two Substack articles that I mentioned:
https://manufacturingtalks.substack.com/p/major-media-narrative-of-the-day
https://manufacturingtalks.substack.com/p/wealthy-nations-become-service-economies

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Rory has a stellar career's worth of know-how and insights, and he came guns-a-blazin' to fill us in on everything the wise manufacturing leader, executive, or owner needs to know to compete in today's marketplace.

Here are the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
03:00 - Rory's first day inside a factory
05:15 - the colossal importance of manufacturing
09:00 - the latest in manufacturing tech and what industry leaders need to know
12:40 - US manufacturers need to stop beating themselves up - we're the world's best innovators and designers
18:00 - the manufacturing workforce numbers shortfall and how we solve it
21:30 - how manufacturing and academia need to work together
26:00 - how to improve worker training and apprenticeship programs
31:45 - electrification and the super-cycle of innovation

And oh so much more! This is an information- and solution-rich episode, folks - one of our best ones ever!

Tune in for the whole thing.

Rory's "Igniting American Manufacturing" podcast: https://dailynewsnetwork.com/topics/shows/igniting-american-manufacturing/

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Martha is an economist with the Center of the American Experiment in Minneapolis, and she did a video a few months ago for PragerU about growing up in Malawi and how very different her life was there versus since she came to America for school then work.

I saw the video right as I was first starting with my now routine message about how manufacturers have to stop apologizing for what we do. Martha's even more fundamental message about how much we take for granted and how different people's circumstances are based on economic systems and basic freedoms really struck a nerve with me. So I invited her to deliver that message here on my show as well.

Here are the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
02:00 - Martha's childhood in Malawi
03:45 - her initial plan to go back home and work for the government
06:00 - why freedom and prosperity go hand in hand
08:45 - why blaming businesses for inequality is wrong
12:20 - how Malawi had less inequality - because almost everybody was poor
16:00 - the economics of plenty - Adam Smith's passage about self-interest
17:35 - the differences between starting a business in Malawi versus the US
20:50 - the differences that property rights bring
24:00 - service provision: private sector versus government
26:00 - Martha's current work in Minnesota

This one is so important. Too many people in the Western world have bought into the falsehoods about the evils of capitalism and the wonders of collectivism. Martha brings not theories, but real-world distinctions between the two systems and her own experiences living under each. Her message is a powerful one.

Tune in and take in the whole thing.

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For Episode 150, we wanted something really meaningful. Dan Meyer brought it.

Say you're in manufacturing and you can't find enough people to do the jobs you need done on your factory floor. (Sound familiar?)

Here's a thought: there is a whole class of people who are desperate for jobs, but because of a past bad decision, they're locked out of the very things they need to turn their lives around, with gainful employment being the biggest hurdle.

Want to give them a chance? Then tune in and hear just how to do it and why it's so important from one of the very first activists for second-chance hiring, Dan, who is founder and CEO of Nehemiah Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati.

Dan covers just how he was inspired to hire the formerly incarcerated, his early challenges and how he overcame them, and what second chance hiring does for people, businesses, and the community.

Here are the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
01:45 - Dan's corporate background with P&G, Pepsico, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and his founding of his first company, Changing Paradigms
03:00 - selling that company and founding Nehemiah Manufacturing
06:30 - challenged to hire a felon: did it, but after the first few, started losing them
07:30 - hiring a social worker to solve that problem
09:30 - Nehemiah's pillars, including building community, affordable housing, and legal support
13:45 - now have 170 second-chance employees, with turnover of 15%
18:20 - getting other companies to buy in, including Kroger
21:00 - "people don't change" - why that's a myth
23:30 - educational help and Nehemiah U
25:00 - addressing fears of liability or violence - not a problem
28:00 - if you need more info, reach out to Dan

There is much, much more, and every bit of it is critical. Tune in and check it all out!

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Episode 149 features longtime leader from the Department of Energy and now CEO of CURIO Ed McGinnis talking about safely and profitably reprocessing all the "waste" nuclear fuel we have collecting at our many nuclear reactor sites across the country. It turns out most of it can be made into new fuel, and what remains - 3-4% - can be safely disposed of in boreholes.

Ed tells us all that and how the reprocessed fuel not only makes new fuel, but also much-needed isotopes and rare metals as well, and as a result the CURIO process can be very profitable.

Here are the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
01:15 - Ed's thirty years with the DOE
05:15 - the public's understanding of nuclear energy
11:00 - President Carter's ban on nuclear waste reprocessing
14:30 - the CURIO opportunities
15:45 - the problem with PUREX, the old method of reprocessing: it makes weapons-grade plutonium
17:30 - oh, and it uses nitric acid
19:15 - one person's waste is another person's treasure
20:45 - CURIO's way to reduce waste to a 3-4% remnant
22:15 - storage requirements for the remnant
23:30 - isotopes and metals extraction
27:00 - CURIO provides two types of fuel: uranium and proliferation-safe plutonium
33:00 - using the uranium in existing reactors
35:30 - 2-3 scale-ups for CURIO, and full commercialization by 2035
37:00 - using the SpaceX model

There is a whole whale of a lot of detail to all this, so please do tune in for the whole discussion. This is a vital topic for our skyrocketing energy needs and protecting the environment.

Subscribe, please - and like and comment too! Share it with your friends.

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Tony Demakis is one of those sons of a manufacturing-related business owner who didn't want to take over from his dad.

Until he did.

Now he runs Alliance Specialties/Alliance Laser Sales, and has great insights on how to succeed in our corner of the business world and how to build a great team.

He's also a fellow manufacturing show host, with his Manufacturing Alliance Podcast.

So it was great fun hearing his takes on everything from how he landed back in the family trade to his faith to his vision for leadership both inside and outside of work.

Here are the highlights.

Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
02:45 - did not like his dad's shop
04:00 - how he came back to work for his father
06:15 - how he started his podcast
07:15 - an early partnership with Bales Metal Surface Solutions
10:00 - what Alliance does
12:00 - how to build great people
15:00 - talking faith
20:15 - American-made
27:45 - looking to the past for what's needed now
31:45 - business is back!
32:45 - the strong survive
34:45 - tell your story!

And there's plenty more where that came from!

Tune in and check out the whole thing. Share it with your friends! Follow us on LinkedIn, and subscribe and sign up for alerts for future shows!

A couple of helpful links:

Alliance Specialties/Alliance Laser Sales: https://alliancelasersales.com/

The Manufacturing Alliance Podcast: https://alliancelasersales.com/tmfgalliance/

The book I mentioned in our discussion, *Freedom's Forge:* https://tinyurl.com/sr7sp3k7