Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories

We know what precision looks like on the shop floor. A part either meets the print or it doesn't. But when I look at the business surrounding that part—quoting, scheduling, purchasing, job costing—I see opportunities to bring that same level of discipline to how a shop runs. That's the idea behind my new book, Precision Manufacturing, Precision Business.

I didn't arrive at that idea by getting everything right. I started Pro CNC with five friends, one machine, and very little experience running a business. When our aerospace work dried up after 9/11, we came close to losing the shop. Getting through it forced us to become more deliberate about sales, processes, and the information our team needed to do its work.

Since then, I've had hundreds of conversations with shop owners through this podcast, Machine Shop Mastery, and MakingChips. They've shared what worked, what failed, and what they wish they'd understood sooner. I wrote the book to bring those lessons together with my own; more than 50 people I've spoken with are quoted in it.

In this episode, I'll share how the book came together and take you through some of its big themes, from knowing your numbers and building a sales process to developing your team and creating a business that can thrive beyond your day-to-day involvement.

• Precision Manufacturing, Precision Business: https://disciplinetoprofit.com/
• Get the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGNLFB2C
• ProShop ERP: https://proshoperp.com/
• The E-Myth Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

I sat down with Kody Guidry of Coastal Machine & Supply for a conversation that was both fun and really meaningful. I've known Kody and the Coastal team for years now, and it has been incredible to watch their transformation from a 30-person oil and gas machine shop into a 60-person precision manufacturing company serving oil and gas, space, aerospace, and defense.

In this episode, Kody shares how Coastal made the decision to diversify after the oil and gas downturn, pursued AS9100 and ITAR, and slowly but persistently built its way into new markets. We talk about how ProShop helped free up the team's time, improve visibility, support customer audits, and give Coastal the digital backbone it needed to execute at a higher level. Kody also shares the story of how one aerospace opportunity started with a supplier referral, then turned into a year of persistent follow-up before finally becoming real work.

This is a conversation about preparation, execution, and persistence. Coastal didn't stumble into aerospace and defense by accident. They built the foundation, showed customers they were a lower-risk supplier, and kept showing up until the opportunity came. Now, with new partners, major growth plans, and a renewed focus on hard-metal manufacturing, Coastal is aiming to become one of the premier space and defense manufacturing companies in the country.

Resources Mentioned

• Coastal Machine & Supply: https://coastalmachinesupply.com/
• Kody Guidry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kodyguidry
• Coastal Machine & Supply on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coastal-machine-%26-supply-inc-
• ProShop ERP: https://proshoperp.com/
• Medora Manufacturing's investment in Coastal Machine & Supply: https://coastalmachinesupply.com/medora-manufacturing-makes-long-term-majority-investment-in-coastal-machine-and-supply-inc/
• SpaceX Starbase Louisiana announcement: https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/news/spacex-launches-new-era-of-commercial-spaceflight-with-100-billion-louisiana-campus
• AS9100 standard: https://www.sae.org/standards/content/as9100d/
• ITAR / DDTC: https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public

I sat down with Jason Davis of D&D Enterprises for a conversation about what happens when a shop replaces constant schedule chasing with real visibility. D&D is a 50-year family-owned CNC machining business in central North Carolina that started with a manual mill and lathe in a small building behind Jason's family home.

Today, they have around 50 employees, more than 30 machines, 50,000 square feet, and a strong mix of machining, assembly, and value-added manufacturing work.

In this episode, Jason shares how D&D moved from an older ERP system and a magnetic scheduling board to a more connected, digital workflow with ProShop. We talk about how better scheduling visibility helped improve on-time delivery, reduce firefighting, and give the team more flexibility to drop in hot orders without throwing the whole shop into chaos.

Jason also shares how tablets helped with shop floor adoption, how customer service can now answer status questions faster, and why traceability, in-process checks, and an integrated QMS have become powerful tools for customers, audits, and new employees.

Resources Mentioned

• D&D Enterprises of Greensboro: https://www.ddent-usa.com/
• Jason Davis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-davis-42100144
• D&D Enterprises on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/d-d-enterprises-of-greensboro-inc
• The Manufacturing Blueprint: https://makingchips.com/show/the-manufacturing-blueprint/
• The Manufacturing Blueprint on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-manufacturing-blueprint/id1890538328
• The Manufacturing Blueprint on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33AYsvEacof5EuGgyUJz3L
• ProShop ERP: https://proshoperp.com/

I sat down with Phil Miller of Star Machine for a conversation that really captures what makes this industry so special. Phil's story starts long before CNC machining, back when he was a kid standing on a five-gallon bucket in his dad's shop, running a drill press and learning the feel, smell, and satisfaction of making things. Growing up Amish, technology wasn't a normal part of daily life for him, but once he found machining, he dove all the way in.

In this episode, Phil shares how he went from working in a local machine shop to starting Star Machine on his family property, originally running CNC machines on generator power. We talk about building a business around core values, hiring for attitude and training for skill, giving young people opportunities to grow, and why ProShop became such an important part of documenting tribal knowledge, managing repeat work, and helping the shop scale. It's a thoughtful, honest conversation about entrepreneurship, faith, culture, people, and building a shop that stands for more than just making parts.

Resources Mentioned

• Star Machine LLC: https://www.starmachinellc.com/
• Phil Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-miller-979158288
• Star Machine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/star-machine-llc
• ProShop ERP: https://proshoperp.com/
• IMTS: https://www.imts.com/
• DN Solutions: https://www.dn-solutions.com/
• Autodesk Fusion: https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
• First State Bank of Middlebury: https://www.bfirst.bank/
• Adult & Teen Challenge: https://teenchallengeusa.org/

I've known the team at Flying S for close to nine years now, and every time I reconnect with them, I'm amazed by how much they've grown. What started in a farm hangar in rural Illinois has turned into a 285,000-square-foot aerospace manufacturing operation with around 170 people, about 50 CNC machines, advanced composites, machining, assembly, and some seriously impressive work happening under one roof.

In this episode, I sit down with Cody Yager to talk about the systems behind that growth. We dig into their move from paper travelers and Excel-based scheduling to a more connected, paperless operation with ProShop. We cover how they manage drawing revisions and traceability, how they use training records to support AS9100 and CMMC readiness, and how time tracking notes help improve quoting and future jobs.

We also talk about lights-out machining, workforce development, interns, community outreach, and what it looks like to build an aerospace company in the middle of cornfields.

• Flying S: https://www.flying-s.com/
• Cody Yager on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-yager-3b9a6066
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: https://illinois.edu/
• Vincennes University CNC Machining Program: https://www.vinu.edu/

How does a 38-person aerospace shop process thousands of work orders a year without letting paperwork, handoffs, and daily firefighting take over? I sat down with Hunter Russell of Low Country Aerospace to unpack the systems behind their remarkable growth.

With roughly a dozen CNC machines, waterjets, routers, and a press brake, the team is on track to process nearly 12,000 work orders this year, all while maintaining the responsiveness and quality their customers count on.

Hunter shares how Low Country Aerospace moved from paper travelers and disconnected processes to a fully digital, paperless operation with ProShop. We talk about building a team that takes ownership, using risk-based quoting to stay in their lane, stocking material for speed and recovery, and creating clear digital and physical workflows that keep jobs moving.

This is a conversation about what happens when great people are given great systems: less chaos, more confidence, and a shop built to scale.

Resources Mentioned

• Low Country Aerospace: https://www.lowcountryaerospace.com/
• Hunter Russell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-russell-795a871b3
• Machine Shop Mastery 117 with Barry Russell: https://machineshopmastery.com/episode/117-12000-work-orders-a-year-managing-growth-with-systems-that-work/

In this episode of Manufacturing Transformed, I sat down with Brock Graves from Quick Drive Racing, a small family-owned business building incredibly high-end drivetrain components for serious horsepower. We're talking drag racing, monster trucks, and applications designed to handle 3,000+ horsepower. As a lifelong motorhead, this was a really fun one for me.

What I loved about this conversation is that Quick Drive's story is about much more than racing. Brock, his brother, and his dad recognized that as their business grew, spreadsheets, CAM notes, and tribal knowledge weren't going to give them the structure they needed for the next chapter.

After bringing on ProShop, they were able to organize their processes, improve planning, get better control of inventory and purchasing, and then move aggressively toward AS9100 certification.

Within just a few months, they went from racing-focused manufacturing to opening the door to aerospace. It's a great example of how a small shop can make a big, intentional pivot when the right systems and mindset are in place.

• Brock Graves on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brockgraves
• Quick Drive Racing: https://quickdriveracing.com
• ProShop ERP: https://proshoperp.com
• Space Symposium: https://www.spacesymposium.org
• PRI Show: https://www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow
• Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions: https://www.roushyatesmfg.com
• The Checklist Manifesto: https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000
• The E-Myth Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

I've been looking forward to this conversation for a long time. Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions has been a ProShop customer since late 2018, and in a lot of ways, our two companies have grown up together. When we first started working with them, RYMS was a 35-person manufacturing operation tied closely to the legendary Roush Yates Engines business, known for building high-performance Ford NASCAR engines. Today, they've grown to around 115 employees and have evolved into a world-class contract manufacturer serving industries like aerospace, defense, space, medical, and motorsports.

In this episode, I sit down with Todd English, CEO of Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, to talk about that transformation. We get into how they moved from paper, spreadsheets, and internal engine work into a highly organized, digitally connected, and compliance-driven operation. Todd shares how ProShop has supported their growth, improved visibility on the shop floor, strengthened traceability and compliance, and helped them continue operating with the precision, speed, and attention to detail you'd expect from a company rooted in racing.

• Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions: https://roushyatesmfg.com/
• Roush Yates Engines: https://roushyates.com/
• Todd English on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-english-b5439948
• Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roush-yates-manufacturing-solutions
• Roush Yates Shop Tour on ProShop: https://proshoperp.com/proshoperp-video/roush-yates-shop-tour/

Every once in a while, I record an episode that sticks with me long after the microphones are turned off. This was one of those conversations.

I sat down with Alex Mazerolle from Archer Precision expecting to talk about ERP systems, process control, and shop management. Instead, we ended up unpacking something much bigger: what it really looks like to build a modern machine shop around clarity, accountability, systems, and people.

Alex shares how Archer Precision evolved from a small shop acquisition into a highly disciplined manufacturing company serving aerospace, medical, and military customers around the world, all while pursuing what he calls a "glass box" approach to manufacturing.

We dive deep into the lessons learned from trying to build a custom ERP system, why they ultimately embraced ProShop ERP as the operating system of their business, and how standardization has transformed everything from customer communication to employee confidence on the shop floor.

What really stood out to me, though, was Alex's perspective on leadership, workforce development, and creating an environment where machinists can thrive instead of constantly firefighting. This episode originally also aired on Machine Shop Mastery as Episode 115 because there was simply too much gold in this conversation not to share with both audiences.

• Alex Mazerolle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mazerolle-09279946/
• https://www.archerprecision.ca/
• BDC (Business Development Canada): https://www.bdc.ca/en
• CTMA: https://ctma.com/
• The E-Myth Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

What happens when you leave a stable career, bet on yourself, and commit to building a shop the right way from day one?

In this episode of Manufacturing Transformed, Chris Schutte from Rise Industries shares how he turned a two-machine startup into a rapidly growing medical and aerospace supplier in just a few short years. Starting as a one-man operation, Chris focused on surrounding himself with trusted, highly skilled people, many of whom he had worked with before—creating a team that could execute at a high level from the beginning.

But growth didn't come from people alone. Chris made early investments in systems, structure, and certifications that positioned the company for long-term success. From moving beyond spreadsheets to fully embracing ProShop, to earning ISO 9001, AS9100, and ISO 13485 certifications in rapid succession, Rise Industries built a foundation that could support serious customers and complex work.

The payoff? Major opportunities—including a game-changing medical implant project that landed immediately after certification. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to scale quickly, stay organized, and build a shop that's ready for the next level.

• Rise Industries: https://www.riseinds.com
• Christian Schutte: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-schutte-3a1121220/