Zimmer Design & Manufacturing, an ITAR-registered AS9100 Contract Manufacturing machine shop in Austin, TX, has experienced remarkable growth—70% since its launch in 2020. 

Founder Adam Zimmer started the company in his garage, crafting cigar stands and ashtrays as a hobby with a manual lathe and mill. A pivotal moment came when he purchased equipment and customers from a friend closing his shop, which set the stage for his transition into a thriving business. 

From day one, Adam knew he wanted to scale, so he invested in ProShop ERP for its functionality, scalability, and affordability. Today, with a team of 11, ProShop underpins every part of their operation, from quoting and processing to training and tool management.

Adam credits ProShop for making growth and organization seamless, enabling streamlined systems that have become the backbone of his success. The ERP’s documentation and workflows even simplified their AS9100 certification process. 

As a programmer and machinist, Adam’s focus on automation and efficiency has been key to scaling the business, and he emphasizes the role of delegation in balancing work and family life. With ProShop as the foundation, Zimmer Design & Manufacturing is not only thriving but also on track to achieve another year of explosive growth in 2025.

LinkedIn - Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-zimmer-5b806b152/

Zimmer Design and Manufacturing - https://www.zimmermanufacturing.com/

Audio and Video Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

In this episode of Manufacturing Transformed, Brannon McKinney, General Manager at Faircloth Machine Shop, shares the incredible evolution of a small repair shop into an AS9100-certified leader in aerospace manufacturing. 

When Brannon joined Faircloth 16 years ago, fresh out of community college, the shop had just eight employees and relied on conventional machines and a homemade ERP system. Today, with the help of ProShop ERP, they’ve streamlined operations, embraced innovation, and achieved certifications that transformed their business. 

Brannon discusses how ProShop became an essential part of their journey—simplifying scheduling, enhancing tool tracking, and making the AS9100 certification process seamless. 

You’ll hear how Faircloth leverages technology, fosters collaboration, and cultivates a team culture that drives success. Whether you're curious about ERP systems, certifications, or scaling a manufacturing business, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

LinkedIn - Brannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brannon-mckinney-a6666b87/

Faircloth Machine: https://fairclothmachine.com/

Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

This third-generation precision machining business is thriving and growing thanks to a well-executed vision, a focus on culture, and the adoption of the best technology, like ProShop ERP. The transformation that CARR Machine has seen in the past five years has been nothing short of remarkable.  Jim and Ryan are aligned in the vision of the company, they use their core values to drive the hiring, firing and alignment of their team, and along with a strong marketing focus, they have grown considerably, entering new markets, expanding their facility and moving from a low volume industrial shop to a high volume aerospace and defense contract manufacturer.  Enjoy the inspiring story in this episode. LinkedIn - Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-carr-6231a858/

LinkedIn - Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmycarr/

LinkedIn - CARR: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carr-machine-&-tool-inc-/ Instagram - CARR: https://www.instagram.com/carrmachine/

Website: https://carrmachine.com/

In this episode, we sit down with John Zmuda, President of Moseys Production Machinists, to uncover how his team revolutionized their operations by ditching outdated manual processes. From the frustrations of late-night spreadsheet marathons to unlocking double-digit growth, John shares the transformative impact of adopting modern ERP and QMS software.

Learn how transitioning to a machine shop ERP system gave Moseys the tools to streamline workflows, improve customer communication, and free up time for strategic growth. Hear firsthand how Joanna, the company’s customer service lead, shifted from time-consuming order entry to proactive client engagement.

John also dives into how automation and digitization have boosted team morale, attracted younger talent, and created a culture of innovation and collaboration. Discover the hidden costs of manual workflows and why investing in modern tools is essential for thriving in today’s competitive manufacturing landscape.

If you’re still juggling spreadsheets and paper trails, this episode will inspire you to rethink how you run your business. Don’t miss it!

👉 Tune in to learn how modern ERP can unlock your shop’s potential. Follow John and Moseys Production Machinists Personal LI: /john-zmuda-7725bb3b/ Company LI: /moseys-cnc-machine-shop/ Website: https://moseys.com/ 

17. Manufacturing Transformed This Man’s Life with Daniel Anglemyer from Hibshman Screw Machine Daniel went to work on a hog farm at the age of 12 for $5/hr. With family members in jail for drugs, great job options weren’t plentiful. But after getting a job at a machine shop, and eventually landing at Hibshman Screw Machine Products, Daniel has flourished, meeting his wife, buying a home, moving into management, and having a huge positive impact on Hibshman and his team. And Daniel clearly has a knack for leadership, sharing many principles and much wisdom by which he leads. ProShop has been an accelerator to their success in the past couple of years, which is usually the main topic of Manufacturing Transformed episodes, but this is a more fundamentally significant transformation which I am grateful that Daniel shares with us all. I hope this reaches people who are outside of manufacturing and who can see what positive impact a manufacturing career with a fantastic company can provide! About Hibshman Screw Machine: Hibshman Screw Machine Products, Inc. is a major screw machine products manufacturer and supplier in the Midwest area, supported by our most important assets; knowledgeable employees, courteous service and a host of satisfied customers. It is the goal of Hibshman Screw Machine Products, Inc. to provide total customer satisfaction by continuously improving our products, quality processes, and services. Follow Daniel and Hibshman Screw Machine on Social Media: Personal LI: /daniel-anglemyer Company LI: /hibshman-screw-machine-product Website: www.hibshman.com

16. 4x Growth In 4 Years with Kevin Richards from JJR Fabrication Kevin and Bryan Richards took a chance opportunity to build a few parts for another business and realized the potential to have a viable business. Today they have a rapidly growing precision machining and fabrication company selling high-value aerospace assemblies. Their success can be traced to amazing leadership, but also a dedicated commitment to lean principles and incredible implementation of ProShop ERP. One of the best results of having such a lean and efficient system is Kevin can spend his day growing his team, planning out strategy for the future and investing in people which is the part of the business he loves the most. About JJR Engineering and Fabrication: JJR Engineering and Fabrication is a complete engineering and manufacturing facility located in the Puget Sounds Aerospace region. Providing high quality parts to the Aerospace, Satellite, Marine, Industrial and Medical industries. We can support your needs from prototyping to full production. Follow Kevin and JJR on Social Media: Personal LI: /kevin-richards Company LI: /jjr-engineering-and-fabrication Website: www.jjrfabrication.com

15. Building a Company with ProShop as the Foundation with Nick Preece from PMA Nick Preece has a deep passion for machining which he stumbled up on while watching YouTube videos of machining while he was an engineering student. After deciding to buy a machine to make parts as a hobby, he realized he needed to earn some revenue just to pay for his hobby. 6 years later, he has a thriving AS9100 certified precision machining company, Preece Machine & Assembly, doing high-end work for discerning clients in regulated industries.  After a few years they decided they needed a better ERP system that integrated their QMS in a way that their prior ERP, Fulcrum, did not. Now having been on ProShop for 2 years, Nick describes it as the foundation of their entire business and the system they are building every aspect of their company on. About PMA: Established in 2018, Preece Machining and Assembly (PMA) is a precision CNC machining and milling shop. Our clients create the industries of: aerospace, satellite, defense, optoelectronic, semiconductor, medical science, biomedical research, as well as automotive, food and beverage. Specializing in rapid prototyping, low volume production machining, featuring very tight tolerances and exotic materials, we handle projects of any upfront cost or quantity. We command the technical expertise to fabricate very complex, intricate parts. Certified ISO 9001, ITAR and AS9100 (in-process), PMA is winning [epic] growth in aerospace and health technology. Follow Nick and PMA on Social Media: Personal LI: /nick-preece Company LI: /preece Website: www.machineandassembly.com FB: https: /machineandassembly IG: /pma_llc

14. A One Man Machining Army with CJ Abraham from PPD CJ is a humble and extraordinarily capable guy. He can keep a CNC machine running literally 24/7 for 6 weeks straight without a minute of downtime. But he spins self deprecating jokes about not running a legitimate business. That’s one of the most endearing qualities about CJ. In this really interesting conversation CJ shares why he bought ProShop as a 1 person company, and how it helps keep him from hiring several people just to keep up with the high volume of work and data his company creates. His main customer calls him a One Man Machining Army, which seems like an apt description when you learn about the incredible business he runs today and the volume of parts his machines spit out on a daily basis. It’s a great lesson on how little details and systems can be stacked to produce extraordinary results! About PPD: We offer fully automated, 24/7 lights-out machining with the ability to finish "6-sided" milled components in a single operation from round bar. With automatic material handling, we maintain tolerances down to +/-.0002" (+/-.005mm) in a temperature-controlled environment. Our one-piece-flow process adapts to any quantity, from 10 to 10,000 pieces. Finishing includes deburring, tumbling, ultrasonic cleaning, and drying, with options for anodizing, nickel, cadmium, and gold plating. We conduct first-article and in-process inspections with advanced equipment. Through ProShop ERP, we ensure ISO9001 and AS9100 compliance, manage certifications, and track equipment calibration. Follow CJ and PPD on Social Media: Personal LI: /cjabraham Company LI: /precision-product-development-llc Website: www.ppd-llc.com

13. You’re Never Too Small for an ERP with Tom Rougeux from RX Industries Tom is the owner of RX Industries, a precision machining company serving high-end markets from Hilton Head Island SC. In his previous job, he had been an implementer of SAP for more than 5 years, so he had the battle scars to prove that he knew what he did and didn’t want from the ERP system he’d use for the company he had just bought. After much research, he decided to invest in ProShop before the company was even open for business. And Tom firmly believes that it’s worth looking past the functionality of an ERP and whether or not those functions could be satisfactorily covered with spreadsheets at the earliest days of a company. He shares his thoughts about why a shop that wants to differentiate themselves needs to consider the right ERP in the early days. About RX Industries: RX Industries is the Palmetto State's first CNC shop powered by the ProShop ERP MES QMS system. We specialize in close tolerance, multi-axis CNC machining for the Space, Military and Aerospace industries. Our CNC equipment consists of new, DMG-Mori 5-axis mills and turn/mill lathes with 9-axes of machining capability. New Tsugami Swiss machining centers with 5 axis capabilities and we have invested in palletized automatic production and robotic loading/unloading for unattended machining. RX Industries has a 2020 Zeiss CMM for Quality Control, running Calypso software. We use Esprit CAM and SolidWorks CAD. We are ITAR registered, CMMC Level 2 Compliant, We are ISO9001 Certified and AS9100 compliant and carry 06, 07 & SOT FFL licensure. Follow Tom and RX Industries on Social Media: Personal LI: /tomrougeux Company LI: /rx-industries Website: www.rxind.com Facebook: /rxind

12. How to Cut Metal More Often, Solo Episode with Paul Van Metre There are a lot of roadblocks to cutting metal as much as we’d all want to in our shops.  From not having the right material on hand, to setups that take WAY too long.  In this solo episode, Paul talks about a question he was asked about how ProShop can actually help increase the value-added time of cutting chips. When companies can make a meaningful improvement in this area, it can be a powerful force for transformation. Give a listen to see if your issues made the list. Follow Paul and ProShop ERP on Social Media: Personal Li: /paulvanmetre Company Li: /proshoperp Website: www.proshoperp.com YouTube: /ProShopERP FB: /ProShopERP IG: /proshoperp X: /proshoperp