Rust Belt Rundown

Joining us this week on the Rundown is Miguel Lugo, the Chief Operating Officer at E.C Kitzel and Sons.

In this episode, Miguel shares with us his inspiring story of career advancement in the manufacturing industry from general laborer to COO. 

Listen in to hear what E.C Kitzel and Sons does, how Miguel approaches his role as COO, and his advice for career advancement and leadership. He and Paul also discuss Miguel being named a Crain’s Newsmaker of the Year in 2021 and what that career milestone was like. 

When asked to shout out his favorite food spots, Miguel names Das Schnitzel Haus, Mizu Sushi, and Number One Pho.

Connect with Miguel Lugo on LinkedIn.

It’s the 50th episode of the Rust Belt Rundown! On this episode we are joined by Art Oestrike, the Founder of Jackie O’s Brewery. 

Our host, Paul O’Connor, had the unique opportunity to record this episode at Jackie O’s On Fourth in Columbus, Ohio! This location is currently a carryout storefront but construction is underway for the inside bar and outdoor patio and they are scheduled to open in the near future. Check out the full video of the episode here. 

Jackie O’s Brewery originated in Athens, Ohio, the home of Ohio University. Art, as well as our host, Paul, are proud OU alumni, making this episode a must listen for any OU alum or fans of Jackie O’s!

In this episode, Art details his entrepreneurial ventures, starting with his purchase of Bagel Street Deli, another Athens staple. He tells us stories of his family and how they helped to inspire Jackie O’s. Paul and Art reflect on what makes Athens and Jackie O’s so special. He also shares with us what goes into the production and distribution of their beer and how he and his team have been able to successfully scale Jackie O’s to what it is today and what the new Columbus location has in store. 

When asked if he could only pick one Athens restaurant to eat at for the rest of his life, his quick answer was Purple Chopstix. Check out Jackie O’s website and Instagram for updates on the official opening date of their Fourth Street location.

This week we are joined by Jack Schron, President of Jergens, Inc., a global manufacturing leader in workholding, lifting and specialty fasteners products. 

In this episode Jack tells us about his extensive career with Jergens, what it’s like to work for a family-owned business and how his military experience influenced his leadership style. He also tells us the story of his innovative ideas around the inception of Tooling U-SME. 

Jack and Paul discuss trends in the manufacturing industry, Jack’s role as a Councilman for Cuyahoga County and how county government lends a hand in creating a successful workforce ecosystem.

As a Chagrin Falls native, Jack’s top culinary picks are Batuqui, 17 River Grille, M Italian, and JoJo’s Bar. 
Connect with Jack Schron on LinkedIn.

This week on the Rundown we are joined by Ned Hill. Ned is a Professor of Economic Development in Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs. He is also a faculty member of The Ohio Manufacturing Institute, which is housed within OSU’s College of Engineering.

Listen in as Paul and Ned discuss economic development in relation to regional planning and what cities need to do to attract remote workers back downtown. They also debate public transportation and the current housing market. Ned offers us some insight on the strategies that the Ohio Manufacturing Institute is implementing to solve manufacturers’ greatest technical and workforce challenges.

Ned has lived in both Columbus and Cleveland and when asked for his favorite places to eat, Pierre’s, Mitchell’s, and Graeter’s were his top picks for dessert. 

Connect with Ned Hill on LinkedIn.

On this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we are joined by Brian Krusz. Brian is the Founder of Sgt. Clean Car Wash, a premier car wash chain that has proudly served Northeast Ohio since 2013. As a former Marine, Brian emphasizes that Sgt. Clean is proudly Veteran owned and operated. 

Listen in as he shares with us why he chose the Marines and how he got started in the car wash industry. He also tells us how Sgt. Clean has achieved their mission of changing the face of car washes. They created a company culture, invested in their employees, created opportunities for advancement and most importantly, became a catalyst in the communities that they serve. 

When asked for a restaurant recommendation, his answer couldn’t be more fitting. For a car guy that is always driving around Northeast Ohio, no one caters to him better than Sheetz!

Connect with Brian Krusz on LinkedIn and visit sgtclean.com to see their locations and where they are expanding to soon. 

Michael Ciatto joins us on this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown! Michael is the SVP and Supply Chain Service Line CEO at Genpact, a global professional services firm.

Michael talks about his experience at Dickinson College and how it connected him to mentors and offered him a more global perspective. Those experiences, along with the Rust Belt work ethic he inherited from his family, helped to shape his mindset and launch his career. He got his start in operations and supply chain management with a private equity group that then led to his role with Genpact.

Michael tells us about his role with Genpact and the different ways that they serve their clients. He also offers his expertise on global supply chain trends and predictions. He touches on subjects such as how COVID highlighted the volatility of supply chains, geopolitical factors that affect supply chains and trends around reshoring.

Michael is based in Austin so of course we asked him for his best BBQ recommendations. Franklin Barbecue, la Barbecue, or Terry Black’s BBQ were his top choices.

Interested in keeping up with current trends and news around supply chains? Connect with Michael on LinkedIn!

On this episode of the Rust Belt Rundown, we are joined by Nick Kasik, Director of Operations at the Hermanson Company. With over 30 years of experience as a construction executive, Nick has poured his experience and passion into “making the trades cool again”.

Listen in as he shares the mission of his non-profit group, Working Class, and the different mediums they use to help young people explore the skilled trades. He also offers us insight on his role at the Hermanson Company and his work with the National Association of Construction Professionals.

Nick is our first West Coast guest! If you find yourself in Oregon, he recommends Buster’s Barbecue for old-school, Texas-style, BBQ. Check out Working Class online for more information and connect with Nick Kasik on LinkedIn.

We have a special episode this week on the Rust Belt Rundown! We are joined by Taylor Evans and Nate Stansberry as they introduce us to their newest venture, Workforce Strategy Partners.

Rust Belt Recruiting has just reached five years of business under Workforce LLC and the family of companies is expanding to include WSP. WSP is a talent management consultancy that delivers processes and strategies to employers to optimize their internal efforts around the attraction, selection and integration of top talent.

In this episode, Taylor and Nate share with us their entrepreneurial inspiration behind starting WSP and the shared value it has with the RBR brand. They also share what type of clients they are aiming to partner with and the impact they want to make for them.

Interested in what WSP has to offer? Reach out to Taylor Evans or Nate Stansberry on LinkedIn and follow WSP for regular updates on all things workforce strategy!

This week we are joined by Harry Moser, the Founder of Reshoring Initiative. Reshoring Initiative is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to spread the “return-manufacturing-home” message to help manufacturers realize that America is an advantageous place to produce goods.

He tells us the story of his personal experiences that inspired him to start this industry-led initiative in early 2010 and why offshoring was not the best choice for many companies in the long-term. He also explains why bringing their message to the mainstream is essential to helping manufacturers achieve success in a time of uncertainty due to factors such as COVID-19, natural disasters and political strife. He also speaks on the importance of fostering the skilled trades and why “Manufacturing Is Cool” is the message that they want to emphasize.

Connect with Harry Moser in LinkedIn to keep up with industry trends and to see how Reshoring Initiative’s expertise can help your company succeed!