In this episode of Shop Talk, host Dean Halonen sits down with Ken Hannem, Project Manager at D&K Powder Coating in Mankato, MN — a shop recognized for its quick turnaround, exceptional quality, and disciplined approach to margins.

The discussion dives deep into job costing — how to balance fair margins with competitive pricing and use real costing data to catch margin leaks early. Ken explains how D&K decides when to improve a process versus when to adjust pricing, builds customer trust by staying fair (and even lowering prices when it makes sense), and keeps the shop accountable with accurate time tracking.

From protecting capacity for high-value customers to paying people well while staying profitable, Ken breaks down job costing in practical, plain-spoken terms.

Shop Talk brings you authentic conversations with manufacturers — real shops, real results.