Welcome to the first in a series of “Talk Shop”; open-ended, casual conversations with leaders in the industrial sector. This video will feature Nicole Wolter, president, and CEO of HM Manufacturing to give fresh insight into her role and ways of achieving success in 21st-century industrial manufacturing.

HM Manufacturing is a second-generation producer of shafts, gears, and timing belt pulleys. They mostly work in the food processing, beverage packaging, healthcare, aerospace, and defense industries. With a young and active workforce consisting of an average age of 32, energy and vigor are integral to the culture of HM Manufacturing. When Nicole first started when the company was headed by her father, she worked in multiple roles to learn multiple facets of the business and was able to put herself in the shoes of those she works with every day.

For any young person wanting to get into the industry, find a mentor through a myriad of programs available out there; training, internships, and mentorships can be garnered. It can be especially challenging for young women, especially in a heavily male-dominated industry, but as Nicole has mentioned there is still that path to success in getting involved, so long as you are not intimidated. For companies trying to attract a younger audience into the field, using social media and getting involved in the community is often the best way. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc. you’d be surprised by the amount of success you can garner from these platforms.

Adapting to different trends and marketing strategies will ultimately make you successful in any field, especially in industrial manufacturing. One of these other trends has been using flex time or allowing employees to make their own schedules during the core work time. Especially with a mass number of workers “resigning” from the work practices of the last century, being flexible with employees allows greater retention for employees, while also managing well within the framework of meeting production demands. It all depends on the employee too, shop floor employees require more time on-site, office employees can go hybrid, and salespeople can be using more time on the road with clients. Find what works best for you; what suits a larger company may not fit for a smaller company and visa-versa.

As we’re entering a post-pandemic period, partners and customers are allowing visitors back in for sales and ramping up work and competition. Having those personal connections to be able to communicate beyond just sales builds better connections between people - connections that are sorely needed in order to establish partnerships. The same phenomenon is occurring in trade shows, where a lot of connections can be made very quickly in order to make lasting partnerships and sales. There is also credence to virtual sales over door-to-door selling, as through virtual channels there isn’t the expectation from customers and prospects from being disturbed during their busy work schedules.

Adaptability comes with the fact that you also need to be omnipresent in today’s day in age. Use a variety of tactics, see what works, and be in front of your customer through multiple channels and mediums in order to maximize brand awareness.

#womeninmanufacturing  #industrialmarketing  #manufacturingmarketing 

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