The Kula Ring

What happens when your company not only builds a better product, but creates a whole new category?

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie speak with Florian Neugue, Regional Marketing Manager for North America at A-Safe. Florian explains how A-Safe pioneered polymer safety barriers that flex and return, replacing traditional steel barriers in industrial facilities.

The conversation explores the power of category design in manufacturing markets. Florian outlines why redefining the problem is the first step to building a new category, how marketers must balance education with demand capture, and why patience is critical when shaping how buyers think about safety solutions.

From forklift safety and operational costs to market maturity frameworks and industry standards, this episode offers a practical look at how category creators build long-term market leadership.

How do you market a company that can’t always show what it makes?

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Alex Dove, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist at August Electronics, shares her unconventional path from sales into manufacturing marketing. With a background in textiles, furniture, and drapery manufacturing, Alex brings both inside and outside sales experience to her role, blending data-driven thinking with deep relationship building.

Alex explains how August Electronics, a low-to-mid volume contract electronics manufacturer based in Alberta, markets partnership over product in a horizontally aligned industry. She discusses navigating NDAs, marketing capabilities instead of finished goods, aligning marketing and sales around shared KPIs, and proving service through video and transparency.

The conversation also explores long-term brand building vs. short-term revenue pressure, what sales often misunderstands about marketing, and why curiosity and operational knowledge are essential for success in manufacturing marketing.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie welcome Maeve Ferguson, founder of Maeve Ferguson Consulting, to explore the power of diagnostic thought leadership. Maeve shares how sophisticated assessments go far beyond traditional quiz funnels, acting as intelligent routing engines that personalize messaging, qualify leads, and optimize sales conversations.

From collapsing long B2B sales cycles to filtering out unqualified prospects, Maeve explains how diagnostics serve as both a value-delivery mechanism and a powerful data play. The conversation dives into lead classification systems, personalization at scale, and how agentic AI is transforming marketing infrastructure. For manufacturers navigating complex buying journeys, this episode reveals how diagnostic experiences can increase close rates, accelerate sales conversations, and build deeper trust with prospects.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie sit down with David Kilzer, founder and principal of Strategic Transformation Advisors, to explore the convergence of artificial intelligence and advanced humanoid robotics. Drawing on more than 50 years of experience in automation, David shares why this technological shift may dwarf previous revolutions like the internet and smartphones.

The conversation dives into what makes AI-enabled humanoid robots fundamentally different from traditional industrial automation, why change management and human readiness are critical to success, and how manufacturers can begin preparing today. David introduces the concept of the “Humanoid Readiness Quotient,” a framework to help organizations assess their preparedness for this emerging era. The discussion also explores open-source robot operating systems, the importance of data infrastructure, and the competitive implications of dramatically lower operating costs.

This episode is a forward-looking, practical guide for manufacturing leaders who want to navigate and capitalize on the coming transformation.

To hear more from David on this fascinating topic, please give his Tedx talk a look, you can find that here.

What happens when a manufacturing company applies startup thinking to one of the most conservative industrial sectors? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie are joined by Preston Wickersham, Director of Content Marketing at Giga Energy, to explore how vertically integrated manufacturing, founder-led storytelling, and “dogfooding” industrial equipment are reshaping electrical infrastructure and AI data centers. Preston shares Giga Energy’s origin story, their role in powering the AI boom, and what marketers can learn from bringing SaaS-style thinking into heavy manufacturing.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie sit down with Cody Warner, Commercial Vice President and Board Member at Deep Trekker, to explore how the company evolved its go-to-market strategy as both the market and its customers matured. Cody shares Deep Trekker’s journey from hustling at trade shows with water tanks and on-the-floor sales to building highly targeted micro events focused on real-world demonstrations, training, and education. The conversation dives into digital thought leadership, customer-led case studies, community building, and why experiential marketing can outperform traditional trade shows, especially in complex B2B, B2G, and defense markets.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie are joined by David Ceballos, Marketing Manager for the Industrial Emissions Division at Testo Instruments. Drawing on his background in automotive sales, David shares a practical, buyer-centric approach to improving lead quality in B2B manufacturing. The conversation explores how asking better questions, reducing unnecessary form friction, and respecting buyer intent can lead to more meaningful sales conversations, stronger trust, and higher-quality MQLs; without sacrificing the customer experience.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie peel back the curtain on the Q4 edition of the Industrial Buyer Pulse from Kula Partners. Drawing on insights from 258 industrial buyers across the US and Canada, they explore buyer confidence, spending priorities, shortlisting behavior, and the growing role of digital self-service and AI in supplier research. The conversation digs into what actually triggers buying decisions, how often new suppliers are winning deals, where human interaction matters most, and what supply chain risks buyers are navigating today. This episode offers practical insight for industrial marketers and sales teams planning for 2026.

What does “marketing with purpose” actually look like in practice? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman are joined by Alice DiSanto, VP of Marketing at Autonomous Solutions. Alice shares how deeply understanding culture, leadership, and people is the foundation of authentic, effective marketing. From conducting confidential listening tours to aligning teams around shared values, she explains how purpose-driven marketing starts inside the organization and becomes a powerful competitive advantage. This conversation is a must-listen for marketers looking to humanize technology, build trust, and create brands that genuinely reflect who they are.

For our final episode in the Holiday Series we are returning to our chat about creating a brand made for loyal customers. Klein Tools has been manufacturing tools made for trades people for over 165 years. In today’s episode, we sat down with Greg Palese, Vice President of Marketing at Klein Tools, to discuss how they continue to grow engaged customer relationships. By speaking directly with end users, Klein Tools is able to deepen relationships and increase sales. Even more, Greg discusses how they focus on solving end user problems by visiting job sites to see first-hand how Klein Tools can help their customers.