With 69% of North American manufacturers recently indicating they're "likely" or even "extremely likely" to reshore their supply chains in response to the impacts of COVID-19 and tariffs, Thomas Insights brought longtime reshoring advocate Barry Zekelman, Executive Chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, onto this week's episode of the Thomas Industry Update Podcast. Alongside Thomas President and CEO Tony Uphoff, Zekelman told listeners about his rise through the ranks of industry plus his passion for reshoring manufacturing to North America, and how he plans to combat the skills shortage that could grow as operations come back from overseas.

Resources:

Learn more about Zekelman Industries:

https://www.zekelman.com/

COVID-19's Impact on North American Manufacturing [Thomas Report]

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1d176gReK7H5XNXWPaxwdkokWEz-I4neIpYdmlLFZklQ/edit#slide=id.g824d1c7835_5_0

Size of U.S. Talent Pool, New Tech Job Opportunities Fueling Growing Reshoring Interest [Thomas Insights]

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/size-of-u-s-talent-pool-new-tech-job-opportunities-fueling-growing-reshoring-interest/

To kick off season 2 of the Thomas Industry Update, we’re excited to welcome Brian McCarson, vice president and senior principal engineer at Intel. McCarson, who leads the Industrial Solutions Division Systems Engineering and Architecture team within the Internet of the Things (IIoT) Group at Intel, joins Thomas CMO Shawn Fitzgerald to give our listeners (and now, viewers!) the inside scoop on the future of IIoT to help industrial business leaders “solve problems today to be ready for the future.”

Watch the extended cut of this episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/uCW1yXiyvGw

Resources:

Learn more about Intel’s IIoT Solutions:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/industrial-iot/overview.html

How to Choose the Right IoT Platform for Your Industrial Business [Thomas Insights]

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-choose-the-right-iot-platform-for-your-industrial-business/

7 Things You Should Know About IoT in Manufacturing [Thomas Insights]

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/7-things-you-should-know-about-iot-in-manufacturing/

This will be our last episode for the year as our production team takes a short break to gear up for next year’s lineup of engaging guests. We’re excited to announce that beginning in January we’ll be introducing video podcasts! Until then, have a wonderful holiday season, a happy new year, and we’ll be back with new episodes in 2021.

For nearly every manufacturer across North America, 2020 has posed unique business challenges. 64% of manufacturers reported business impacts fueled by shutdown orders alone, based on data from a May Thomas Industrial Survey, which doesn't even account for the substantial supply chain impacts caused by COVID-19. In this episode, Thomas CEO Tony Uphoff sits down with Terri Jondahl, an experienced industrial entrepreneur and the longtime CEO of CAB Incorporated. Jondahl recounts how she built up her business to withstand the seemingly endless challenges that we encountered this year and shares her unique perspectives on process improvement.

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about CAB Incorporated: https://www.cabinc.com/

Lessons on Supply Chain Resilience Amid Global COVID-19 Crisis [Thomas Insights]: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/lessons-on-supply-chain-resilience-amid-global-covid-19-crisis/

Thomas COVID-19 Resource Hub:

https://help.thomasnet.com/covid-19-resource-hub/

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeships have grown 56% since 2013 and are expected to continue to skyrocket in coming years. In this episode, Thomas CMO Shawn Fitzgerald sits down with Michael Bell, CEO and founder of Synbyo, and Q3 Thomas Champion for Industry winner, to discuss his unique approach to solving the industrial skills gap. After seeing how manufacturing businesses have grown tired of poaching talent from each other, Bell believes his apprenticeship program, geared toward both young novices and experienced industrial professionals, could offer a long-term solution to the industrial skills gap.

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about Synbyo: https://www.synbyo.com/

Making Apprenticeships Accessible to Professionals of All Ages, Michael Bell Wins Champion for Industry [Thomas Insights]:

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/making-apprenticeships-accessible-to-professionals-of-all-ages-michael-bell-wins-champion-for-industry/

The Thomas Industrial Employer Resource Hub:

https://help.thomasnet.com/manufacturing-recruitment

The manufacturing skills gap is one of the most urgent challenges facing key industry players today. Just over 50% of manufacturing leaders anticipate difficulties in attracting and retaining talent in the future, according to the National Association of Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey. But there is one demographic that the sector hasn’t fully tapped into yet: U.S. veterans. Lieutenant Commander Terry Farrell, Sahn-Gobahn’s North American IP Telephony Voice Services Project Manager, sees a huge opportunity for veterans who are looking for a new path after their service. Tune in for Terry’s insights on how veterans can serve as key assets to your industrial organization.

Resources from This Episode:

Learn more about Saint Gobain: https://www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com/

Veterans Make Great Industrial Employees — Here's How to Recruit Them to Join Your Team [Thomas Insights]: http://thomasnet.com/insights/why-veterans-make-great-employees-in-industrial-businesses

How to Start an Industrial Career After Military Service, As Told by Veterans [Thomas Insights]:

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-start-a-new-career-after-military-service-advice-from-veterans-working-in-industry/

Although many industrial businesses already recognize the value of Industry 4.0 technologies, making a plan to adopt these technologies can still be an uphill battle. A recent Deloitte survey says that only 10% of C-level executives have longer-range strategies for leveraging new technologies. However, Jason Ray, CEO and co-founder of Paperless Parts, has set out to address that major gap by building a cloud-based platform focused on making Industry 4.0 into a more seamless, approachable experience. Listen in on Jason’s unique industrial perspectives alongside host Tony Uphoff as they dissect adoption challenges and provide actionable solutions to bring your industrial business into the next era of technology.

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about Paperless Parts: https://www.paperlessparts.com/

3 Expert Tricks To Optimizing Your Industry 4.0 Adoption [Thomas Insights]

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/3-expert-tricks-to-optimizing-your-industry-4-0-adoption/

How to Choose the Right IoT Platform for Your Industrial Business [Thomas Insights]:

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-choose-the-right-iot-platform-for-your-industrial-business/

As industrial business leaders increasingly recognize the value of data-driven decision making, they must first break down information silos. A recent McKinsey report notes that businesses end up spending more than 35% of their time looking for information rather than actively using that information for effective, data-driven decision making. So how can businesses optimize time spent working with data? Keith Higgins, the VP of Digital Transformation at Rockwell Automation, has the answer. Join Keith and host Tony Uphoff as they explore the digital thread and discuss why “edge is the new cloud.”

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about Rockwell Automation: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/

Learn more about digital transformation from Rockwell Automation: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/capabilities/digital-transformation.html

How to Guide Your Production Floor Team Through the Adoption of Industry 4.0 [Thomas Insights]:

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-guide-your-production-floor-team-through-the-adoption-of-industry-4-0/

How to Choose the Right IoT Platform for Your Industrial Business [Thomas Insights]:

https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-to-choose-the-right-iot-platform-for-your-industrial-business/

A recent Walker study says that by the end of 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. Join Tony Uphoff and Jeff Ackel, CEO of Sigma Thermal, as they discuss why the B2B customer experience is so critical to leading a successful industrial business, especially amid the challenging environment of COVID-19. Jeff will also share his tips on how to assess what the experience is like for your own customers and how you can optimize their experience to improve your customer retention and profits.

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about Sigma Thermal: https://www.sigmathermal.com/

Learn more about Sigma Thermal’s focus on customer experience: https://www.sigmathermal.com/blog/why-sigma-thermal/

What's the Secret to Keeping Repeat Customers Committed to Your Business? [Thomas Insights]: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/what-s-the-secret-to-keeping-repeat-customers-committed-to-your-business-part-1/

Customer Success After the Sale [Thomas Insights]: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/customer-success-after-the-sale/

Recent Gallup data says companies that prioritize company culture by hiring and retaining key talent drive 33% more revenue. Join Thomas Talent Acquisition Specialist Sam Schloss as he discusses the importance of company culture with Tracy Tenpenny, a 2019 Thomas Champion for Industry and the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Tailored Label Products. They’ll discuss how to attract, recruit, and retain top talent at your industrial business by building a strong company culture across a multi-generational workforce, and how to develop one of the most important elements of an effective company culture – trust – through transparency.

Resources From This Episode:

Learn more about Tailored Label Products: https://www.tailoredlabel.com/

Learn more about the Thomas Champion for Industry Recognition Program: https://business.thomasnet.com/ldp-champion-nominate

Focused on Enhancing Company Culture, Tracy Tenpenny Wins Champion for Industry [Thomas Insights] https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/focused-on-enhancing-company-culture-tracy-tenpenny-wins-champion-for-industry/