A few months ago, we brokered a Tornos MultiSwiss 8/26 from Germany to a shop in Massachusetts. To make sure the machine was in top shape, we brought in two Tornos experts—my friend Dulio and his longtime mentor, Donato Notaro–today’s podcast guest.

Donato had just officially retired after nearly 50 years in the machining world, much of it spent at Tornos in Switzerland. He still works freelance. Born in Italy, raised in Switzerland, Donato has done service work on at least four continents. He’s the kind of guy who checks backlash like a surgeon testing vitals. We talked about Swiss apprenticeships, traveling the world to service machines, and what makes multi-spindles so damn complicated.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

View the podcast at the bottom of this post or on our YouTube Channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Donato didn’t grow up dreaming of fixing CNCs across the globe. As a kid, he actually thought he’d become a photographer—or maybe a pilot. But when it came time to choose a profession, he entered the Swiss apprenticeship system and trained to become a machinist. It turned out to be the path of a lifetime.

That trip launched Donato’s global career. Over the decades, he’s worked in Korea, Russia, Iran, the U.S., and countless other places. He told me about a time in Tehran when he managed to talk his local contact into arranging a visit to see the Ayatollah—just because he was curious. That’s Donato. A technician with wanderlust and a deep love of people and culture.

While Donato’s career started in a strong trade culture, he’s seen big changes back home. Switzerland still has the strong apprenticeship infrastructure, but fewer young people are choosing that path.

Donato just retired from Tornos at 65—not entirely by choice. In Switzerland, it’s standard to push people out around that age, even if they’re still sharp and capable. For a guy who lived and breathed machines, that can’t be easy.

Donato has worked on every kind of CNC machine you can think of, but multi-spindles are still his favorite. Why? The complexity.

He explained how multi-spindles require a different kind of brain—one that sees the whole system, not just one operation. When something’s off, it’s not always obvious where the problem is coming from. You’ve got to track the issue through a maze of moving parts and overlapping processes.

It’s exactly that complexity that keeps him interested. Other machines might be easier, more predictable. But multi-spindles? They demand your full attention—and they reward it, too.

Question: What’s the most interesting country you’ve worked in—and what made it stand out?

(To contact Donato for his services, find him on LinkedIn)

Our guest on today’s show, Howard Sheldon, grew up working in his family’s third generation precision turning company. He planned to eventually take over the business from his father, but unfortunately succession didn’t happen the way he had hoped.

Howard left his family company in his mid-30s, and 10 years ago started his own Swiss turning company, Sheldon Precision Engineering Ltd. 

Howard turned out to be a natural entrepreneur, and he has built a thriving business that gives him the lifestyle he wants.

Starting a business from scratch gave Howard the opportunity to create his ideal company and run it the way he envisions, instead of being constrained by the ways of a business that had been around for half a century.

If you’re currently working in a family business or you’re dreaming about founding your own manufacturing company that YOU can run the way YOU want to, I recommend you have a listen.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

    .

View the podcast on our YouTube Channel.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Interview Howard Sheldon grew up working at his father’s screw machine job shop, which his grandfather had originally started in 1948 as the Wembley Screw Company in London.

Howard’s father eventually bought the business from his grandfather after a messy situation in which his grandfather had tried to sell the company behind his father’s back. There was contention over ownership and equity that caused strain in the family relationship. Howard’s father had even started another machining company in secret around the time of the turbulent succession. 

Growing up, Howard worked summers and holidays at his father’s shop. After graduating from college, he came on full time. He started in the maintenance department to get exposure to all areas of the operation. The first machine he ran was a Wickman multi-spindle that he nearly crashed his first time running it.

Howard’s dream was to eventually take over the family business from his father. However, as he got older and wanted more responsibility, he kept “banging into” his father who didn’t want to cede control. Howard likens his father’s demanding management style to a combination of Alan Sugar and Gordon Ramsay’s brash business personalities.  

Howard says his father didn’t think he had the tenacity to really run the company long-term. This took a toll on his confidence in his own abilities, despite the tremendous manufacturing knowledge he had gained by coming up through the ranks of the family machining business.

Eventually, Howard left his father’s company to pursue other career paths. He started a private tutoring franchise but realized after a year the business did not have great upside.

Then he landed a job as an applications engineer for cutting tools manufacturer Iscar. While servicing manufacturers’ tooling needs, Howard realized he had deep technical expertise to offer. He also observed that the business owners he called on were “regular people” who had just decided to take the entrepreneurial leap. This restored his confidence that he could successfully run his own machine shop.

In 2014, at age 37, Howard started his own CNC turning shop, Sheldon Precision Engineering, with one used Citizen A32 Swiss lathe in a 1,000 square-foot building. Over the next 10 years, Howard grew Sheldon Precision, reinvesting profits into more Citizens and Miyanos. 

Howard is currently implementing systems at his company such as the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to establish a clear vision and organizational structure for scaling responsibly. He wants the business to be able to run independently from him as much as possible.

He recently changed the workweek for his seven employees to a 38-hour week over four days. (In England, the standard work week for manufacturing is a four and half days.) I asked him if his people request to work overtime, and he said they never have because they value their time with their families. Howard also has set a goal for himself that he will be able to work a four-hour workweek by the time he turns 50.

Howard told me, “You’ve got to make your business work for you. If your business is a pain in the ass, and you’ve got to slog your guts out each week, it’s not working for you. You’ve got to let go of the shop floor eventually. Get people to do it. And then you can work on the business and get it working for you.”

Despite his difficult relationship with his father, Howard says he has tremendous gratitude for the knowledge of business and manufacturing he learned from him. He knows he would not have created the successful company he has today had it not been for working at his father’s company and then leaving it. 

Eventually, Howard’s father visited Sheldon Precision Engineering. He was extremely proud of the business his son built, and their relationship flourished.

I just launched a new YouTube show where I share the most fascinating lessons I’ve learned from podcasts—ideas that can help you grow in business and life. It’s called I Learned It on a Podcast.

The first episode dives into a topic I know Swarfcast listeners will appreciate: how to communicate, negotiate, and really listen—even when you disagree with someone.

The episode works great in audio, but to get the full experience, I highly recommend checking it out on YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link, or:

*

View the episode on YouTube!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

Our machining community isn’t always known for warm and fuzzy communication skills. We’re direct, we’re practical, and we get things done. But whether you’re negotiating with a difficult customer, managing a team, or trying to resolve a supplier issue, the ability to truly listen and connect with people can make or break your success.

These are some insights from three incredible experts who’ve mastered the art of human connection:

Simon Sinek’s conversation with negotiation expert William Ury, author of one of the famous negotiation books, Getting to Yes, revealed something powerful: all negotiations are fundamentally the same, whether you’re dealing with family drama at Thanksgiving or hammering out a contract with a new client. The secret? Making people feel heard before you try to be heard. When you don’t agree with someone, instead of just stating your side, ask people about their views. If you’re a Republican, ask a Democrat to tell you why they believe what they do. Show genuine interest, and there is a good chance they will reciprocate.

Chris Voss, the ex-FBI hostage negotiator, was interviewed on another podcast I like, The James Altucher Show. He shared fascinating neuroscience about what happens when people feel listened to. Turns out, it literally produces bonding chemicals in the brain. When someone feels heard, they see you as less demanding and more trustworthy. Instead of telling people your side, first tell the other person how they feel before the conversation starts. Let them correct you if they want. I did it recently, and it worked beautifully. I said to an independent contractor, “I’m driving you crazy,” “You don’t think this is a good deal for you.” He felt heard and we came to a resolution.

Imagine how this could transform your next difficult conversation with a customer or supplier.

The third podcast was an interview with communication expert Charles Duhigg, who wrote the best seller, Super Communicators. I love this book. He introduced a game-changing framework: every conversation falls into one of three categories—social, emotional, or practical. Conflicts happen because people are having different types of conversations than their counterparts without realizing it. Someone wants emotional support while the other person is trying to solve a practical problem. This could happen at work and often at home.

When a heated conversation starts, he prescribes asking people what kind of conversation they want to have. Do they want advice, do they want to be heard, or do they just want emotional support? What if, instead of jumping straight into problem-solving mode, you first tried to understand what type of conversation they needed?

These aren’t just feel-good techniques—they’re practical tools that can save you time, reduce stress, and actually get better results in your business and personal relationships.

I’m throwing down a challenge to the Swarfcast community: try one of these techniques this week. Next time you’re in a tense situation, pause and really listen first. See what happens when you make someone feel heard before you try to make your point. Ask people what kind of conversation they want to have.

I really hope you check out the YouTube show. I’m going to talk more about communication methods, as well how to accomplish goals, or just fun topics like the minds of dogs—the next episode coming out June 13.

Question: When was the last time you changed your mind? What happened?

My guest on today’s podcast, Jared Daily, could have been a mechanical engineer or even a doctor if he wanted to, but instead, he followed his passion and became a journeyman machinist right out of high school.

Then he fell into a career 24 years ago, teaching precision machining to high schoolers at South Adams High School in Northeast Indiana, which happens to be the Number 1 machining region in the United States.

Jared ’s classes sound fascinating and challenging. They usually ditch the text book to do hands-on projects like build a car engine from scratch using high-end CNC and manual equipment.

His mission is to teach kids real skills that will make them elite precision machinists when they get into the working world. He wants his students to have the same confidence in themselves that he has, and to be problem solvers, not button pushers.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link, or:

View the podcast our YouTube Channel.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Noah: What got you interested in machining?

Jared: I was on track to be an architect until I found out that meant six years of college. I knew college wasn’t for me. I could have gotten the grades. I was a good test taker. But I just didn’t want to go down that path.

Towards the end of my sophomore year, my guidance counselor pulled me in his office and said, Hey, they’re starting up this new class at South Adams. We think you’d be good for it. We looked at your transcript and seeing you’ve taken every shop class, we think you’d be good for this new machine trades class. So, I signed up for it. The rest is history as they say.

Jared: They were talking about shutting down the class, and I knew how much it had helped me get started.

Jared: Yeah, he was taking over the machining program at a local college. We were talking one day, and I said, well, if they’re going to shut it down because you’re leaving, what would it take for me to start teaching? 

So he checked, and it was possible in Indiana for people to go straight from industry (to teaching). Having done a registered apprenticeship gave me enough documented training.

Jared We started going through the textbook, but right before Thanksgiving that first year, three of the students came up to me.

They said, this isn’t working. And I said, good, because this isn’t working for me. How can we change it? 

And we basically designed an engine on the chalkboard. We had colored chalk for the different parts. We went through the Machinery’s Handbook for fits and allowances. We went through strength and materials. We even made a dummy connecting rod and stress tested it. We went through a lot of the engineering, and then every student made their own parts.

And this is the twenty-fourth year. We design a new project every year in the afternoon class.

Jared: We have a NIMS test. It’s all on the computer. Job planning, bench work layout, measurement, material, and safety. There’s a project you have to do. You have to pass the test online to be able to get the certification.

Jared: That’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve seen over 24 years. The confidence level of today’s youth is not as high for things they’ve never done before. 

Jared: Basically, 2% of the world’s population can think like Einstein or has the athletic ability of Michael Jordan. They can do stuff that nobody else can do.

And then there’s 2% that may have a mental or physical handicap, so they can’t do what the rest of the population can do. That leaves 96% in the middle (who have the potential to do anything).

Now is it stuff we should be doing? That’s another question. Are we following our talents? Are we following our path that God set us on? 

Could I go be a banker? I think I could. Do I want to? No. Could I go be a doctor? Possibly. Do I want to? No.

Jared: Seeing the aha moment. You know, when a kid’s frustrated, can’t figure it out. All of a sudden it clicks, and they kind of see the connection. That’s probably the coolest moment.

: I swore as long as I was going to be (teaching), I would never get a college degree. The first parent teacher conference talking to the parents of C or D students in the core classes I tell them I was making $50,000 a year in Adams County, Indiana, and I didn’t have a college degree. That was four years out of high school, and I was making $50,000. I explain that to them and how apprenticeships work. You can just see their eyes light up.

Jared: Stay in contact with your local industry, the manufacturers, the value-added companies. That’s where the biggest tax dollars are coming from. 

When it comes to recruiting, one of the biggest things people tell the companies is stay in contact with the teachers.

If you’re a machinist, the best thing you can do for our career, our trade, is to let the young people know what you do and how you do it and what it’s for. I challenge people to think of one thing that machining has not touched.

Chris Armstrong has saved me more times than I can count—helping us at Graff-Pinkert through tough machinery deals, especially when it comes to Swiss machines. Citizens? He’s our guy.

But today’s podcast isn’t just about technical know-how. After years of driving coast to coast fixing machines and solving problems most people wouldn’t touch, Chris is shifting gears—rebuilding how he works, the kinds of parts he makes, and how he makes a living.

This is a story about the machining world. It’s about burnout, comebacks, and the deep, rare purpose you find when you fix things for a living.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

View the podcast at the bottom of this post or on our YouTube Channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Chris has been one of ">Graff-Pinkert’s go-to guys for Citizen Swiss questions for years. We’ve leaned on his expertise countless times. He knows machines inside and out—but just as important, he understands people, process, and philosophy in the machining trade.

During COVID, many shops shut down. Machines sat idle. Maintenance was skipped. Skilled workers moved on. Chris saw it firsthand—not just across the country, but even in his own production shop. It wasn’t an overnight collapse, but a slow decay. And when things spun back up, they broke—ball screws failed, hoses cracked, wires frayed.

Chris became a kind of traveling emergency mechanic—reviving machines all over the U.S. (aways traveling by car). He joked that he goes “coast to coast, like butter and toast.” But even as he fixes other people’s shops, he has been laying the groundwork for something new of his own.

And I’m proud to say: our we played a small part in it.

A few months back, Graff-Pinkert sold Chris three beautiful Swiss machines we had imported from Japan—a Citizen L20, an A20, and a DMG MORI Sprint 32/5. Here’s the full-circle part: Chris was actually the one who got those machines running when they arrived at our shop. He tuned them up, brought them back to life—and eventually, brought them home.

Now, he’s using them to make high-pressure water components, intricate fittings for chip-making infrastructure, and parts out of notoriously nasty materials like Hastelloy. Not high-volume widgets. These are the kinds of jobs that require experience, intuition, and relentless attention to detail.

In our conversation, Chris talks about the profound satisfaction of transforming a beat-up machine into something shiny and singing again. We discuss “good cop/bad cop” dynamics in management, the importance of clear communication on the shop floor, and why sloppy math still drives him nuts.

We also talk about what it means to take pride in your craft—not just to produce parts, but to teach, to serve, and to show up. For Chris, that’s not just a business model. It’s a calling.

If you’re into Swiss machining, small business grit, or stories of rebuilding from the inside out, this episode is for you.

It seems like every other day as a machinery dealer, I talk to someone who says they would purchase a machine from me, if only they could find a person to run it. 

Today’s podcast guest, Ann Wyatt, founder of Ann Wyatt Recruiting, makes her living by finding manufacturing professionals for companies.

Ann’s journey to becoming a recruiter started in 2010 when she was an unemployed recent graduate of Western Kentucky University without the means for a home Internet connection. Her mom suggested she go to the career center at the local unemployment office where she could access the Internet to look for a job. She started going there every day and instead focusing solely on her own job search, she got into the habit of helping other people at the center use the Internet to look for new jobs.

When the receptionist at the career center was leaving, she suggested Ann take over her position because she knew the place so well. That was the beginning of Ann’s work helping people looking for jobs. At the unemployment agency, Ann worked her way through many positions, and when she met unemployed engineers and other manufacturing professionals she was amazed by the wages they had been making. This inspired her to become a recruiter for manufacturers.

Facebook: https://lnkd.in/dB_nzFzt

Tips for Manufacturing Companies Searching for Good Employees

Ann’s customers are manufacturing companies who contract her to find job candidates using her vast network in the manufacturing industry. In the interview, she discussed some powerful strategies for companies to find good people without using her services. She says that companies need to sell themselves to prospective employees in the same manner they would sell their products to customers. She suggests companies create videos with testimonials from satisfied employees currently at their company. She encourages companies to show off their technology and state of the art facilities, using videos on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

She also advises companies to provide employees perks for work/life balance, in addition to attractive salaries, such as flexible hours or services like daycare, to set themselves apart from more traditional manufacturing companies. Again, it is important to talk about doing these things in online communities.

Networking on LinkedIn for Employers and Job Seekers

I met Ann on LinkedIn, where she is a prolific participant. The key to Ann’s business is networking and LinkedIn is where she meets many clients and potential job candidates. In addition to creating posts five or more days per week, she has a live streaming video show called workforce 4.0 on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter in which she gives tips for companies looking for employees and people looking for jobs.

Ann gave me several great strategies for successful networking on LinkedIn. She says it’s important to be generous with your knowledge and participation. Send connection requests specifically to people in your industry and add a personal messages to the connection requests. Engaging in group discussions creates new relationships, and LinkedIn’s algorithm likes users who participate. If a user participates in conversations often it likely will help their posts get seen by more eyeballs.

Ann advises that if you plan to send someone a direct message to tell them you are looking for a job, first try to build some report by interacting in discussions or messaging them about industry topics other than your employment ambitions.

For people trying to get the attention of prospective employers or make important professional connections, she advises making videos showing things they do related to their work. For instance, if a person is a machinist or programmer they could show parts being produced that they helped create. 

Whether you’re a job seeker, an employee seeker, or a connection seeker like Ann, the way you find what you are looking for is by engaging your industry peers and using the right tools to sell yourself. Now is a great time to be a professional in the manufacturing business. If you have talent and you put yourself out there correctly, you will find connections with people who can help you.

Questions: 

Where do you find your best employees?

How did you find your current job?

Lately, I’ve been kind of on an AI bender using chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude daily. Whether I like it or not, AI is transforming the way I write, the way I search the Internet, maybe even the way I think.

My guest on today’s show, Riley Hutchinson, is bringing that transformation into CNC machine shops.

He is co-founder of Swarf AI, an AI copilot built specifically to fill the tribal knowledge gap that retiring skilled workers are leaving.

You might not be using it much right now, but after hearing this interview you’ll understand why AI will likely be embraced in your shop soon.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

View the podcast at the bottom of this post or on our YouTube Channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

I first connected with Riley after I posted a poll on LinkedIn, asking people how they were using AI in their machine shops. (I used ChatGPT to assist me in coming up with the poll, by the way). Riley replied almost immediately, and I soon realized he wasn’t just using AI. He was building something truly groundbreaking—something specifically created for the machining world. Swarf isn’t just a chatbot for machinists; it’s a purpose-built assistant that understands the machines, tools, and workflows of a specific shop. It helps programmers and machinists get expert answers fast—on everything from feeds and speeds to tool recommendations and order of operations.

Riley spent much of his career as a CNC programmer at Boeing, where he witnessed how much of the industry’s critical knowledge is passed down informally—and how quickly it can disappear when experienced workers retire. Swarf AI is his attempt to capture that tribal knowledge, preserve it, and make it accessible to everyone in the shop. It’s trained not only on public technical documents like Heidenhain manuals, but also on the internal habits and preferences of a specific shop. The result is a tool that feels less like a generic assistant and more like your best shop floor mentor, available 24/7.

We talked about the deeper implications of this kind of technology. Will it replace people? Riley doesn’t think so. He believes it will empower shops to take on more work, reduce wasted time, and make younger or less experienced programmers more effective, faster.

This conversation hit home for me. I’ve been using AI daily to write, brainstorm, and solve problems. But I’ve also had a lingering skepticism—am I relying on it too much? Is it making my brain sharper, or weaker? Talking with Riley helped clarify that what matters most isn’t whether you use AI, but how you use it. Are you using it to cut corners, or to deepen your understanding and expand your capabilities?

Whether you’re deep in the world of CNC machining or just curious about how AI is going to change the way we work, this episode offers a fascinating and grounded look at the future. And honestly, it made me even more excited about where this is all heading.

Question:  What’s one piece of shop knowledge you wish you could bottle up before someone retires?

This blog was assisted using ai.

When you’re shopping for machines do you find yourself wondering if the more expensive option for a machine is the better one?

Does a taiwanese brand perform worse than a German brand?

Will one machine last longer than another?

Are some machines pretty similar between certain brands?

The truth is, paying more money for a machine tool does not always translate to better user experience or greater productivity.

Machining and life are more interesting than that!

Our guest on today’s podcast is Justin Tauber, co-owner and Vice President of Integrated Machinery Systems (IMS), a machine tool distributor in Itasca, Illinois. 

Justin’s company sells a wide variety of machine tools, ranging from turning machines, machining centers, grinders, 3D printers and automation equipment. In our interview, Justin discussed the merits of high-end expensive European machine tools as well as the advantages of lower cost brands built in Taiwan. If you’re currently thinking about purchasing a new CNC machine, I think you will find this interview useful.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

View the podcast at the bottom of this post or on our YouTube Channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

IMS’s Machine Tool Offerings

Integrated Machine Tool Services distributes a long list of popular machine tool brands. It sells United Grinding group, which includes some of the most well known German grinder brands such as Walter, Ewag, and Studer.

IMS sells CNC turning and milling machines from Index/Traub, Yama Seiki, Hermle, and Takamaz. It also sells Markforged composite and metal 3D Printers, and Universal Robotics collaborative robots.

Yama Seiki CNC Swiss 

I first met Justin when we contacted him to learn about a used Yama Seiki Swiss machine that Graff-Pinkert had been offered. Justin says the brand has been selling well lately. Currently, the most established and more expensive Swiss CNC brands such as Citizen, Tsugami and Star often have long lead times on their most popular models. This has caused some of their customers to try Yama Seiki rather than lose available work. The design of Yama Seiki Swiss machines has a lot in common with that of Star. The two brands have the same Fanuc Control, and Justin says he has seen Yama Seiki users utilize programs from Star machines with very little editing. Certain models from the two brands have the same tool layout, and the tooling of both brands is similar.

The most popular Yama Seiki Swiss models that IMS sells are 5-axis SW-20 (20mm) and SW-32 (32mm). I thought this was interesting because Graff-Pinkert has had much better success selling Swiss machines with six axes rather than five axes. But Justin says most of his customers haven’t had a need for a Y-axis on the back working or a B-axis, though Yama Seiki does offer those options. 

Justin says an end-user can purchase a 5-axis SW-20 with a generous tooling package, 12-ft Fedek LNS bar feeder, C-axis on main and sub-spindle, and a chucker kit (to run with no guide bushing) for $164,000. The 32mm model costs about $17,000 more. He says he has had good feedback on the machines. They are capable of holding tight tolerances. Maybe they aren’t quite as accurate as their competitors, but for a great deal of jobs they work very well. He also says the machines have proven themselves to be durable. He has customers who have been running the machines for 10 years and still are satisfied with their production.

INDEX CNC Multi-Spindles

Justin is also a believer in expensive European CNC equipment if the job is right. IMS is the INDEX/Traub distributor for Illinois. If a turned part’s tolerances are extremely tight and volumes are huge he steers customers to INDEX CNC Multi-Spindle screw machines. He says for the right part, an INDEX Multi-Spindle might be able to do the work of nine CNC Swiss lathes. If an INDEX runs double feedout it could produce a complex part in less than 10 seconds. He says an INDEX MS40C 6-spindle runs around $2 Million before turnkey and options. As for lead time, INDEXs are not built exclusively on requests from customers, which could make them available more quickly than machines of competitors. He says an MS40-6 could be available in March of 2023.

3D Printing

Justin sees lot of growth happening in 3D Printing, with many new products coming out. Unfortunately, the rate of adoption of the technology is not as fast as producers had hoped. They thought it would be easier to get shops to try the machines.IMS sells sells Markforged 3D printers for under $5,000 for a desktop type. They sell a metal system for around $250,000 that comes with a printer, wash station and sintering oven. The printers can make parts fixtures, end arm tooling, end use parts, and custom tool holders with materials such as tool steel, stainless, and copper. 

A huge advantage of 3D printers is that they take little skill to use. He showed me a part during the interview made of 80% nylon and 20% carbon fiber that a few of IMS’s sales people, who had never used a 3D printer before, produced overnight. Machining the part would have required a 5-axis CNC machining center or several operations on simpler machines operated by a skilled machinist. 3D printing still lacks the ability to get the tolerances achieved with machining, but one day they likely will.

Justin says no matter what type of machine tool you are thinking about buying, the technical support and access to spare parts in your area is one of the first factors to consider. After that is taken into consideration, you can evaluate the technology and prices.

I met today’s guest, Mike Pelham, completely by chance — over breakfast at the hotel bar during PMTS in Cleveland.

He knew who I was from the podcast. But I didn’t know him. Kind of strange when that happens — but it’s really cool. After we talked for five minutes, I started thinking he could be a good interview.

Mike owns a fourth-generation family business, International Chemical Company, selling chemicals to machine shops — a true commodity product. But when he talks about manufacturing, family, and customer relationships, none of it feels boring.

In our conversation, we talked about selling with heart, the beauty of generational businesses in manufacturing, and finding purpose every day.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

View the podcast at the bottom of this post or on our YouTube Channel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Mike Pelham gave me perspective on how you sell something as unsexy as industrial chemicals. He’s not just out there winging it — he uses instrumentation and metrics to prove that his products work. Torque testing, competitive benchmarking — he brings lab results into conversations most people would try to sell on “trust me.” He explained to me how that kind of honesty and data-driven mindset builds confidence, especially in an industry where buyers are naturally skeptical.

We also touched on the reality of selling in a shrinking, increasingly commoditized industry. Many of his competitors are private equity-backed. But Mike is in it for the long haul. He knows his customers personally and takes it seriously when something doesn’t go right. “I take that home with me,” he said.

There’s a great story in the episode about his teenage son rebuilding an engine on his own, watching YouTube videos to learn how the parts go together. It was clear that Mike is not just proud as a dad, but as someone who sees the future of American manufacturing in moments like that.

He also shared a recent milestone — getting approved by the U.S. Navy to supply lubricants for submarines and destroyers. He told me that only two other companies in the world have met the Navy’s specs.

Mike spent much of the interview expressing how excited he was about presenting at PMTS. He loves getting to meet people from his manufacturing tribe in person. It reinforces his mindfulness that what we do in our industry matters.

He talked about interacting with students at the show — kids who had no idea a machinist could make $85,000 a year. He said that unlike past shows where the booth hid the swag on student day, this show he was generous with it to attract students to the booth. He jumped at the chance to talk to them — both to share his wisdom and understand their perspective.

As he said at the end of our conversation: he told me, “If you give, you begin to live.”

Question: What do your loved ones think you do all day?

Working in the machining industry I hear the term “lean manufacturing” mentioned a lot. But what does the word “lean” really mean in this context? And how do you implement it in your company? 

To help me clarify these questions, I interviewed Matthew Rassi, founder of Twenty Helping Hands. He’s a lean manufacturing consultant who has been working in the manufacturing industry for over two decades.

Matthew says that the first step for a company to adopt lean manufacturing is to bring all of its people together to exchange ideas, from the CEO to the person sweeping floors. 

In his experience, the people on the shop floor often have valuable insight for solving problems that upper management hasn’t even considered. The collaboration process also motivates employees because they feel heard.

Matthew and I talked about supply chains and limiting waste, but the most important concept I learned in our conversation was the lean principle of running directly at problems instead of dodging them. How on earth do you do that? It helps to have someone like Matthew to guide you on that path.

Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link.

    .

View the podcast on our YouTube Channel.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swarfcast

*************

Link to Graff-Pinkert’s Acquisitions and Sales promotion!

*************

Noah Graff: How do you define lean manufacturing?

Matthew Rassi: It’s a framework and a structure that helps you find the waste (in an organization) and remove it.

But it’s not just tools and it’s not just a framework. It’s also the mindset, the way that we think about things, concepts such as running towards problems instead of hiding them or hoping nobody finds them.

Actually admitting to each other, I made a mistake. I want you all to know about it, so you don’t make the same mistake. It’s a very tough culture to change.

Noah: Do you think humans are naturally inclined to try to avoid problems rather than to solve them proactively?

Matthew: I would agree with that. We don’t like pain. And we’re very proud individuals. It takes a humility. It takes a recognition that there’s something that’s bigger than me here. As you step into that role, it’s very freeing. You no longer have to be perfect.

Noah: What makes manufacturing companies reach out to you for your services?

Matthew: Their manufacturing is faltering. They have very long lead times. Their costs are going up. They’re fearful that they’re going to continue losing people or they cannot get enough people. 

My moniker is accelerating your output without hiring more people, without buying new machines. And that acceleration can be both in increased output or it can be in reduced lead time. And both of those can lead to increased sales.

Noah: What’s the first step when you’re brought in to consult companies?

Matthew: I come in and do a discovery visit. I need to spend three to four hours with the owner and with those on the floor walking through their process to understand what they are doing.

We’ll look at areas that we think are going to need improvement. And, what we want to do is start getting engagement from employees. The more information you share with your team, the better decisions you are going to make. 

Noah: What type of information do you share with your team?

Matthew: For example, “Our revenues are about here. Our profit level is about here.

We’ve been continually declining or we’re growing. Our lead time is too long or not long enough. These are our biggest customers. These are our three biggest quality issues.

Whatever the situation is, they need to know where you’re at in the market.

Noah: Do you encourage employees to share ideas?

Matthew: We want to start sharing. Sharing information,  opportunities, responsibilities, ideas. Ideas is a big one. You need an influx of ideas. Not every idea is a great idea, but every idea is good and should be recorded, and ideas build on each other. 

You start getting engagement. And your people are not just going to go down the street for a dollar an hour or more. They will feel listened to. They’re seeing improvements. This is how we start to make progress.

Noah: It must be hard to get everyone on board with the new way of running things.

Matthew: Typically in an organization, you’ll have about 25% of folks who will be on board and excited because finally there’s change and they’ve been begging for it.

And then about half the folks will kind of go along either way. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, they weren’t too committed. 

And then you have the bottom 25% who are just resistant to change no matter what. As long as they are not poisoning the rest, those people can be brought along as well. But if they start poisoning, then you have to make changes. (Think of) people as the sensors of an organization’s (progress).