In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne sits down with Dave Necessary, Executive Vice President of Products and Markets at Gardner Business Media, to dig into the power of benchmarking and the Top Shops program. For more than a decade, Top Shops has been the definitive survey that shows manufacturers where they stand—highlighting the practices, strategies, and investments that consistently separate the best from everyone else.

Dave shares how the survey functions like a business health check-up, providing both an industry-wide benchmarking standards report and a personalized scorecard for participating shops. From capital investment and automation strategies to marketing, HR practices, and efficiency metrics, Top Shops reveals the numbers that matter most to shop owners serious about growth.

Mike reflects on his own journey—how filling out that survey after acquiring his first shop in 2018 shaped a five-year plan to transform into a Top Shop. Along the way, he and Dave connect the dots between numbers like revenue per employee, profit margin, and capacity utilization, and the strategies that drive them upward.

Whether you're buying, selling, or scaling a manufacturing business, this conversation underscores why understanding and acting on benchmarking data isn't optional—it's essential. And with the upcoming Top Shops Conference in Charlotte this November, you'll discover why being part of this community can accelerate your shop's success.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• (0:14) Register for Top Shops and meet us in Charlotte, NC!
• (1:38) Learn about today's guest, Dave Necessary
• (3:34) Hill Manufacturing's experience with the Top Shops benchmarking report
• (6:27) How the survey works, personalized reports, and five key differentiators
• (12:02) Why benchmarking matters for any shop size and metrics that drive performance
• (15:03) Automation and efficiency: horizontals, pallet changers, robots, ERP/MES, lights-out
• (17:34) Using Top Shops metrics in acquisitions, valuations, and profitability decisions
• (22:25) HR and marketing differentiators: cross-training, leadership, recruiting, video marketing
• (27:50) Adding customer value with turnkey services and expanded capabilities
• (28:46) Why you need to check out the SMW Autoblok catalogue
• (30:58) Strategic investments: automation upgrades, workholding, and optimizing older machines
• (39:55) Why you need to embrace the continuous improvement mindset
• (43:39) Survey timeline, reporting process, and the upcoming Top Shops Conference
• (46:20) What makes the event unique: peer learning, panels, networking, and fun
• (49:20) Accessing the Benchmarking Standards Report and Dave's special offer
• (52:19) Grow your top and bottom-line with CLA

Resources & People Mentioned

• Register for Top Shops 2025 and meet us in Charlotte, NC!
• Why you need to check out the SMW Autoblok catalogue
• Contact Dave at [email protected] to get the Benchmarking Standards Report
• Grow your top and bottom-line with CLA

Connect with Dave Necessary

• Connect on LinkedIn
• [email protected]

Connect With Buy the Numbers

• Follow on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mike Payne on LinkedIn

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