Where's Willie?

Today we touch down in Florida to explore Madico Inc., a manufacturing and distribution company specializing in a broad range of protective, functional and decorative material-based solutions. Their CEO, Shawn Kitchell, joins us on the Where's Willie podcast today to talk about how they have transformed the company in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are aiming to aid those whose lives have been impacted by the crisis. Shawn and his team quickly pivoted their production line of coatings and laminates to suit the shortage of protective materials used in the relief of the coronavirus. Shawn has worked in the industry for more than 25 years and his experience has been essential to the huge operation of responding to these unprecedented circumstances. Shawn recently purchased a large new facility for the company with an eye on the future and the growth of Madico and he tells us about his ideas of having the company serve more market segments. Having graduated with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Management, Shawn has gone on to apply both Six Sigma and lean manufacturing principles in his impressive career. We finish off our conversation with Shawn sharing his thoughts on what this pandemic has taught him and Madico, and the effect it will have on their future. Join us to hear it all!

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The destination of today's episode is Westborough, Massachusetts where we are talking to Ryan Mannion from Coghlin Companies. Ryan and Willie met in Boston recently and immediately hit it off, so it only makes sense that he would make an appearance on the podcast! Ryan holds a degree in business management and now works at Coghlin, a fourth-generation family company that does $400 million in annual revenue! On top of that they are servicing some of the coolest technology that America has produced and if you don't believe us, just wait till you hear what Ryan has to say! In this conversation, we cover the sexy side of manufacturing, the one that is often forgotten and gets left out of the conversation. We also get into the role of America as a leader in the hardware technology space and the centrality of the people involved in manufacturing and how they make all the difference! Ryan also shares what is special to him about building equipment and what excites him most about his current position in the industry. Coghlin Companies relies almost solely on refer-ability and Ryan explains their decision to not pursue trade shows and similar events. To hear from a great young and enthusiastic contributor to the exciting field of manufacturing, make sure to tune in!

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The destination of today's episode is Westborough, Massachusetts where we are talking to Ryan Mannion from Coghlin Companies. Ryan and Willie met in Boston recently and immediately hit it off, so it only makes sense that he would make an appearance on the podcast! Ryan holds a degree in business management and now works at Coghlin, a fourth-generation family company that does $400 million in annual revenue! On top of that they are servicing some of the coolest technology that America has produced and if you don't believe us, just wait till you hear what Ryan has to say! In this conversation, we cover the sexy side of manufacturing, the one that is often forgotten and gets left out of the conversation. We also get into the role of America as a leader in the hardware technology space and the centrality of the people involved in manufacturing and how they make all the difference! Ryan also shares what is special to him about building equipment and what excites him most about his current position in the industry. Coghlin Companies relies almost solely on refer-ability and Ryan explains their decision to not pursue trade shows and similar events. To hear from a great young and enthusiastic contributor to the exciting field of manufacturing, make sure to tune in!

In this episode, Willie shares his excitement about the upcoming MD&M West show. Now in its 35th year, this is the event where engineers and executives from across the world come together to change and improve the lives of patients. In addition to the three-day conference covering MedTech, 3D printing, and smart manufacturing, the show offers visitors the opportunity to meet the suppliers and experts who are disrupting the medical space.Willie talks about the projected growth of the medical device manufacturing industry, the innovation process from concept to finished product, the new technologies emerging in the market, and the changes that are happening in the materials used. Listeners will also hear about cloud-based devices and the implications for the privacy of patients, what the future of sensor fusion might look like, and why Willie reckons miniaturization will soon become the new buzzword. Tune in today!

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This week's show brings us to Pleasant Grove, Utah, to have a conversation with John Keller, Co-Founder and President of REDLIST. For as long as manufacturing has existed, different divisions have been managed independently or regulated by separate entities. This means that within companies, there are vacuums and powerful operational silos. Not only is this an inefficient way to manage a manufacturing business, but it also means that one when one area is optimized, the other ones suffer. John Keller looks to tackle this last-standing problem through his company, REDLIST, based in Pleasant Grove, Utah. As a SaaS company, REDLIST is a cloud-based, mobile-ready app that works to close the data gaps between managers, teams, and machines. In this episode, John dives into the groundbreaking work that REDLIST is doing. There is a growing realization from companies that there is a better way to share information but they know they cannot do it alone. REDLIST is leading the charge, helping break down these entrenched silos to allow businesses to focus on what they’re supposed to – capturing the market share or finding and securing the best talent. We also discuss details of how the product works across platforms, the possibilities that implementing this system offers, and what the future of manufacturing looks like now that these tools are available. You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation,... tune in today!

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In today’s episode, Willie travels to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he has a conversation with Sunny Han, founder and CEO of Fulcrum. Sunny started learning how to code from the age of seven when he taught himself to write his own games as a child. After studying engineering, he used his business acumen to help struggling manufacturers through the recession. For the last 15 years, he has helped countless mid-size manufacturers around the globe to grow and expand their capacity. Sunny explains to listeners how Fulcrum introduces and implements the latest technology in the manufacturing industry and what their mission and vision for the future looks like. Tuning in to this episode, listeners will learn the many ways manufacturers can benefit from Fulcrum’s software capabilities, why partnerships and connectivity among manufacturers are inevitable, and how the Fulcrum team collaborates with companies to enhance their strong points while also helping them to push toward innovating for the future. 

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For today's show, we are joined by a wonderful friend, colleague and manufacturing industry expert! Scott Bailey, the Director of Sales at TECO Technology is here to tell us all about his work at the company, the particulars of their successful model for manufacturing and how they built out from a strong footing in pneumatics. TECO is based in Pleasanton, California and is well established in a huge number of industries, locally and further afield. In our conversation, we cover Scott's own journey in manufacturing and his position now at TECO, something he values greatly. Scott also gives us some of the company backstory and reasons that they have experienced success over such a sustained period. We get into who they serve, the range of services they offer and the value adds that keep customers coming back. The conversation also covers the divisions at TECO and how these have been established over the years to meet the growing demand. TECO technologies have continued to grow and improve their service, with certifications such as the ISO 9000 and Scott shares with us why this sort of constant improvement is vital at the company. For all this and then some, listen in!

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Today on the show we are in San Jose for day two of the BIOMED show to meet Kevin Mullen, a sales engineer at RTP Company. After graduating from CalPoly Pomona and working in engineering for 20 years, Kevin found RTP and branched out into the world of sales. RTP Company is committed to providing solutions, customization, and service for all thermoplastic needs. They offer a wide range of technologies available in pellet, sheet, and film that are designed to meet even the most challenging application requirements. In our conversation with Kevin today, we get to hear his story as well as that of RTP, getting into what they do, who their ideal customers are, and why to work with them. You’ll hear about the wide range of engineers at RTP who consult clients from all industries with a need for hybridized plastic formulas. Kevin also talks more about the partners that RTP works with to take their formulas into the molding phase, as well as the applications for plastic in the medical world. Additionally, he gives us a great idea of the process and timeframes that one could expect working with RTP from handshake to touchdown. A big thank you to Kevin for teaching us so much about plastic today in what has been a great conversation that you should not miss.

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On today’s episode of the Where's Willie podcast, our travels bring us to the city of Sarasota, Florida to talk with Discovery Technology International Inc. (DTI), a manufacturer of piezo motors. Our guest today is Nic Copley. Nick joined DTI in 2018 as Vice President of Business Development. DTI is an early-stage company bringing an exciting new range of innovative Piezo Motors to the motion and control market. Prior to joining DTI, Nic held a position of Vice President of Innovation and Technology for Parker Hannifin’s Automation Group, which comprised of pneumatic, electromechanical, and fluid control technologies. Nic’s career in the motion and control industry spans 30 years, starting initially with several years designing ventilators and anesthesia control in the medical sector before moving into broad-based industrial pneumatics component level and system engineering roles. Inside this episode, we talk about DTI’s innovative piezo technology and how they help customers from product-design to collaboration. Stay tuned to hear more about how DTI is serving their target marketing and helping OEM’s integrate a piezo solution.

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This week on the Where’s Willie? Podcast, Willie travels to Winchester, Virginia to talk to George Hoddinott and his associates from the City of Winchester about the central role of manufacturing and how the city supports this. Recognized by Forbes as the number one place in Virginia for business and careers, the city is resolutely committed to attracting and retaining young talent for its industries. We discuss all the things the city is doing to positively impact lives through manufacturing, including coordination of various departments of local government, the education system, and incentive programs. The panel talks about the way the city views promoting college versus career decisions and also how there is still some work to be done in changing negative connotations of the manufacturing sector. We look at the rise of robotics, virtual and augmented reality, as well as the use of virtual tours for the prospective workforce. For this fascinating conversation about a city that is clearly engaged and dedicated to growing its manufacturing sector in the right way, tune in!____________________________________________________________________________To keep up with your host, William Miller, follow him on Twitter @williekoganei and on Instagram @williekoganei_

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