Welcome to another episode of The Industrial Movement, where we discuss the people, the processes, and the equipment that drives American manufacturing. When we think of America and manufacturing, the first company that should come to mind is the Ford Motor Company. Ford is a staple of American culture and is regarded by many as an essential driving force of the American manufacturing industry.

Welcome back to another episode of The Industrial Movement, a show focused on the processes and the equipment that drives American manufacturing. We usually have conversations with other professionals in the industry, but today is a special solo-cast, held by hosts Morty Hodge and Greg Smith. In this episode, listeners will hear about our recent 2022 Best Workplaces in America award and advice for how to help your company win it in the future.

Our guest today has been in manufacturing for 30 years, predominantly in the food industry, and has a passion for stepping in and turning businesses around by improving their efficiency and productivity. Mark Potter joins us today to talk about his impressively dense career and his new consulting company, Patronus.

Today we're honored to have the esteemed Harry Moser join us to talk about his worthy mission to balance America's goods trade deficit! Harry is the founder of Reshoring Initiative, after being the president of a machine tool maker GF Machining Solutions for about 22 years. His awards include Industrial Week and AME Manufacturing Halls of Fame, SPE’s Mold Designer of the Year, and Fab Shop Directors Manufacture of the Year. He's participated actively in President Obama's 2012 Insourcing Forum at the White House and is also a member of the Department of Commerce Investment Advisory Council. He's spoken at numerous conferences and events and has frequently been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times and seen on national TV and radio programs. In this episode, we dive into the societal problems and lack of industrial policy that has gotten us here, before taking a look at the impact of Trump and Biden's rule so far and what we've learned.

In addition to the supply chain issues facing the USA, another challenge is attracting the younger generation to the manufacturing industry. Talking to us today is one of the leaders in technical education, Adam Fulbright. From rough beginnings, Adam worked his way up from one industry to the next, until he was inspired to give something back as a teacher. As Program Director of the North Georgia Technical College, he is certainly doing that, and we find out how in this episode.

The manufacturing leader that guides and supervises their workforce has influence over productivity, morale, and even job satisfaction. Today’s guest believes that, to be a truly skilled leader, you need to become aware of the needs of your workforce and adapt your leadership style to serve them, rather than simply expecting them to serve you! In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Eddie Kane Steel Plant Manager, Paul McClellan, as he shares some of the greatest challenges he has faced in his role, the lessons he has learned along the way, and his advice for the manufacturing leaders of tomorrow. We also touch on his strategies for staying afloat during COVID and the processes he has put in place to maintain efficiency and productivity, as well as some of the myths he hopes to debunk about steelworkers and how he believes technology like AI will impact the steel industry going forward. For all this and more, make sure not to miss today’s conversation with exceptional plant manager, engineer, and leader, Paul McClellan!

Working in manufacturing requires a lot of problem-solving. This is especially true with the new challenges that industries have been facing globally when it comes to supply chain issues, and the more local obstacles to attracting and hiring new talent. Today on the show we get together with Nathan Ruetz, Director of Manufacturing Operations at Custom Deco, a leading decorator of glassware and ceramic products sold throughout the United States.

When asked about the baking industry, most people imagine large men in white hats kneading dough to be transferred to an oven. The reality is very different! Join us today to find out how, as we talk to Shawn Wooleyhand, COO of Gold Crust Baking Company, a fully green, family-owned bakery that’s been going for over a decade.

As more automation makes its way into manufacturing, there is an increasing need for experience and expertise to guide these systems. Joining us on the show today to talk about his history in the automotive industry at BMW Manufacturing, is Kenneth Scruggs, who has worked at the company since the early 1990s!

Today, we have the Vice President of Manufacturing Technology at TechnipFMC, Kallin Kurtz, here to talk to us about automation for the now (and the future!), the biggest challenges facing the oil and gas industry, and stopping to smell the roses!

Today’s guest is Brian Zamore, an Associate Manager of the engineering team at L3 Technologies. Brian joins us to speak about his journey in engineering, the processes and challenges at L3, and the lessons he has learned about being a good leader. We hear about how Brian cut his teeth in the industry, going from earning an electrical engineering degree to building servers, working on chipsets, manufacturing in aerospace, and much more before ending up as a test engineer and then working his way up at L3

Today on The Industrial Movement we are joined by the inspiring Hector Ibarra, who is the Corporate Director of Operations at Cleveland Hardware and Forging. We have a fascinating chat with Hector, packed with insight and the useful lessons that he has learned during his long career in the manufacturing sector.

Jeremy Barber is the maintenance manager at Buhler Quality Yarns Corporation in Jefferson, Georgia, and he's here today to share his leadership style of authentically focusing on developing those under you. Our conversation begins with a brief introduction to Jeremy and the company before we get into the development path that led him to his position and the biggest obstacles facing the textile industry right now. We then dive into the importance of good mentorship and his top advice to anyone wishing to follow a similar path, as well as the specific growth-orientated characteristics he looks for in a potential hire! You'll hear all about the typical daily processes, machines, and safety protocols in place, as well as the challenge of having to get creative with maintenance because production can’t stop. From memes about 10-millimeter bolts to how the face of technology has changed the industry, tune in now to hear another rich conversation on The Industrial Movement podcast!

Having taken over Hi Tec Machining, a company founded by his father 30 years ago, Carey Strickland has seen a lot of developments in the machining industry. Today he joins us to share his story, discuss the business, and talk about the challenges of marrying the old with the new in the world of machining. Tuning in you’ll hear some background into Carey’s company and career, what a typical day at Hi Tec Machining’s facility is like, and some of the challenges that they face. You’ll hear about the struggles of hiring new people, why Carey believes the youth are reluctant to get involved in manufacturing, and what Hi Tec Machining does to improve employee retention. We also discuss the development of robots, how Carey uses them in his facility, and how he foresees their role in the future of the industry in general. To hear Carey’s advice to anyone pursuing a career in manufacturing, his tips on where to find helpful resources, why he believes in the value of being honest, and his thoughts on how to be a better leader, tune in today!

The biggest problem facing manufacturers today, apart from supply chain issues, is the labor shortage. In light of the Great Resignation and a number of other factors, manufacturing leaders are increasingly struggling to fully staff their facilities. Today’s guest, Dan Ralphs, is an expert in improving employee retention. He believes that people quit leaders, not companies, and the best way to keep your employees, and to keep them productive, is to be a dream manager. Dan joins us to explain that the best way to create and generate loyalty and commitment from employees without having to break the bank, is simply by asking them what their personal dreams are and then helping them to achieve them. Tuning in you’ll hear how Dan became a dream manager, the benefits you can gain just from asking people what their dreams are, and what to do once someone has told you their dream. To find out how manufacturing leaders can implement this practice to generate loyalty, how to make your company stand out and be attractive to potential employees, and where to find other helpful resources on this topic, tune in today!

On this episode of the Industrial Movement, Johnny Smith Jr, plant manager of PackIQ, who believes, above all else, that manufacturing is where it’s at! Tune in to hear why Johnny believes that manufacturing makes a country great and strong, and why he is proud to be a manufacturer. We discuss what manufacturing environments look today in comparison to the past, and what some of the biggest challenges are in the industry. Johnny believes in the power of building a strong team and shares his thoughts on leading not from the back, or the front, but the middle. Listeners will learn the story of the biggest professional challenge Johnny has faced and how it shapes his work today. We talk about what a typical day looks like at his facility, what the packaging design process involves, and much more! We hope you take the time to learn from this inspiring leader today.

Today on the show we sit down with Cash Carter, a musician who has been in the industry for years, to talk about how he became a part of the vinyl pressing company Kindercore Vinyl, and what it’s been like seeing the demand for vinyl skyrocket in the past few years. We discuss the history of vinyl pressing, how the world stopped producing new press machines after 1982, why vinyl’s newfound popularity triggered the design of new machines, and how that development has changed the industry. Cash shares fascinating insights about the vinyl production process and expands on how supply chain issues and the smallness of the industry have affected their business. To learn more about this fascinating industry and the worldwide vinyl phenomenon, make sure you tune in today!

Manufacturing may seem like it’s driven by competition, but when you approach it with a spirit of collaboration, your entire sense of opportunity and potential can start to shift spectacularly. This week on the show we welcome Jason Moss, CEO of Georgia Manufacturing Alliance (GMA). We talk with Jason about how he was able to gather a group of competitive manufacturers in Georgia and create a collaborative and supportive community that helped folks weather the storm of COVID, and take on massive projects that they would never have been able to do on their own! GMA was designed to help support and grow Georgia’s manufacturing community, and they have been doing just that since 2008 through a series of plant tours, networking events, and educational sessions. Their success over such a short period has been hugely transformative and has been recognized by governors Brian Kemp and Nathan Deal through multiple awards! We discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on production in Georgia, and how they were able to step up during a particularly stressful period. To learn more about how Jason has built community and the great strides GMA has made towards elevating manufacturing in the US, be sure to tune in today!

In this episode, we are joined by our first sales rep on the show, Michael Adcock from Hill Manufacturing, to talk about the sales side of manufacturing! Hill is an American-made chemical manufacturing company that's been around for 90 years and does everything from soap and sanitizer to specialized lubricants and degreasers. Basically, “If you have a maintenance problem, we deal with it!” Michael oversees more than 153 of their accounts and today he shares what he does on a day-to-day basis at Hill and some of the challenges they face, as well as insights into the future of the company and the industry. Tuning in, you’ll hear some examples of their products and how they are applied at a multitude of public works they provide for, the coolest thing he's ever seen at a manufacturing facility using a Hill product, and the top advice he would give other manufacturing leaders. Michael also shares some sales gold on how he balances his attention between attending to his existing customers and bringing in new business, before diving into the impact of COVID and how it changed his way of operating with clients. Lastly, we talk about safety protocols, KPIs, and the sale that Michael is the proudest of! Tune in now to hear this conversation, jam-packed with learnable information from a respected industry professional.

In this episode, we speak to Scott Bargerstock, the Director of Manufacturing Productivity and Global Energy at Mohawk Industries which is the world's largest manufacturer of flooring.