What’s keeping you up at night? What are you excited about? It’s important to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why? First and foremost, to learn from our mistakes. But secondly, to embrace gratitude. Even despite challenges and setbacks, there’s always room for gratefulness and thankfulness. So in this episode of MakingSparks, Casey and I sit down to discuss the challenges we’re facing and exciting changes happening in our businesses. We also share why we don’t let worry consume...

Gamification. Gamification is a highly successful strategy in the world of marketing. It’s used all the time to enhance engagement in children’s education. How can we apply gamification concepts to manufacturing education?  Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre, Gabe Kooyers, and Chris Townsend joined me in this discussion and nailed down some incredible ways to leverage gamification. Because if you’re not motivating your students (or employees), then you’re not MakingChips. If you’re not MakingChips,...

How do we train the next generation of manufacturing leaders so employers are ready to hire them immediately? Do students still need to learn manual machinery? Or do employers only want skilled CNC machinists?  These are just a few questions we dissect in this conversation with special guest and long-term educator Gabe Kooyers. Because if we’re not properly training machinists to make chips, they’re not getting hired, and no one’s making money. BAM! – Nick Goellner Segments [0:25] Achieve...

Did you know that only about 6% of welders are women? Women bring a much-needed perspective and expertise to the table. So how do we get more women in welding? NIX has actively been trying to recruit, hire, and retain more women.  In this episode of MakingSparks, we sit down with Tori Guzman and Aubree Beyer to hear what they think we can do—or continue doing—to draw more female interest to the welding industry. Listen to learn what you can do to change the welding workforce. – Casey...

Where is the United States with reshoring initiatives? Do we still have huge vulnerabilities in our supply chain(s) that need to be addressed? If we continue to reshore manufacturing, will companies remain competitive?  Reshoring impacts supply chains. Reshoring brings more jobs and opportunities to the US. These are all valid questions that are playing in people’s minds.  So in this special episode of MakingChips, Rosemary Coates—the Founder and Executive Director of the Reshoring...

Can small shops begin to automate their processes? Where do they start with automation? In this episode of MakingChips, the CNC Samurai, Steve Courchane, returns to share his passion for automation. He lays out his 3M process and how it changes the way you view automation. Because if you’re not modeling, making, or measuring—you’re not MakingChips. And if you’re not MakingChips, you’re not making money. BAM! – Jason Zenger Segments [0:20] Join the AMT community!  [4:06] Update on my...

Whether you’re a small business or a growing enterprise, you need to seek out new customers and build relationships with them while pushing them through your sales pipeline. The reality is that you have to make more sales to grow your business.  You need a way to track and measure your progress with potential customers (and current key accounts). In this episode of MakingChips, Jason returns to help us get back to the basics of business. Because if you’re not managing the sales pipeline,...

You need to know the “numbers” in your business. Every business owner needs to know that they’re making enough to pay their employees, make and deliver their products, and grow the business. That’s just good business. Non-financial metrics are important, too. A successful business has to focus on quality, safety, customer service, on-time delivery, retention, and even culture. Because if your culture is dialed in, the numbers will prove it. We take a deep look at the different numbers that...

Mike Payne has spent the last 20+ years deeply entrenched in the M&A process with dozens of companies throughout Oklahoma. Early in his career, he realized he loved the world of manufacturing. He also learned that he enjoyed operating a business. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to unfold.  Then it happened: Six years ago, Mike was able to purchase Hill Manufacturing. In this episode of MakingSparks, we chat with Mike about his work in the M&A space, why he made...

Are you the type of manufacturing leader who prefers to do everything yourself? You learn and innovate as you go, right? We’ve learned from experience: There is an art and a science to recruiting. I’ve muddled through using LinkedIn Recruiter to make some hires. And while it’s a great tool, it can only do so much. So in this episode of MakingChips, Trevor O’Malley joins us to discuss all aspects of recruiting, from finding the right technical fit to the right person for your culture. Because...

My shop has been restoring a 1959 Ford F10. When we decided to recreate a digital dash for the truck, we decided to ask the LinkedIn world for help. That’s when I met Ira Laughy with rapid3D.  Rapid3D exists to solve complex measurement challenges to empower confident decision-making. We scanned the space and current dash and Ira and his team helped us reverse-engineer the process to design a CAD model to ultimately create the part we need. Ira shares how you can use a 3D scanner to reverse...

How important is building relationships and trust with your vendors? When you do have established relationships, are you placing too much trust in them? How do you balance being business savvy and trusting?  Mark McCormack is known for saying “All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.” How much does this matter in the supply chain? Let’s see if we have an answer. We dissect the topic in this episode...

What are the benefits of working closely with a local career & technical education center? You can have a huge impact on the local community, education system, and businesses. If you partner with a local technical center, it could have a far-reaching impact—and it just might help you recruit the next generation.  Nix Partners with a local career & technical education center in Southwest Indiana. David St. Clair and Hannah Lang join us in this episode of MakingSparks to share how...

POV: You’re a woman with an entrepreneurial edge. You want to start a business. Why not consider the manufacturing industry? There are only 6,431 women-owned manufacturing businesses in the United States (representing just 2% of all manufacturing companies). 20% of them are minority-owned. This industry needs a woman’s perspective and expertise. So what does it take to get into the industry? Nicole Wolter—the President & CEO at HM Manufacturing—shares her advice for budding female...

POV: You’ve decided to start the process of implementing automation in your machine shop—but it isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. It’s a process that consists of failing forward and learning from every mistake. Tom Schroeder—the Executive Vice President at PBC Linear—joins us in this episode of Lights Out to share how to prioritize flexibility when you invest in and begin to implement automation in your shop. Because if you’re not making the right chips, you’re not making money. – Nick ...

There are around 17,000 contract manufacturing job shops in the US. That sounds pretty great, right? The truth is that growth is down 16% since 2008. Now, more than ever, we need new entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry. Matthew Nix, Paul Van Metre, Drew Crowe, and Mike Payne join me in this roundtable discussion to talk about the vast opportunities available, how to take advantage of them, and why manufacturing leaders should encourage and grow entrepreneurs from within their...

How can leadership remain connected to what’s happening on the shop floor? At Nix, we’ve found a creative way to bridge a gap that many businesses experience. We’ve implemented a program that allows our front line to address problems and propose solutions so that their everyday real-world problems are being fixed. Dakota Hunt and Jack Henry Hagan return to share how this program has positively impacted them and the business.  – Matthew Nix Segments [1:03] Netsuite by Oracle’s CFO's...

How do we recruit more young talent to fabrication? How do we navigate rapid growth balanced with training and development? How do we help develop young talent into our future leaders? These are just a few questions we wrestle with in this episode of MakingSparks with special guests Dakota Hunt and Jack Henry Hagan.  – Matthew Nix Segments [0:48] Join the AMT online community  [2:14] Introducing Jack Henry Hagan & Dakta Hunt [3:47] Casey’s dad joke [4:16] Dakota’s background in...

BWXT Mount Vernon produces components for naval nuclear reactors, used in submarines and aircraft carriers. Their sprawling facility is home to CNC machine tools and sophisticated welding and heat-treating equipment. In this episode of MakingSparks, General Manager Nate Foote shares more about their commitment to processes, their recruiting practices, and why the work they do is incredibly important.  – Casey Segments [1:09] Learn more about AMT [2:38] Introducing special guest Nate Foote...

What are the pros and cons of plasma cutters vs. water jets vs. lasers? How does cutting with nitrogen differ from cutting with oxygen? How is technology driving innovation in fabrication? R.J. Reed and Brendon DiVincenzo join us in this episode of MakingSparks to cover all things lasers and fabrication. Because if you’re not MakingSparks with the right tool, you’re not making money. BAM! – Nick Segments [0:19] FREE IMTS 2024 Exhibitor Workshop [2:17] Nick’s dad joke [2:43] Learn more...

On December 7th, 2023, Jason had a heart attack, the type well-known as the “widow-maker.” Miraculously, Jason survived. Then he survived a heart transplant. January 19th, 2024, he went home. Jason beat the odds. In this episode of MakingChips, we’ll share Jason’s miraculous story. We’ll also share some of the lessons we’ve learned throughout the last couple of months. Be ready to be awe-struck.  – Nick Segments [0:18] IMTS 2024 [2:01] Miracle #1: Making it to the hospital [8:35] Miracle...

Every family business that’s growing and expanding runs into some challenges. From navigating tough conversations with family to determining a centralized versus decentralized model, there are numerous things to consider. Joe Patterson’s family business overcame the challenges that came their way and expanded globally.  However, they had lofty goals for the business and ultimately needed more capital to realize those goals. Joe shares how they expanded their family business and why they sold...

communication with your family? How do you foster open communication in difficult conversations?  Running a family business is full of unique challenges—and successes—that many other businesses don’t have to think about. But navigating those challenges doesn’t have to be difficult. Tad Dickel returns in this episode of MakingSparks to cover it all.  – Matthew Nix If you missed part 1, go back and listen HERE. Segments [0:56] Palo Alto Zero Trust OT Security [4:38] Casey’s dad joke [5:30]...

Nix Companies is a fifth-generation family business in an industry that's predominantly privately held and family-owned. Family-owned businesses are the fabric of our economy. Today’s guest on MakingSparks, Tad Dickel, is a Leadership & Strategy Consultant with a special interest in family-owned businesses. He helps them with everything from governance to succession planning.  Tad shares why having difficult conversations with family early can make a profound impact on the long-term...

Cutting tool manufacturers have to remain on the cutting edge. If you do so, it’s possible to stay competitive. We know that a solid education and training for new talent is the best first step. But you also have to learn to embrace grit to make it through. We cover what else is important to remain successful and competitive in this episode of MakingChips.  – Drew Crowe Out call-to-action: Bring us someone who can talk about innovation in the tooling industry in North America.  Segments ...