In this episode, Jay interviews Michael Gimbel, founder and CEO of Gimbal Automation. Michael's entrepreneurial journey is truly remarkable. At 19, he decided to leave Johns Hopkins and start a 3D printing company. Today, he leads a rapidly growing automation business. 

Listen as Michael discusses the challenges of building his company, key lessons in management and delegation, and the innovative automation solutions his company offers to manufacturers. This episode is essential listening for anyone in the manufacturing industry looking to explore smart, cost-effective automation strategies. Learn more at www.gimbelautomation.com.

In this episode of The Pricing Series, Jay Jacobs and Jeff Gorman are joined by Justin Quinn: President at Focused on Machining. Justin is a previous guest on the show and long-time customer of Paperless Parts.

Earlier this year at Paperless Parts' first-ever user conference, POWER 2023, Justin sat in on a presentation Jeff gave on the platform's Advanced Analytics. Lightbulbs went off, and Justin laid out his vision for a Pipeline Report. Jeff built the report for Justin, and within just a couple of weeks, Justin was able to make better decisions that drove his win rate up by 5%.

Listen as Justin shares why this Pipeline Report was so valuable and everything he walked away with as a result of the event that he wants to impart to others.

Resources

• Watch a snippet of Jeff's presentation at POWER 2023 East on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SKd9sl9Ow0E

On this episode we speak with Justin Quinn, owner of Focused on Machining in Denver, Colorado.  Justin bought Focused on Machining eight years after it started.  As a former commercial banker Justin offers us a unique perspective on buying a shop through the bank's perspective, including what is underwriting, how banks make money and how to make your shop look attractive to a bank.

Jay speaks with Jeff Trevorrow, owner of Columbus Advanced Manufacturing Systems (CAMS).  While CAMS can print and machine parts, they are unique in that they also offer solutions for software, training, printers and systems.  

We speak with Joel Niekamp of Wesco Machine and Tool.  After a career in private equity and investment banking with a specialty in mergers and acquisitions Joel opted to switch gears and purchased a Job Shop himself. Many job shop owners are reaching the point where they're looking to exit their business. And this is a great opportunity to get the perspective of someone on the other side who actually pulled the trigger and bought a shop.

On today’s episode, Ali Bahar discusses how he and his neighbor, George Brinzey conceived their idea for Mammoth Machine while hanging out on Friday nights.  Hear how they have developed their scanning technology to allow them to reverse engineer challenging parts.

On this episode we speak with Peter Sameulson of S&S Machine, another family run business here in New Hampshire.  Hear how Peter's early career in tooling gives his shop a unique advantage and perspective on cutting tools. Also, hear how S&S wins the hard jobs that other shops are to afraid to even quote!

Jay speaks with Damian Forsythe, owner of Impact Manufacturing in Loomis, California.  A natural self-starter Damian speaks about his successes as well as his failures and how it's led him to his own success.  He also offers us a fresh perspective on CAM software and why he prefers NX.

Welcome to the Job Shop Show!  In our first episode, our host, Jay Jacobs, speaks with Brian LeMoine of Brian's Machine Shop a family run business here in New Hampshire.  As a self-proclaimed "old school" job shop owner Brian is embracing technology giving him more freedom to travel and participate in his hobbies as retirement is approaching and his son gets prepared to take over the family business.

How are 3D printed sand molds and cores changing the metal casting industry? Brandon Lamoncha is the Director of Additive Manufacturing at Humtown: an organization first established by Brandon's grandfather as a pattern shop in 1959 that has since grown to become the industry’s first conventional sand core and mold manufacturer to commercialize 3D sand printing. Humtown offers both conventional manufacturing (Humtown Products) and 3D printing (Humtown Additive), and they're consistently taking their knowledge of being a successful production shop to find unique ways to succeed with new technology. In this episode, Brandon shares his story of getting started in the business, how technology helps him successfully work remotely, tips for safe global shipping, the benefits of 3D printing over conventional methods, how Humtown optimizes their processes for efficiency, how they've dialed in their tolerances, and more.

To learn more, visit www.humtown.com.

 

Jay sits down with Jesse Casto: owner of BetterCNC in Plano, TX. Spinning out of a legacy of machining, Jesse founded BetterCNC in 2021 on a mission to operate a new kind of machine shop; one that strives for continual improvement and never settles (hence the name "Better" CNC, and not "Best" CNC). In his conversation with Jay, Jesse shares how to get started with cash is a constraint, how he successfully uses tabbing as a machining methodology, and tons of other cool tips and tricks you may not have thought of that makes him more efficient and helps his shop grow. When it comes to the new generation of manufacturers, Jesse is leading the pack. If you're interested in learning more about continual improvement, efficiency, entrepreneurship, or innovation, you won't want to miss this. 

To learn more about BetterCNC, visit www.bettercnc.com.

 

Contact BetterCNC

1909 Platinum Street

Garland, TX 75042

972-836-8422

Mark Barglof is the President and owner of Kinetic Technologies, LLC: a design and fabrication shop just north of Algona, IA. After serving in the military and earning the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, Mark shifted career paths and dove into the world of manufacturing (he grew up the son of a job shop owner, so it wasn't his first rodeo). In this episode, Mark talks to Jay about what drove him to co-found SmartAg: the company that created the first commercially available aftermarket kit to turn a tractor into a fully autonomous vehicle. Mark also shares how Kinetic has evolved over the years, which technologies and people have been integral in their success, and how integrating robots and cobots can not only help drive quality and efficiency, but creative freedom and employee retention. If you're looking to learn more about entrepreneurship, Industry 4.0, and new ways to improve your shop, this episode is a must-listen.

 

Episode Links:

• Click here to see Mark's welding cobot in action
• Read Mark's article on robotic automation for Paperless Parts' blog, In the Shop

Rafal Gliwiak Owner at Pro Fabricating Machining and Welding joins us on this episode. Rafals journey embodies the entreprenurial spirit in America. He shares how he got started, obstacles to growth and how he's learning and improving everyday.

Lance Thrailkill is the third generation owner and CEO of All Metals Fabricating located outside Dallas, Texas. All Metals vision statement is serving people with excellence and a goal of becoming the most automated shop in the world.

Lance dives into all that they do for their employees and how the employees reciprocate. How it started day one with Lance's grandfather and has continued and expanded through today. Lance goes into detail how they have put into words what All Metals is all about; vision statement, purpose, core values, and how these words are embedded in the fabric of the company.

He gives details and stories on exactly what they do. If you are looking for ways to put your people first, so they then naturally put your customers first then this is a must listen.

In this episode, Jeff and Jay revisit the theme of seasonality in custom manufacturing.  As manufacturing tends to trend busier this time of year Jeff and Jay explore strategies to use pricing to manage demand.

Jeff and Jay sit down with Nick Mosey of Moseys Production Machinist in Anaheim, California. Nick and Jay had a conversation a few weeks back about how to reduce accounts receivables, and after some great discussion, we agreed to have Nick come on the podcast so that some of his other questions could be captured for you.

We touch upon a  really  wide variety of topics, including how to prioritize payables, why you should always have a line of credit at a bank, even if you don't use it, and if you do, how to use it. How pricing algorithms can be designed to automatically adjust pricing for new prospects, why profits are essential for growth, and lots more.

 

James Fitch is the Vice President of Engineering at Nu-Way Industries, Inc., a leader in designing and fabricating precision metal products serving many industries worldwide. With a manufacturing career spanning five decades, James oversees Estimating, the Product Development Group, the Manufacturing Engineering Group, and the Prototype Shop from Nu-Way’s headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois.  In this episode Jay and Jim sit down to dive deeper into his article "Six Tips for Facilitating Digital Transformation in Manufacturing" published in Paperless Parts Blog: In the Shop. Here we get a chance to riff and go deep on what is truly a passionate subject for Jim and one that he's thought about over his decades in manufacturing.

Happy New Year! Jeff and Jay sit down and chat about how a shop might plan for 2023. Jeff shares what he has heard shops say about the previous year and how they can use this reflection to set goals and aspirations for the new year!

In this episode, we sit down with Jamie Goettler, Chief Revenue Officer of BTX Precision, a leading family of precision manufacturing organizations. Jamie's journey to BTX marks a significant shift from his 23-year tenure at MSC Industrial, where he gained extensive experience on the supply side of the manufacturing industry.

Join us as Jamie shares his insights from visiting over a thousand shops during his time at MSC, offering a unique perspective now that he's on the manufacturing side of the fence. We dive into MSC Industrial's capabilities and some of the lesser-known services they provide that could be game-changers for your shop.

Jamie also indulges us in a fascinating discussion about the future of manufacturing, including the potential impact of humanoid robots. His knowledge and passion for American manufacturing shine through in our conversation, and we hope you’ll find it as inspiring as we did.

In this episode we dive in to how we see shops handling the dramatic fluctuations in material pricing. What are their strategies and how does automated quoting make them easier to implement.

We are speaking with Kevin Heins of KLH Industries located in Germantown, Wisconsin. KLH Industries was recently recognized as a Modern Machine Shop Top Shop in the business strategies and performance category. This is a follow up to a great article that was written about them and their implemenation of a company operating system.

Ashleigh Wehrle of Area Tool & Manufacturing joins us to speak openly about her experience of taking over the shop after losing her father unexpectedly in 2011. Ashleigh's family did not not have a succession plan in place and she shares her experience and lessons learned.

Scott Duncan of F&M Tool and Die joins us to ask Jay and Jeff some questions on growing his business. Jeff and Jay met several years ago through the Entreprenuers Organization. Jay, Jeff and Scott chat strategy about raising EBITDA, why you would want a high profit margin and how to achieve it.

Alex Gray, author of the Wall Street Journal Article America’s Industrial Base Isn’t Ready for War With China joins us on this special episode. 

Today's guest is Zack Fennell of Ameritex Machine & Fabrication outside of Hosuton, Texas.  Ameritex is an industry leader in advanced metal fabrication. We get into detail about how Ameritex made the strategic decision to change equipment suppliers and how they approached doing so from both an organizational and financial angle. We also touch on other areas of technology that have made a positive impact on their business. 

Jeff and Jay get into what information can be interrogated from a 3D CAD model.  How to input it automatically into quoting software and then how it can be used for design for manufacturability feedback during the quoting process based upon the parameters of manufacturability. Jay built a company around using 3D data to quote and manufacture parts, and this episode will give you a glimpse of how 3D CAD model geometry speeds quoting, and dramatically reduces errors.

Jay and Jeff take a deep dive into Analytics; data derived primarily from quoting activities.  For those quoting in excel or an ERP system it may be difficult to extract information such as win rate.  One of the advantages of estimating software is that all this data comes for free and very little effort is neccessary to generate reports. Jeff and Jay get into some of the ways reports can be sliced and diced both out of the box and how you can customize for your shop. 

Jeff shares his experience at his first trip to IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show). It was also Paperless Parts first time exhibiting at the show. Jeff shares with us many common questions he recieved at the booth as well as some of the cool products and companies he saw while walking the show. 

Brian and Jason Korbelik of Precision Parts Fast join us on this episode. Precision Parts Fast has implemented many concepts and recommendations we've discussed on prior episodes. They are winning more work than ever and have lots of questions on how to automate estimating even more through the use of Paperless Parts. We captured it all for you.  We get into pricing levers, part type categorization, and shop rates. Why complex parts can be the devil; throwing away your calculator; managing expectations and even chat about credit cards. These guys are smart, hungry, and growing fast. 

In this episode, Jay interviews Mark C. Winters: teacher, coach, and facilitator who spends most of his time directly engaged with entrepreneurial leadership teams as an Expert EOS Implementer.

The EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a comprehensive business framework designed to help organizations clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision through a set of practical tools and principles. As a teacher, coach, and facilitator, Mark C. Winters spends most of his time directly engaged with entrepreneurial leadership teams as an Expert EOS Implementer—helping them implement EOS® in their own companies. 

Episode Resources

• Vist Mark's website: https://www.markcwinters.com/
• Learn more about Rocket Fuel University®: https://rocketfueluniversity.com/
• The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) website: https://www.eosworldwide.com/

In this episode we focus on pricing strategies for repeat parts and how to think of them in terms of rising costs; particularly materials, blanket orders, multiple shipments, and long term agreements. We also dive into AB testing to determine whether new customers will pay more and also how to use AB testing to test out different pricing strategies.

We explore a wide range of pricing strategies today. How to handle customers who cherry pick your quotes, stinging you with the line items you price too low and awarding the juicy parts to someone else. How to handle no quotes; when to no quote, putting a policy in place and what to say to the customer. What to do when an unknown new customer sends in a giant quoting package for the first opportunity. Enjoy!

Dan Villemaire is the President of C&M Precision Tech located in Hudson, NH.  Founded by Dan's grandfather in 1979, C&M is a manufacturer of metal and plastic components and assemblies for product manufacturers across various industries. Jay and Dan touch on various aspects of running a shop from managing big mult-year contracts to certifications and much much more.

On today's episode, Jay and Jeff get into how easy it is to update pricing in Paperless Parts. Some shops may be hesitant to update pricing often because it takes time and effort. But what happens when you remove the friction and make it easy? What if you could update factors for pricing everyday? Think about what opportunities are possible when things are simple!

We are back with our 4th episode in this special pricing series. Jay talks in depth about how he believes US Manufacturing will not just survive but flourish in the event of a recession. We also dig deep into shop rates and why it is difficult to determine one rate for an entire shop. We talk strategies and considerations for coming up with these rates. Enjoy!

On this episode Jay sits down with Mark Douglass and David Sterio of Lincoln Electric's Additive Solutions division. Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions wire-based metal additive manufacturing for large part application provides your business with several advantages over traditional manufacturing processes. 

We are back with our third installment in this special series. Jay and Jeff talk about how to teach, train, and develop less experienced team members into becoming productive in estimating. Enjoy!

We are back with a second edition of our special series on Pricing. Jay and Jeff sit down and discuss getting data in and out of Paperless Parts through APIs and other methods. The importance of automated data collection and the risks associated with human error. Enjoy!

This is the first of a mini-series of episodes with Jeff Gorman, Customer Success Manager at Paperless Parts.  Jeff speaks with hundreds of shops and will join us to explore aspects of pricing; from setting floor prices to maximizing profits and everything in between. Join us weekly for this special series!

BONUS Q&A Episode with Hernan Ricaurte of Ricaurte Precision

Dynamic Metal Innovations (DMI) was founded by Mark Sternat and Scott Hartrick in 2019 and is located in Emmaus, PA. Being digital natives and not having legacy equipment and systems has allowed Mark and Scott to jump feet first into technology as a pillar of shop growth.

In this episode, Jay, Mark, and Scott get into pricing, including how and why they have embraced expedites. Plus, they'll dive into how technology helps them recruit team members, what they looked for in selecting an ERP system, getting a co-bot running on the shop floor, and much more. Whether you're a small shop looking for suggestions to grow or an established larger shop trying to freshen up, this episode has something for you.

Visit www.dynamicmetalpa.com to learn more.

Today, we're speaking with Hernan Ricaurte, President and Co-Owner of Ricaurte Precision, a precision manufacturer in Southern California which he and his sister bought from their parents in 2016. We dig deep into the financial attributes of a shop, then discuss amongst other things the GAP concept of accounting, how the shop has transformed over the last five years and how living and working in Japan for almost 20 years has shaped how Hernan looks at running a company.

Have you ever wondered whether having a robot in your shop makes sense?  Are you worried about the cost of buying one, getting it up and running and then maintaing it? Saman Farid founded Formic Technologies with the goal to make robot implementation much easier for Manufacturers.  Formic owns, installs, and then leases robots to manufacturers at an hourly rate, much less than the human team member.  Listen and learn how you can get robot automation implemented in your shop with minimal risk!

Bill Bonner is here today to talk about the unique challenges of supporting IT in small organizations, especially those going through rapid growth.  He has experience dealing with cyber threats and building better systems to combat them. We will be discussing that as well as some of the latest trends in information technology. Bill is a Business/Technology Systems leader with a proven ability to lead teams to design systems that support profitable business growth. Wide-ranging experience in scaling/leading IT teams, change management, key stakeholder collaboration, enterprise-wide on-premises and cloud infrastructure solutions, cyber security, crisis/recovery/strategic planning, M&A, and managing budgets of $1MM+. Known for business acumen, integrity, transparency, respect for others, and a sense of urgency in promoting frictionless business.

Imagine being able to earn passive income and build long term wealth while gaining total freedom from you business or job! Spend less time working and more time with your spouse, family and friends.  That is what Lifestyle investing is all about.  On this episode, friend, mentor, and wildly successful investor and family man, Justin Donald, the creator of the "The Lifestyle Investor" explains how cash flow investing creates passive income.  This isn't theory - Justin used these tools to achieve eight figure wealth by the age of 40. We hope after listening, you have a new path to explore yourself which can help you achieve your own financial freedom!

Precision Parts Fast (formerly Precision Additive) is an industrial 3D printing, CNC machining, and manufacturing design & consulting company based outside Denver, Colorado. Founded by brothers, Jason Korbelik and Brian Korbelik, in early 2021; Sensing an opportunity to bring precision additive manufacturing to the Rocky mountain roots, they have taken the plunge. We explore thoughts behind starting a business, challenges they're facing how they think differently than someone coming directly from additive manufacturing, and even answer some questions they have regarding redundancy, generating leads, expedite markups, and equipment strategy.

Jonathon Friedl and his brother Isaac Houchens are the owners of Black Mountain Manufacturing just outside Denver. As a young shop owner, Jonathon shares his non-traditional background, his struggles of being a shop owner in the early days. How he built up his company quickly just to have it crash and how he's successfully rebounded. This episdoe is full of personal experience and inspiration.

Sam Gupta of ElevatIQ joins us as we take a deep dive into ERP Systems.  Why do you need one? How do you chose one? How does it help with business transformation? ElevatIQ consults with companies to assist with the procurment of business systems such as ERP and provides implementaion assistance. 

Sam is also host of the popular program WBSRocks; a community and a media company focused on digital transformation and business growth. It runs several initiatives including a podcast, clubhouse rooms, happy hours, Twitter chat, slack, and LinkedIn communities, and a network of LinkedIn influencers.

Ari Santiago, CEO of CompassMSP and Host of the popular Made in America Podcast joins us on this episode! CompassMSP's mission is to help small to medium size businesses utilize the power of technology to help reach their goals. 

In this Bonus episode, Jeremy Dustin of Metalcraft Technologies picks Jay's brain on how he can efficiently offer expedites in his shop.  Jay shares his experiences and ideas for managing and pricing expedites. If you're contemplating adding expedites to  your shop or already offer them, this episode is not to be missed!