Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders – Details, episodes & analysis

How do you grow a machine shop through acquisitions? What is it like working in a legacy family business? How do you find and hire talented engineers? Where does AI fit into the daily grind? These are all questions that this team of industry experts and friends seek to answer over a glass of bourbon At the Boring Bar.

Jason Zenger, Nick Goellner, Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre, Peter Eelman, Nicole Wolter, Chris Luecke, and Manny Pasillas share their unique perspectives on the manufacturing industry—and how it must adapt—in part II. Check it out!

• [0:37] Manage your cutting tools with ProShop ERP
• [2:25] Embodying entrepreneurial spirit
• [7:02] Carrying on a family business
• [12:15] Overcoming the fear of technology
• [19:34] NetSuite: The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning
• [20:35] Shifting the conversation to AI
• [38:09] Gamifying adaption of new technology 

• ProShop ERP
• NetSuite: The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning
• CNC Expert
• Peter Eelman 
• Manny Pasillas
• Nicole Wolter
• Chris Luecke

• www.MakingChips.com
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Some of the greatest ideas in manufacturing don’t happen in boardrooms but over a drink with peers. In At the Boring Bar, Jason aims to cut deeper into the conversations that matter most to manufacturing leaders. So pull up a chair, grab a drink, and join Jason as he uncovers the insights that drive the manufacturing industry forward. 

In this inaugural episode of At the Boring Bar, join Jason, Nick Goellner, Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre, Peter Eelman, Nicole Wolter, Chris Luecke, and Manny Pasillas At the Boring Bar. They cover everything from the exciting new exhibits at IMTS to one of the biggest problems the manufacturing industry faces: a mass exodus of Baby Boomers. 

You’ll laugh, you may cry, and you’ll undoubtedly hear something that will provoke you to think about the future of the industry and your impact on it. Don’t miss it. 

• [0:20] Learn about IMTS 2024 ELEVATE
• [2:51] Why Jason is taped to a mannequin 
• [3:47] Learn more about “At the Boring Bar”
• [6:12] The evolution and legacy of IMTS
• [13:06] What we’re looking forward to at IMTS
• [22:29] Listen to the Manufacturing Transformed podcast!
• [27:36] Throwback to IMTS 1980
• [29:05] What Peter will miss about IMTS
• [34:43] The mass exodus of Baby Boomers

• IMTS 2024 ELEVATE
• Expomaq
• The Manufacturing Transformed podcast

• www.MakingChips.com
• On Facebook
• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On Twitter
• On YouTube

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 us and instead, practice gratitude. 

– Matthew Nix

• [2:39] What’s keeping Matthew up at night? 
• [3:28] How ProFab Alliance can help you
• [4:11] Issue #1: Safety concerns in the shop
• [5:37] Issue #2: On-time delivery and customer service
• [7:24] Why you can’t let worry consume you 
• [10:31] Using ProShop ERP to manage cutting tools
• [11:45] Strategic planning for Captivated Content
• [14:14] Practicing gratitude at all times
• [15:32] What’s happening at NIX Industrial
• [19:26] Launching a franchising business

Have questions? Want to be a guest? Reach out to us on LinkedIn! We’d love to hear from you. 

• ProFab Alliance
• Man’s Search for Meaning
• ProShop ERP

• www.MakingChips.com
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• On LinkedIn
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Scheduling is the art of planning your activities so that you can achieve your goals and priorities in the time that you have available. When it’s done effectively, it helps you understand what you can realistically achieve with your time. Why is it a big deal on the shop floor? As technology and automation are being implemented, it forces you to be faster. So you have to be efficient. Paul Van Metre joins us in this episode of MakingChips to share how ProShop can help your shop become more efficient. Because if you aren’t being efficient, you aren’t making enough chips. BAM!

• [2:42] Why scheduling is important on the shop floor
• [5:39] Make sure you come see MakingChips at IMTS!
• [6:37] What’s happening in our lives and businesses
• [8:52] Paul Van Metre is back on the show
• [13:05] Tips for make your setups better
• [16:33] The secret to great scheduling is accurate estimations
• [23:31] How expediting impacts your scheduling in ProShop
• [25:08] Setup reliability is key to proper scheduling
• [26:38] Why Paul believes expediters are unnecessary 
• [28:23] Consistently monitor and update your setup and run times
• [31:00] ProShop’s pre-processing checklist 
• [33:42] Why fully automated scheduling isn’t realistic
• [36:14] How Dave Hannah saw improvements with ProShop scheduling

• Register for IMTS 2022!
• ThomasNet
• ProShop ERP
• Paul Van Metre
• High QA
• G Zero CNC Machining 

• www.MakingChips.com
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• On Twitter
• On YouTube

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is back! This is the first time that IMTS has been forced to go on hiatus since World War II. It’s taking place September 12–17 at McCormick Place in Chicago and will consist of 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space. 

In this episode of MakingChips, Peter Eelman—the Chief Experience Officer at AMT—joins us to share what’s happening at IMTS, how to book your hotel stay, how Chicago is safer than ever, and even shares what to do to enjoy your stay. Even better, we will be in the Grand Concourse Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Come by and say hi!

• [2:50] Why Chicago is a safe and fun city to host IMTS
• [5:41] Learn about our special guest Peter Eelman
• [10:39] Book your hotel directly through IMTS
• [15:31] This years main stage is stellar
• [16:37] The Emerging Technology Center
• [20:11] The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion
• [21:35] Set up a my show planner account
• [23:48] Sign up for drawings every Thursday!
• [26:23] Some logistics about navigating Chicago
• [28:33] Things to enjoy while in Chicago
• [29:41] Learn about the IMTS Smartsource Student Summit
• [31:07] Find Me, Find Us, and Find It at IMTS! 

Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

• Book Your Hotel for IMTS 2022!
• Register before August 12th to take advantage of $50 tickets 
• McCormick Place Convention Center
• IMTS Show Planner
• Smartforce Student Summit
• Connect with Peter Eelman
• Chicago Architecture Tour
• Ingersoll Machine Tools
• ProShop ERP

• www.MakingChips.com
• On Facebook
• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On Twitter
• On YouTube

We’ve all gone into plants that smell awful because they’re dealing with coolant problems. But that smell is a symptom of other, bigger problems. If you have a smelly shop, foggy and dirty windows, and gunk on your tables, you’ve got a coolant problem that’s creating an unhealthy environment for your team. Learn how to identify coolant problems and how to solve them in this episode of MakingChips! 

• [7:45] What’s happening in our lives
• [9:27] Manufacturing News: Peloton abandons building manufacturing plant
• [11:09] How coolant problems impact your team
• [13:35] How coolant problems impact your equipment
• [16:21] Solution #1: Preventative maintenance
• [20:54] Solution #2: Wash your hands
• [22:50] Solution #3: Wear nitrile gloves
• [23:37] Solution #4: Use mist collectors
• [24:30] Solution #5: Use high-quality water
• [24:53] Solution #6: Proper filtration systems
• [29:19] Solution #7: Choose the right coolant
• [32:49] Leave us a review on your favorite platform!

• IMTS 2022!
• O’Keeffe’s Working Hands

• www.MakingChips.com
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The key to being a good salesman is to add value wherever you can for your customers. I want to be able to talk with ZENGER’s customers about integrating their tooling management with their ERP system and why it can help them. That’s why, in this episode of MakingChips, Paul Van Metre comes back to share how tooling management works using ProShop ERP. Because if you’re not properly managing your tools, you’re losing money (and definitely not making chips). 

– Jason!

• [3:24] What’s happening in our lives
• [7:14] Manufacturing News: Amogy Powers a Tractor Using Ammonia
• [10:34] Why is tooling management important? 
• [15:31] Process stability and setup reduction
• [20:16] Differences between high-production and project-based shops
• [22:22] Walking through the tooling management inventory system
• [26:41] A success story from Faircloth Machine Shop
• [37:58] Be more scientific with your tooling management system

• ProShop ERP Tooling Management Webinar
• Thomas™
• IMTS 2022
• Amogy Demonstrates First Ammonia-Powered, Zero-Emissions Tractor
• Faircloth Machine Shop

• www.MakingChips.com
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Whether you rely on inbound marketing, outbound marketing, or a combination of both, sourcing new customers can be a hassle. But it’s how you grow your business, so you can’t give up. Thomas™, a Xometry company, is America’s #1 industrial sourcing platform and marketing powerhouse. It could also be your #1 driver of new customers. Thomas™ President Shawn Fitzgerald shares how in this episode of MakingChips. Because if you’re not gaining new customers, you’re not making chips, and if you’re not making chips—you’re not making money! BAM!

– Nick

• [2:54] The exciting things happening in ours lives
• [5:13] Learn all about what’s happening at IMTS
• [6:27] Manufacturing News: Reverse Logistics Booms
• [9:25] Shawn Fitzgerald’s origin story
• [14:53] Learn more about the evolution of Thomas
• [17:42] How Thomas works for buyers and suppliers
• [27:50] Inbound, outbound, and account-based marketing
• [?:??] A discussion about what’s most-sourced
• [35:09] Thomas is a single-source platform to get everything you need
• [37:41] How Thomas and Xometry transformed someone’s business
• [39:10] What’s happening next at Thomas and Xometry?

• Don’t miss IMTS 2022!
• Thomas
• Reverse Logistics Booms as Americans Return 17% of All Retail Purchases
• Connect with Shawn Fitzgerald on LinkedIn
• Wonder

• www.MakingChips.com
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• On LinkedIn
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Why is a skills gap analysis helpful? How can it make your company more efficient? What does the process look like? In this episode of MakingChips, we define a seven-step process you can use to help you run a skills gap analysis on your manufacturing business. Special guest Crystal Van Vleet shares how she’s brought the process to life in her role with Advanced Machine & Engineering (and at MakingChips). The bottom line is, if you don’t have skills, you’re not making chips, and if you're not making chips, you’re not making money!

— Nick

• [2:06] Why a skills gap analysis can help your business
• [4:56] Manufacturing News: Skills Gap Analysis for the Future of Work
• [12:43] Learn all about our guest Crystal Van Vleet
• [17:59] Step #1: Make a plan for the skills gap analysis
• [22:09] Step #2: Define your organization's future goals
• [24:58] Why Crystal got her CMTSE certification
• [26:47] Step #3: Catch up on the future of work trends 
• [28:04] Step #4: Determine key skills needed for the future
• [30:18] Step #5: Measure your current skills
• [33:16] Crystal’s experience with self-assessment tools
• [35:03] Step #6: Find out where the gaps are
• [39:23] Step #7: Put a plan into action

• Skills Gap Analysis for the Future of Work
• Connect with Crystal Van Vleet on LinkedIn
• Don’t miss IMTS 2022!
• ProShop ERP

• www.MakingChips.com
• On Facebook
• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On Twitter
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What can you do to double the value of your manufacturing company and increase your likelihood of selling it exponentially? In this episode of MakingChips, Michael Watkins and David Capkovitz from EBITDA Growth Systems (EGS) share how they can help you increase your profitability and Paul Van Metre from ProShop ERP shares how he partners with EGS to bring value to his clients. They are all passionate about improving business performance in manufacturing companies and impacting lives. Don’t miss this episode packed with actionable insight.

• [4:38] What’s happening in our businesses
• [6:45] Manufacturing News: Industrial manufacturing deals outlook
• [9:30] Learn all about EBITDA Growth Systems’ mission
• [16:02] How Paul is connected to EBITDA Growth Systems (EGS) 
• [19:17] How EBITDA Growth Systems (EGS) can help your business
• [27:29] Does EGS focus on internal systems or external marketing?
• [29:25] How they meet their brand promise with businesses that realize success
• [34:00] The #1 thing that Michael and David focus on to drive more revenue
• [35:09] The investment that’s required to drive change in your company
• [38:04] The synergy between ProShop ERP and EBITDA Growth Systems

• IMTS 2022
• ProShop ERP
• Xometry Supplies Flex
• Industrial manufacturing: Deals 2022 midyear outlook
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization
• EBITDA Growth Systems
• The E-Myth Revisited
• The World is Flat
• Scaling to Exit by Michael Watkins
• Connect with David Capkovitz

• www.MakingChips.com
• On Facebook
• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On Twitter
• On YouTube