The Manufacturing Executive

This ex-Navy Seal, turned manufacturing CEO believes the future of workforce development and training falls not only on the shoulders of the trade schools, but also the employers themselves.

Imagine the power of standing next to a piece of machinery and answering a prospect's questions on a sales call. Or leading a product training session for a new customer, right there inside of your manufacturing facility, on camera. Our guest today has figured all of this out. And it's changed his business forever.

If you want to run a killer manufacturing business, you need to avoid the silent business killers that can keep you from the success you’ve worked hard to earn. Today, we’re speaking with Steve Blue, CEO of Miller Ingenuity, about his recent article Seven Silent Business Killers. He shares the seven silent killers (along with a bonus one) manufacturers need to be on the lookout for and how to treat them before it’s too late. Some highlights: Everyone makes nice in meetings Innovation is DOA Hiding in the USA And other signs that your business is slipping from prosperity to irrelevance

Discover the challenges of attracting highly skilled professionals in the manufacturing industry and the importance of CEO involvement in talent acquisition. Learn about a monthly live event for industrial marketers in the manufacturing sector. Explore insights on hiring sales roles in manufacturing and the significance of effective job descriptions and transparent salary discussions.

Some of the best conversations we have on this show are with Presidents and CEOs leading midsize American manufacturing companies. Listen in as our guest provides his insights into running a company that is a leader in innovative tooling and casting solutions. Mick North is the President and CEO of Anderson Global Inc., a full-service supplier for the design and build of complex foundry tooling. In this episode, Mick talks about his experiences leading a midsize American manufacturing company. Join us as we discuss:How Mick and his team have been able to de-commoditize themselves at Anderson Global Why manufacturing is misunderstood by most of the general publicTraits that every leader should have

The term “sustainability” is used loosely among manufacturing leaders today. Most will say sustainability matters, but how many run their organizations with sustainable practices as their focus? Our guest today is a CEO who operates her business with a sustainability mindset and tells us what that looks like inside a manufacturing organization. Sara Irvani is the CEO at Okabashi Brands, one of the 1% of remaining domestic shoe manufacturers with a mission to prove that sustainable American manufacturing can flourish. In this episode, Sara talks about how her family-owned business has sold over 35 million pairs of shoes using sustainable practices as its focus. Join us as we discuss:The history of Okabashi Brands from the Middle East to Buford, GeorgiaCircularity as it relates to the end of life for a productHow Sara connects the dots between sustainability and profitabilityWhat has Sara excited about the future of manufacturing

We've all heard of Injection Molding and Additive Manufacturing, but what about Additive Molding? Our guest today is pioneering a business for high-volume production using molding. Riley Reese is the Co-Founder and CEO of ARRIS, a technology company enabling the design and manufacture of the highest-performance products. In this episode, Riley talks about Arris's Additive Molding™ technology and how they are discovering new ways to manufacture composite parts at scale in ways that weren't previously possible. Join us as we discuss:What is additive molding, and how it worksSpecific applications that would make sense to use additive molding versus a more traditional processWhat has Riley excited about the future of manufacturing

Rather than our typical interview, in this episode, we syndicated an episode from our second podcast, The Manufacturing Marketer, a show focused on marketing for B2B companies inside the manufacturing ecosystem.In this episode, our team of strategists at Gorilla answer questions that they have received from our recurring live event, Industrial Marketing Live, from marketing folks working inside manufacturing companies. Join us as we discuss:Trade show strategy and how trade shows can be used to build a communityDigital advertising for manufacturers Using data and interviews to formalize customer personas

Some of the most famous and successful entrepreneurs fall on the autism spectrum. Autism is a highly stigmatized disorder, but our guest today will share his insights on why people on the spectrum can be some of the most brilliant thinkers around. Peter Mann is the Founder and CEO of Oransi, a leading manufacturer of air filtration and ventilation products. A United States Military Veteran, Peter served 4 years in the Navy, including a tour in the Red Sea during the first gulf war. Peter is late diagnosed autistic and, in this episode, talks about his journey of being an entrepreneur with autism. Join us as we discuss:Peter’s background and how he discovered he was autistic How Peter’s early entrepreneurial experiences shaped the path he is on nowHow the pandemic affected the market for air filtration and purificationPeter’s perspective on why autism is so stigmatizedWhat business leaders can do to make the workplace more inclusive for people on the spectrum

Our guest today has his eyes set on how we can pull together our resources to revitalize American manufacturing and take steps towards creating vibrant opportunities in the next decade. Doug Berger is the Founder and Team Leader of Industry Reimagined 2030, a non-profit with a mission to bring a generational sea-change in US industry and to transform 50,000 companies into world class over the next 10 years. Listen in as Doug explains how Industry Reimagined is the catalyst for national associations and institutes to collaborate and speak with a unified, compelling voice for this vibrant future.Join us as we discuss:The 4 components of the Industry Reimagined missionShifting the narrative from inevitable decline to vibrant opportunity in manufacturingThe seven nonlinear emerging categories in manufacturing that are going through exponential growth