Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

You are motivated, inspired and positive - your employee… not so much. How can you turn around an employee who does not match the positive energy in your workplace?In today's episode of MakingChips, Jason Zenger, and Jim Carr, discuss a listener's question and come up with 3 ways you can inspire your employees even if you're new to your leadership role. Learn how to bring the energy, develop or redefine your core values, and find out what really drives your employees in this week's new episode of MakingChips. Feedback? Go to MakingChips.com/feedback

Has anyone ever called you a control freak? Do you have trouble sharing responsibility? Is your inability to delegate holding back your potential? Divide and conquer is the name of the game on today's episode of MakingChips. Jason Zenger, Jim Carr and Nick Goellner take a look at how to become the best version of yourself by taking simple steps such as learning to delegate and be more self-aware. Learn how to identify workaholic traits in yourself and how to combat them with the MakingChips team.

What exactly is the multiplier effect? How does manufacturing positively impact the economy and our communities? What makes manufacturing and other "creation industries" different from service industries? In today's episode of MakingChips, Jason Zenger tackles these questions and more as the MakingChips team dives into a listener question. Do Jim Carr and Nick Goellner agree with the analysis? Listen and let us know what you think!

This week's guest on MakingChips, Federico Sciammarella, CTO at MxD, gives us an insider's glimpse of the "future factory" and offers practical ways to introduce digital to any size shop. Located in Chicago, MxD is one of 14 institutes that make up Manufacturing USA, a public-private funded partnership working to secure American manufacturing's future through innovation, education, and collaboration.

Sustainable growth for today's manufacturing leader has as much to do with company values as it does with the value of your company. As industry leaders, setting meaningful personal and professional goals assure strong culture, inspire innovation and, ultimately, increase shareholder value. In this week's MakingChips podcast, Jim Carr, Jason Zenger, and Nick Goellner each share the vision behind their own personal and professional goals for 2020 and provide inspiration on how to tackle the new year with meaning, purpose, and direction. Listen to the "guys that get dirty on the factory floor" on all major audio platforms and channels.

What's the one question to ask before making any investment decision? As leaders in the industry we are dedicated to growth, yet with quality manufacturing relying so heavily on process, it often seems safer to keep doing things the way we always have. In today's episode of MakingChips, Jason Zenger talks mergers, acquisitions, and good ways to grow with Mike Payne, President of Hill Manufacturing and Fabrication, who spent the first half of his career buying, managing, and selling dozens of companies across multiple industries before successfully acquiring a machine shop of his own. Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Subscribe to Making Chips on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify

A team of leaders who are not united will never reach their potential. On today's episode of MakingChips, the guys discuss the importance of team health after Jason Zenger shares an exercise he does with his leadership team at ZENGERS. This exercise brings healthy conflict to the forefront of their end-of-year planning meetings. The process improves company culture and brings teams closer together by affirming what each member admires about each other and what they would like to see improved. Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Subscribe to Making Chips on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify

Quality management in the manufacturing industry should be high on your list of priorities. Carr Machine & Tool is going through the auditing process with ProShop ERP to prepare for the AS9100 certification they'd like to obtain. In this episode of MakingChips, the guys will talk with Paul Van Metre and Michael Collins about ProShop ERP, AS9100, and everything you need to know to prepare for getting your shop certified. Paul is the president of ProShop USA, and founder of Adion Systems, which develops ProShop, a web-based and paperless ERP, MES, QMS system specifically designed for elite companies in the metalworking industry. They partner with shops that seek to be elite and deliver cutting edge quality. Michael is an implementation specialist at ProShop USA, who trains clients on how to effectively use and implement ProShop in their shops. In addition, Michael provides QMS consulting in the areas of compliance, documentation, auditing and achieving management system certification such as AS 9100. Michael is also an ASQ certified quality auditor. Connect with us:www.MakingChips.com/contact ProShop takes quality management to a whole new level ProShop describes itself as a Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem (DME) that combines quality management system (QMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), Computerized Maintenance Management System, and manufacturing execution system (MES) all in one. Not only is ProShop ERP an all-encompassing system you need for your manufacturing business, but they are also completely paperless. The system takes you into the 21st century and helps you manage everything in one system. This episode IS a shameless plug for ProShop because we 100% believe everyone needs to integrate it into their business—and we aren't afraid to say it. What you need to do to get AS9100 certified AS9100 is the international Quality Management System standard for the Aviation, Space and Defense (AS&D) industry (Rev D (2016) is the most recent version). If you want to work with the AS&D you must get your shop certified. So what does the AS9100 certification process look like? According to Michael, you simply start with a gap assessment. He'll come in and ask questions, look at records and evaluate where your business is currently at as far as conforming to the AS9100 requirements. The gap assessment will help you narrow down where you need to focus and implement changes to become compliant with your quality management. According to Michael: "The whole idea of quality is continuous improvement". It won't be achieved in a day, but you can take ongoing steps. There is always something to be improved upon. Be sure to listen as Michael goes into detail. How does ProShop ERP simplify the auditing process? All of the records that Michael needs to audit can be found within ProShop. There is no navigating through different programs or—heaven forbid—paper files. He can follow the audit trail from one thing to the next in one seamless platform. ProShop cuts down the time it takes to do an audit to a third. Jim points out that as a business owner, this is a weight off your shoulders. There are so many other areas where your time is better spent and if you're decreasing the time spent on an audit bt 66% it decreases anxiety. It also allows you to get back to what you need to do much faster. Doing things paperless will become the new standard. An auditor can't tell you that you have to use binders. Even if they aren't familiar with ProShop, you can walk them through where to find any and all of the info they need. ProShop raises the bar when it comes to excellence in quality ProShop integrated quality management into their system to benefit you. Here are just a few of the functionalities and updates they make that raise the bar: They help you integrate updates into your system as revisions are made to the standard. They are always updating their 'Flying Start' package to reflect regulation updates. The integrate a vendor rating system so you can track the quality of the vendors that you work with. It always you to rank vendors on quality, communication, on-time delivery, and more. ProShop offers different options to help make sure your system is secure and follows ITAR regulations (on-site server or AWS GovCloud). We rely on ProShop ERP to automate our systems and help us go above and beyond expectations with the quality we deliver. Listen to the whole episode for valuable information on quality management, ProShop ERP, ASQ9100 certification and much more. Here's The Good Stuff! What's new at Carr Machine & Tool and Zenger's & Black Manufacturing News: Automated Metrology by Quality Magazine Michael Collins and Paul Van Metre join Jason and Jim How Michael got started in the manufacturing industry What you need to do to get AS 9100 certified Having ProShop ERP cuts audits down to ⅓ of the time People Recognize that ProShop ERP is an efficient QMS system A conversation about the ProShop vendor rating system Is ProShop ERP a secure system? Tools & Takeaways ProShop ERP Automated Metrology by Quality Magazine American Society for Quality Amazon GovCloud ISO 9001:2015 This Week's Superstar Guests Michael Collins on LinkedIn Paul Van Metre on LinkedIn ProShop ERP on Facebook ProShop ERP on Twitter Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Subscribe to Making Chips on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify

Is it possible to recession-proof a business? With all the chatter in the economic world about the potential of a recession, how do you mitigate your losses? Are their things that you can do up-front that would help you survive a recession? Jim and Jason discuss the 'dirty word' in the industry and some steps you can consider implementing before—or when—a recession hits. Connect with us:www.MakingChips.com/contact Why are so many NOT worried about a recession? Many young people in the industry who dove into the workforce after 2008 don't understand what it means to be in a recession. They haven't lived through one. Those who remember what it felt like hate to talk or think about it. Jim points out that despite the emotion surrounding the word, it needs to be brought back into the vocabulary. Just because you avoid something doesn't mean it won't still happen. Jason and Jim emphasize that if you are educated and prepared a recession won't impact you as much as it could. So what do you do? If a recession IS coming, what do you do? Jim notes that every recession he's lived through "looks and feels a little bit different than the one before.'' The unfortunate reality is that we don't know when a recession will come, how bad it will be, or how long it will last. When Jason's Dad, Steve, led his business through a recession—he stopped taking a paycheck for a chunk of time. If you're a business owner, you will have to take some hits. It's inevitable. Jason's dad knew he had to protect his business and employees, so he stopped paying himself to get them through the economic downturn. One way to mitigate the harshness of this reality in your own life is to build up a nest-egg. Create a savings account in case of a recession that can see you, your family, and your business through to the other side. Labor is the #1 biggest cost in the manufacturing industry If cutting your pay isn't enough to mitigate the financial losses, you have to address the elephant in the room: you might have to let someone go. It's not easy to do, but sometimes it has to be done. It comes with the territory of being a business owner. It may come down to, "Who can we afford to lose?". Sometimes, there is a clear path. Steve Zenger had to 'trim the fat' in the last recession and fire a few people who were under-performing or unwilling to help them make it through the recession. If you're not at the point where you need to make some layoffs, a tip to save some money is to reduce overtime. If you can't afford to pay your team, you certainly can't afford to pay time-and-a-half. Reduce your overhead costs and develop sales skills Jason currently pays rent on three different locations for his business. He questions if a recession hits, could he consolidate locations to reduce overhead? Another option the guys point out is relocating the business somewhere with lower rent. During the last recession, Jason's Dad took him out for lunch, and point-blank asked: "What are you going to do about this?". Jason wasn't going to sit back and cry. Instead, he developed a passion for sales. If business wasn't finding him, he was going to do everything possible to bring it in. A recession is difficult to talk about, but Jim and Jason agree it's stuff you need to know. A business owner must do everything they can to prepare. To hear the rest of their suggestions regarding surviving a recession, listen to the whole episode of MakingChips! Here's The Good Stuff! Recession is a dirty word in the industry The potential of the electric vehicle Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe to the Boring Bar Newsletter! America's largest truck engine manufacturer is laying off 2,000 people Mitigating the risks that come with a recession When it comes down to reducing your labor force Jim and Jason discuss ways to lower your overhead costs Don't get used to a lifestyle of expensive living Consider outsourcing work that isn't profitable Tools & Takeaways Xometry Trucking Companies Going out of Business Cummins Diesel Announced Layoffs of 2,000 employees Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Subscribe to Making Chips on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify

Today's guest on the MakingChips podcast is passionate about job creation in the manufacturing industry. Today's youth are being pushed towards college degree—while racking up debt—which has led to $1.6 trillion in student loan debt in the country. It is staggering. Unfortunately, many students spend the majority of their working life paying off that debt. Jon Klinepeter left a career as a Pastor to start Forrest Bradshaw Industries and the Better Good Group. His goal is to offer underprivileged youth a shot in an industry that is screaming for more labor. To hear more about his heart and mission in manufacturing, listen to the whole episode of MakingChips now! Connect with us:www.MakingChips.com/contact Jon's journey from Ministry to Machining Jon Klinepeter spent 22 years as a Pastor in Chicago (and Minneapolis, MN). He had a passion and love for the people he worked with. He was an advocate in his community. His faith has always been very important to him—but he didn't love the church organizational structure. So he completed an MBA in Strategy and Innovation. Then, he bought a 38-year-old CNC Machining company from a Polish Immigrant. But why machining? Jon's grandfather was his hero growing up, and had spent his life as a machinist. According to Jon, what drew him in was "The intellect being expressed through your hands rather than through an education system that rewards a certain type of thinking". He wanted to build a business with that thought in mind. A passion for job creation Jon's passion is job creation, and he knows the manufacturing industry is constantly growing. Not only is it growing, but being a CNC machinist is the highest paying career you can have without a college degree. Jon wanted to take that knowledge and start creating generational opportunities for underprivileged youth. Nothing brings him greater joy than seeing the look of hope on someone's face when they've been offered a job they never thought remotely possible. The purpose of Forrest Bradshaw is to inspire hope for a better future through living wage job opportunities in precision metal manufacturing. 100,000 jobs for at-risk youth is possible With his purpose and vision for Forrest Bradshaw, he launched an initiative to create 100,000 jobs for at-risk youth across the country. He wanted to inspire hope for a better future through living wage job opportunities in precision metal manufacturing. He's watched thousands of kids walking into job fairs scared and hopeless, but leaving full of hope. What is being offered is more than just a job, but a future. Many kids don't have the right guidance or mentors available to them. Those of us fortunate enough to have parents that were available had a safety net. Parents are ongoing mentors throughout our lives—but many underprivileged youths don't get that. Providing jobs gives them hope for the next generation. A business owner must lead with Integrity With his core vision in mind, Jon knew he had to build a business with his values at the center of everything he did. The foundational value he chose to build Forrest Bradshaw on was integrity. At times, practicing integrity can seem counter-cultural. Jon reminisced about getting some machinery fixed: The company giving him a quote for the job (that the insurance was going to cover) asked him what cut that he wanted from the quote. With his team waiting to see what his response would be, he responded "Just whatever it costs, bill us for that". Your integrity will cost you something. That would've been easy money in his pocket. Instead, he chose to honor his core values and lead with integrity. To hear the rest of Jon's mission, vision, core values, and advice for leaders in manufacturing, listen to the whole episode! Here's The Good Stuff! What would Jim do if he wasn't at Carr Machine & Tool? What's happening at Carr Machine & Tool What's new at Zenger & Black Subscribe to the Boring Bar Newsletter! Manufacturing News: Mike Rowe weighs in on student debt Why Jon Klinepeter left ministry for machining The purpose of Forrest Bradshaw Industries The core values Jon embraces in his business Jon's advice for aspiring manufacturing leaders We chat with Mark at Xometry about ITAR compliant vs. registered Tools & Takeaways Lack of shop classes is why we're $1.6T in student debt: Mike Rowe Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA) International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Registration Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (DFAR) Connect with Mark Gallagher This Week's Superstar Guest Forrest Bradshaw Industries Jon's LinkedIn Better Good Group Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Subscribe to Making Chips on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify