Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

In round three with Titan Gilroy, we talk about why Titan decided to move his entire business from California to Texas. Was it a smooth transition? Was he able to retain his entire team? Titan also shares more of the "why" behind his business and his passion for serving his audience. Titan continues to go above and beyond the expected as he grows his academy. Listen to learn more. BAM! Segments [0:52] Why Titan moved his business to Texas [11:28] Solving people's problems = success [18:28] Understand your audience + tell your story [26:50] Titan's transition from regret to changing lives [29:34] Where did Titan's "Boom!" come from Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

In this episode of Making Chips, we dive back into the conversation with Titan Gilroy. This time, we talk about how Titan's TV show, "American Built," came to life. We also talk about how he almost gave up the TV show to do something he was passionate about—helping prisoners transform their lives and learn to become full-fledged machinists. This passion project eventually led to the creation of the Titans of CNC Academy, where you can learn everything from the fundamentals of machining to creating aerospace parts—all completely free. Don't miss this episode with THE Titan of the industry. BAM! Segments [1:55] Why schools and colleges don't have sufficient manufacturing training [7:35] How Titan's TV show, "American Built" came to fruition [13:31] How Titan took inmates and helped them become full-fledged machinists [19:34] Why Titan uses the phrase "uniquely abled" instead of disabled [32:48] Learn more about Titans of CNC Academy Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! Titans of CNC Academy Check out Titan's Youtube Channel: MakerSpace77 Follow Titan on LinkedIn Follow Titan's organization on Twitter: @TitanGilroy Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

This episode takes you (and us) to Texas to speak with Titan Gilroy. He calls himself an advocate for advanced manufacturing, and that's a huge understatement. He runs two academies that teach what it takes to be a success in manufacturing. His personal stroy demonstrates that becoming a success in the industry — individually or as an organization — doesn't happen overnight or without a significant amount of struggle. We skip the banter and back and forth typical of our episodes because we are so excited to bring you this conversation with Titan. So, without further delay, click the play button and hear what Titan's got to share. BAM! Segments [1:50] Titan Gilroy's start in CNC machining came through a great deal of hardship [6:30] Moving to California and finding his first opportunity in a shop [10:15] Stepping into his first role in a machine shop and making the most of it [18:10] Moving into a troubleshooter role for large companies, then starting his own shop [22:15] The beginning of Titan Engineering in early 2005 [31:15] Raising the bar to eliminate variance and manufacture art for customers [40:35] The 2008-2009 recession hit hard — everything stopped & 15 people had to be let go [46:53] Lessons learned during the economic downturn were exactly what he needed Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! https://titansofcnc.com - Find out about Titan's training courses Follow Titan on LinkedIn Follow Titan's organization on Twitter: @TitanGilroy Wall Street Journal article, "A Tale of a Young Boxer's Redemption" Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

According to a recent article in Reuters, "The ISM said its index of national factory activity inched up to 59.9 last month from a reading of 59.5 in July. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in manufacturing, which accounts for 11.9% of the U.S. economy." Manufacturing is on the rise, yet every industry is struggling with an impaired supply chain. Will things get better anytime soon? How can manufacturing businesses manage shortages in the meantime? We share some thoughts in this episode of Making Chips! Segments [0:40] Check out ProShop ERP for manufacturing software! [4:15] A discussion about supply chain issues [6:57] What do we like right now? [11:30] U.S. manufacturing activity rises; shortages linger [14:08] The disruption that comes with reshoring [17:00] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry [19:40] How shortages are impacting industries [26:14] Learn about Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [26:57] Will the supply chain get better anytime soon? [29:01] Tips to mitigate the pain of supply chain disruptions The Great Supply Chain Disruption Manufacturing is becoming increasingly busy but supply chain woes linger. It's the #1 thing on our minds right now. Most machine shops are at or near capacity. But we're having trouble getting aluminum, brass, steel, and finished goods. Even getting containers to ship the goods is a struggle. This phenomenon is being dubbed "The Great Supply Chain Disruption." Whenever you're making a systemic change, it's going to cause disruption. No matter how much planning you put into something, disruption happens. This should have been expected. The disruption that comes with reshoring Reshoring is more relevant than ever. And this isn't a new topic to our show. What is driving the reshoring initiative? COVID. Everything that was coming from overseas halted or decreased. Ships weren't coming through the Panama Canal. Ships weren't being unloaded because the workforce was at home. When China started rethinking its business environment and they started to incorporate more free-market tendencies, they wanted to become an export economy. They didn't have the technology to export high-end goods so they started on the low end. But now they're catching up. Now, China is focused on export as well as making branded goods for their economy. People spent their time in quarantine buying low-cost things that are sourced from Amazon—from exercise equipment to kitchen mixers. They're buying computers, TVs, headphones, etc. Many things that are sourced from China. Will the supply chain get better anytime soon? Lead time and prices are going to increase. Everyone is dealing with it right now. We can't be the link that absorbs all the cost increases. The federal government knew that the influx of money into the economy plus the supply chain issues were going to lead to increased prices. This is going to lead to inflation. Inflation does slow growth. But everyone is saying that interest rates will be holding steady ingo 2022. We think the supply chain issues will continue into 2022 but it's currently a game of wait and see. So what can manufacturers do in the meantime to mitigate the problems that come with supply chain issues? We share a few tips in this episode you don't want to miss. Check it out! BAM! – Jim Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! Camino Island by John Grisham U.S. manufacturing activity rises; shortages linger Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

Do your employees feel like they're a means to an end? I think a lot of team members don't realize—or believe—that we care about them. Some feel that when you hold them accountable to hit their numbers that data is all you care about. But that isn't always the case. At the end of the day, we're all business leaders who need an efficient working environment. So where do we find a balance between data, accountability, and caring for our team members? How do we drive profitability without driving our employees away? Listen to this episode of Making Chips for the full discussion! Segments [0:40] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [3:24] Hold your employees to metrics they can control [7:33] Manufacturing News: A Generation of American Men Give Up on College [16:55] Learn about Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [17:39] Avoid measuring data that is not helpful to the employee [37:33] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry Hold your employees to metrics they can control I've seen a trend where everything is about data. Everyone wants to harvest data. But can you take it a step too far? Can there be an imbalance in the data? On a recent episode of Russell Brand's podcast, he talked about how Amazon's delivery people have an app they have to use. The app tracks every move they make and everything they do when they deliver packages. But it appears that Amazon is tracking metrics that are outside of the control of the employee and using those metrics to evaluate them. We believe when you hold people accountable with metrics it should be something that's within their control. But Amazon has taken it so far that people are being fired when they don't meet the metrics of the algorithm Amazon has in place for delivery drivers. When Russell Brand described this, he pointed out that Amazon was treating their employees like zombies living in an algorithm—disposable cattle. The data doesn't always show the full picture Nick had a conversation with leaders at AME and Hennig about compensation for their salespeople. Commissions are results-based compensation and the result is why you work. But there are other activities salespeople do that add value. They do activities to achieve an objective to create a result. So his company talked about activity-based objectives they could compensate their salespeople for. They decided compensation should be a mix. Salespeople are driven by increasing their compensation. So they tend to focus on what would compensate them the most. But if your company wants them to focus on other activities not directly tied to making a sale, you might have to compensate them. You have to match the compensation with the desired behavior. Situations when data-tracking is necessary I just took off the month of August and ZENGERS had a record month of sales while I was gone. I'm not trying to micromanage my team. They have an overall objective—sales and profitability. My goal is to train them on the right things to do to achieve that goal. I'm not saying they need to make a certain amount of calls a day or track every detail. I give them an overall mission to achieve but I don't track their every movement. I feel like asking your team to track everything they do is the kiss of death. But is that true for every business? For Jim, due to Carr Machine & Tools AS9100 certification, they are mandated to document all of the results from their machining process. He runs a data-driven and oriented business where he has to measure, record, validate, time-track against jobs, and more. And of course, each individual on my team has those types of quality measurements that they have to hit. We record data that contributes to useful management of your team. But I don't want my team to record data that's pointless. Nick's brother always says that any data that you record and isn't used to make an improvement is wasted money. Wasted information is wasted action. The bottom line is that everyone needs to take a step back and think about this. Are the right activities being tracked? Are you gathering useful data, or just wasting time? You need to collect the right data that helps you drive profitability for your company. Listen to the whole episode for the full conversation. BAM! – Jason Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! A Generation of American Men Give Up on College Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

The U.S. labor market is still struggling despite record numbers of job openings. Businesses aren't able to hire as quickly as they need to. What's the holdup? Is there a lack of candidates in the market? Are people choosing not to return to work? In this episode of Making Chips we dissect what's happening—and a few things you can do about it. Segments [0:18] Check out ProShop ERP for manufacturing software! [2:30] What's happening in the Making Chips world [8:43] Manufacturing news: The U.S. Labor Market [19:41] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry [20:36] What I'm learning through the hiring process [35:35] How to recruit high caliber candidates [41:34] Learn about Amper Technologies monitoring systems The U.S. Labor Market Isn't Adding Up—And This Is Why According to Andrew Hunter's research, we're seeing a high level of job openings but low levels of hiring. Millions of Americans are quitting and many aren't re-entering the labor market. It's claimed that the labor market is healthy, but the numbers don't add up. Why? Subdued Employment: 8.7 million Americans remain unemployed. Before the pandemic, 5.7 million Americans were unemployed. Record Job Openings: The number of job opportunities is high and rising, reaching 10.1 million at the end of June with 590,000 more openings than the month before. Low Hiring: Hiring isn't keeping pace with job growth. June saw 6.7 million hires, but that's 3.4 million short of the number needed to fill open roles. High Quits: Referred to as the "great resignation," 3.9 million people quit their job in June. It's partly the response to job opportunities. Workers are confident in their ability to find better jobs. The incentive to stay home and not work will decrease as the double unemployment payments are pulled back. The economy is recovering but worker confidence isn't returning at the same pace. Autumn 2021 may bring the correction needed to balance the market. The outlook is optimistic. But until things turn around, what do manufacturers do? Find creative solutions to your problem A client of Jason's had a key person in their shop that was doing some things that he deemed worthy of firing. But Jason's client couldn't afford to lose—and be forced to replace—this person. So he took a risk and sat him down for a conversation. He gave him the option to fix the problem or he'd be fired. This person turned his life around completely. This may not be an option for everyone, nor will it work in every scenario, but it was a creative way for this business owner to solve a problem. Two ways to hire for difficult positions Recruiting for regional sales positions has been a huge focus of mine recently as we are restructuring our sales. But I don't want to hire the first warm body. Everyone has heard "Hire slow, fire fast," right? But if your machinist quits, you can't hire slow because it causes production problems. So what am I doing right now? Finding a way to work with a candidate before we commit to hiring them full-time. If there's a way to test the relationship, do it. Making Chips is a podcast and marketing agency. We brought someone on as a contractor to try out on a trial basis before we commit to hiring him full-time. It's great for both parties to make an educated decision about each other. You can even put it in writing so it's transparent and fully agreed on. What else can you do to hire for a difficult-to-fill position? Use LinkedIn's recruiting tool. The price is steep—approximately $30,000—but you're given access to highly qualified candidates interested in a new position. LinkedIn will even train you how to use it. The opportunity to do it yourself is available for larger companies who can make that number work. Listen to the whole episode to learn more about how the hiring process has gone for me and get some in-depth details on my two strategies. BAM! – Nick Shameless plug: If you are interested, we're all hiring! Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! The U.S. Labor Market Isn't Adding Up And This Is Why Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

I wanted to differentiate myself among other machine shops in the area with the new Carr Machine & Tool location. The shop floor is where we make our money. I took extra steps in the process to create a new image for my shop. I wanted to present it in a way that was sophisticated, high-tech, polished, and professional—while remaining efficient. That's where IMEC came in. I reached out to them for some technical collaboration to help design an efficient shop floor. I worked with both Dean Harms and Tim Maurer and it was an amazing experience. So in this episode of Making Chips, I'm sharing what the collaboration and design process looked like with IMEC. Segments [0:24] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [2:46] Why I chose the new Carr Machine & Tool location [4:17] What's happening at ZENGERS? [6:19] Why investing in your business is important [10:32] President Biden Announces Support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework [12:55] The process of designing a new facility with IMEC [15:10] What IMEC (the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) is all about [19:16] Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [19:59] How the infrastructure bill will be distributed to MEPs [25:43] My experience working with IMEC to design my shop floor [36:50] Other types of shops IMEC works with [38:55] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry What IMEC (the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) is all about Dean Harms is a Regional Manager with IMEC. It's his mission to help others any way he can on a daily basis and have fun along the way. Sounds like us, right? IMEC is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network. It's connected to the US Department of Commerce through the NIST organization. IMEC launched in the 1990s and is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. There are 51 MEPs (one in every state + Puerto Rico). Their overall mission is to provide solutions and improvements to small and medium-sized manufacturing companies to help them navigate the changing landscape, drive profitability, sustain growth, and become globally competitive. IMEC is a non-profit that is both privately and publicly funded. They are a channel that brings tax dollars back into the state of Illinois by specifically serving manufacturing businesses. Dean Harms makes sure the money is applied where it's needed most. My experience working with IMEC Dean cold-called me after I was on a live Facebook interview. I mentioned I was about to move my shop, so he reached out. He knew that there was probably something IMEC could do to help with the move. I heard that they could help design my shop floor and I really wanted a high-end polished shop. Dean introduced me to Tim Maurer and said he would be the perfect guy to collaborate with to design my shop floor. Tim has decades of experience not only with IMEC but also with Caterpillar. After I met Tim, I knew I was dealing with someone who was competent and knew what a manufacturing floor should look like. The shop floor design process Tim's design process was thorough, starting with the vision for our future and ending with the execution of the move. We started by setting objectives: Where did we want to be? What type of work would we be doing? What new technologies will be utilized on the shop floor? We did a physical walk of both of the properties. He took physical measurements of the new building, all of our tools, and made sure the room was big enough for a CMM. After he did the physical layout, we met again to go over the flow of the room and nail down the workflow. We placed the machinery and equipment in the prime areas of the floor to maximize the square footage. He established power needs, air drops, water needs, an eyewash station, etc. He developed the CAD and we talked about future automation and made sure they'd be room around the machines. He delivered the final layout to us in a CAD model. The best part? On moving day we had a roadmap to mark where everything went. We knew where every single thing would go. The design process was an investment in our future productivity. I would never have completed this process as well as Tim did. I highly recommend working with IMEC through a big move to create a more efficient shop floor. Don't be afraid to delegate design to the experts. BAM! – Jim Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Why Investing in Your Business is Important President Biden Announces Support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework Connect with Dean Harms with IMEC Connect with Tim Maurere with IMEC Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

Everyone is familiar with the concept of networking. But how many people actually implement it to grow themselves and their businesses? In this episode of Making Chips, Jim, Jason, and I dive into how networking has impacted our businesses in unexpected ways. To hear the good, bad, and the ugly—give it a listen! Segments [0:18] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [3:04] Learn what's happening at ZENGERS [3:51] Nick welcomed a baby boy to his family on June 27th! [4:54] Boeing Slows Dreamliner Production After New Manufacturing Issue [9:17] Can Networking Change Your Manufacturing Business? [12:41] How networking has changed Jim's business [16:10] Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [16:54] The Making Chips Network of Manufacturing Leaders [20:59] Should increasing sales be the objective of networking? [24:41] A working relationship built on mutual interests [26:15] Ad-hoc networking: Keep your ears to the ground [28:58] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry [30:09] Networking is like growing a 401k Networking is what brings us together today I think it's important to point out that networking is why all of us are here. It's why we all know each other and host a podcast together. But where did this partnership start? Jim was spending money at ZENGERS and was a great customer for them. So Jason loosely knew who he was. Why did Jim purchase from ZENGERS in the first place? One of his friends—a production manager at a shop—recommended ZENGERS. One would've thought that's how their relationship started. But it wasn't. Jason and Jim were both asked independently to be on an AM radio show at 6 am on a Saturday (the time slot when you know only serious entrepreneurs and business owners would be awake and listening). Jason was talking about creating a vision for your company and Jim talked about social media marketing for manufacturers. They were both impressed by each other, their business acumen, and how well acquainted they were with the industry. They realized they'd make a great combination and the podcast was developed from there. The question is—without networking, would they have gotten the opportunity to speak on the same radio show? How networking has changed Jim's business Jim had a strategic vision for networking for his business. He became a member of the Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA) who had recently hired a marketing manager to help machine shops with their marketing. Jim got on the phone with him and they got along. He became instrumental in helping Jim develop networking within the association. Jim was asked to join a young leaders group where he was able to meet like-minded people. He knew if he committed his time to networking and building relationships within the community, that he would grow in some capacity. He didn't know where it would take him but that he'd walk away from networking events learning more. If you go to a networking event and leave feeling like you learned nothing, you're doing something wrong. You're either in the wrong place—or not asking the right questions. Jim also joined the Greater O'Hare Association and the Valley Association. He met great people in all of them. Networking is a great way to listen to other people and learn from their experiences. The Making Chips Network of Manufacturing Leaders Some of our Making Chips sponsors have been a great way for us to realize connections across the industry. Amper can help you better understand your shop and help you solve problems on your shop floor. Nick, our guest on a previous episode, also works with Amper. It was a game-changer for him. Nick had emailed me a year or so ago and I hadn't followed up with him. Luckily, Jim met him again at a networking event and we all got back in touch. Another sponsor, Xometry, asked us to be part of a focus group consisting of manufacturing leaders. This shows that Xometry cares about their network. How often do companies hire a credible third party to dig into discovery? How often do they dig into their segments to find out what they care about and need? They got a third party to investigate and find out what's happening. They wanted to re-engineer their value proposition to serve their customers better. In the Xometry focus group, we heard that four of the individuals were all ProShop ERP users—and had heard about them through the Making Chips Podcast. These leaders all loved ProShop. It certainly gave us more structure for our processes. You'll become more efficient, productive, detail-oriented, data-driven, and results-oriented. They heard about ProShop because Jason and Jim had the courage to create a podcast just for the manufacturing industry. I joined them because I'm just as passionate about the space and I know that this show delivers valuable content. People tend to think networking has to be about growing your business and making connections to make sales. Why is that the wrong mindset to have? What min

Part of being a machine shop owner—and a business owner in general—is that every day there's a new challenge to navigate. A machine might break down. Perhaps someone who has been a team member for decades quits. Your factory could burn to the ground. Or your Dad—the owner and manager of the shop—gets sick with cancer. That's how Nick Sainati was thrust into becoming the GM of Belden Universal. In this episode, he shares his journey. It will resonate with some of us, fascinate most of us, and impress all of us. Don't miss this inspiring family story! Segments [0:26] Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [6:24] Dealing with supply chain issues caused by COVID [8:09] Fun facts about family-owned businesses [14:07] Create a Formal Business Succession Plan in 7 Steps [16:52] Today's guest: Nick Sainati, GM at Belden Universal [24:00] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [27:42] When everything changed: How Nick took over his Dad's machine shop [40:10] Managing a machine shop through COVID [44:35] What the future looks like for Belden Universal [46:32] How Nick's experiences have prepared him for the future [48:42] Accelerate your digital transformation with Xometry The history of Belden Universal Belden Universal is an AS9100 manufacturer of precision universal joints and drive shafts. They started in 1970 as Belden Tools, founded by Nick's grandfather and his brothers on Belden Avenue in Chicago. They used to buy tools from ZENGERS, which was just down the street! Instead of going into the family business, Nick ended up in San Francisco in investment banking. He spent two years at an eCommerce startup and eventually moved back to Chicago. After both he and his wife got an MBA, they moved to Seattle for her job. After running a wine business, Nick transitioned into Starbucks Corporate in brand management. He helped launch the Starbucks evening program that tied-in with wine. He transitioned to a strategy team after that. He learned about culture, managing people, and running complex projects. How Nick took over his Dad's machine shop Two months after Nick's first daughter was born, his parents came to visit them in Seattle. They told Nick that his Dad had a rare form of Leukemia. He needed to take time off of work for treatment. They were going to have to sell the business unless Nick or his sister could come back and run it. Nick was shocked. His parents were healthy active people who were never sick. After processing the news and discussing it with his wife, Nick decided to move back to Chicago to take over Belden Universal, an AS9100 manufacturer of precision universal joints and drive shafts. Four months later, he was in Chicago running a machine shop—and he knew nothing about manufacturing. Nick bought a large book about manufacturing that was for a college-level manufacturing class and dug into back episodes of Making Chips, which helped him get immersed in the language of machining. Navigating challenges while learning the ropes When Nick took over in 2018, the machine shop had just moved into a new facility, doubling the size of their manufacturing floor. They had a tenured team and people to help get Nick up to speed. But he was also their boss—and couldn't do most of their jobs. Soon after taking over, Belden lost their biggest customer—which was one of the reasons they had moved into the bigger space. They immediately lost what would have been ¼ of their business. Nick knew it would be his first challenge. But then his sales manager of 19 years quit three months in. Instead of panicking, he took stock of the situation and helped define where they wanted to go in the future. They hired an internal candidate for the sales management position. She blossomed as a leader and got their team back on track. They worked hand-in-hand on the culture so people were excited to come to work every day. In an era like today where every shop is competing for employees, the culture matters. A shop can't survive with a negative culture. 18 months later, after continuous incidents with the production manager (who had been there 29 years), Nick decided it was time to part ways. They let him go. But this man had been involved in every part of the business. The benefit of letting him go was that Nick was forced to get more involved in floor operations. He began to work closely with his engineers on improvement projects and personnel issues. He got to know the people on the factory floor. He stepped up and earned respect from his team. How did Nick manage the machine shop through COVID? What does the future hold for Belden Universal? Listen to the whole episode to hear more of his unique story. How Nick's experiences have prepared him for the future What did Nick learn? The most important thing is that problems can look very daunting in the moment—especially multi-faceted problems. But the most important thing is to take a break, formulate a plan, understand what the desired end outco

What is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)? The DOD is implementing the CMMC to normalize and standardize cybersecurity preparedness across the Federal government's defense industrial base. Meaning? If you're doing DOD work, they're mandating that you get this certification. So you need to know what this is all about. We've brought in Paul Van Metre and John Bilek to help fill in the blanks. Check it out! Segments [0:00] Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [3:39] Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) [5:05] Let's talk acronyms (there's one for everything) [7:20] What's happening at ZENGERS? [8:20] The amount of money wasted on cybersecurity [11:05] We welcome our two guests to the show [14:48] What is CMMC really all about? [17:09] Who is impacted by the CMMC requirement? [19:44] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [20:44] The five levels of CMMC compliance [21:56] The CMMC implementation process [27:19] What does "CMMC Compliant" mean? [29:02] What ProShop ERP is rolling out to enhance security The amount of money wasted on cybersecurity Cybersecurity is a large problem. Most attacks originate from Russia but there's also a lot of domestic hacking happening. Because of this—according to MXD—the DOD is now spending more than $300 billion each year on government contracts. The DOD Directive 8140 requires that any contractor must satisfy specific training and certification provisions to ensure sensitive data remains secure. The qualifications can be transferable and useful across the board. Jason points out that this cybersecurity effort is how we protect our country, industry, economy, and more. Our enemies want to steal our technology, which is why we must keep it secure. Because manufacturing is a huge part of what the DOD does, anyone in their supply chain must follow the same cybersecurity protocols. Who is impacted by the CMMC requirement? CMMC applies to anyone in the defense contract supply chain. That includes both contractors who engage directly with the DOD and subcontractors who fulfill and/or execute those contracts. The CMMC standards will affect over 300,000 organizations. If you want to continue to do work for the DOD, you will have to get certified over the next 4–5 years. Paul has heard of shops that are starting to lose work because they aren't on track to get the CMMC certification. John has been asked multiple times if he's been certified. While you cannot get certified yet, he is working toward compliance. There are five different levels of CMMC compliance. Most machine shops are expected to be certified at level three. How soon do you have to implement this? Paul points out that you can't sit on this. There are very few approved auditors, so if you wait until the last minute you'll lose out on a significant amount of your sales. If 30% of your business deals with the DOD, you could lose millions without the certification. The financial impact on machine shops In May 2021, an entity was announced that would start handling the CMMC audits. What kind of costs will be put on machine shops? It's going to be far more expensive to implement than an AS9100 audit. The CMMC is built on cybersecurity standards, the main one being the NIST 800-171 standard. If a company is already compliant with that standard, they can likely check off the boxes for CMMC Level one. If you aren't compliant with this standard, to reach level one compliance could cost you between $5,000 to $25,000. For level three, it will be around $15,000 to $100,000, depending on the size of your shop. This is going to be a large financial hit no matter what you do. The certification is costly—but if you don't get it, the loss of business may cost you more. A shop in Florida was quoted $100,000 for a company to "help" them get CMMC certified. Be wary of who you look to for help—a lot of unscrupulous people will take advantage of this rollout. Find accredited and reputable consultants. There will be grant money offered to help companies get this certification. Can you swing the cost of the certification? What can help cover some of these costs? IMEC gave Carr Machine a grant to get ISO certified years ago, which covered some of the implementation and auditor fees. IMEC will be giving grants out to augment the cost of implementing this. Paul points out that the MEP gets its money from the Federal government and allocates it to different organizations like IMEC. The unknown? The amount of labor you may have to invest in to get to level three certification. So what does CMMC compliant actually mean? How is ProShop ERP implementing updates to help you walk through the process? John and Paul share a few examples, so keep listening! If you have an idea for a MakingChips message, please ask us a question or leave us a message at 312-725-0245 and let us know! Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! John Bi

In this episode of Making Chips, Jim and I chat with Paul Van Metre—the Co-Founder of ProShop ERP—about the process of selling his machine shop. We dissect the process, including how to understand the valuation of your company and how to make your shop more attractive to potential buyers. If you're considering selling in the next few years, this episode is full of actionable tactics and strategies that will help you succeed. BAM! - Jason Zenger Segments [0:07] Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems [3:10] How to sell your machine shop [5:11] Ozark Technical Community College offering a two-week manufacturing bootcamp [7:49] Jim shares what's new at Carr Machine [8:42] Paul Van Metre's experience selling his machine shop [13:42] Is this a big change in the manufacturing industry? [15:27] Why would a strategic buyer pay more? [16:40] Understanding the process of valuation [17:35] Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! [26:10] The experiences of Paul's customers buying shops [28:12] How to make your company more attractive for buyers [30:53] How buyers can make sure they're getting a fair valuation Now is a great time to sell—or buy—a machine shop I bought ZENGERS from my Dad in 2019, right before the pandemic hit. learned that there's a lot involved in buying/selling a machine shop. Not only that, but it takes multiple years to get to the point to learn how to run a shop by yourself. Running any business that employs a team of people takes a lot of work. A lot of people are looking to retire and sell their machine shops. The youngest people of the Baby Boomer generation will be 65 by 2030. And of the 18,000 machine shops in America, the majority are owned by Baby Boomers. The vast majority will have some type of transition of ownership in the next 10–15 years. Jim is getting calls from M&A companies all the time about buying his shop. He isn't even close to ready to sell. I'm on the buy side, and I think this is a great time to buy a machine shop. Whether you want to merge, participate in a roll-up, etc. now is the time. Even if you're not ready for several years, you need to start planning. The experiences of Paul's customers buying shops Paul notes that owning a business is one of the most significant financial decisions anyone can make in their lifetime. These shops are the baby of their owners. They've poured 10, 20, 30, 40+ years into them. Leaving that behind and passing it on to the next generation is a difficult and taxing process. Some shops may close their doors and sell off their machinery. A client of Paul's, Mike, was deeply involved in the M&A and private equity space. He was trying to sell a shop where the owner wasn't interested in making her business attractive for sale. They couldn't sell the shop for years. So Mike decided to buy the shop himself. He knew it was a good business at the core and got it for a great deal. He also recently acquired another machine shop. Paul worked with a small shop in Colorado—Focused on Machining—who was in banking before moving into manufacturing. He looked at 4–5 shops before landing on this one. Because he was in banking he understood the financial side and has done an incredible job growing the business. Paul's experience selling his machine shop Pro CNC was founded in 1997 when Paul was just 23—straight out of college. When they sold in 2014, they were a mature company with 17 years of experience under their belt (Paul shares his story in episode #98 of Making Chips). In hindsight, Paul had been preparing the company for sale for many years. They started hiring people to replace the three partners so they weren't working in the business every day. They then hired an M&A company to take them to market (the whole process took around a year). Sadly, Paul points out that 80% of businesses that get listed for sale never sell. Many businesses end up selling off their assets. Those people are likely making only a fraction of what their company could be worth. So how do you set your business up for success? What can you do now to make it more attractive to future buyers? Listen to the whole episode to learn the process! Resources mentioned on this episode Get The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe! Ozark Technical Community College offering a two-week manufacturing bootcamp Paul Van Metre's Story: Episode #98 of Making Chips Check out ProShop ERP for more information on manufacturing software! Modern Machine Shop magazine Focused on Machining The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You Connect With MakingChips www.MakingChips.com On Facebook On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube

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In this week's episode of MakingChips, hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger bring in Federico Sciammarella, the President & CTO of MxD, to discuss the basics of cybersecurity, including the types of cyber attacks, and how a manufacturing leader can equip their shop with a strategic plan to prevent and deal with potential cyber threats. Segments 0:08 | Amper Technologies pilot program for machine monitoring 1:21 | Jason introduces manufacturing cybersecurity as the topic of the episode 4:57 | Jim and Jason talk about what's new at their businesses 5:28 | Jason introduces the episode guest: Federico Sciammarella, the President & CTO of MxD 6:52 | Jason discusses manufacturing news, including a press release on the FBI's internet crime report 10:17 | Jason explains Business Email Compromise, a type of phishing attack 12:21 | The hosts mention another type of cyber attack, Ransomware 13:52 | Jason mentions Malware attacks due to malicious software and brute force attacks 15:44 | The hosts and Federico discuss how to avoid and prevent coming under cyber attack 17:40 | ProShop ERP is being used in shops across the country 20:46 | Federico shares advice on how to avoid ransomware and how to prepare your business for potential cyber attacks 25:31 | Federico explains how MxD helps strengthen cybersecurity in the manufacturing industry 30:18 | Jason asks what a manufacturing leader can do to create a strategic plan to prevent cyber attacks 34:16 | The hosts share their thoughts on the new information they learned during the episode

In this week's episode of MakingChips, hosts Jim Carr and Nick Goellner talk with Nick St.Cyr, a Product Manager at Methods Machine Tools, about his history in the manufacturing industry, the role of a product manager, and the importance of establishing a vision of the future for your company. Segments: 0:11 | Jim mentions his experience with Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems through their pilot program 2:12 | Nick G. and Jim discuss CARR Machine & Tool's move to their new, upgraded facility 3:40 | Nick G. talks about the current state of the manufacturing industry supply chain and reasons for the disruptions 7:30 | Jim introduces special guest Nick St.Cyr, a Product Manager at Methods Machine Tools, where he oversees the design, sales, support, and integration of MMT machine tools 9:45 | Nick S. shares his background and history in the manufacturing industry, and talks about his current position and responsibilities at Methods Machine Tools 17:14 | Jim talks about it's important for machine shops to have a vision of the future 18:22 | Nick G. mentions how he sees ProShop ERP being used in shops across the country when he travels 19:22 | Jim explains the progression of his shop towards the established vision 21:40 | Nick S. discusses the expansion of the Methods facilities as they've grown 24:25 | Jim asks Nick S. about how Methods is preparing for the industry in the near future 26:30 | Nick G. asks how Methods is able to offer such quick, custom machine orders 30:38 | Nick S. talks about the change in the relationship between the product manager and the customer 33:52 | Nick S. shares his thoughts on automation's role in the future of manufacturing 38:01 | Nick S. mentions taking a focused look at current products to create a roadmap for the future product lines and features

In this episode of MakingChips, hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger meet with Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP to discuss 10 things to consider when going through the process of getting AS9100 certified. Segments: 0:13 | Jim talks about his time using Amper Technologies machine monitoring systems under their pilot program 2:27 | Jim shares manufacturing news about past experiences with IMTS Rockstars and the current boom in manufacturing 4:24 | Jason mentions his 2021 sabbatical and how it's okay to take a break from work 6:04 | Jim introduces the topic of the episode and offers questions you can ask yourself to decide if AS9100 certification is needed 8:58 | Jason introduces this week's guest: Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP 10:45 | Paul talks about his time at his former company implementing AS9100 features into ProShop ERP 12:30 | Jason asks if a cutting tool distributor would benefit from being AS9100 certified 25:10 | Paul shares how ProShop ERP can help you build your process for getting AS9100 certified

In this episode of MakingChips, hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger talk with Peter Eelman, Vice President and Chief Experience Officer of AMT, about IMTS 2022, the return of their in-person trade show, and what's in store for the future of IMTS events. Segments:0:08 | Jim talks about his time with the Amper Technologies pilot program for machine monitoring systems 1:27 | Jim and Jason introduce the episode and their past experiences with IMTS events 8:00 | Jason shares manufacturing news regarding Xometry's move to the public market 10:16 | Jim introduces their guest Peter Eelman from AMT to discuss the history and return of IMTS 16:54 | Peter talks about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on IMTS, and how they were able to adapt to the situation 20:33 | Jim asks Peter about the future of IMTS, as both physical and virtual events 23:21 | Peter explains the scale of IMTS, and its effect on the industry and the Chicago area 26:57 | Peter describes what's next for IMTS, with the return of the physical event in 2022 30:20 | Jim asks about the future of automation in manufacturing, and how IMTS 2022 will feature it 34:52 | Peter explains how IMTS participants can prepare for the 2022 event and connect with other manufacturers through their website 38:30 | Jim talks about the upcoming Fanuc & Mitutoyo demonstration from CNC Machine Services Inc, and how you can register for the free event

MakingChips hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger sit down with Akshat Thirani, the CEO and Co-founder of Amper Technologies, Inc., and Charles Morley, the President of Schleifring Medical Systems, to talk about how Charles implemented Amper technology in his shop, and the benefits it has had on his business. Segments: 0:21 Nick talks about how he sees ProShop ERP being used in shops throughout the country. 4:24 Jim and Jason share what's new at their companies and at MakingChips HQ 6:06 Jason discusses new economic inflation data relating to manufacturing 7:50 Jason introduces Akshat Thirani, CEO and Co-founder of Amper Technologies, Inc., and his history in manufacturing 9:20 Jim introduces Charles Morley, the President of Schleifring Medical Systems, and his relation to Amper Technologies, Inc. 11:27 Akshat explains how Amper helps manufacturers be more Lean and improve day-to-day operations on the shop floor 13:17 Jim talks about his experience using Amper technology on his machines 15:53 Charles shares his background with Amper and how he implements and monitors their technology in his factory 18:57 Nick explains how you can source high-volume projects through the Xometry network 19:49 Charles discusses how Amper allows for collection of real, trackable efficiency data and can help increase productivity 23:26 Akshat talks about the simplicity of integrating Amper on the shop floor 24:45 Akshat explains the different ways the data provided by Amper can assist in company growth 26:58 Jim mentions that he shows off his shop's Amper data while prospecting new customers 28:32 Charles shares why he chose Amper over other machine monitoring options 31:30 Charles explains how Amper technology relates to his shop's Lean process 33:52 Akshat talks about how Amper offers a trial program for their technology 36:12 The hosts and guests offer their final thoughts on how this technology can improve many aspects of a shop

Hosts Nick Goellner, Jim Carr and Jason Zenger are joined by Mark Cunningham and Kim Akimoto from CLEAR Solutions Sales Consulting to discuss the differences between product and sales management at manufacturing companies, and how strategic sales tools can lead sales teams to success. Segments: 0:06 Jim talks about how he found an easy-to-install machine monitoring system from Amper Technologies. 1:37 Nick introduces the topic of episode: Product Management vs Sales Management 3:01 The hosts discuss what's new at their companies 4:21 Nick shares some manufacturing news about the computer chip shortage 8:53 Nick introduces the guests: Mark Cunningham and Kim Akimoto from CLEAR Solutions Sales Consulting 11:57 Mark explains his time spent in the business, and what opportunities he saw 13:44 Jason discusses the dynamic between himself and his wife in their business 14:12 Mark tells how he got connected with Nick and Hennig, Inc. and the projects that he helped them with 18:15 Nick mentions how he has seen ProShop ERP being used in shops across the USA 19:18 Mark shares how he develops electronic sales playbooks and how they can be used 22:50 Nick talks about how he restructured his sales management and business development units 26:19 Mark discusses the difference between product and sales management 28:10 Kim shares her story, from law school to a strategic sales consultant 30:26 Mark talks about how CLEAR Solutions Sales Consulting leads clients to the right solutions for their businesses through sales tools

In this episode of MakingChips, Jim Carr, Jason Zenger and Nick Goellner discuss Retirement: Yes, No or Never. This could be a step in evaluating your decision whether you are a manufacturing leader at the highlight of your career or at the beginning stages of your career with plans for greatness. Segments: 0:14 | Jim talks about Amper Technologies, machine monitoring system, easy to install with minimal onboarding 3:08 | Jim, Jason and Nick talk about retirement, how manufacturers are approaching retirement age 7:55 | The hosts announce great news that is happening on September 23, 2021. MakingChips is having a Celebration for Manufacturing Leaders. 10:42 | Nick discusses with Jim and Jason, an article from Modern Machine Shop, March machine tool orders have been the biggest growth since 2019, unit orders have also increased 15:35 | Nick, Jason and Jim mention Xometry - custom manufacturing on demand 16:42 | Retirement talk. 17:25 | The hosts discuss how to tell if you are ready for retirement and signs you are NOT read for retirement. 29:55 | What are your takeaways from this episode?

In this episode of MakingChips, Jason, Jim and Nick discuss the R&D Tax Credit. This could be a huge saving for your manufacturing company, but please don't take this episode as legal, accounting or any similar advice; you should contact a professional after you have listened to this episode. Segments: 0:40 | Jim points out that he utilizes ProShop ERP tool "Work by Industry Dashboard" to receive real time data 3:12 | Jason asks Nick and Jim "Do you guys like paying taxes?" 3:45 | Jason references Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr., Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court - quoted "Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society" 4:22 | Jason references Billings Learned Hand, Former American Judge and Judicial Philosopher who served in the U.S. District Court of Appeals quoted "Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes" 9:43 | Jason shares manufacturing news - what are legislators trying to accomplish, when they come out with a new tax law? 12:45 | Jim calls Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP to talk about how a client of his utilized the R&D Tax Credit 19:34 | Jason explains what type of research qualifies for the R&D Tax Credit 28:14 | Jim talks about ProShop ERP, to record Documentation Data Metrics 29:34 | Nick, Jim and Jason discuss what may qualify you for the R&D Tax Credit 32:40 | The hosts offer their final thoughts

In episode of #267 MakingChips, host Jim Carr and Jason Zenger discuss Why You Need to Consider These New and Low-Cost Employee Benefits" Connect with us: www.MakingChips.com/contact Segments: :02 | Do you love your ERP? ProShop ERP. for additional details please visit: loveyourerp.com 1:30 | Jason and Jim discuss Employee Benefits, the shift in culture, how we pay benefits to our employee 5:21 | "Save the Date" Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 - Celebration of our industry and Manufacturing Leaders - a party that will Equip & Inspire @ MakingChips Headquarters in Rockford, Illinois 7:35 | Jim shares manufacturing news - Smart Manufacturing news i.e., Broad category of manufacturing that employs computer integrated manufacturing, high levels of adaptability, rapid design changes, digital information technology and more flexible / technical workforce training 10:05 | Jason and Jim talk about Amper, how Jim is utilizing Amper software (30 day trial) and how it has helped him become more efficient 12:34 | Jason and Jim talk about innovative employee benefits and why to offer those benefits. 27:23 | Jim and Jason offer their final thoughts

In episode #266 of MakingChips, host Jason Zenger and co-host Jim Carr Discuss 25 Trends Affecting the Future of Manufacturing in 2021 and Beyond. Connect with us: www.MakingChips.com/contact Segments: :22| Go to Loveyourerp.com and find out why so many manufacturing leaders love ProShop ERP 6:04 | Business Models, People, The World and Tools 6:25 | Business Models 13:56 | People 27:50 | The World 35:52 | Tools 36:32 | Check out Amper.xyz, a company that specializes in easy to install machine monitoring systems 41:50 | Final thoughts

In episode #265 of MakingChips, host Jim Carr, Nick Goellner and Jessica Peterson discuss How to Create a Diverse Community in the Workplace to Solve One of the Biggest Challenges in Manufacturing with Justin Sherman and Andrew Crowe with Equity Machine Works Segments: :02 | Jim promotes Amper, a great company that specializes in machine monitoring systems, easy to Install with minimal on-boarding. Check them out at Amper.xyz and look under products for their pilot program 9:28 | Jessica introduces Justin Sherman and Andrew Crowe from Equity Machine Works 11:37 | Justin Sherman and Andrew Crowe from Equity Machine Works, explains Diversity of Manufacturing and how it relates to his business model; ie; Manufacturing, Teaching, Trades Classes, Managing the Pre-Apprenticeship Program, Grant Funding, Educational Programs, Barriers that some grants create on their own 23:32 | Nick speaks to Manufacturing per prior discussion; Manufacturing needs a rebrand, needs to know how to communicate their brand better 24:37 | Jessica discusses to group how important StoryBrand is - Clarifying your message (using straight-forward language) as well how it can create barriers to entry 30:21 | Nick talks to Equity Machine Works; Are you a machine shop? What's different between your shop and Carr Machine Tool; Justin speaks to how Equity Machine Works benefits and adding value to the Community 46:52 | Jim and Nick offer their final thoughts on the episode

In this week's episode of MakingChips, Jason Zenger discusses 4 reasons to say no to an opportunity. Manufacturing leaders may need to say no more often to opportunities especially as the economy heats back up. Segments: :09 | Jim and Jason discuss how ProShop ERP helped with Jim's AS9100 virtual audit. 3:59 | Jason and Nick discuss two manufacturing news articles: #1 - article by "CNBC " Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian on what life Serena Williams taught him about sustained greatness 7:02 | #2 manufacturing news article: by "Wall Street Journal" Turbo charge economy leaves factory struggling to deliver goods that shoppers want. 8:04 | Jason expresses the four opportunity filters to put your decisions through - #1 Does fit your vision for the future, #2 Does it meet your core values, #3 It does have a measurable ROI, #4 Is it the best option for your client? 18:55 | Jason and Nick offer their final thoughts on the episode

In this week's episode of MakingChips, hosts Nick Goellner and Jason Zenger discuss 6 Communications Tools for the Manufacturing Leader. Segments: :57 | Nick and Jason discuss how a Manufacturer Leader can learn how to better communicate 4:39 | Nick shares Manufacturing News from an article by Jay Timmons, President and CEO of NAM (National Association for Manufacturers) regarding tax reform and investment incentives for manufacturers 12:25 | Jason recommends the book "Crucial Conversations" 15:43 | Jason talks people, culture, numbers and ProShop ERP - Can get data in real time 16:47 | Nick shares the first tool RACI chart (Responsibility Assignment Matrix) 19:53 | Approval Drawing Review (Approval Review meeting) 23:17 | PCP Program (Premiere Channel Partner Program) 25:12 | BrandScript (StoryBrand) Help companies tell coherent stories 28:05 | PSM (Process Success Map) - Making your customers successful 30:16 | VOC Program (Voice of the Customer/Client program) 32:83 | Jason offers his final thoughts on the episode

In this week's episode of MakingChips, host Jason Zenger and Nick Goellner discuss tips for effectively communicating to your team in the workplace Segments: :00 | Jim and Jason share how ProShop ERP helped them with the federal R&D tax credit 1:14 | Jason and Nick discuss changes in leadership at their companies 5:07 | Jason mentions article on Manufacturing predictions for the next decade 10:57 | Jason and Nick discuss cloud-based data and how moving to Edge and 6G will be faster 11:58 | Nick shares his thoughts on communicating change to team members 17:02 | Jason touches on how you can make implementing changes into a win-win situation 27:26 | Jason and Nick offer their final thoughts on the episode 29:32 | Jessica introduces Xometry's new purchasing system: Xometry Pay

In this week's episode of MakingChips, hosts Nick Goellner and Jim Carr are joined by Eric Nekich, a Sales Manager at 5th Axis, to talk about workholding, and the changes in sales tactics through the years. Segments: 3:30 | Jim and Nick play a manufacturing quiz game 10:30 | Nick introduces the episode guest Eric Nekich of 5th Axis 14:15 | Eric shares how he got involved in the manufacturing industry 16:00 | Eric talks about how 5th Axis grew from a contract manufacturer to a workholding brand 18:10 | Eric discusses how automation is growing in popularity in machine tool tending 22:00 | Jim talks about what his team likes about 5th Axis workholding 27:33 | Eric and Nick discuss how selling workholding has changed over time 37:14 | Eric explains the difference between the jaws on "dinosaur" vises and 5th Axis vises 40:44 | Eric talks about new modular automation components at 5th Axis 45:10 | Jim offers his final thoughts on the episode 47:09 | Jim and Jason explain the different technologies featured on IMTS Spark

In this week's episode the MakingChips hosts talk with metalworking influencer Tony Gunn and his career in the manufacturing industry. Segments: 0:00 | Jim talks about how simple ProShop ERP made his virtual shop audit 4:25 | Nick shares manufacturing news about the rise of firearm sales 10:00 | Nick introduces the episode guest, Tony Gunn, the General Manager of MTDCNC Global 13:18 | Tony discusses how he got his start in the manufacturing industry 17:40 | Jim asks if the manufacturing industry is still seen as a "dirty" or "lower-class" industry 22:00 | Tony shares some of his thoughts on social media, marketing, and fellow manufacturing influencers 29:19 | Tony talks about his new position at MTD CNC Global 35:30 | Jason asks Tony about what problems he is trying to solve in the manufacturing industry 39:43 | Jim and Jason talk about the knowledge centers at IMTS Spark

In this episode of MakingChips the hosts discuss sections to include in their production meetings, and how they can benefit their shop and team's productivity. Segments: 0:00 Jim shares how he can access real-time data and reports using ProShop ERP. 1:32 The hosts talks about the virtual grand opening of the Boring Bar 5:20 Jim introduces "social intimacy" and how it strengthens relationships 9:40 The hosts discuss what's happening in their businesses 12:30 Jim explains what he uses production meetings for and why they're important 15:49 Jim shares the different sections he includes in his production meetings and the benefits they provide to the team 19:08 Jim discusses how he added weekly COVID-19 updates to his production meetings in response to the pandemic 26:44 Jim creates a "hot list" to update his team on what's going on in the shop 29:50 Jim opens the floor at the end of meetings for Q&A and team discussion 34:18 Jim and Jason talk about the different showcases at IMTS Spark

In this episode, the MakingChips hosts discuss the career of NFL star Tom Brady, and how his personal keys to success are also applicable to the manufacturing leader. Segments: 0:00 | Jim and Jason talk about the different technologies featured on IMTS Spark 7:24 | Jason reads a press release from DARPA about off-Earth manufacturing of lunar structures 12:45 | Jason shares his points on how manufacturing leaders can take cues from Tom Brady's success 13:13 | The hosts discuss how manufacturing leaders might be retiring too early 24:49 | Jim and Jason talk about IMTS Spark Demo Days with Stephen LaMarco from AMT 31:53 | Jason explains Tom Brady's daily schedule and how having a routine helps with success 37:10 | Like Tom Brady, having a healthy diet and lifestyle can contribute to the success of a manufacturing leader 39:30 | Having core objectives can get you on the path to succeeding, as opposed to unrelated pursuits 43:40 | The hosts offer final thoughts on how Tom Brady's successes can be contributed to his strict regimen and practices

In this week's MakingChips podcast, Jim and Jason discuss if you can be successful running a small machine shop, with Jim offering tips based on his own experiences. Segments: 0:00 | Jim and Jason talk about the different knowledge centers at IMTS Spark 1:10 | Jim mentions how he used ProShop ERP to extract the necessary data to collect the federal R&D tax credit 5:06 | Jim shares information on the failure rates of new businesses 7:45 | Jason explains why he's planning on taking a sabbatical from work 13:00 | Jim reads a news articles about the manufacturing economy bouncing back in 2021, and the different factors that will affect it 20:08 | Jim and Jason talk with Dan from Xometry and Vinny from PenCo Precision to discuss their experience with Xometry during the 2020 pandemic 26:22 | Jim asks "what is success in business?" 31:27 | Jim shares his tips for running a successful small machine shop 39:30 | Jim and Jason talk about how they analyze risks before they make business decisions

In the newest MakingChips podcast, the hosts discuss how to use triggers to create new habits and systems for your business and your personal life. Segments: 0:00 | Nick talks about how he sees ProShop ERP on shop floors across the USA. 4:01 | Jason shares an article about a how people purchase books to display and pretend to look intelligent 7:27 | Jim and Nick explain a times they made changes to remain transparent as leaders 9:23 | Jason describes how he attempted to start changing certain habits at his company by creating new triggers 14:19 | Jason talks about the system he adopted to discuss and track the changing triggers and habits with his team 16:43 | The hosts talk to Chuck Matthews at DP Technology Corp. about IMTS Spark. 24:13 | Jim asks Jason and Nick how they store and utilize the information they gather through reading materials 27:53 | Jason explains how he's used triggers to create habits in his personal life

In this week's episode of MakingChips, Jim and Jason discuss how and when to talk about politics in the workplace, and why it should never affect business relationships. 0:00 | Jason talks about the 6 different showcases at IMTS Spark 2021 1:40 | Jim and Jason share their thoughts about political discussions in the workplace 4:05 | Jim discusses the new CMM in his shop 7:40 | Jason shares articles about President Biden's COVID-19 relief plan and new trade policies 15:00 | Jason explains why he thinks we need to listen to the political perspectives of others and discuss politics openly 20:10 | Nick tells us about how Xometry can help you with on-demand custom manufacturing 24:18 | Jason shares his notes on how politics can be discussed openly and honestly in the workplace, what basic guidelines you should adhere to, and what kind of environment it should foster 37:07 | Jim discusses how CARR Machine & Tool was able to have a virtual real-time audit through ProShop ERP

In this week's episode, Jim, Jason, and Nick talk about the different sales channels that you can utilize for your manufacturing company, and their strengths and weaknesses. Segments: 0:00 | Nick explains how he sees ProShop ERP on shop floors across the country. 5:15 | The hosts share manufacturing news and purchasing trends for 2021 15:21 | Nick introduces different sales channels and how they function 19:55 | Jason discusses why companies such as Tesla don't go through local distributors and dealers 22:00 | Jim calls Matt Bain of Mazak North America to talk about IMTS Spark 30:38 | Nick introduces the concept of business development leaders, who handle distinct product groups at a national level 32:55 | Nick explains using regional sales managers as a direct channel 37:37 | Jim brings up how too many people in the sales channel could take a longer response time 42:55 | Nick discusses independent manufacturer's representatives as a sales channel 46:38 | Jason and Nick analyze the distributor relationship within a sales channel 49:56 | Jim shares the sales channels that he utilizes

As we move forward into 2021, the MakingChips podcast hosts look back at 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and share more lessons they learned as a result. Segments: 6:06 | Jim shares information on the characteristics of a visual learner. 9:37 | The hosts discuss the potential usage of wearable technology in machine shops. 13:26 | The hosts emphasize the importance of cybersecurity, and how it will advance in 2021. 15:22 | The hosts discuss integrations of robotics in machine shops, as well as other possible future trends. 21:13 | Jim shares the thoughts and reactions of manufacturing leaders on the pandemic in March of 2020. 23:40 | Jason and Nick explain how they kept their team members informed during the pandemic. 25:00 | The hosts share how they used their organizations and affiliates to gather COVID-19 information for their peers. 29:20 | Jim talks about integrating virtual meetings, how taking risks may lead to new opportunities, and supply and demand issues during the pandemic.

Part 2 of this 2-part series continues the interview with special guest John Miller, founder of Way of the Mill, an education platform for CNC milling. In this episode, John shares more of his manufacturing knowledge that machine shops can benefit from. 3:38 | John shares his thoughts on how a commitment to details can improve a shop 10:20 | John explains how shops may need to be more open to hybrid solutions across brands and suppliers 12:15 | John tells why he started Way of the Mill in the middle of a pandemic and what the goals for his clients are 17:06 | John explains the process of tap testing and what shops should be using it 24:20 | Jason asks how distributor employees can help manufacturing leaders make choices

In Part 1 of this 2-part series, the MakingChips hosts welcome guest John Miller, founder of Way of the Mill, an education platform for CNC milling. In this episode, John shares his background in the manufacturing industry, including his time at Makino and Apple, and why he chose to start Way of the Mill. 6:09 | Jason shares current news about the near future of the manufacturing industry due to COVID-19 12:10 | Guest John Miller, founder of Way of the Mill, tells his origin story in manufacturing 16:00 | John shares information on his experience working on turnkey projects at Makino 23:20 | John explains why he chose to share his milling advice online, and how good and bad fundamentals affect a company 27:05 | John discusses his time at Apple, and their involvement in the manufacturing industry 31:09 | John explains how he maintains unbiased content and the value it brings

In the 250th episode of MakingChips, the hosts discuss new factors and trends in the estimation process, especially when utilizing an ERP system. Jim Carr also shares his quoting process, and the tips and tricks he has used over the years that other manufacturing leaders should take into account. 3:30 | Nick tells a story about quoting 9:00 | Jim shares manufacturing news about the surge in metal prices 12:50 | Jim breaks down the estimation process into 3 factors: the estimator, the tools, and the tactics 19:30 | Jim explains his quoting process 23:30 | The hosts compare a traditional spreadsheet to an ERP system, and what columns to utilize 30:15 | The hosts discuss veteran quoting processes vs newer quoting tactics 34:50 | Jim lists some "red flags" to look out for during the estimation process 38:00 | Jim summarizes his thoughts on effectively quoting a job

In this week's podcast, hosts Jason Zenger, Jim Carr, and Nick Goellner share the new leadership principles and processes they adopted during 2020 to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how other manufacturing leaders can benefit by doing similar. 6:20 | The hosts share recent manufacturing news, plus Nick has his own special announcement 13:20 | Jason explains how he focused on growing his company's core values in 2020 16:15 | Jim discusses the new implementations he made at CARR this year 18:30 | Jason recounts how he increased communication between his employees 28:50 | Nick describes how his leadership team implemented new Lean practices and playbooks 33:09 | Jim shares the added business responsibilities he felt due to the COVID-19 pandemic 35:00 | Jason gives details on his experience of testing positive for COVID-19

In this week's episode, we share our experiences with imposter syndrome and discuss what it means. We talk about how it affects different generations and how to rise above the feeling that you aren't qualified or don't know what you're doing. 5:01 | Nick covers general manufacturing news - and improving market trends 8:55 | Nick defines imposter syndrome 10:05 | Jason brings up a bible verse that illustrates that everyone is a little bit of an imposter 13:32 | Jason asks how you'll learn anything if you never ask 22:26 | Jason and Nick discuss what imposter syndrome means for a manufacturing leader 25:42 | Nick shares a story about feeling like you can't ask questions or make mistakes 30:32 | Jason mentions how important it is to get your self-worth from multiple places, and Nick talks about how ego plays into imposter syndrome

In this week's episode, we share our experience as guest speakers at DMG Mori's sales conference this year. We touched base on the evolving sales process during COVID, how DMG really sells, and what old school techniques you can implement in today's new normal. 3:53 | DMG MORI's team announces keynote speakers - MakingChips 5:17 | Nick discusses the sales challenges brought on by COVID and how his team has adapted to overcome them 7:10 | DMG's area sales manager talks about how they've adapted to the closed doors 11:01 | Nick asks DMG MORI "How does your customer buy?" 20:14 | Jason talks about cultivating relationships and avoiding going silent 31:50 | Jim goes over old school sales tips in the new "not normal" world 39:21 | A new way to make "cold calling" work again 44:24 | Jason and Jim talk to Marty from Autodesk to talk about what they're doing with IMTS Spark 49:31 | Q&A with MakingChips and DMG MORI

In this week's podcast, hosts Jason Zenger, Jim Carr, and Nick Goellner invite guest Peter Eelman, Vice President & CXO at AMT to discuss how IMTS pivoted into an online digital destination for Manufacturers. Segments: Missing IMTS - Everybody gets together (2:15) Good News with Jim Carr (6:30) Manufacturing News: Smart manufacturing platform revenue to pass $32B annually by 2025 (7:04) Introducing our Guest: Peter Eelman (14:12) IMTS Spark is a digital destination for a connected manufacturing community (16:45) Peter: This is not a virtual tradeshow (21:45) Jason: The main theme of 2020 is rebuilding the supply chain (30:20) IMTS is coming back in 2022 (38:30) Why you should sign-up for IMTS spark today (40:34) What happened to IMTS 2020 swag? (44:00) Takeaways from IMTS Spark (46:10) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

In this week's podcast, hosts Jason Zenger and Jim Carr invite guest Jenn Ryan, SVP of Global Network Operations at Xometry to discuss how they pivoted during COVID and how it helped them transform who they are as a business. Segments: Jim and Jason's businesses thriving when the industry is down (1:44) Good news at Carr's: 4th new CNC machine (6:06) Jason Discusses the Manufacturing News: Foxconn fails to meet requirements in Wisconsin (6:47) Introducing our guest: Jenn Ryan, SVP of Global Network Operations at Xometry (11:40) Check out our previous episodes 122 & 189 with Xometry Jenn: Keeping the doors open during COVID shutdowns (14:10) Jenn: Changing the binary questions "What part of this job can I do?" (17:10) Jason: Why we created the Makingchips podcast (19:20) Jenn: Partner Success stories in 2020 (21:00) Jason: We need more manufacturing in the US (31:05) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

In this week's podcast, hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger invite guests Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop ERP, and Matt Gawlik, President of 3D Industries to discuss what it takes to properly implement a new ERP in a machine shop, and how it can change your culture. Segments: How the ERP revolution shifted our culture (1:47) Teasing our special guests (2:56) Putting on makeup is fun? IMTS interview (3:33) What's new with Jason: Zengers, Black Industrial (5:00) Discussing this week's manufacturing news (6:20) Introducing our guest: Paul Van Metre from ProShop (13:13) Introducing our other guest: Matt Gawlik, President of 3D Industries (14:10) The origin story of "3D Industries" (15:20) How Matt found ProShop (16:45) Jim: Using the wrong ERP for 20 years (19:52) Matt: Rehabilitating the company to implement the perfect ERP (20:45) Jason: What is a Pirate ship company? (27:25) Roadblocks when implementing a new ERP (28:00) ProShop features that hit the spot for Machine shops (30:45) What is your estimator doing all day now? (33:55) Matt: Extracting data from the minds of employees is a necessary safeguard (34:45) Culture Shift: Before and After ProShop (38:50) Paul: Implementing ERPs is a team commitment (43:45) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

In this week's podcast, hosts Jason Zenger and Jim Carr discuss the process of building the right legacy you want to leave behind as a Manufacturing Leader. Segments: Getting morbid for a minute (0:45) Leaving a legacy after a transition (2:10) Jim compares MakingChips hosts to past music greats (3:30) Another new CNC machine at Carr Machine (5:06) Jason, the business coach? (6:27) Manufacturing News: New manufacturing facility for undersea drones (8:40) Jason: Leaving a positive legacy in the minds of others (11:51) A legacy gone wrong: Statues don't make chips (16:30) Guiding principles towards a great legacy (19:40) Every manufacturing leader needs to think about their legacy (27:10) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

In this week's episode, we get a look into Carr Machine's setup process. Hosts Jim Carr and Nick Goellner invite guests Ryan Carr, Operations Manager at CARR Machine and Tool, Inc., and Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop ERP on to discuss the challenges they face with long setup times and explore how ProShop has helped them refine the process while providing measurable analytics for future improvement. Segments Jim and Nick talk about manufacturing news 4:26 Jim Introduces Paul Van Metre and Ryan Carr 8:40 Jim introduces the age-old issue of setup times 10:34 Ryan talks about today's setup process on the shop floor at Carr 14:18 Jim and Ryan talk about how their team uses ProShop 15:47 Paul Van Metre lays out the pre-processing checklist at ProShop 20:42 Paul and Ryan cover the impact of implementing ProShop 26:41 Jim addresses the transition of accountability 29:54 Nick asks about ROI and measurable results for improvement 31:55 Success stories with ProShop 36:05 The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

In this week's podcast, hosts Jim Carr and Jason Zenger discuss old school manufacturing tips that still equip & inspire their team on the shop floor. Segments: The guys discuss this week's manufacturing news. (8:41) Solving today's shop problems with "old school" techniques: Tapping (18:10) Flatness on prints/Material Science (23:38) Using oversized materials for better accuracy (26:12) Bringing back old school collaboration (28:36) Machine tool distributors selling tooling (31:50) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

This week on the MakingChips podcast, Host Nick Goellner, Jim Carr, and Jason Zenger discuss the Agile Marketing Process and how to have a marketing program in place that allows you to pivot when the time comes! Segments: The guys discuss this week's manufacturing news. (6:12) What is ProShop: (10:40) What great marketing is and what great marketing isn't. (16:05) GPCT Workshop: Goals.Plans.Challenges.Timelines.(19:10) Begin with the end in mind—start creating vision backlogs. (20:55) Keys to success: Prioritize, Protect your sprints, Pull don't push, Park. (29:45) 4 keywords for meetings: Daily stand up, Plan, Review, Reflect. (35:15) How does a marketing program work for a small job shop? (37:42) The Boring Bar Newsletter - Text CHIPS to 38470 to subscribe!

This week on the MakingChips Podcast, Jim Carr shares 6 tips on what CARR Machine & Tool has done to pivot from prototypes to becoming a full production machine shop. Jim shares this week's manufacturing news - "Making Robots Smarter & Safer." (7:05) Tip #1: How do you quote a production job? (17:44) Tip #2: The importance of manufacturing planning. (21:25) Tip #3: Determining the correct amount of pieces in your active setup. (24:10) Tip #4: Know your tools. (28:00) Tip #5: Understanding your Customer Demands (36:38) Tip #6: Look into automation, robots, and cobots. (38:10)