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Manufacturing has been collecting skills for centuries, and the list keeps growing. Chris takes Manufacturing Happy Hour to Revere Electric’s Executive Forum at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) for a live conversation about what the factory of the future needs in the plant and in the workforce. Joining him are Michael Cvelbar and Phil Bush of Rockwell Automation, Joe Hamann of the Connected Systems Institute (CSI), and Ryan Schneeberger of Revere Electric Supply. Joe and Phil look at how new people get job-ready through student hackathons and a veteran training program. Ryan and Michael cover the other side, keeping people on the floor and giving operators more to do once they’re there. Students learn where AI adds value, while manufacturers want to see the return before they invest. And a room full of manufacturers toasts every time they say “digital twin.” In this episode, find out: Why Michael says manufacturers need backup plans when disruption hitsHow Rockwell is preparing operators to troubleshoot their own equipmentWhy manufacturers say new engineering graduates can take years to reach full productivityHow Rockwell’s Academy of Advanced Manufacturing trains military veterans as controls techniciansWhat flexible automation can do for a customer and why manufacturers stay cautious on AI until the ROI is clearHow Phil, Joe, Ryan and Michael describe their factory of the future when the audience asks Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “We want to hire on attitude and aptitude and culture fit, and we want to train on skills and capabilities.” - Phil Bush, Global Competency Programs Manager at Rockwell Automation“Get started. Try something, right? Start small, learn from it. It’s probably not going to be perfect, but you’ll be better the next time.” - Joe Hamann, Executive Director at Connected Systems Institute“The digitization that’s required, it’s business critical. It’s mission critical now. It’s no longer, ‘Hey, we’re going to go pilot this and see if this works.’ You need it, and it needs to be scaled across the enterprise.” - Michael Cvelbar, Director of Operations at Rockwell Automation Links & mentions: Rockwell Automation is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, headquartered in Milwaukee.Revere Electric Supply is a fourth-generation, family-owned electrical distributor serving industrial and construction customers across Illinois and southern Wisconsin, and a presenting partner of this live event.Connected Systems Institute is a center of excellence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, hosting this episode and developing manufacturing specialists through education, lab facilities, and research with industry partners.Husco is a Waukesha, Wisconsin manufacturer of hydraulic and electro-hydraulic controls for off-highway and automotive equipment.Fathom Digital Manufacturing offers more than 25 advanced manufacturing technologies under one roof, from CNC machining to injection molding. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Manufacturing has a lot to gain from AI, and a lot to lose by waiting. Recorded at mHUB in Chicago’s West Loop during IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show), Chris sits down with Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO of QAD Redzone, to talk about what AI could mean for an industry facing 500,000 open manufacturing jobs and a growing need to do more with the people it already has. They also look at what happens when systems of record become systems of action, and how that changes the way manufacturers respond to problems on the shop floor. In this episode, find out: How a career that started on a Honda engine line shaped Sanjay's view of manufacturing as managing constraintsWhy manufacturers don't need to replace their existing technology before putting AI to workHow AI can turn a system of record into a system of action on the factory floorWhat QAD Redzone learned after giving line leads an AI agent before bringing their supervisors into the conversationWhy some manufacturers are willing to set aside 5-7% of their IT budget for AIHow a month of 24/7 bug fixing, complete with its own t-shirts, helped QAD Redzone rebuild customer trust Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "The role of AI is not to replace the human being. The role of AI is to make that human being, that talent, 3 to 4x more powerful." - Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO of QAD Redzone"Manufacturing is a show-me world. It is not a tell-me world." - Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO of QAD Redzone"Nobody in manufacturing is sitting there waiting for somebody to give them AI. They only want it if it impacts their outcomes." - Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO of QAD Redzone Links & mentions: STÄUBLI is a leading manufacturer of quick connector systems, covering connection needs for all types of fluids, gases, and electrical power.QAD Redzone is the manufacturing AI platform built for the mid-market, bringing AI into the ERP and the workflow where decisions get made.mHUB is a Chicago hard tech platform that brings young companies together with networks of entrepreneurs, advisors, and capital. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

RVs are homes that go 60 miles an hour. That changes everything about what goes inside them. Chris sits down with Sean Petterson, CEO of Supersede, a company combining recycling and manufacturing in an unexpected way - turning recycled plastic into structural building materials. Supersede started with boats, where wood has an obvious problem - boats get wet! From there, the company moved into RVs, where the materials face constant movement and thermal cycling, on a production line that can build an entire RV in a couple of hours. Sean also explains the thinking behind Supersede's manufacturing model, including why he'd rather build 10 smaller plants than one big one. In this episode, find out: How running production lines in mirrored pairs cuts the distance operators walk across the floorWhy an RV, built to go 60 miles an hour, is a harder test for a material than a house that never movesHow Supersede built its own ERP with zero software developers, piecing it together through Slack, Jira, and GitHub insteadHow a pre-sold capacity threshold - already dropping fast - decides when Supersede builds its next plantHow embedding machine vision and LiDAR on the line replaces a QA machine that would otherwise cost far moreWhy Sean thinks manufacturers who didn't start using AI a year ago are already a decade behind Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "If you hadn't gotten on the AI bus 12 months ago, you're a decade behind." - Sean Petterson, CEO of Supersede“A big contributor to those inefficiencies is, frankly, just legacy that gets embedded.” - Sean Petterson, CEO of Supersede“In manufacturing, things can move slow, and we just have the unique benefit of making sure that we're investing effectively, but very efficiently.” - Sean Petterson, CEO of Supersede Links & mentions: Supersede is a manufacturing company turning recycled plastic into structural building materials, starting with its Marine Board product for the marine and RV industries.Harmoni is a factory orchestration platform that connects what's happening on your shop floor with the systems you already use, from your machines and operators to your ERP, giving your team one real-time view of production.PTC's Industrial Newsletter - a quick hit of clarity on how design, manufacturing, and service data can work together for manufacturing leaders looking to modernize. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

There's a lot more coming out of Iowa than corn. Chris heads to Des Moines for a live conversation with four guests who each know Iowa manufacturing a little differently. Dominique Hain and Cami Schaefer share how Women in Manufacturing Iowa grew to over 900 members in three years. Denny Williams and Denise Hill take it from there, discussing automation, hiring, and just how deep Iowa's farm roots run through its factories. The conversation also uncovers some of the products many people may not know are made in Iowa, including Winnebago RVs. In this episode, find out: What makes a state better known for agriculture become one of the country's stronger manufacturing basesHow Iowa's farming communities are shaping who gets hired at companies like WeilerWhich surprising products are actually made in Iowa, from butter braids to basketball hoopsWhy so many Iowa manufacturers trace back to a farmer solving a problem for himself, then his neighborsHow Co-Line is using robots and cobots to boost throughput without cutting its workforceWhy finding qualified operators is harder than finding corn in rural Iowa Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "I love Des Moines because it's almost like a well-kept secret of Iowa, or of the US." - Cami Schaefer, Executive Operations Assistant at BrownWinick"We launched our chapter only three years ago, and we're already over 900 members strong, which is absolutely incredible." - Dominique Hain, Industry Account Manager at Rockwell Automation"With that strong work ethic and farming background, we like to hire young farm kids who know how to work on equipment. They're not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty." - Denise Hill, Senior Human Resources Manager at Weiler Links & mentions: Dominique Hain - Industry Account Manager at Rockwell AutomationDenny Williams - Sales/Estimating at Co-Line ManufacturingDenise Hill - Senior Human Resources Manager at WeilerCami Schaefer - Executive Operations Assistant at BrownWinickFathom Digital Manufacturing, offering more than 25 advanced manufacturing technologies under one roof, from CNC machining to injection molding.PTC's Industrial Newsletter, a quick hit of clarity on how design, manufacturing, and service data can work together for manufacturing leaders looking to modernize. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

You can count on Philly to bring the energy! Recorded live in King of Prussia at the final stop of the Northeast leg of the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour, this episode features the loudest, most engaged crowd Chris has had on the show yet. Ashley, Brett, and Matt open the show with a look at what makes the Philadelphia manufacturing ecosystem tick, and why collaboration, not competition, might be the region's biggest advantage. Hannah and Greg then join Matt to talk workforce development, and some of the most creative approaches to the talent shortage you'll hear on the show all year. In this episode, find out: What inspired one shop owner to build a group where members share equipment, knowledge, and even trade secrets with people who'd traditionally be seen as competitorsWhy locating a machine shop in the heart of Philadelphia, despite the traffic, parking, and wage tax, turned out to be a competitive advantageHow a youth basketball nonprofit ended up building a skilled trades program for teenagers who don't want to go to collegeWhy the region's defense industry is driving serious demand for skilled manufacturing workersWhat convinced a group of manufacturing leaders that hiring from a more diverse talent pool is a genuine business advantage, not just the right thing to doWhat it really takes to change how an entire generation sees a career in the trades Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "That's a competitive advantage for us when we're hiring from a diverse group. Our spindles are running more." - Matt Bruner, President & Co-Founder at American Precision Works"What makes Philadelphia great is that now we have that willingness to change. Philly is really spearheading that campaign to make manufacturing and the collaboration between all of us more open" - Ashley Watkins, Sales & Marketing Manager at JBM Technologies"I don't hide any of my prints when we do the group meetings. I'm not afraid of anyone coming in and stealing my work." - Brett Lister, Youth Basketball, Business Owner at B&B Dynamic Machining Links & mentions: Ashley Watkins - Sales & Marketing Manager at JBM TechnologiesMatt Bruner - President & Co-Founder at American Precision WorksGregory Thomson - Director of Skilled Building Trades at PhiladelphiaBrett Lister - Youth Basketball, Business Owner at B&B Dynamic MachiningHannah McGarry - Director at Workforce EngagementCliftonLarsonAllen, presenting partner for the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour, offering industry-focused wealth advisory, outsourcing, audit, tax, and consulting services.MaintainX, presenting partner for the tour, helping frontline teams streamline maintenance, standard operating procedures, and more from a mobile device.NTMA (New Jersey/Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association), a local partner organization supporting manufacturers with resources, events, and a national network. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Where's the party at? While there’s a lot to see on the show floor at IMTS 2026, some of the best conversations, connections, and memories happen after the show floor closes each day. In this bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Chris is joined by returning guests Jim Mayer and Emily Wilkins for an "IMTS After Hours" conversation about how to make the most of manufacturing’s biggest week in Chicago. They share some of their favorite stories from IMTS events of the past - from spontaneous meetups and happy hours, to karaoke, to Chris’ infamous 90s Vs. Emo Night in 2024 - while previewing what’s on the agenda for IMTS 2026. You’ll hear why the after hours experience can be just as valuable as walking the show floor, how to pace yourself during a packed week of events, and where you can find Chris, Jim, Emily, and the rest of the manufacturing community once the trade show shuts down for the day. Whether this is your first IMTS or you’re a seasoned veteran, consider this your unofficial guide to making the most of IMTS afterparties all week long. See you in Chicago. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

"New York City is where dreams come to audition", and this goes for manufacturers too. Recorded live at New Lab in Brooklyn, this episode is split into three segments and features seven guests. Chris explores what manufacturing means in a city best known for 'wall street’. Andrew, James, and Stacey open the show by digging into New York's overlooked industrial past, including a 250-year stretch where the city was the largest manufacturing hub in the country. Jacob, Nikki, and Miquela then take the stage to talk about what's being built in the city today, from robotics to a single Brooklyn facility housing 17 different manufacturing verticals. Finally, Michelle of New York Embroidery Studio joins Chris one-on-one to share her insights after nearly 30 years of manufacturing experience, including how she pivoted her entire operation overnight to produce PPE during COVID. In this episode, find out: What the Brooklyn Navy Yard's 300-acre footprint looks like today, decades after its WWII peakWhy New York's robotics ecosystem might never look like Detroit or Pittsburgh and how that could be an advantageWhat 17 different manufacturing verticals look like inside a single Brooklyn facilityHow one manufacturer pivoted from designing gowns for the Met Gala to producing 3 million isolation gowns a monthWhy New York's built-in market of 8 million consumers gives local manufacturers an edge most cities can't offerWhat it took to solve a 20-year-old medical design flaw by giving a doctor direct access to a factory floor Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "All These inventions that came from here - the laser, the CCD, the ATM machine, the transistor, vulcanized rubber - all those things went somewhere else to build.” - James Williams, Chief Strategy Officer at Nanotronics"It's not that somebody is getting rid of the hand tools, it's that it's merging with additional technology." - Miquela Craytor, Founder & Principal, Craytor Strategies"Smart people that have problems need to have access to factories to create and build new things." - Michelle Feinberg, Owner of New York Embroidery Studio and NYES Protect Links & mentions: CliftonLarsonAllen, sponsor of the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour, offering industry-focused wealth advisory, outsourcing, audit, tax, and consulting services.MaintainX, sponsor of the tour, helping frontline teams streamline maintenance, standard operating procedures, and more from a mobile device.New Lab, an innovation hub based at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, hosting this episode and supporting startups working on advanced technology and manufacturing. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

The largest manufacturing trade show in the Western Hemisphere is coming to Chicago September 14 through 19, and this bonus episode is your preview of IMTS 2026. Chris shares what he’s most excited about: Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s daily drone production and flight demo, the new Industrial AI Arena, the IMTS Investor Summit, and a 10-year anniversary episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour with Jake Hall on the Main Stage. Then, we head to 2025's “halfway to IMTS” party at Rockwell Beer Co. in St. Louis, where Mary Cecile "MC" Neville of AMT explains what makes IMTS manufacturing’s biggest community get-together and what’s new on the show floor. Brandon Wegge also joins to introduce AMICSTL, a new nonprofit Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center being built in North St. Louis to bring the latest technology and workforce development to the region’s small and medium manufacturers. Mentioned in this episode: Get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026! If you're heading to IMTS 2026, make sure Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is part of your game plan. Hexagon is the architect of innovation in manufacturing and a global leader in measurement technologies. Make sure to visit Hexagon in the East Building at Booth 134102 and tell them Chris from Manufacturing Happy Hour sent you to claim your LEGO MAESTRO CMM via the link below. Visit Hexagon and get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026

300 episodes of Chris asking all the questions, this week he is finally in the hot seat - and it’s his high school buddies doing all the grilling! Recorded live at Urban Chestnut Brewing, this episode is split into two parts. First, Chris sits down with a Missouri manufacturing panel - Michael Eaton, Joe Mazzola and Maria Berra to talk Apollo 13 battery cells, pepper spray, whiskey barrels, and keeping it in the family in St. Louis. In part 2, we are flipping the script. To celebrate this milestone episode, three of Chris's oldest friends, Pat, Rob and John take over, asking Chris about his 'magic drug' for keeping the show running for 300 episodes, reminiscing on his first experience of things taking a turn for the worst on stage, and a very exciting personal announcement. In this episode, find out: How Missouri became the birthplace of a surprising range of products that most wouldn't realizeHow a kid who dreamed of building rollercoasters ended up building a manufacturing podcast insteadWhy Chris's dad might be the most legendary guy in their entire high school networkWhy Chris wouldn't watch the Blues win the Stanley Cup live, despite being in BostonWhat Chris says helps you stand out when everyone in your industry is chasing the same trendWhere Chris would send you for the best food and drink in St. Louis Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "I don't know if being an engineer is exactly what I wanted to be, but I was certainly going to take that problem-solving skill set and bring it wherever I go." - Chris Luecke, Podcast Host & Community Builder at Manufacturing Happy Hour"The more you can take that ‘all ships rise with the tide’ approach, those are the regions I see really being successful in manufacturing." - Chris Luecke, Podcast Host & Community Builder at Manufacturing Happy Hour”What are the things that you can talk about that are timeless, that highlight who you are, that highlight your expertise, that can allow you to stand out from the pack?” - Chris Luecke, Podcast Host & Community Builder at Manufacturing Happy Hour Links & mentions: AssetWatch and MaintainX, our partners for this leg of the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour.The Missouri Association of Manufacturers, supporting manufacturers and driving turnout for this special St. Louis event.IMTS, hosted by AMT (the Association for Manufacturing Technology) - the country's largest manufacturing trade show.Urban Chestnut Brewing Company is an unconventional-minded yet tradition-oriented brewer of craft beer with authentic heritage and proven quality. Make sure to visit https://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. Mentioned in this episode: Get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026! If you're heading to IMTS 2026, make sure Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is part of your game plan. Hexagon is the architect of innovation in manufacturing and a global leader in measurement technologies. Make sure to visit Hexagon in the East Building at Booth 134102 and tell them Chris from Manufacturing Happy Hour sent you to claim your LEGO MAESTRO CMM via the link below. Visit Hexagon and get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026

Some of the best manufacturing advice comes down to one simple idea - buy back your weekends. In this bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Chris is joined by Patrick Carmitchel, VP of Product Management and Dustin Moore, Condition Monitoring Engineer Manager at AssetWatch, to break down what condition monitoring and predictive maintenance looks like in practice, no jargon required. They get into the differences between preventative and predictive maintenance, why the biggest ROI often comes from just doing one thing well, and how AssetWatch's own founding story led them from wireless power research into one of the fastest-growing names in industrial monitoring. Along the way, Dustin shares a personal philosophy that gives this episode its name. In this episode, find out: Why doing one thing well with your most critical assets can catch the majority of issues before you need to expand into other monitoring methodsHow a maintenance technician went from feeling threatened by AssetWatch to calling it the best thing that ever happened to his jobWhat criteria actually determine whether an asset is "critical" - and why size has nothing to do with itHow AssetWatch went from researching wireless phone charging to building one of the fastest-growing platforms in industrial monitoring Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "The proof is in the pudding... once they start seeing the results on their end - that bearing running a lot cooler, a lot smoother - that's when they come around." - Dustin Moore, Condition Monitoring Engineer Manager at AssetWatch"You've got to start somewhere. Meet maintenance teams where they're at - they're all in different parts of their journey." - Dustin Moore, Condition Monitoring Engineer Manager at AssetWatch"Predictive maintenance means you're looking at early warning signs... it's about your ability to be able to plan so that you do not have unplanned downtime." - Patrick Carmitchel, VP of Product Management at AssetWatch Links & mentions: AssetWatch combines vibration, temperature, and oil analysis in one platform for a holistic asset health view, detecting issues that a single technique might miss. Make sure to visit https://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

We're not beating the drum this week… we're ringing Cici's bell. Filmed live at Trinity College's Innovation Hub - our first time in Connecticut, and our first ever 9:30am taping. Not quite our usual ‘happy hour’, but our guests and the “small-but-mighty" state of Connecticut brought the energy all the same. Chris sits down with Cici Bevin, sixth-generation President of Bevin Brothers Manufacturing and leader of the only remaining bell maker in the U.S, Andrew Gibson, CEO of AlphaQ, who came out of retirement to run a precision aerospace supplier for names like Sikorsky and Rolls-Royce, and Dustin Nord, Foundation Director at CBIA, tracking the trends shaping Connecticut's manufacturing future. Together, they get into what keeps a 200-year-old manufacturer relevant, how a turnaround can make you a top global supplier almost overnight, and why one of the priciest states to manufacture in has built such a strong industrial cluster. Expect a state role you've probably never heard of, a centuries-old invention with surprising staying power, and what it takes to grow tomorrow's manufacturing workforce. In this episode, find out: How Andrew Gibson turned a failing aerospace supplier with 0% on-time delivery into Rolls-Royce's #1 global supplierWhat surprising products are actually made in Connecticut, from Wiffle balls to Black Hawk helicoptersWhy Connecticut created a Chief Manufacturing Officer role, and why other states might want one tooHow a vicar from Wethersfield, Connecticut ended up inventing the first machine mill, and why that still matters todayHow Connecticut manufacturers collaborate with neighboring states like Massachusetts and Rhode IslandWhy Dustin believes no state has fully figured out manufacturing competitiveness, and what that means for the industry Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "I don't think any state has the answer. That's what I learn the most when I look up what other states are doing. Everybody's experimenting." - Dustin Nord, Foundation Director at CBIA“When you make a change, you have to follow through. You've got to keep your word, even if it's adding a water cooler." - Andrew Gibson, CEO at AlphaQ"You have to have a vision. You've got to throw a rock out there tied to a string, and every day you want to make sure you can see that string." - Andrew Gibson, CEO at AlphaQ Links & mentions: CLA exists to create opportunities for clients, people, and communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, outsourcing, audit, tax, and consulting services.MaintainX is one platform for maintenance, repair, and operations keeping the physical world running. Make sure to visit https://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. Mentioned in this episode: Get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026! If you're heading to IMTS 2026, make sure Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is part of your game plan. Hexagon is the architect of innovation in manufacturing and a global leader in measurement technologies. Make sure to visit Hexagon in the East Building at Booth 134102 and tell them Chris from Manufacturing Happy Hour sent you to claim your LEGO MAESTRO CMM via the link below. Visit Hexagon and get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026

Selling the equipment is the easy part. The real revenue shows up after the sale. Sam Neva, Vice President of Sales for Service Lifecycle Management at PTC, joined the show to talk servitization - what it means, and why it's becoming the difference between OEMs who scrape by on hardware margins and ones who build real recurring revenue. Chris caught up with him live at PTC's headquarters. Manufacturing folks, we didn't forget about you! This episode is geared squarely toward people building equipment. If you want to tighten up your sales process and make your customer relationships stickier, this one is for you. Sam and Chris get into what's holding most OEMs back from servitization, how AI is starting to change what proactive service looks like, and the math behind why the money shows up years after the original sale. In this episode, find out: Why the smartest OEMs are lowering the price of the original sale, and what they're betting on insteadThe three levels standing between a traditional OEM and a full servitization modelWhy ‘tribal knowledge’ is the hidden gap between engineering and service teamsHow AI is helping teams triage service issues before they need a technicianThe Harvard Business Review stat that shows just how much revenue gets left on the table post-saleWhat Schneider Electric did to grow revenue, win rates, and improve customer satisfaction at the same timeThe first question every OEM should ask before attempting servitization Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “You're reacting to a problem, instead of doing your best to extend and plan that time horizon to prepare for that problem." - Sam Neva, Vice President of Sales for Service Lifecycle Management at PTC“Step 1 is what do customers expect from us, why do they expect that, and how can we give them that?" - Sam Neva, Vice President of Sales for Service Lifecycle Management at PTC“The goal is how do I make money as the OEM, not just by selling you that box, but selling you the outcome of what that box provides.” - Sam Neva, Vice President of Sales for Service Lifecycle Management at PTC Links & mentions: Benchmark your servitization strategy, a complimentary assessment where ServiceMax experts will evaluate your current service organization and identify opportunities to improve performance, profitability, and customer outcomes.ServiceMax, a PTC Technology, is on a mission to help customers keep the world running with asset-centric field service management software. As a recognized leader in this space, our cloud-based software and mobile apps provide a complete view of assets to field service teams. Make sure to visit https://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

When Massachusetts shows up for something, it's rarely small, and this live show was no exception. Over 100 people packed into Canton to join Chris as he sits down with Megan Glidden, Michael Tamasi, and Joe McCadden to talk about the people and organizations keeping the state's manufacturing scene strong. That starts with the workforce building the next generation of submarines. Joe explains what that takes on the ground, Michael has built his own talent pipeline training adults on the autism spectrum for careers in manufacturing, and Megan walks us through the upsides of employee ownership, including the chance to retire as a millionaire. From there, the conversation covers trade schools, automation, AI, and the challenge of changing manufacturing’s “dark, dirty, and dangerous” reputation. In this episode, find out: What Massachusetts' small size means for manufacturers trying to get products to market quicklyHow Massachusetts manufacturers rallied during COVID to make gowns, masks, and ventilators in daysWhy the submarine industrial base needs 100,000 people over the next 5 to 10 yearsThe role local vocational schools play in building Globe Composite Solutions' next generation of employeesWhy employee ownership changes the way people think about waste, improvement, and staying with a company for decadesWeb Industries' approach to weaving AI into its broader Industry 4.0 strategy Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “For too long, and still in many places, people look at manufacturing as dark, dirty, and dangerous, when in fact it's safe, smart, and sustainable.” - Michael Tamasi, Owner & CEO of AccuRounds“The biggest challenge that we face is people, and how do you get good people.” - Joe McCadden, President of Globe Composite Solutions"What makes Massachusetts attractive to us is the depth of experience around the aerospace, defense, and medical industries - these are industries where you can't take this work offshore." - Megan Glidden, CFO of Web Industries Links & mentions: AccuRounds - a precision contract machining company based in Avon, Massachusetts, providing high-end mechanical components for the aerospace, defense, medical, semiconductor, and robotics industries.Globe Composite Solutions - a Stoughton, Massachusetts manufacturer of urethane, rubber, and synthetic foam products for defense, submersible, and industrial applications.Web Industries - a global, employee-owned manufacturing company specializing in precision converting and outsourced manufacturing for the aerospace, medical, and industrial sectors.Harmoni - a factory orchestration platform that connects your machines, operators, and ERP into one real-time view of what's happening on the shop floor.CliftonLarsonAllen - a presenting partner for the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour, offering industry-focused wealth advisory, outsourcing, audit, tax, and consulting services.MaintainX - a presenting partner for the tour, helping frontline teams streamline maintenance, standard operating procedures, and more from a mobile device. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Digital, real, real, digital. It sounds simple, but it's rewriting how a warehouse gets designed. Joel Thomas has spent over a decade in the Intralogistics space and now leads OEM Sales Data Center and Life Sciences at Siemens. Markus Thiel just crossed the six month mark as Head of Intralogistics, after years on the manufacturing operations and supply chain side of the business. Chris caught up with both of them live in Atlanta during MODEX, over a Weiss beer and a pilsner at Halfway Crooks. They talk about what Intralogistics is, and how it's changed since the days of pallet jacks and conveyor belts. From there the conversation covers the industry engineer shortage, robotics, AGVs versus AMRs, why standardization is becoming such a hot topic among vendors, and what a warehouse looks like when it's designed digitally. In this episode, find out: How the day-to-day work of moving goods within a warehouse has changed over the past decadeThe shift to robotics, AGVs, and AMRs, and why orchestrating all of it is now the hard partWhy standardization is gaining ground even though flexibility with vendors used to be the priorityHow AI is being used to spot bottlenecks and predict maintenanceWhat edge computing means for a warehouseWhat it takes to build a digital twin, and why Siemens tests new technology in its own factory firstWhether a conveyor-less warehouse is realistic, and who's already exploring itWhy e-commerce has been the single biggest driver of growth in the industryWhat's next for the space, software-defined automation and the IT/OT layer Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "We want more individualized goods, and we want it faster and sooner, so that thing will not stop. It will further accelerate. It's great to see all the technology which is helping that development.” - Markus Thiel, Head of Intralogistics at Siemens“It was always about taking off your professional hat, and just being a person. Go out and talk to people and just introduce yourself. The one great thing that you can do in this industry is say, ‘Can I help?’” - Joel Thomas, Director of OEM Sales Data Center and Life Sciences at Siemens”If you asked me 7 years ago, I would say that Europe was way ahead when it came to automation technology. Now, I think the US has caught up, if not maybe surpassed it.” - Joel Thomas, Director of OEM Sales Data Center and Life Sciences at Siemens Links & mentions: Siemens Intralogistics provides intelligent material handling tech that empowers intralogistics to meet demands and overcome challenges via AI-enhanced automation and sustainable design.MHI the nation's largest material handling, logistics and supply chain association - active since 1945.Halfway Crooks Beer is the Atlanta brewery where this episode was recorded, known for traditionally brewed lagers in the Summerhill neighborhood. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Fine tuning manufacturing like a guitar - that's the kind of parallel you can expect from this episode. This week Chris sits down with Rush LaSelle, CEO at Fathom, recorded on site at their Hartland, Wisconsin facility over a Spotted Cow beer. Rush's path into manufacturing started at Fanuc, moved through the early and unproven days of mobile robotics, and later took him into the highly regulated world of healthcare automation. They get into digital manufacturing today, how the Kiva and Amazon story changed the way people think about robotics and logistics, and why more defense spending doesn't automatically mean more manufacturing capacity. Rush also breaks down what this week's news around CMMC Phase 2 means for manufacturers who have already put in months of work preparing for it. Along the way, Rush makes one of the more memorable comparisons we've heard on the show, describing the people on his shop floor as creatives, and manufacturing itself as something closer to art than you might expect. In this episode, find out: How an early mobile robotics deal turned out to be worth $775 million, and what it taught the industryHow digital manufacturing evolved from CAD drawings to full supply chain integrationWhy additive manufacturing has moved way past its prototyping only reputationWhat manufacturers need before they can scale up to meet rising defense demandWhy the pause on CMMC Phase 2 has left some manufacturers in a tricky spotHow Rush sees manufacturing as a form of art, and why he calls his machinists creativesWhat's driving the ongoing talent war in manufacturing, and why skilled machinists take years to developWhy Rush believes physical AI is the most exciting shift happening in the industry right now Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: “There is a talent war going on where everybody's trying to get the right level of folks on the floor. Despite all the automation and the augmentation, you still need talented people out there. The curve to get to a level three machinist is about seven years on the job.” - Rush LaSelle, CEO at Fathom“You take all the data that's available in these monstrous data farms and you start applying them to physical AI. Physical AI, in our case, could be getting better control over our machines, instead of 80% of our programming done on CNCs, making it 98%.” - Rush LaSelle, CEO at Fathom“We've had an erosion of our industrial base. You need to have 20, 30, 50 years' worth of visibility to revenue to put hundreds of millions of dollars in place. And the government doesn't always give you that level of visibility.” - Rush LaSelle, CEO at Fathom Links & mentions: Fathom Manufacturing helps companies simplify part sourcing with 25+ advanced manufacturing technologies and support services, all built around the way real programs actually move. Core capabilities include additive manufacturing, injection molding, CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication, with support across engineering, finishing, inspection, assembly and production.New Glarus Brewing Company philosophy is based on individuality, cooperation, and the employment of 100% natural ingredients to produce world-class, handcrafted beers like Spotted Cow, for our friends in Wisconsin. Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty. Mentioned in this episode: Get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026! If you're heading to IMTS 2026, make sure Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is part of your game plan. Hexagon is the architect of innovation in manufacturing and a global leader in measurement technologies. Make sure to visit Hexagon in the East Building at Booth 134102 and tell them Chris from Manufacturing Happy Hour sent you to claim your LEGO MAESTRO CMM via the link below. Visit Hexagon and get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026