Advertise on podcast: Machine Shop Growth

Kirk Phelps didn't just talk about starting a shop — he went and did it. In Episode 34 of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk gives you a raw, unfiltered look at the first 60 days of Omni Max Aerospace: two Haas machines, a 3,500 square feet building, no employees, and parts shipping in week one. This is real-world startup content from someone in the trenches every day — not theory, not hypotheticals. Key topics covered: Who to hire first (and why the answer might surprise you)Vendor negotiation tactics when cash is tight at startupWhy machine brand doesn't matter — service doesHow Kirk's decade of standardization made lights out machining possible in month oneThe real math on buying special tools vs. using what you haveZero-point work holding and single-piece flow from day oneThe first crash, the $650 tool holder, and what he learned "My standardization gives me a repeatable process right out of the box. I'm just repeating what I did last week, last month, last year, the last decade." Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Most shops quote aerospace work the same way they quote everything else. That's the problem. In Episode 33 of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps gets into the tactical details of how to stop underquoting and make aerospace work actually profitable — from choosing what to chase to pricing it right. Kirk introduces the Ideal Part Profile framework: a three-tier system to define the work your shop is best at, decent at, and capable of but not built for. He breaks down why variable margins matter — factoring in payment terms, material cost, workload, and critical features — and why your win rate is one of the most honest signals about whether your pricing is right. He also cuts through the noise on ITAR and CMMC, explaining who really needs to worry about each and why spending a quarter million on a cert you don't need is one of the worst strategic moves a shop can make. Key topics covered: • Building your Ideal Part Profile (3-tier framework) • Variable margin strategy for aerospace quoting • The PITA Factor: pricing high-risk, critical-feature parts • Why a 30–40% win rate is your target, not your ceiling • ITAR compliance: what's at stake and what to do • CMMC: separating policy from fear-mongering • How lead time and payment terms affect your true margin "If you're winning over 40% of your quotes, you need to seriously rethink how much you're charging." — Kirk Phelps Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Everyone talks about the opportunities in aerospace. Very few talk about the costs. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps breaks down what machine shops need to know before pursuing AS9100 certification—and why getting the certificate is actually the easy part. From inspection equipment and calibrated gauging to ERP systems, cash flow challenges, ITAR requirements, personnel, and expensive aerospace materials, Kirk shares the realities that many shops discover only after they're already committed. You'll learn: ✅ Why AS9100 is a culture—not a checkbox ✅ The hidden costs most shops underestimate ✅ How to evaluate whether your current equipment is aerospace-ready ✅ Why cash flow can become a major challenge in aerospace manufacturing ✅ How to enter the aerospace market without betting the entire company If you've ever thought about pursuing aerospace work, this episode could save you from some very expensive mistakes. And Kirk leaves us with a question: Are you ready for AS9100—or are you only ready for the certificate? If you enjoy the show, please leave a review—it helps more machine shop owners find the podcast.

From Machine Operator to Shop Leader: Manufacturing Career Advice for Young Machinists | MSG Episode 31 Most machinists start in the same place: Standing at a machine. Pushing a green button. Doing exactly what they're told. But what separates the people who stay there from the people who become programmers, supervisors, leaders, and shop owners? In this episode, Kirk Phelps shares the lessons that transformed his own career—from sweeping floors and running manual machines to leading manufacturing operations and helping companies grow. You'll learn: ✅ Why initiative is the fastest way to earn opportunity ✅ The difference between confidence and arrogance ✅ How fear silently limits career growth ✅ Why humility makes you more valuable than technical skills alone ✅ The mindset that helped Kirk progress from operator to leader Most people spend their careers waiting for opportunities. The people who grow create them. If you're a young machinist wondering what's next—or a shop owner trying to develop future leaders—this episode is for you. Subscribe to our weekly format: 📈 Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) ⚙️ Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) 🎙️ Bonus episodes when opportunity strikes If this episode helps, please leave a review and share it with someone starting their manufacturing journey.

You don’t start a machine shop by buying a machine. You start it by solving a problem. In this episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps unpack the reality behind building a machine shop from scratch—and it’s probably different than what most people expect. Everyone talks about machines. Very few talk about: • Cash flow pressure • Customer concentration risk • Investors and financing mistakes • The hidden costs nobody budgets for • Why your first customer matters more than your first machine And one statement from this episode flips conventional thinking upside down: "Don't buy the machine and then go find customers." If you're dreaming of launching your own shop—or wondering if now is the right time—this episode walks through the real-world decisions that determine whether you grow... or struggle before you ever get started. PLUS A MAJOR announcement about the future of Machine Shop Growth and the launch of Manufacturing M&A 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

Setup time is stealing more money from your shop than you think. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps digs deeper into standardization—specifically, tool holders, tooling storage, inventory systems, and the 80/20 rule that every machine shop should be using. Most shops don’t lose efficiency because people aren’t working hard. They lose efficiency because too many variables are left up to chance. Different tool holders. Unclear standards. Tools scattered across drawers and toolboxes. Operators searching for what should already be ready. Setups taking longer than they need to. Kirk breaks down why standardizing your tooling and tool holders is not about making your shop rigid. It is about removing unnecessary decisions, reducing mistakes, improving repeatability, and giving your team a better system to work from. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Build a master tool list around standard holdersReduce setup time by eliminating unnecessary variablesChoose tool holders based on application, not habitUse tooling inventory systems to save time and moneyTrack tooling usage by job, part, machine, and operatorApply the 80/20 rule to process improvementTurn spindle downtime into more production timeKirk also shares real examples of tool holder decisions that doubled tool life, reduced downtime, and helped shops make better decisions based on data—not guesswork. If your team spends too much time looking for tools, reworking setups, chasing holders, or saying “this is just how we’ve always done it,” this episode is a practical wake-up call. Because the fastest ROI in your shop may not come from buying another machine. It may come from standardizing what you already do every single day.

Your shop may be busy… But is it actually growing? In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down the 5 KPI’s every machine shop should track if they want more control over sales, production, profitability, and long-term growth. Most shops judge success by whether there’s money in the bank, parts are shipping, and customers seem happy. But that only tells part of the story. Without tracking the right numbers, a shop can miss warning signs like low margins, weak RFQ flow, poor follow-up, or dangerous customer concentration. Mike walks through the five growth KPIs that reveal what is really happening inside your shop: You’ll learn how to track: RFQ volume from new, current, and dormant customersWin rate and why you are winning or losing workPO volume and customer concentration riskShipping volume and how it connects sales to the floorMargin and how to improve profit without always raising pricesThis episode also covers why dormant customers need intentional outreach, why OEMs change vendors, how to use KPIs to drive decisions, and why growth should be measured before it becomes a crisis. If you want your shop to stop living and dying by the next PO from your biggest customer, this episode will help you start tracking the numbers that actually drive growth. Subscribe to our 2026 weekly format: Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show and grow their business.

Before you buy the robot… Fix the process. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast: Operations Edition, Kirk Phelps breaks down what shops need to standardize before they ever think about automation, second shift, or lights-out machining. Because automation sounds exciting. But if your tooling changes every job, your workholding is inconsistent, your programmers are reinventing the wheel, and your shop floor depends on tribal knowledge… That robot may just become an expensive decoration. Kirk covers: How to stop treating every part like a brand-new processWhy standardized tooling reduces errors from programming to the floorHow workholding can make or break unattended machiningWhy high-mix, low-volume shops still need repeatable systemsThe role of CAM standardization and verification softwareWhy lights-out machining comes before full automationIf your shop wants to grow capacity without creating more chaos, this episode gives you the foundation. Start with standardization. Then scale. Subscribe to our weekly format:  1st & 3rd Tuesdays: Sales & Marketing  2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Operations & Engineering  Joint episodes: Special industry deep-dives with Mike and Kirk If this episode helps, leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show.

A second shift sounds like growth. More hours. More output. More revenue. But what if adding a second shift is actually the fastest way to multiply your problems? In this joint episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps tackle one of the most common ideas floating around machine shops right now: “Should we add a second shift?” On paper, it sounds simple. In reality, it can create more complexity, more liability, more labor pressure, and more process breakdown than most shops are prepared for. In this episode, we break down: Why most sub-$5M shops are not actually ready for a true second shiftThe hidden cost of off-shift managementWhy process refinement should happen before labor expansionHow automation, fixturing, tooling, and better routing can unlock capacity firstWhy lights-out manufacturing is often a better “second shift” than a manned oneHow bad processes duplicated at night only fail fasterThis episode is a must-listen for shop owners who are feeling maxed out, thinking about growth, and wondering whether second shift is the answer—or just a very expensive distraction. Because sometimes the capacity you need is already sitting inside your current shop... You just have not uncovered it yet. Subscribe to our weekly format:  1st & 3rd Tuesdays: Sales & Marketing  2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Operations & Engineering  Joint episodes: Special industry deep-dives with Mike and Kirk If this episode helps, leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show.

Your shop isn’t struggling because you’re too expensive. It might be struggling because you’re still pricing like you’re afraid. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most dangerous habits in manufacturing: USING PRICE AS YOUR MAIN SALES STRATEGY. A lot of shops think lowering prices wins more work. But in reality, it often wins the wrong work. Mike shares why shops without a niche are forced to compete on price, how underpriced jobs quietly destroy your margins, and why “cheap work” can end up being the most expensive work you ever take on. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: Why a shop without a niche is always left arguing on priceHow bad pricing creates chaos, burnout, and cash flow pressureWhy quality and delivery matter more than being the cheapestHow to find your differentiator and attract better-fit customersWhy profitable growth starts with disciplined quotingAnd here’s the twist: One of Mike’s shops increased the price on a part by nearly 80%…  and got the PO back almost immediately. That moment says a lot about what customers are really buying. If your shop is constantly busy but still feels squeezed, this episode will help you rethink pricing, quoting, and what it really takes to grow. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

The skilled labor shortage didn’t happen by accident. We built it. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Andrew Skoog of Machinist X to unpack one of the hardest questions in manufacturing: How did we let the skilled machinist pipeline get this thin — and what do we do now? They dig into the real causes behind the shortage: offshoring and trade shiftsgenerational gaps in the shopgatekeeping of tribal knowledgenegative industry messagingpoor mentorship and broken career pathsBut this conversation doesn’t stop at the problem. It goes into what actually needs to change if manufacturing wants to win the next decade — from how we train and promote people, to how we talk about the trade, to why AI still won’t replace real machinists. You’ll also hear: why the “dying trade” narrative is dead wrongwhat separates operators from skilled machinistswhy effort and initiative still matter more than everhow collaboration may be the missing piece in rebuilding the workforceAnd here’s the twist: The shortage may actually create one of the best long-term opportunities this industry has seen in years… but only for the shops and people willing to adapt. If you care about the future of manufacturing, this is an episode you need to hear.

The Truth About Aerospace Work for Machine Shops Aerospace manufacturing is often seen as the ultimate growth opportunity for machine shops. Higher margins, better customers, and long-term contracts. But here’s the reality: Aerospace isn’t just another industry. It’s a completely different way of running your shop. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz sits down with Dan Echternkamp of AeroGrowth to break down how machine shops can actually get into aerospace and defense work without overcomplicating the process or making costly mistakes. We cover: How to get aerospace work for your machine shopWhether you really need AS9100 certification to startWhy can many shops enter aerospace industry without 5-axis machiningThe difference between aerospace vs OEM marginsHow to build relationships with aerospace companiesThe importance of GD&T, inspection, and documentationWhy cash flow (not capability) is the biggest riskHow to grow into aerospace without overbuilding your businessIf you’re a machine shop owner, operator, or manufacturing leader looking to grow your business, increase margins, and break into aerospace machining or defense manufacturing, this episode gives you a clear and practical starting point. 🎧 Listen now and learn how to position your shop for higher-value work.

Young people aren’t avoiding manufacturing because they hate it. Most of them simply don’t know it exists as a career path. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Mike Franz of Shop Floor Coffee to explore why fewer young people are entering the manufacturing industry — and what shop owners can do to change that. They discuss the real reasons behind the talent gap and how awareness, community engagement, and leadership inside the shop all play a role in attracting the next generation of workers. You’ll learn: • Why manufacturing still struggles with outdated perceptions • How robotics competitions and STEM programs are feeding the future workforce • Why parents and teachers influence career decisions more than most people realize • How shop culture impacts whether young employees stay or leave • Why machine shops need to market to future workers — not just customers Manufacturing offers incredible career opportunities. But if the next generation doesn’t see it, they’ll never choose it. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners discover the show.

You don’t need more leads. You need the right customers. In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most important strategic decisions you’ll ever make for your machine shop: defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Most shops call themselves “job shops” and try to serve everyone. The result? Price pressure. Clogged capacity. Inconsistent margins. Your ICP changes that. We cover how to: Identify your most profitable work using your last 50–100 jobsStop saying “we make stuff” and start positioning your shop strategicallyUse ICP to filter RFQs and protect your capacityAlign your marketing, hiring, quoting, and equipment decisions around the right customersAnd one of the biggest takeaways: Your biggest customer is not always your ideal customer. If you want clearer messaging, stronger margins, and a shop that grows intentionally instead of reactively — this episode is for you. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners find the show.

Are you losing money on jobs in your machine shop without realizing it? In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps break down how to identify and fix the 20% of machine shop jobs that quietly destroy your profit margin. From legacy pricing and inaccurate burden rates to poor payment terms and customer concentration risk, we unpack the real reasons job shops struggle with profitability. You’ll learn how to: Calculate your true machine shop burden rateIdentify unprofitable jobs using simple time studiesDecide when to blend margin vs. renegotiate pricingProtect cash flow from long payment termsStay the solution for your customer — even if you don’t machine the partMany manufacturing businesses think they have a sales problem.  Often, they have a margin visibility problem. If you run a machine shop, job shop, or manufacturing business and want to improve profitability without sacrificing customer relationships, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework to follow. Because being busy isn’t the goal. Being profitable is.