Manufacturing Happy Hour

Manufacturing leadership is more than just charts, tools, and process maps. It requires people who understand the routines, pressures and drivers within a factory, and how to bring out the best in the people behind it. In this episode, keynote speaker, certified leadership coach and business transformation advisor, Kathy Miller returns to the show to share some ideas from her latest book, MORE is Better, a framework built from years of leading operations and studying what drives excellence in manufacturing.Rather than starting with strategy or systems, Kathy begins with the human elements: helping people find meaning in the work they do, creating a culture where problems feel solvable, and building the relationships that make teams stronger and more resilient. Her stories come straight from plant floors navigating Lean initiatives, new technology, talent turnover, and the day-to-day realities of production.For leaders trying to build long-term capability in their teams, Kathy reminds us that the factories that thrive are the ones that invest in both performance and people. In this episode, find out:Why meaningful work matters more than ever, and how to help people see their impactThe difference between autonomy and agency and why agency is what drives pride, ownership, and problem-solving on the plant floorHow optimism becomes a cultural engine, not a personality traitWhere Lean manufacturing and positive psychology intersectHow leaders at every level shape culture through micro-moments of connection that build trust, resilience, and collaborationWhat digital transformation and AI mean for manufacturing workersHow to “do a little more today” with small, practical leadership actions that build stronger workplaces one conversation, one moment, one choice at a timeEnjoying 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:“A key aspect of lean manufacturing is eliminating waste. We don’t want people creating scrap. Who wants to work on something that’s going to end up being waste? Don’t you want to work on the product itself?”“Small choices really build our culture, our performance, and our leadership legacy, and that happens one little shift at a time.”“Optimism is really about that ability to look at when things go wrong and know that you can solve the problem. It's temporary, it's specific, and it's not going to be the end of the world.”Links & mentions:MORE is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence, by Kathy Miller, a practical handbook for manufacturing leaders, grounded in psychology and real plant experience, focused on building strong cultures that drive performance.More 4 Leaders, Kathy’s website and the home of More Mentor, her AI-powered coaching tool designed to help leaders work through real-world challenges using the principles from MORE is Better.Episode 97 featuring Kathy Miller, our first conversation with Kathy, aired June 28, 2022, where she shares her journey from running global manufacturing operations to coaching leaders through culture, leadership, and transformation.Moxa, delivering the reliable and secure connectivity foundation that advanced analytics and AI depend on, with solutions in edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure.   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:Industrial Marketing Summit 2026The Industrial Marketing Summit is the go-to gathering for marketers working in the manufacturing, engineering and industrial sectors. Built by Gorilla 76 and TREW Marketing, IMS delivers strategic insight, hands-on learning and true community. Whether you’re a team of one, or leading a scaled marketing department, you’ll walk away ready to market smarter, lead stronger and impact your business. Make sure to use the code "happy hour" at checkout for $100 off registration.Industrial Marketing Summit 2026

A century ago, two cookware companies were born 12 miles apart in Wisconsin. One was bought right after World War II by a door-to-door salesman who converted it back to cookware after it had been repurposed for munitions. Today, those two companies have merged into SynergyOps, a 115-year-old legacy manufacturer with first through fourth generation employees still walking the factory floor.David Duecker, President of SynergyOps, joins the show from the factory floor in West Bend to discuss the company's evolution, their approach to automation, and what reshoring can look like for manufacturers. He explains how West Bend evolved with consumer demand over the decades, expanding into appliances like coffee makers and popcorn poppers, but when appliances started moving overseas in the 80s, they made a critical decision: divest and double down on their core strength, high-quality cookware.David's vision for the factory of the future isn't lights-out automation, it's highly automated with the people they have today, just doing different jobs. He also shares why manufacturing sustainability isn't just about solar panels and water recycling; it's about corrugated boxes coming from five miles down the road instead of across an ocean.In this episode, find out:How SynergyOps retains institutional knowledge across four generations of employeesWhy David looks for problem solvers who are intuitive and curious during hiringDavid's vision for the factory of the future: highly automated, but still powered by peopleHow his background as a customer in the bike industry shapes his approach to contract manufacturingThe chemistry problem the cookware industry is trying to solve around PFAS-free non-stick coatingsWhy tariffs and COVID got manufacturers seriously rethinking single-source supply chainsHow partnering with Moraine Park Technical College helps build the next generation of skilled craftspeopleWhy Synergy Ops brings retirees back to lead tours and train new hiresEnjoying 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:“As organizations, we’re always looking to expand or go to our adjacencies to try and grow our market. Sometimes it’s important to focus on your core and what you’re really good at. Go all in on that and penetrate the market that way.”“The factory of the future for us is highly automated with the people we have today, who are able to solve problems and make an impact every day, but they may just be doing a different job.” “We never talk about the sustainability of manufacturing in the US. People often think about it in terms of water, air and gas, but sustainability can also mean cutting down on air, freight or ocean travel time too.”Links & mentions:SynergyOps, a contract manufacturer and private label partner with over a century of manufacturing history in West Bend, Wisconsin, specializing in cladded stainless steel and cast aluminum cookware for established and emerging brands.Moxa, delivering the reliable and secure connectivity foundation that advanced analytics and AI depend on, with solutions in edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure.  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.

1 more event in 2025. Dozens of events ahead in 2026. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Forget the hyperscalers replacing tens of thousands of jobs. For manufacturers with 20 or 50 employees, AI isn’t about cutting headcount, it’s about finding ways to get ahead when you can’t necessarily afford to scale your team. As Dr Richard Barnhouse, President and CEO of Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) puts it: figure out the things you hate to do and apply AI to that. This episode was recorded live at WCTC's Applied AI Lab, featuring a roundtable with Dr Barnhouse, Amanda Payne from the Waukesha County Business Alliance, Guido Mazza from ITER IDEA, and Caleb Bryant, a student pivoting into AI after 20 years in lending. The panel explores how small manufacturers are practically applying AI today, from eliminating scheduling headaches to streamlining quoting and contracts.Guido shares how one plastic manufacturer eliminated internal conflict by letting an algorithm handle shift scheduling across dozens of constraints, while Amanda reveals that 50% of Waukesha County businesses are already adopting or strategizing around AI; and over 90% of them have 50 or fewer employees. Caleb delivers one of the episode’s sharpest lines: AI doesn’t steal jobs, it steals tasks.In this episode, find out:Why even free ice cream for life won't get buy-in, but removing a universal pain point willHow a plastic manufacturer used AI to manage dozens of scheduling constraints and avoid internal conflictThe three common reactions people have to AI and why two of them stem from the same root causeWhat Dr. Barnhouse warns about AI early-adopters when vetting consultants and programsWhy the real ROI on some AI projects isn't money saved, but conflict avoidedWhy manufacturers are mostly implementing AI on the office side (quoting, contracts, and legal documents) for nowThe intersection of robotics, humanoids, and quantum computing that's coming faster than most realizeEnjoying 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:“Start with the basics. Think about your company’s most repetitive or boring tasks and see if there’s an AI solution that could be applicable. Then, you have to differentiate and decide what the benefits are between automation or an AI agent for those tasks.” - Guido Mazza“The easiest way to get started is identify a single pain point that everyone in the company can’t stand, something so far down that not even the boss understands how it contributes to the bottom line. If you can mitigate that pain point, your team will understand how AI can help them focus on more important tasks.” - Dr Richard Barnhouse“There are usually three reactions to AI. People either embrace it, underestimate it or are intimidated by it. What AI does is breed creativity. And once you understand it a little bit more, you start to see all the different things it can be used for both in industry and your personal life.” - Caleb BryantLinks & mentions:Waukesha County Technical College, one of the region’s leaders in workforce development, offering 170+ programs and customized employer training, including Wisconsin’s first comprehensive AI training and a world-class Applied AI Lab.Waukesha County Business Alliance, a long-standing, member-driven organization advancing economic growth and strengthening the business environment in Waukesha County through advocacy, development, engagement, and growth.ITER IDEA, delivering affordable and powerful cloud services that help businesses innovate and enhance workflow efficiency through seamless integration with existing technologies.Moxa, delivering the reliable and secure connectivity foundation that advanced analytics and AI depend on, with solutions in edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure.  Industrial Marketing Summit 2026, an annual three-day gathering where manufacturing and industrial marketers connect to share practical insights, learn emerging strategies, and build community with peers facing similar challenges. 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.

Two podcast hosts walk into a recording studio and explore what it actually takes to get real stories out of robotics pioneers, why humanoids might not need to do everything to be useful, and where the real optimism in automation lies.Brian Heater, Managing Editor at A3 and host of the Automated podcast, joins the show to share what he's learned from candid conversations with industry pioneers like Rodney Brooks and Brad Porter. We discuss why robots don't need to be fully general purpose to be useful, why timing matters when adopting new technology, and why stepping away to return with fresh eyes applies as much to workflows as it does to building anything.The conversation also explores the human side of automation: exoskeletons helping people become mobile again, prosthetics inspired by a childhood encounter in Pakistan, and wearables being developed for Parkinson's patients. These applications (along with aging in place and caregiver shortages) are what give Brian optimism about where robotics is headed.In this episode, find out:Why most robotics journalism misses the mark and what Brian advises new reporters to avoidWhat Amazon-level scale actually looks like compared to everyone elseWhat industry pioneers think about humanoid robots and timing adoptionHow exoskeletons, prosthetics, and Parkinson's solutions are driving real impactWhy knowing when to step away and return with fresh eyes applies to building anythingThe human stories from Automated that show why this technology mattersBrian’s optimism about the future of automationEnjoying 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’m hoping that as robotics and automation become a little bit more mainstream, the coverage itself will start to mature. As more journalists enter the field, they’ll hopefully be a little more familiar with the technology.”“I’ve written about what success means in scaling a few times. The jump from pilots and assembly onsite takes a lot, not to mention being able to do so reliably and safely. I’ve spoken to a lot of smart people, and it seems as though we may underestimate what it’s going to take to get there.”“It comes back to the human element. The end goal of a lot of manufacturing is to make people’s lives easier. People who are actively looking for solutions to problems, whether its climate change or aging in place, there are big problems we’re facing that have potentially good technological solutions.”Links & mentions:Automated with Brian Heater, robotics, AI, and automation are rapidly reshaping the world around us; veteran tech journalist Brian Heater digs into stories behind the technologies with the people who built them.Nardwuar, the Human Serviette, a Canadian journalist and musician, well-known for his candid approach to shows and interviews with celebrities and politicians. 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.