Manufacturing Culture Podcast

Podcast by Jim Mayer

Manufacturing Culture Podcast

Manufacturing is more than the products we make; it’s the people who make the parts. On The Manufacturing Culture Podcast, I sit down with leaders, innovators, and everyday heroes to uncover the stories behind their journeys in the industry. We talk about where they started, how they’ve grown, and the challenges they’ve overcome along the way. Each episode brings a unique perspective; some practical, some inspiring, and all rooted in the human side of manufacturing. From lessons learned on the shop floor to big ideas shaping the future, it’s all about the people who make it happen. Because at the heart of every company are the people who work there, and every person has a story.

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Latest episodes

14 October 2025

How Supportive Teams Shape Great Engineers with Katie Friday

Katie Friday is a sales engineer who took the scenic route into manufacturing. She started in social work, battled through an engineering pivot at WVU, worked her way from project engineering to sales, and now lives at the intersection of customers, controls, and culture. We talk about resilient learning, why great SOPs read like fifth grade science, the reality of safety projects, and how leadership sets the tone for teams. There is a rom-com opening scene, a baby blue Beetle, and a giant robot in Wilmington. Most of all, there is a clear picture of how supportive culture turns new hires into future leaders.

Why this conversation matters

Culture is a team sport and leadership is the lever. Katie shows how cross-functional respect between engineering, maintenance, and operations speeds projects up, how good documentation creates confidence on the floor, and why automation does not erase jobs. It raises the skill ceiling and demands better training.

Conversation highlights

Meeting story at IMTS and a friendship that started in an elevator.

Katie’s rom-com life pitch featuring a 2013 baby blue Beetle and a bee.

Switching from social work to industrial engineering and learning resilience the hard way.

From receptionist to project engineer to sales engineer and why talking to customers clicked.

The coolest project sighting, a towering broadcast robot and the crews that build stages for NASCAR, ESPN, and even the Super Bowl.

Safety projects move first and fast, and the scheduling whiplash that brings.

SOPs that actually teach, pictures over jargon, and testing docs with non engineers.

Women navigating a male heavy field, boundaries, and a shoutout to mentor Kimberly Pelke.

Why new adopters of automation are the next wave and how AI will show up on the plant floor.

Topics covered

Company culture as daily behavior, not a poster on the wall.

Leadership modeling communication and teamwork.

Sales engineering as translator between customers and controls teams.

Budget timing, stakeholders, and the real blockers to moving from design to execution.

Operator training that matches the tech.

Automation as job shifter and skill builder, not a job eraser.

Women in STEM, representation that changes decisions, and early pipeline programs.

Quotes

“I do not mind being the dumbest in the room. It just means I am learning.”

“Good culture feels like a team that actually communicates and still pulls toward the same goal.”

“Automation does not eliminate people. It asks them to learn new skills.”

“Great SOPs should read like fifth grade science. Pictures help people keep the line running.”

Guest

Katie Friday is a sales engineer working across pharma, food and beverage, rubber and tire, and other regulated environments. She graduated from West Virginia University in industrial engineering, cut her teeth in project engineering, and now helps manufacturers scope, justify, and deliver automation upgrades with Industrial Automated Systems and sister company Triune Electric.

Shoutouts and resources mentioned

Industrial Automated Systems and Triune Electric.

Mentor Kimberly Pelke, director of business development.

Move Over Bob, a culture first magazine introducing young women to trades.

Rosie Riveters, early STEM confidence through productive struggle.

Vendors seen on the floor, including Siemens, Rockwell, and Schneider Electric.

WVU, the scene of the pivot and the grind.

Sponsor

Med Device Boston is a sourcing and education expo at Boston’s BCEC, September 30 to October 1. Two hundred plus suppliers, hands on workshops, and expert led sessions focused on the next generation of med tech. Register at meddeviceboston.com and plan your visit. The link is in the show notes.

Connect

Host, Jim Mayer. Subscribe to Manufacturing Culture on YouTube and your favorite podcast app. Share the episode with a friend who is wrestling with training and documentation after an automation upgrade.

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07 October 2025

Rethinking the Trades with Kate Glantz

Culture is the lens through which everything happens.

Kate Glantz joins the show to talk about building a culture-first movement that puts real tradeswomen at the center of the story.

We get into why representation changes decisions, how a print magazine in schools can beat the algorithm, and why AI might shrink some white-collar roles while exploding demand for blue-collar work.

Kate shares the why behind Move Over Bob, the plan to go beyond construction into semiconductors, data centers, mining, and civil infrastructure, and a practical path for companies, schools, and parents to get involved.

What You’ll Hear

• How Kate’s through line is helping women reach financial independence and why that domino changes families and communities

• Why storytelling is not fluff and how culture speeds up real change on the ground

• Why recruiting women is part of a bigger youth awareness gap and the messenger problem in the trades

• How Move Over Bob uses tactile print to reach students, libraries, nonprofits, and even women’s prisons

• The winter issue plan that connects welding, ironworking, and heavy equipment to data centers, chips, mining, and civil projects

• How AI and automation can erase some office jobs while creating a massive need for electricians and craft labor

• Leadership lessons from tech and Hollywood to construction and workforce

• A five-year outlook where the trades get a glow-up without sugarcoating the work

• Exactly how to support the mission and why this is pro-Bob, not anti-Bob

Topics Covered

Culture as catalyst, not garnish

Representation, role models, and behavior change in teens

CTE awareness, apprenticeships, and the cost myths around college

Workwear, PPE, and making safety and self-expression compatible

Semiconductor and data-center build-outs and what they mean for craft careers

AI’s impact on labor markets and why electricians matter more than ever

Partnership models for associations, contractors, and brands

Key Quotes

“Culture is the lens through which everything happens.”

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”

“Entrepreneurs don’t see problems. They see opportunities.”

“If not us, then who.”

“We’re not asking Bob to leave. We’re asking him to scoot over so we can build the table together.”

About the Guest

Kate Glantz is the co-founder of Move Over Bob, a culture-driven platform bringing tradeswomen into the center of mainstream culture and into schools at scale.

Her background spans Peace Corps, tech, Hollywood, and national policy work, all pointed at a single why: helping women reach financial independence.

Website: https://moveoverbob.com

How to Get Involved

• Profiles and school visits for tradeswomen who want to demo and speak

• Advertisers, sponsors, and associations who want to expand the talent pool

• Educators, CTE directors, and librarians who want copies for students

Start at moveoverbob.com

Sponsor

Med Device Boston is your go-to med-tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 to October 1 at the BCEC in Boston.

Over 200 suppliers, 1,500 attending professionals, and OEM decision-makers.

Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof.

Watch & Listen

Full episode on The Manufacturing Connector website and on YouTube.

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30 September 2025

The Real Reshoring Math With Rosemary Coates

Rosemary Coates has spent three decades inside the hardest questions in manufacturing… where to build, what to move, and how to survive the politics around it. On this episode of The Manufacturing Culture Podcast, she walks through the real story behind offshoring, why reshoring is more trickle than tidal wave, and how companies can make smarter location calls without blowing up cost or capacity.

We go back to her origin story… blue collar roots, a transportation management elective that lit the fuse, and a career that ran through Solar Turbines, defense work, Hewlett Packard, Big Four consulting, and finally her own firm. When the 2012 election turned China into a punching bag, Rosemary pivoted from moving factories out to helping leaders bring work back in a way that actually pencils. She founded the nonprofit, nonpartisan Reshoring Institute and now advises with data instead of slogans.

We dig into what really changed. Labor in China is no longer cheap. Geopolitics now sits beside cost on the decision tree. Carbon footprint matters when your supply chain stretches across oceans. The grid cannot power a sudden factory boom even if you build it. And the workforce of today is not lining up for low skill, mind numbing assembly. The path forward looks like automation where it fits, contract manufacturing for flexibility, and a cold look at labor mix and total landed cost before anyone signs a lease.

Mexico’s rise gets a clear-eyed review… proximity, lower carbon, easier logistics, and a young workforce make Central Mexico compelling. Vietnam is full. India brings time and inventory penalties on the water. Demographics matter. So do hurricanes, wildfires, and the ability to shift production when the world throws a brick through your window.

We also talk wages, the hole blown in the middle class, and why the new middle class is built on writing, computing, and mechatronics rather than grease and punch presses. Rosemary explains her expert witness work inside global supply chain disputes and leaves us with a simple truth… strategy beats sentiment, and the best decisions use both spreadsheets and context.

Sponsor note:

Med Device Boston is your go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo, September 30 through October 1 at Boston’s BCEC. 200 plus suppliers. 1500 plus attending professionals and OEM decision makers. Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof. Visit meddeviceboston.com to register and plan your visit. Links in the show notes.

Guest:

Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, global supply chain strategist, expert witness, and author of five books on sourcing and manufacturing.

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23 September 2025

Creating Space for the Next Generation with Natalie Macias

A candid conversation with high school engineer and FIRST Robotics alum Natalie Macias about curiosity, consistency, and carving out room for young makers inside a sometimes closed-off industry. We talk early exposure to CAD and flight sims, why manufacturing is the first mile of everything, the lemon tree lesson on failure, and how leaders can be firm yet flexible. Natalie wants more hands-on opportunities before college and a more welcoming on-ramp for students who are ready to show up.

Guest:

Natalie Macias, student engineer from Los Angeles, senior capstone lead, robotics team veteran, and Future Faces of Manufacturing feature with AMT. She’s using LinkedIn to learn directly from practitioners and find mentors across the industry.

What you’ll hear:

How a DOD Starbase program quietly introduced CAD, chemistry, and flight simulation to a curious kid from South Central

Why FIRST Robotics felt like a real company under deadline, with design, programming, assembly, and manufacturing all moving together

The jump from loving law to choosing engineering, then finding home in manufacturing

A classroom set up like DARPA, complete with two “companies” competing for a contract under a mentor who worked at Northrop Grumman

Why opportunity before college is the missing bridge and how dual-enrollment and apprenticeships could fix it

Leadership as knowing your people, staying open to feedback, and bending for the needs of the group without becoming a people-pleaser

Creating space in schools so students can actually grow rather than learn inside a box

Failure as pruning a lemon tree so the next season grows stronger

Using LinkedIn for mentorship and perspective, not just job hunting

The ask to our audience for college experience stories from programs that truly delivered hands-on engineering

Key quotes:

“If you keep showing up, even if you didn’t do well, you’re showing that you want to be there. That goes a long way.”

“Manufacturing is phase one. Piece by piece, chip by chip, you’re contributing to something bigger.”

“Failure isn’t to stop us. It’s pruning the dead branches so the tree can grow.”

“Be firm where it matters and flexible where it helps the group.”

“Create space for growth. Don’t keep students in a box, then act surprised when they don’t grow.”

Topics covered:

Early STEM ignition through Starbase and school projects

FIRST Robotics as a training ground for teamwork and urgency

Hands-on access for high schoolers versus the current college-first gate

How industry perceptions can intimidate newcomers and how to fix that welcome

Leadership habits students will actually follow

Natalie’s college search and what she’s looking for in an engineering program

The pace of automation and why that excites her

Natalie’s ask to listeners:

If you studied engineering or work in manufacturing, message Natalie on LinkedIn with what your university actually did to prepare you. What labs, co-ops, shops, or professors made the difference. Short stories beat brochures.

Sponsor note:

Med Device Boston is the go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 through October 1 at Boston’s VCEC. 200 plus suppliers. 1500 plus attending professionals and OEM decision makers. Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof. Register and plan your visit at meddeviceboston.com.

Resources mentioned:

Starbase STEM program

FIRST Robotics Competition

Project-based capstone with a Northrop Grumman mentor

Dual-enrollment and apprenticeship models for high school students

How to support Natalie:

Share a warm intro to mentors who welcome high school talent into labs, job shops, and build teams

Invite her to tour your facility or shadow an engineer for a day

Send those honest college experience notes she asked for

About the Manufacturing Connector Network:

We help brands and builders turn trade shows, plant tours, and expert interviews into a steady pipeline of video, audio, and social content. On-site capture, mobile studio, short-form editing, podcast production, and distribution that stays consistent week after week. If you’re heading to a show or launching a product, we’ll bring the cameras and do the heavy lifting.

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17 September 2025

From Procurement to Transformation Partner: Amy Julian on Culture That Ships

Jim sits down with Amy Julian to dig into culture as lived behavior, not wallpaper. From early days in AB InBev’s purchasing team through years of complex change, Amy unpacks why command-and-control stalls digital projects, how cross-industry thinking opens doors, and where AI is already moving the needle for mid-market procurement and supply chains. Expect straight talk on failed implementations, governance that actually clears roadblocks, and translating values into daily decisions on the floor.

What you’ll hear

Why culture is a set of guiding principles you can act on, lessons from the AB InBev acquisition years and getting comfortable with constant change, a candid failure story and what clunky multi-consultant programs miss, systems thinking across tech and manufacturing, agile mindsets meeting lean and PDCA, practical AI use cases for quoting, planning, and buy decisions, the shift from analyst work to relationship work, and how to build multi-level client alignment that survives real life.

Topics covered

Behavior-driven culture and purpose, change management beyond slide decks, ERP friction and inventory truth, cross-functional governance, agile plus lean in the same room, AI agents for sourcing and planning, leadership communication and trust-but-verify, turning workshops into action logs people actually own.

Key quotes

“Culture is a set of guiding principles and behaviors that help me make the right decisions day to day.”

“Most transformations fail where the behavior stops. Values without actions are just posters.”

“Let people author the change. IT can’t do it to the organization and expect it to stick.”

“AI should be your analyst and sidekick. People still make the calls and hold the relationships.”

Jim’s take

Change sticks when the shop floor can see themselves in it. If your governance cannot clear a bottleneck by Tuesday, it isn’t governance. Bring agile curiosity to lean rigor, and stop pretending culture happens after go-live. It starts at scoping.

Amy’s take

Design for behavior first. Set decision rights, create real feedback loops, and wire your principles into the tools. Start small with AI where pain is obvious, prove value fast, then expand. Systems thinking beats heroics.

Connect with us

Subscribe to Manufacturing Culture for more conversations at the intersection of people, process, and progress. Say hello, pitch a guest, or share a story where culture actually changed something.

Sponsor

Spend two high-impact days at Med Device Boston, September 30 - October 1 at Boston’s BCEC. Explore 200+ suppliers, hands-on workshops, curated matchmaking, and education sessions built for the next generation of med tech innovation. Register now at https://www.medeviceboston.com/en/home.html

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09 September 2025

From Philosophy Major to Serial Founder: Adam Honig on Culture and Change

Jim sits down with serial founder and anti CRM evangelist Adam Honig. They dig into what culture really is, why most digital transformation falls flat, and how AI can strip out the crap work without gutting good jobs. Adam walks through building and selling three companies, including the painful first exit that taught him more than any win. Expect honesty, laughs, and sharp takes on manufacturing sales, change management, and shiny tool syndrome.

What you’ll hear

Adam’s path from philosophy major to three-time founder, culture as what happens when you’re not in the room, value alignment versus values on a wall, why traditional CRMs fail frontline teams, the Her movie spark that led to Spiro, why manufacturing became the focus and how ERP context changes sales calls, how to make digital transformation stick by letting people author the change, AI’s near term impact on white collar work and the boomer knowledge gap, keeping retirees on retainer to transfer territory knowledge, and building products people adopt instantly.

Topics covered

Company culture and behavior, change management in factories and field sales, CRM fatigue and alternatives, AI copilots for meetings and follow ups, workforce demographics and succession, product adoption and simplicity, founder resilience and rough exits.

Key quotes

“Culture is what happens when you’re not in the room.”

“I’m a materialist. What people do beats what people say.”

“Nobody gives a shit. Pivot if you must and get back to work.”

“Sales didn’t need another system. They needed Scarlett Johansson whispering what to do next.”

“AI should do the crap work. People do the human work.”

Jim’s take

If you want change to last, stop spraying money at shiny tech and start asking your people to co author the solution. Culture shows up in behavior, not slide decks. The sales side of manufacturing is overdue a rethink and the anti CRM idea is pointing the right way. Also, that pivot line belongs on a T shirt.

Adam’s take

Make powerful things stupid simple. If your tool needs a playbook and an offsite to adopt, it’s probably not the tool. Remove the admin tax, surface the right cues at the right time, and let the humans sell.

Connect with us

Subscribe to Manufacturing Culture for more conversations at the intersection of people, process, and progress. Say hello, pitch a guest, or share your story about culture that actually changed something.

Sponsor

Spend two high-impact days at Med Device Boston, September 30–October 1 at Boston’s BCEC. Explore 200+ suppliers, hands-on workshops, curated matchmaking, and education sessions built for the next generation of med tech innovation. Register now at

https://www.medeviceboston.com/en/home.html

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