The Manufacturing Employer

Luke Wittenbraker, Sales & Marketing Director at Mactech On-Site, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the importance of celebrating safety and building a culture that supports it. With more than 1,210 days without a recordable incident, Luke shares insights on fostering a culture of safety in high-risk environments emphasizing the role of leadership, consistent communication and employee empowerment in creating a workplace where safety is everyone's responsibility.

Todd Warner, President of MyWorkChoice, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the importance of flexibility in helping manufacturers solve challenges in recruitment, retention and absenteeism. With more than 35 years of experience in staffing, Todd shares insights on addressing high turnover rates and worker dissatisfaction, particularly in entry-level manufacturing roles.

Peyton Warren, Marketing Director at Gorilla 76, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss professional development, the role it's played in her growth and why events like the Industrial Marketing Summit are key for manufacturers to consider. Peyton shares the value of self-driven development, the power of community in professional events and the impact of supportive employers.

Fred Reggie, entrepreneur and leadership expert, returns to The Manufacturing Employer to discuss his upcoming book "Tell Me: How to Initiate and Nurture Meaningful Conversations with Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." He explores the power of curiosity and genuine interest in fostering meaningful connections. Fred shares anecdotes illustrating how this approach has led to remarkable experiences and connections, emphasizing its potential to improve workplace culture, especially in engaging younger generations in manufacturing environments.

Alice Warnier, Marketing Director at Curri, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss building a strong remote work culture. She highlights Curri's focus on employee recognition, transparency and company values, offering insights into maintaining a vibrant remote culture.

Chris Chuang, co-founder and CEO of Relay, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss his thoughts on the critical role of communication in manufacturing environments. He shares how outdated methods like walkie-talkies and paper forms lead to inefficiencies and safety concerns, as well as increasing language barriers.

Nush Ahmed of the Next Gen MFG podcast joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about her enthusiasm for the trades. She shares her unique journey, starting from an unexpected entry into manufacturing through automotive school where she discovered the power of machining. She also discusses the role of self-directed learning, utilizing resources like Google and ChatGPT to get to where she is today.

Ryan McMartin of Parsec Automation joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the future of manufacturing technology and its impact on the workforce.

Chad Hufford of Veritas Wealth Management joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss strategies for empowering employees through financial education.

Jason Woodard of the Geislinger Corporation joins The Manufacturing Employer to share what makes his company's culture tick.

Briana Bobo of Emerson joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about all things employer branding and the role it's played in her company's global success.

Ellen Sauter and Cara Klyn from Cara Collective discuss their approach to workforce development on The Manufacturing Employer. They highlight Cara's success in placing over 15,000 individuals in jobs and share strategies for building strong employer partnerships and fostering inclusive hiring practices.

Ben Talbert of Better Than Found joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about his very unique approach to recruitment and how he measures success in placement.

Mikaela Gitto, SPHR, of Sentry Equipment joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the company's approach to people and culture.

A sincere thanks and some housekeeping is all that's on the agenda for this episode of The Manufacturing Employer.

Nolan Beilstein, host of the "Gen Z in Manufacturing" podcast series, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the newest generation to enter the workforce.

Craig Coyle of Operation Lead joins The Manufacturing Employer to share the leadership lessons he learned while in the military and how they apply to modern manufacturing.

Gen Z industry leader Jacob Sanchez joins The Manufacturing Employer to share his journey from a reluctant high school student to a leader in manufacturing, and what he learned along the way.

The Manufacturing Connector Jim Mayer joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the evolving landscape of manufacturing culture and the role leadership has in it all.

Tim Raglin of Skillwork joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the future of skilled trades in manufacturing and why the golden age could be right around the corner.

Mariana Cogan of Hexagon joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the importance of empowering Gen Z, women and Hispanic workers in manufacturing.

People and talent management expert Ranya Nehmeh joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the evolving role of HR, emphasizing the importance of returning to a people-centric approach amidst organizational changes.

Chris Seifert of Enabling Empowerment joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about how you can help your people become better decision-makers.

Ann Wyatt of Ann Wyatt Recruiting and host of Workforce 4.0 joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about a variety of topics, all stemming to one big idea - that humans are the foundation of manufacturing.

Mary Jutzi of Batesville Products joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss how their children's books introduce kids to manufacturing, as well as the role of creative marketing and HR strategies in attracting talent.

Gorilla's own Nihal Shetty joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the research he's been doing around the manufacturing labor market.

Bill Schmaltz of Einstein Consulting Group joins The Manufacturing Employer to share how you can get more value from your healthcare benefits for your employees.

To commemorate episode number 50, host Jon Franko breaks down some of his key learnings to date from The Manufacturing Employer.

Craig Philippi of The Daniel & Henry Co. joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk risk management in manufacturing HR.

Matt Guse, President of MRS Machining, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about empowering youth in manufacturing with real-world exposure and even experience.

Patrick Nelson, decorated veteran and founder of Loyalty Point Leadership, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about making safety everyone's priority.

Rich Ward of AcroMat joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the role that anti-fatigue mats play in building a safer and more comfortable work environment for frontline workers.

Josh Allen and Nancie Breunig join The Manufacturing Employer to discuss their company's culture and the role that core values have played in creating it.

Company culture consultant Jason Anthoine joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the importance of employee experience in the manufacturing space.

Leonard Arambam of Tribeshare joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about high employee turnover and his gamified approach to solving it.

Meaghan Ziemba, host of Mavens of Manufacturing, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk all things job descriptions and to preview what she's up to at IMTS 2024.

Toni Neary, Director of Community Engagement and Workforce Innovation at SME, joins The Manufacturing Employer to share her extensive experience in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and access within the manufacturing industry, and the role doing such plays in hiring and career-building for manufacturers. She also discusses the importance of creating awareness about industrial careers from a young age and shares the concept of "K to Gray."

Chris Dyer (author, speaker and consultant) joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk all things company culture. He introduces his seven-pillar strategy for improving company culture, which includes transparency, positivity, listening, measurement, uniqueness, handling mistakes and recognition. Chris also addresses the challenges and benefits of remote work in the manufacturing sector, emphasizing fairness and clear communication.

Kevin Snook joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk through his thoughts on taking care of frontline employees, driven by years of experience working in manufacturing.

Dave MacDonald joins The Manufacturing Employer to share his passion for helping blue-collar workers, discussing the importance of building a strong company culture centered around integrity, intensity and intentionality. You can find Dave at xtoz.org.

Samantha Taylor and Scott Chappell of Amigo Mobility join The Manufacturing Employer to discuss Amigo's innovative motorized material handling solutions designed to increase efficiency and reduce physical strain on employees.

Dr. Jason Scales, COO of SkillsUSA, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the importance of skilled trade education and the need for industry involvement in supporting the future of industrial employment. Dr. Scales is an expert in workforce development.

Emily Bose from Transition Overwatch joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss how to help military members transition into meaningful civilian employment within manufacturing. She highlights veterans' unique skills, including leadership, adaptability and a strong work ethic. And Emily also emphasizes the importance of clear communication, flexible job requirements and internal growth opportunities to attract and retain veteran talent.

James Ward, Special Counsel at Actuate Law, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the complexities of AI in manufacturing HR. He covers the differences between generative AI and narrow AI, while emphasizing the importance of understanding the use case before deploying AI tools. Expect this and a lot more on Episode 34 of The Manufacturing Employer.

Adam Rubatt, Director of Operations Intelligence at Veryable, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk on-demand labor, allowing supply chain businesses to optimize their labor cost/unit while ensuring customer satisfaction.

Peter Rathmann, President/CEO/Owner of Allis Manufacturing Corp., joins The Manufacturing Employer to share his journey of hiring and integrating neurodiverse employees into the manufacturing industry, a focus inspired by his own daughter's experiences.

Marisa Hacker, Bike MS Director at the National MS Society, joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss how manufacturers can build company culture through corporate social responsibility (CSR). She details how to use CSR to foster a positive internal culture and improve employee engagement, retention and, ultimately, company financial performance.

Author Hannah MacDonald-Dannecker of The Better Together Group joins The Manufacturing Employer to discuss the unique strengths of Gen Z employees and the opportunities they bring to the workplace.

Joey Coleman, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Lose an Employee Again, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the intricacies of employee retention and engagement. The conversation covers the importance of the first 100 days of employment, the impact of the recruitment and onboarding process, and ideas for manufacturers to improve their workplace culture.

Brent Kedzierski, a leader of connected-worker ecosystems at Hexagon, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about a human-centered approach to industry and the integration of technology to improve job quality.

International bestselling author Jim Vaselopulos joins the show to talk employee turnover in the manufacturing space.