Podcasts about manufacturers

In this episode, Tommy sits down with Wes Morin, Vice President of Operations at AquiSense, a Kentucky-based water technology company recently named Small Manufacturer of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM).AquiSense is a global leader in UV-LED water disinfection technology, designing and manufacturing systems that help provide safe, clean water across residential, commercial, industrial, and humanitarian applications.AquiSense earned the KAM Small Manufacturer of the Year Award for its innovation, operational excellence, and impact in the water technology space. Under Wes's operational leadership, the company has successfully scaled advanced manufacturing processes while maintaining quality, efficiency, and a culture of continuous improvement.From product development to production execution, AquiSense has demonstrated how a small manufacturer can compete — and lead — on a global stage. Find all Built In The Bluegrass links here https://linktr.ee/builtinthebluegrass We want to take a moment to thank our partner – the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. For over 100 years, KAM has served our state's manufacturing industry through advocacy, workforce development, education, and training, as well as cost-saving benefits for members. Fighting for manufacturers is what KAM does best, representing the industry in both Frankfort and Washington, D.C. Whether it's advocacy, offering shipping discounts, or group health insurance, KAM has its members covered. Learn more and become a member by visiting www.kam.us.com

In this episode of The Milk Check, Ted Jacoby III welcomes Lloyd Metzger and TJ Jacoby of Valley Queen Cheese Company for a deep dive into the science, functionality and future of dairy proteins. The conversation starts at the molecular level – the difference between casein and whey – and builds toward the real-world implications for product developers, processors and nutrition brands. We cover: Why casein is built to carry calcium (and whey isn’t) How heat and pH change protein behavior Fast versus slow digestion and why both matter The role of whey protein in muscle maintenance, aging and GLP-1 nutrition What pro cream really is and why its value may be underestimated Why cellular agriculture is more niche than threat If you work in dairy, food formulation or nutrition, this is a protein conversation worth digesting. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check TMC-Intro-final[00:00:00]Ted Jacoby III: Hi everybody, and thank you for joining us today for this very special recording of the Milk Check Podcast. Today, our topic is: what is the future of dairy proteins? And we have two very special guests. The first is Lloyd Metzger, VP of Quality and Technical Services for Valley Queen Cheese Company, and formerly Professor of Dairy Science at South Dakota State University. And the second, particularly special to me, is my son TJ Jacoby, Whey Technologist for Valley Queen. A South Dakota State graduate. Someone who has been interested in dairy proteins since his first biology class in high school. Guys, thank you for joining us today and welcome to The Milk Check. Lloyd Metzger: Glad to be here. TJ Jacoby: Good to be on, Dad. Ted Jacoby III: It’s December 18th, 2025. Milk production in the US is up 4%. Milk production in Europe is up something similar. Milk production in New Zealand is up. Milk production in Argentina is up. We are definitely in an [00:01:00] environment today where the supply of milk and dairy is overwhelming demand, at least for the moment. Cheese prices are near historical lows. Butter prices are near historical lows. Nonfat milk, skim milk powder prices are on the low end of the range. This market is a market that feels heavy, and I think most people out there would say, it almost feels like even though we’re at lows, we may actually go lower before we go higher. And yet, on the other hand, there are whey proteins, Josh, if I’m not mistaken, whey proteins just hit historical highs. Josh White: Maybe the highest prices we’ve ever seen for whey protein isolate and WPC 80. Ted Jacoby III: So, we have an environment where the demand on the protein side is extremely strong, and the trends on protein consumption are extremely strong and really feel like they’re gonna be around for quite some time. We’ve got baby boomers retiring and whether it’s because of GLP-1s or it’s just a general knowledge and understanding of what human nutritional needs are as people age, they know that they need more protein in their [00:02:00] diet. So, it begs the question: what is going on with dairy proteins and whey proteins and how is this going to evolve in such a unique market where demand is so strong for protein right now? And so, I’m gonna ask the question first. What’s the difference at a molecular level between whey proteins and milk proteins? Because when we’re in an environment like we are now, where you’ve got the demand really, really high, you also have a market that’s gonna start looking for alternatives, simply because prices are so high. What is the difference between milk proteins in general and whey protein specifically? Lloyd Metzger: It’s important to talk about from a functional perspective how the proteins are different. I’m sure we’ll get into the nutritional differences between those proteins as well. It’s important to understand what’s driving those differences in functional characteristics. And it’s really all about calcium. The casein system is designed to carry calcium. The whey protein system is not designed to carry calcium. That differentiates the two groups of [00:03:00] proteins and makes their properties very different. TJ Jacoby: I’ll explain it like this. Milk proteins, there’s two classes of proteins, right? There’s casein and then there’s whey. The casein is used to make cheese, and then the whey protein is what comes off. So, the whey protein is everything that is not used to make cheese. So, the reason why casein proteins works so well for cheese because those proteins like to fall together in these spheres, they like to stick to one another. They like to stick to one another ’cause they have certain groups that latch onto the calcium and then they bridge with phosphate. When they do, they have multiple proteins, different types of casein proteins that bridge together with phosphate and then based on their repulsion forces, they stick together. Calcium and phosphates really help it stick when we make cheese. The outside of that casein, micelle, that ball, when we make cheese, that outside is stripped off, it becomes hydrophobic, and that causes those spheres to stick together. That’s a huge functional property of casein. Whey [00:04:00] protein is the opposite. Whey protein is really hydrophillic. It’s very polar. So, they like to float around in solution and stay floating around in solution. And they don’t like casein. It likes to stay separate from casein. And so, when you make cheese, it readily is released into the whey stream because it likes to stick with the water. In the same way, those kind of stick together with these sulfur groups. But when you heat it up, they unfold. And when they unfold, now there’s certain reactions that can take place. So, those are the two major differences between casein and whey. Lloyd, what did I miss? Lloyd Metzger: I would try to simplify it a little bit. The difference between casein and whey protein is casein is what’s trapped when we make cheese. And whey protein is the soluble protein that’s left over in the water phase of cheese. Cheese making is a dehydration process. We concentrate the fat and protein that’s in milk, the casein version of protein in milk. But you gotta look at the properties of those two [00:05:00] systems and the groups of protein. So, the casein protein is actually really stable to heat, but it is not stable to pH. So, casein will always coagulate at low pH. So, you lower the pH of milk, you get a yogurt-like product. That’s all the casein that’s coming out of the system. Whey proteins don’t mind a low pH, and they’ll stay soluble at a wide range of pH. But now, when you get to temperature, the complete opposite happens. Casein can handle super high temperatures and be very stable. Whey proteins can not handle high temperature at all, they start to gel. I think it’s important to look at the two different groups. Now you get into the functional differences between those two and the very different properties you have between those. Lloyd Metzger: That’s why you get all these products that are very different from each other. Why cheese is so much different than whey protein. And then you have these dairy products that are a combination that have the two together. So like when we make yogurt, we end up with the two products together and get this property that’s partway in between the two proteins. Ted Jacoby III: [00:06:00] Based on what you’re describing, when we’re talking about milk proteins, MPC 80, for example, there’s a higher level of calcium, I take it in milk proteins than compared to whey proteins. Is that true? Lloyd Metzger: Absolutely, but let’s remind everybody: milk protein is both casein and whey protein together at the normal ratio that’s in milk. So, of the protein, 80% is casein, 20% is whey protein. So, when you say milk protein, you’re actually meaning 80% casein and 20% whey protein. Now, when we talk about cheese or casein, we’re basically a hundred percent casein and 0% whey protein. Now, when we talk about whey protein, we’re essentially a 100% whey protein, no casein except for one fragment of casein that actually gets solubilized, as TJ described, and now actually becomes part of whey protein. Something that a lot of people don’t understand is that about 15% of what we call whey protein is actually a piece of casein that gets lost in the whey and now gets [00:07:00] captured and harvested in the whey protein manufacture process. But again, it’s important to remember milk protein is a 80 / 20 combination of casein and whey protein together. So, when you’re talking about milk protein, you’re actually talking about whey protein and casein together. Ted Jacoby III: It’s funny, I just learned something never really quite had my head around, and that’s that 80 / 20 ratio, that 80% of all the protein in milk is actually either alpha or beta casein. Correct? Lloyd Metzger: There’s actually four different casein fractions that are involved that make up that 80% of the total protein. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. The casein molecule isn’t really any bigger than most of the whey protein molecules, but they tend to clump together in those micelles. And so, they act as one big humongous mass compared to whey proteins. Correct? TJ Jacoby: Whey proteins may be collected like in pairs like two at a time, but casein proteins, there’s hundreds, right? Lloyd, that will just clump together. Thousands. TJ Jacoby: So, these spheres are absolutely massive protein complexes, but in fact there are a lot of little individual [00:08:00] proteins that make it up and they’re all bridged together with calcium and phosphate. Lloyd Metzger: It’s a packaging system that was designed to package up calcium and phosphorus. So, the whole casein system was designed by nature as a delivery vehicle for calcium and phosphorus, because calcium is not soluble by itself. Calcium phosphate is essentially rock. It’s the material that makes up eggshells. Think, think about a ground up eggshell that calcium phosphate complex is not soluble and it will sink to the bottom of your container of milk if you didn’t have the protein complex to hold it in solution. The analogy I use is it’s basically a kidney stone. Think about how much fun milking a cow would be if all the calcium and phosphorus was in the form of a kidney stone as you’re trying to milk the cow. All that calcium and phosphorus can be solubilized with the casein system and put it into solution and then make it so you can deliver that in a nutritional product. Ted Jacoby III: That makes perfect sense. That’s really cool. I think you guys also already touched on the differences in solubility as you were [00:09:00] describing the different proteins. But there’s differences in digestibility as well. What’s the source of that difference? TJ Jacoby: I’ll take this one. Returning back to the infant stage, I feel like we could set this up in light of why nature created these proteins. Dairy is the fundamental human food for infants. You have babies that can live up to a year off of just their mother’s milk. All the proteins that are found in there, those building blocks to grow an infant, can be boiled down to those two protein streams: whey protein and casein protein. The purpose of the casein protein for the infants is it’s fast acting. It’ll go right into the gut, and the gut is full of enzymes, but also really, really low pH, so low that it actually causes even those whey proteins to unfold. And It allows the stomach enzymes to break it up super, super fast and be absorbed. It’s considered one of the most bioavailable proteins known to man. It’s designed for that, that’s why nature created whey protein. Well, whey protein itself is also very nutritious. It has one of the highest concentrations of [00:10:00] essential amino acid, and the second highest known to man of branch-chain amino acids. That means it doesn’t have to be processed through the liver before it can be used by the human body. If your body’s actively using and consuming protein whey protein’s really good because it can be absorbed into your system and go right to the muscles. 33% of your muscle is branched chain amino acid. That’s what’s getting broken down while you’re working out. And then in the elderly, that’s what’s getting broken down that’s causing some muscle degeneration. Whey protein can help fortify that very quickly. However, all protein that is consumed in the body could also easily be processed through the liver with time. And so, if you have time, that’s where the casein comes into play. The casein, when it hits that acidic environment in the gut, it immediately clumps together. It actually creates cheese curds in the gut. And the reason why that’s so important is it slows down digestion so that slowly over time, that will be absorbed into the system. So it’s not [00:11:00] like a rush of energy right after the baby eats and then it goes away right away. Instead, it slows it down. The casein itself also likes to trap other nutrients. The casein in the gut will house the fat and the vitamins and the nutrients so that it’s slowly absorbed over the course of the next few hours before the baby’s next feeding. Ted Jacoby III: As a result of those digestibility differences, what are the differences in the amino acid profiles between casein and whey proteins? The body’s gonna need to break down most of that casein in order to absorb it. When the body breaks down that casein, what are the differences in the way that it absorbs some of those amino acid profiles and short-chain protein strands from the casein versus what’s readily bioavailable from the whey proteins? TJ Jacoby: Casein does not have the same percentage of those essential amino acids. It’s not as high, but it’s designed to be slow absorbing. Protein itself, it almost doesn’t matter the amino acid structure, as long as your body has enough of those vitamins and nutrients to absorb and to restructure it to [00:12:00] a different protein within the liver — that’s what your body needs. Most of us, the protein doesn’t have to be fast-acting. It’s not like our muscles are actively breaking down all the time. It can slowly be absorbed, be processed through the liver, and then used for almost any other function as long as we have all the vitamins and minerals that we need. Lloyd Metzger: Part of this huge shift we’re seeing in demand for protein, especially whey protein, this started 25, 30 years ago with bodybuilders and wanting to build muscle mass. And the realization that TJ mentioned: branch-chain amino acids are very important if you wanna rapidly put muscle mass on. It is also very important if you’re elderly or if you have sarcopenia where you’re starting to lose muscle mass. In those nutritional states, it’s really important to have high-level branch-chain amino acids, so you can put muscle on. Or if you’re on a GLP-1 medication where you’re not gonna be able to eat very much, you need a very efficient source of protein to build muscle mass. So there’s certain nutritional states where it is important to have branch-chain amino acids [00:13:00] and be able to get those from a protein like whey protein that has ’em at a very high level. But for the normal person, it’s not really all that relevant. You could get the protein you need from any protein that provides all the essential amino acids. Now, most plant proteins don’t do that. We’re talking about the difference between casein and whey protein. Both of them are an order of magnitude higher in nutritional quality than plant proteins because they have all the essential amino acids. And to TJ’s point, as long as you have the essential amino acids, the body can produce the non-essential amino acids from those essentials. Essential ones are amino acids the body can’t produce. You have to have those in the food you’re consuming to be able to produce the components you need. Josh White: We’ve got listeners from the dairy side of the equation and listeners from the utilization side that are making different products. And some of those customers are currently faced with the reality that a part of the equation for their adoption of whey proteins as an ingredient has shifted. The competition level’s very [00:14:00] high. They’re having more difficulty accessing some of it. And the price has changed quite a bit. And I think that when you’re talking about these products going into CPG applications as a lower inclusion rate ingredient, but with a lot of label power, being able to put whey protein, for instance, on that label, there’s several of them out there that are struggling to determine what the functional differences might be between the various dairy proteins. And what I’m afraid that is happening is some of these companies that are on the lower end of the value scale and can’t afford to keep up with all of the great products that are demanding whey protein or even milk protein, are gonnastart exploring alternatives outside of our space. and I think that we don’t want that, right? And what we’re seeing is this popularity of whey protein is driving a lot of customers for R&D projects to be asking us specifically for whey protein. And so help us understand what applications might make sense to use one, the other, or both. Lloyd Metzger: It completely depends on the product that [00:15:00] you’re after and the characteristics of the product that you want. Something like a beverage can go two different directions. So, if you’re gonna retort the beverage and put a lot of heat on it, you can’t do that with most whey proteins. They’re gonna gel. The most comparable protein to whey protein would be an egg protein. And everybody understands what happens when you heat eggs; they turn into a gel. So, whey proteins will happily do that. If you have a high enough concentration and you expose them to enough heat. Casein actually helps to protect whey protein from that coagulation. A lot of these high-protein beverages, they’re oftentimes a combination of casein and whey protein. They might alter the ratio a little bit from the 80 / 20. They might bump the whey protein up a little bit and have a 60 / 40 casein to whey protein. And so you’ll see ranges in that ratio of casein to whey protein, depending on the characteristics of the product that you’re actually after. The heat is a big piece of that. And then we go to pH as a big piece of what changes the functionality of casein to whey protein and makes you [00:16:00] change those ratios. Yogurt is another great example. You’ve got these super, super high-protein yogurts and a lot of cases they fortified with quite a bit of whey protein to be able to have more protein and still have the characteristics that you want in that product. In the protein bars, there’s all kinds of whey proteins there. In that application, you actually don’t even solubilize the protein. There’s hardly any water in that bar. It’s really almost a dry protein that has a plasticizer with it, some carbohydrates that actually make that edible. You’re almost eating a dry product. There’s a lot of food chemistry that goes into which product category you’re putting it in. There’s not this straight fast rule that you use whey proteins in this, you use casein and that. It depends on what food chemistry you use and how you put the blend together and then what processing you couple with that to get the characteristic that you’re actually after. Josh White: Can we spend a minute or two talking about the acidified products? They’ve gained a lot of popularity. The market potential is quite large. Can we talk a bit about the [00:17:00] differences between the clear WPIs and our traditional products? Lloyd Metzger: I wanna clarify the question. Are you talking specifically about whey protein only in the clear whey protein beverages versus the normal whey protein beverages? Ted Jacoby III: Yes. Lloyd Metzger: We really start to get into the weeds because we’ve got different whey products. So we’ve got whey protein concentrate. And then that comes in various forms. WPC 34 or WPC 80 are the most common. The 80 and the 34 correspond to how much protein on a dry basis those two products have. And they have whey proteins in the normal ratio that would be in the starting whey. Then we get into a group of products called whey protein isolates. And whey protein isolates go through an additional manufacturing process that allows you to purify the protein further and they’ll have more than 90% protein on a dry basis. And you may start to alter the ratio of the various whey proteins that were present in the starting whey. Now, when [00:18:00] we get into the clear whey protein isolates, we really start to alter the ratio of the proteins that are in there. We’ll also start to change some of the mineral profile of the components that are in that product. And then when we use those isolates in a formulation, we gotta be careful about all the other ingredients ’cause they’re gonna have an impact on whether or not the product is actually clear and whether or not it can be stable to heat. So, you can actually make whey protein stable to heat by controlling the mineral profile and controlling some of the processing conditions. You’re now taking a category of dairy ingredient and you’re starting to use technology IP to be able to provide specific functional characteristics that aren’t normally part of that ingredient. All of these may be called the same thing, and the basic consumer has absolutely no idea what the differences between all these things are. And when they’re looking at a label, they’re probably looking for the word whey protein, and that’s all they’re looking for. Josh White: As we’ve seen the market tighten up, we’ve seen [00:19:00] more inquiries and exploration about the use of pro cream,also called WPPC, also called WPC 70, so many different names. Definitely, in our experience, there’s quite a uniqueness as we originate this product from different manufacturers. Perhaps we can talk a bit more about what this product is and how it differs from the other proteins in the complex. Lloyd Metzger: I talked about WPC 80. That’s just the normal whey protein that we concentrate out of whey. And then, I mentioned whey protein isolate. To convert WPC 80 to a whey protein isolate, you use a filtration step called microfiltration. And in that microfiltration step, you remove any protein that is interacting with fat and take that out of the system. So, if you start with a normal WPC 80 and we’re gonna change it into a WPI. We are gonna go through a microfiltration process and we’re gonna lose about 25% of the protein that was there and all of the fat that was there. And [00:20:00] we’re gonna make a WPI out of that. And that WPI is gonna have about 75% of the protein we started with. The protein that we harvest out of that is actually pro cream. pro cream is just a byproduct of converting WPC 80 into WPI, and it’s gonna have about 25% of the mass of the protein that you started with, and all of the fat that was in that starting WPC 80 material. So that’s why you see it called high-fat WPC 30, and if you dry that down, it’s about a WPC 60. You can take that and blend that with WPC 34. You can do all kinds of things with that ingredient. Manufacturers are always trying to find a home for that. ’cause you’ve got a very high value product that’s easy to market in WPI. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, that pro cream, our hunch is there’s a lot more value in that pro cream than the market currently has its head around. Lloyd Metzger: they’re the same proteins that are in WPI, they’re just interacting with a fat. Now the fat [00:21:00] is very unique in that there’s quite a bit of phospholipid fat in there. And so there’s a lot of literature and research being done on the potential health benefits for brain development of phospholipids for infants as well as elderly to help with memory retention and actually help to prevent some Alzheimer’s effects. So, you see some companies starting to market that component that they’ve isolated. I think there is a lot of potential value there. But we’re in the early stages of where that’s gonna go. And you have some companies leading the way that are producing very specialized pro cream type products that are being used in infant nutrition or elderly nutrition. TJ Jacoby: But Lloyd, how do those phospholipids affect the shelf life of pro cream? Lloyd Metzger: They don’t help. The phospholipids are unsaturated fats or partially unsaturated and unsaturated fats are very easy to oxidize, so if they’re not handled properly, you’ll get very stale and oxidized off flavors in the product. It’s something you gotta be careful of. Ted Jacoby III: Oxidized fats, [00:22:00] another way to call that. That’s rancid, right? Yes. Lloyd Metzger: On its way to rancid. Josh White: Another selling point that people will make of the benefits of pro cream are IgGs. Can you guys explain a bit more of what that is to the layman? Lloyd Metzger: So, immunoglobulin is a protein that’s also present in milk. It’s really high in colostrum. It’s at very low levels in milk about 72 hours after the cow was started milking, the levels drop way down, but there is still a low level there. Those immunoglobulins are a very large protein. So when you go through your WPI manufacturing process, they’re gonna partition with that fat and that protein portion that you’re capturing. So they’re gonna go in that pro cream. Looking at the composition of IgG in the different waste streams, you’ll find it’s elevated in that pro cream portion. Now I’d be a little concerned about what kind of shape that IgGs in because you’ve seen a lot of heat [00:23:00] and different manufacturing conditions through that process. So you’d really have to be careful about what kind of claims you’re making based on what kind of shape that IgGs in. Mm-hmm. TJ Jacoby: For an infant, those IgGs will go right into the bloodstream. It’s whole proteins, but for us, it actually has to break up the protein entirely before it can be absorbed into our system. So what kind of functional benefits does IgG bring for an adult? I’d be curious to see what that literature entails. Mike Brown (2): Over the last couple decades, DNA technology has been used more and more to produce valuable proteins, often for medical use like insulin. Are we gonna see a point with the cost benefit of that kind of technology we’ll reach where we can actually use that to produce these whey proteins rather than using a cow? Lloyd Metzger: There’s different levels of concern depending on the particular protein. An individual protein and an individual soluble protein like beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin that are in [00:24:00] whey, those have more potential to be produced in a fermentation type process. ’cause they’re an individual protein. You can over express it, you can get a lot of that produced. But when you get to the complexities of multiple proteins that are in whey, that’s when it really becomes uneconomical to do that from a fermentation standpoint. ’cause you’ve gotta produce all of those individually, try to put ’em together, then purify ’em. What people forget is how efficient the cow is. The cow is essentially a walking fermentation tank that feeds itself, controls its own temperature, cleans itself up. All you’ve gotta do is get the milk out of it. When you look at all the steps that go into the process and what it takes to produce it, it’s really hard to beat the efficiency of a cow. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, am I right in assuming that the threat of cellular agriculture to dairy would come in the development of specific protein chains and amino acids, but probably not in terms of the complete [00:25:00] protein profile that is delivered in milk proteins and whey proteins. Lloyd Metzger: Correct. And it would be the very high-end, expensive. So the lactoferrin. It would be your first one or some of the IgG, anything that is at low concentration and very high value. Because even if you did everything perfectly, you’re probably still talking $25 to $30 a pound in the manufacturer and isolation process. Well, we we’re really excited about $11 whey protein isolate. Right? You know, and that’s still half the price. Ted Jacoby III: Makes sense. Lloyd, TJ, this was an absolutely fantastic discussion. This was exactly what I wanted to get out of it. I can tell you I learned quite a bit today and I’m sure our listeners will too. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Lloyd Metzger: No problem. Happy to do it. TJ Jacoby: Truly special to be on today, Dad. I grew up listening to a lot of these podcasts, right? Now we’re here, now we’re on it together with you. So, no, it was truly special.[00:26:00]

You know what's right. But what do you do when every gatekeeper says no? In this episode, Drew Ann Long, inventor of Caroline's Cart, shares the story of refusing to let a necessary idea die. Her vision was simple—and radical: a shopping cart that makes the retail experience accessible for people with disabilities and mobility challenges. The industry pushed back. Manufacturers said no. Retailers avoided the conversation. Funding didn't show up. So she invested personally and kept advocating for a need others wouldn't acknowledge, and stayed the course anyway. Despite the special needs community being the world's largest minority group, products designed for their needs are lacking. This creates a barrier to access not only for them but for their families and caregivers. By introducing more inclusive products like Caroline's Cart, the world was opened for those with mobility challenges, autism and dementia. Success means believing in your cause and taking risks to make it happen no mater what. When the establishment tells you no, cultivate support in the community you want to serve. Innovation happens when you focus on the solution not the problem. Contact Drew Ann: https://www.drewannspeaks.com/ Donate to Caroline's Cause scholarship fund: https://www.carolinescause.com/carolines-cause/

“I think the next stage of American capitalism includes co-opetition." - Dutch RojasOn the last episode of Self-Funded with Spencer in 2025, Dutch Rojas joins the show to expose the financial "arbitrage" that he believes is destroying independent medical practices in America. Dutch explains how current CMS incentives allow hospitals to buy independent clinics and immediately charge 165% more for the exact same services, which is a practice that is crushing employers and patients alike.In this episode, Dutch lays out his bold vision for "Co-opetition”, a new playbook where independent practices, manufacturers, and even churches band together to leverage their collective buying power. We discuss why the traditional "HR-led" model of buying benefits is failing, why CFOs need to take the wheel, and his dream of creating a true "Healthcare Commodities Exchange" to normalize pricing.We also get personal about his journey from the Netherlands to the U.S., the importance of social media for building influence in DC, and why he believes the next 10 years will be defined by those who can master media.Tune in for a fascinating look at the future of independent medicine.Chapters:(00:00:00) What is "Co-opetition" in Healthcare? (00:01:00) How Hospital Arbitrage Kills Private Practices (00:06:40) Why Independent Doctors Don't Work Together (Yet) (00:14:00) The 165% Markup(00:29:40) The Dream of a Healthcare Commodities Exchange (00:41:00) Why HR Shouldn't Make Healthcare Decisions (00:49:00) Aggregating Buying Power: Churches & Manufacturers (00:57:00) The 4-Stage Plan to Fix HealthcareKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

A look at how manufacturers are fighting ransomware and supply chain threats with AI-powered defenses, OT-IT collaboration, and new industrial cybersecurity technologies. Access the source documents for this podcast by visiting this podcast on the Automation Word site at https://www.automationworld.com/55338375

Allen, Joel, Rosemary, and Yolanda break down the TPI Composites bankruptcy fallout. Vestas is acquiring TPI’s Mexico and India operations while a UAE company picks up the Turkish factories. That leaves GE in a tough spot with no clear path to blade manufacturing. Plus the crew discusses blade scarcity, FSA availability floors, and whether a new blade manufacturer could emerge. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Allen Hall: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I’m your host, Allen Hall. I’ve got Yolanda Padron and Joel Saxum in Texas. And Rosemary Barnes is back from her long Vacation in Australia and TPI. Composites is big in the news this week, everybody, because they’re in bankruptcy hearings and they are selling off parts of the business. Vestas is, at least according to News Reports positioned to acquire. A couple of the LLCs down in Mexico. So there’s uh, two of them, TPI in Mexico, five LLC, and TPI in Mexico, six LLC. There are other LLCs, of course involved with this down in Mexico. So they’re buying, not sure exactly what the assets are, but probably a couple of the factories in which their blades were being manufactured in. Uh, this. Is occurring because Vestas stepped in. They were trying to have an auction and Vestas stepped forward and just ended up buying these two LLCs. [00:01:00] Other things that are happening here, Joel, is that, uh, TPI evidently sold their Turkish division. Do you recall to who they sold? That, uh, part of the Joel Saxum: business too, two companies involved in that, that were TPI Turkey, uh, and that was bought by a company called XCS composites. Uh, and they are out of the United Arab Emirates, so I believe they’re either going to be Abu Dhabi or Dubai based. Uh, but they took over the tube wind blade manufacturing plants in Isme, uh, also a field service and inspection repair business. And around 2,700 employees, uh, from the Turkish operation. So that happened just, just after, I mean, it was a couple weeks after the bankruptcy claim, uh, went through here in August, uh, in the States. So it went August bankruptcy for TPI, September, all the Turkish operations were bought and now we’ve got Vestas swooping in and uh, taking a bunch of the Mexican operations. Allen Hall: Right. And [00:02:00] Vestas is also taking TPI composites India. Which is a part of the business that is not in bankruptcy, uh, that’s a, a separate business, a separate, basically LLC incorporation Over in India, the Vestus is going to acquire, so they’re gonna acquire three separate things in this transaction. The question everybody’s asking today after seeing this Vestus move is, what is GE doing? Because, uh, GE Renova has a lot of blades manufactured by TPI down in Mexico. No word on that. And you would think if, if TPI is auctioning off assets that GE renova would be at the front of the line, but that’s not what we’re hearing on the ground. Joel Saxum: Yeah, I mean it’s, the interesting part of this thing is for Vestas, TPI was about 35% of their blade capacity for manufacturing in 2024. If their 30, if, if Vestas was 35%, then GE had to be 50%. There [00:03:00] demand 60. So Vesta is making a really smart move here by basically saying, uh, we’ve gotta lock down our supply chain for blades. We gotta do something. So we need to do this. GE is gonna be the odd man out because, I mean, I think it would be a, a cold day in Denmark if Vestas was gonna manufacture blades for ge. Allen Hall: Will the sale price that Vest has paid for this asset show up in the bankruptcy? Hearings or disclosures? I think that it would, I haven’t seen it yet, but eventually it’ll, it must show up, right? All, all the bankruptcy hearings and transactions are, they have an overseer essentially, what happens to, so TPI can’t purchase or sell anything without an, um, getting approved by the courts, so that’ll eventually be disclosed. Uh, the Turkish sale will be, I would assume, would be disclosed. Also really curious to see what the asset value. Was for those factories. Joel Saxum: So the Turkish sale is actually public knowledge right now, and [00:04:00] that is, lemme get the number here to make sure I get it right. 92.9 million Euros. Uh, but of, of course TPI laden with a bunch of non-convertible and convertible debt. So a ton of that money went right down to debt. Uh, but to be able to purchase that. They had to assu, uh, XCS composites in Turkey, had to assume debt as is, uh, under the bankruptcy kind of proceedings. So I would assume that Vestas is gonna have to do the same thing, is assume the debt as is to take these assets over and, uh, and assets. We don’t know what it is yet. We don’t know if it’s employees, if it’s operations, if it’s ip, if it’s just factories. We don’t know what’s all involved in it. Um, but like you said, because. TPI being a publicly traded company in the United States, they have to file all this stuff with SEC. Allen Hall: Well, they’ll, they’re be delisted off of. Was it, they were Joel Saxum: in Nasdaq? Is that where they were listed? The India stuff that could be private. You may ne we may not ever hear about what happened. Valuation there. Allen Hall: Okay, so what is the, the [00:05:00] future then for wind blade production? ’cause TPI was doing a substantial part of it for the world. I mean, outside of China, it’s TPI. And LM a little bit, right? LM didn’t have the capacity, I don’t think TPI that TPI does or did. It puts Joel Saxum: specifically GE in a tight spot, right? Because GEs, most of their blades were if it was built to spec or built to print. Built to spec was designed, uh, by LM and built by lm. But now LM as we have seen in the past months year, has basically relinquished themselves of all of their good engineering, uh, and ability to iterate going forward. So that’s kind of like dwindling to an end. TPI also a big side of who makes blades for ge if Vestas is gonna own the majority of their capacity, Vestas isn’t gonna make blades for ge. So GEs going to be looking at what can we, what can we still build with lm? And then you have the kind of the, the odd ducks there. You have the Aris, [00:06:00] you have the MFG, um, I mean Sonoma is out there. This XCS factory is there still in Turkey. Um, you may see some new players pop up. Uh, I don’t know. Um, we’ll see. I mean, uh, Rosemary, what’s, what’s your take? Uh, you guys are starting to really ramp up down in Australia right now and are gonna be in the need of blades in general with this kind of shakeup. Rosemary Barnes: What do we say? My main concern is. Around the service of the blades that we’ve already got. Um, and when I talk to people that I know at LM or XLM, my understanding is that those parts of the organization are still mostly intact. So I actually don’t expect any big changes there. Not to say that the status quo. Good enough. It’s not like, like every single OEM whose, um, FSAs that I work with, uh, support is never good enough. But, um, [00:07:00] it shouldn’t get any worse anyway. And then for upcoming projects, yeah, I, I don’t know. I mean, I guess it’s gonna be on a case by case basis. Uh, I mean, it always was when you got a new, a new project, you need a whole bunch of blades. It was always a matter of figuring out which factory they were going to come from and if they had capacity. It’ll be the same. It’s just that then instead of, you know, half a dozen factories to choose from, there’s like, what, like one or two. So, um, yeah, I, that’s, that’s my expectation of what’s gonna happen. I presumably ge aren’t selling turbines that they have no capability to make blades for. Um, so I, I guess they’re just gonna have a lot less sales. That’s the only real way I can make it work. Allen Hall: GE has never run a Blade factory by themselves. They’ve always had LM or somebody do it, uh, down in Brazil or TPI in Mexico or wherever. Uh, are we thinking that GE Renova is not gonna run a Blade Factory? Is that the thought, or, or is [00:08:00] that’s not in the cards either. Rosemary Barnes: I don’t think it’s that easy to just, just start running a Blade Factory. I mean, I know that GE had blade design capabilities. I used to design the blades that TPI would make. So, um, that part of it. Sure. Um, they can, they can still do that, but it’s not, yeah, it’s, it’s not like you just buy a Blade factory and like press start on the factory and then the, you know, production line just starts off and blades come out the other end. Like there is a lot of a, a lot of knowhow needed if that was something that they wanted to do. That should have been what they started doing from day one after they bought lm. You know, that was the opportunity that they had to become, you know, a Blade factory owner. They could have started to, you know, make, um, have GE. Take up full ownership of the, the blade factories and how that all worked. But instead, they kept on operating like pretty autonomously without that many [00:09:00] changes at the factory level. Like if they were to now say, oh, you know, hey, it’s, uh, we really want to. Have our own blade factories and make blades. It’s just like, what the hell were you doing for the last, was it like seven years or something? Like you, you could easily have done what? And now you haven’t made it as hard for yourselves as possible. So like I’m not ruling out that that’s what they’re gonna try and do, because like I said, I don’t think it’s been like executed well, but. My God, it’s like even stupid of the whole situation. If that’s where we end up with them now scrambling to build from scratch blade, um, manufacturing capability because there’s Yolanda Padron: already a blade scarcity, right? Like at least in the us I don’t know if you guys are seeing it in, in Australia as well, but there’s a blade scarcity for these GE blades, right? So you’re, they kind of put themselves in an even more tough spot by just now. You, you don’t have access to a lot of these TPI factories written in theory. From what we’re seeing. You mean to get like replacement blades? Yeah. So like for, for issues? Yeah. New [00:10:00] construction issues under FSA, that, Rosemary Barnes: yeah. I mean, we’ve always waited a, a long time for new blades. Like it’s never great. If you need a new blade, you’re always gonna be waiting six months, maybe 12 months. So that’s always been the case, but now we are seeing delays of that. Maybe, maybe sometimes longer, but also it’s like, oh well. We can’t replace, like, for like, you’re gonna be getting a, a different kind of blade. Um, that will work. Um, but you know, so that is fine, except for that, that means you can’t do a single blade replacement anymore. Now, what should have been a single blade replacement might be a full set replacement. And so it does start to really, um, yeah. Mess things up and like, yeah, it’s covered by the FSA, like that’s on them to buy the three blades instead of one, but. It does matter because, you know, if they’re losing money on, um, managing your wind farm, then it, it is gonna lead to worse outcomes for you because, you know, they’re gonna have to skimp and scrape where they [00:11:00] can to, you know, like, um, minimize their losses. So I, I don’t think it’s, it’s, it’s Yolanda Padron: not great. Yeah. And if you’re running a wind farm, you have other stakeholders too, right? It’s not like you’re running it just for yourself. So having all that downtime from towers down for a year. Because you can’t get blades on your site. Like it’s just really not great. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah, and I mean, there’s flaws on there. Like they’ve got an availability guarantee. Then, you know, below that they do have to, um, pay for that, those losses. But there’s a flaw on that. So once you know, you, you blast through the floor of your availability, then you know, that is on the owner. Now it’s not on the, um, service provider. So it’s definitely. Something that, yeah, there’s lots of things where you might think, oh, I don’t have to worry about my blades ’cause I’ve got an F, SA, but you know, that’s just one example where, okay, you will, you will start worrying if they, they yeah. Fall through the floor of their availability guarantee. Joel Saxum: Two questions that pop up in my mind from this one, the first one, the first one is [00:12:00] directly from Alan. You and I did a webinar, we do so many of ’em yesterday, and it was about, it was in the nor in North America, ferc, so. They have new icing readiness, uh, reporting you, so, so basically like if you’re on the, if you’re connected to the grid, you’re a wind farm or solar farm and you have an icing event, you need to explain to them why you had an outage, um, and why, what you’re doing about it. Or if you’re not doing something about it, you have to justify it. You have to do all these things to say. Hey, some electrons weren’t flowing into the grid. There’s certain levels. It’s much more complicated than this, but electrons weren’t flowing into the grid because of an issue. We now have to report to FERC about this. So is there a stage when a FERC or uh, some other regulatory agency starts stepping into the wind industry saying like, someone’s gotta secure a supply chain here. ’cause they’re already looking at things when electrons are on the grid. Someone’s got a secure supply chain here so we can ensure that [00:13:00]these electrons are gonna get on the grid. Could, can something like that happen or was, I mean, I mean, of course that’s, to me, in my opinion, that’s a lot of governmental overreach, but could we see that start to come down the line like, Hey, we see from an agency’s perspective, we see some problems here. What are you doing to shore this up? Allen Hall: Oh, totally. Right. I, I think the industry in general has an issue. This is not an OEM specific problem. At the minute, if this is a industry-wide problem, there seems to be more dispersed. Manufacturers are gonna be popping up. And when we were in Scotland, uh, we learned a lot more about that. Right, Joel? So the industry has more diversification. I, I, here’s, here’s my concern at the minute, so. For all these blade manufacturers that we would otherwise know off the top of our heads. Right. Uh, lm, TPI, uh, Aris down in Brazil. The Vestus manufacturing facilities, the Siemens manufacturing [00:14:00] facilities. Right. You, you’re, you’re in this place where. You know, everybody’s kind of connected up the chain, uh, to a large OEM and all this made sense. You know, who was rebuilding your blades next year and the year down, two years down the road. Today you don’t, so you don’t know who owns that company. You don’t know how the manager’s gonna respond. Are you negotiating with a company that you can trust’s? Gonna be there in two or three years because you may have to wait that long to get blades delivered. I don’t know. I think that it, it put a lot of investment, uh, companies in a real quandary of whether they wanna proceed or not based upon the, what they is, what they would perceive to be the stability of these blade companies. That’s what I would think. I, I, Vestas is probably the best suited at the minute, besides Siemens. You know, Vestas is probably best suited to have the most perceived reliability capability. Control, Joel Saxum: but they have their own [00:15:00] blade factories already, right? So if they buy the TPI ones, they’re just kind of like they can do some copy pasting to get the the things in place. And to be honest with you, Vesta right now makes the best blades out there, in my opinion, least amount of serial defects. Remove one, remove one big issue from the last couple Allen Hall: years. But I think all the OEMs have problems. It’s a question of how widely known those problems are. I, I don’t think it’s that. I think the, the, the. When you talk to operators and, and they do a lot of shopping on wind turbines, what they’ll tell you generally is vestus is about somewhere around 20% higher in terms of cost to purchase a turbine from them. And Vestus is gonna put on a, a full service agreement of some sort that’s gonna run roughly 30 years. So there’s a lot of overhead that comes with buying a, a Vestas turbine. Yes. You, you get the quality. Yes. You get the name. Yes, you get the full service agreement, which you may or [00:16:00] may not really want over time. Uh, that’s a huge decision. But as pieces are being removed from the board of what you can possibly do, there’s it, it’s getting narrow or narrow by the minute. So it, it’s either a vestus in, in today’s world, like right today, I think we should talk about this, but it’s either Vestus or Nordic. Those are the two that are being decided upon. Mostly by a lot of the operators today. Joel Saxum: That’s true. We’re, and we just saw Nordex, just inked a one gigawatt deal with Alliant Energy, uh, just last week. And that’s new because Alliant has traditionally been a GE buyer. Right. They have five or six ge, two X wind farms in the, in the middle of the United States, and now they’ve secured a deal with Nordex for a gigawatt. Same thing we saw up at Hydro Quebec. Right. Vestas and Nordex are the only ones that qualify for that big, and that’s supposed to be like a 10 gigawatt tender over time. Right. But the, so it brings me to my, I guess my other question, I was thinking about this be [00:17:00] after the FERC thing was, does do, will we see a new blade manufacturer Allen Hall: pop Joel Saxum: up? Allen Hall: No, I don’t think you see a new one. I think you see an acquisition, uh, a transfer of assets to somebody else to run it, but that is really insecure. I, I always think when you’re buying distressed assets and you think you’re gonna run it better than the next guy that. Is rare in industry to do that. Think about the times you’ve seen that happen and it doesn’t work out probably more than 75% of the time. It doesn’t work out. It lasts a year or two or three, and they had the same problems they had when the original company was there. You got the same people inside the same building, building the same product, what do you think is magically gonna change? Right? You have this culture problem or a a already established culture, you’re not likely to change that unless you’re willing to fire, you know, a third of the staff to, to make changes. I don’t see anybody here doing that at the minute because. Finding wind blade technicians, manufacturing people is [00:18:00] extremely hard to do, to find people that are qualified. So you don’t wanna lose them. Joel Saxum: So this is why I say, this is why I pose the question, because in my mind, in in recent wind history, the perfect storm for a new blade manufacturer is happening right now. And the, and the why I say this is there is good engineers on the streets available. Now washing them of their old bad habits and the cultures and those things, that’s a monumental task. That’s not possible. Allen Hall: Rosemary worked at a large blade manufacturer and it has a culture to it. That culture really didn’t change even after they were acquired by a large OEM. The culture basically Rosemary Barnes: remained, they bizarrely didn’t try and change that culture, like they didn’t try to make it a GE company so that it wasn’t dur, it was wasn’t durable. You know, they, they could have. Used that as a shortcut to gaining, um, blade manufacturing capabilities and they didn’t. And that was a, I think it was a choice. I don’t think it’s an inevitability. It’s never easy to go in and change a, a culture, [00:19:00] but it is possible to at least, you know, get parts of it. Um, the, the knowledge should, you should be able to transfer and then get rid of the old culture once you’ve done that, you know, like, uh. Yeah, like you, you bring it in and suck out all the good stuff and spit out the rest. They didn’t do that. Joel Saxum: The opportunity here is, is that you’ve got a, you’ve got people, there’s gonna be a shortage of blade capacity, right? So if you are, if you are going to start up a blade manufacturing facility, you, if you’re clever enough, you may be able to get the backlog of a bunch of orders to get running without having to try to figure it out as you go. Yolanda Padron: I feel like I’d almost make the case that like the blade repair versus replace gap or the business cases is getting larger and larger now, right? So I feel like there’s more of a market for like some sort of holistic maintenance team to come in and say, Hey, I know this OEM hasn’t been taking care of your blades really well, but here are these retrofits that have proven to be [00:20:00]to work on your blades and solve these issues and we’ll get you up and running. Rosemary Barnes: We are seeing more and more of of that. The thing that makes it hard for that to be a really great solution is that they don’t have the information that they need. They have to reverse engineer everything, and that is. Very challenging because like you can reverse engineer what a blade is, but it doesn’t mean that, you know, um, exactly like, because a, the blade that you end up with is not an optimized blade in every location, right? There’s some parts that are overbuilt and um, sometimes some parts that are underbuilt, which gives you, um, you know, serial issues. But, so reverse engineering isn’t necessarily gonna make it safe, and so that does mean that yeah, like anyone coming in with a really big, significant repair that doesn’t go through the OEM, it’s a, it’s a risk. It, it’s always a risk that they have, you know, like there’s certain repairs where you can reverse engineer enough to know that you’re safe. But any really big [00:21:00] one, um, or anything that involves multiple components, um, is. Is a bit of a gamble if it doesn’t go through the OEM. Joel Saxum: No, but so between, I guess between the comments there, Yolanda and Rosemary, are we then entering the the golden age of opportunity for in independent engineering experts? Rosemary Barnes: I believe so. I’m staking, staking my whole business on it. Allen Hall: I think you have to be careful here, everybody, because the problem is gonna be Chinese blade manufacturers. If you wanna try to establish yourself as a blade manufacturer and you’re taking an existing factory, say, say you bought a TPI factory in Turkey or somewhere, and you thought, okay, I, I know how to do this better than everybody else. That could be totally true. However, the OEMs are not committed to buying blades from you and your competition isn’t the Blade Factory in Denmark or in Colorado or North Dakota, or in Mexico or Canada, Spain, wherever your competition is when, [00:22:00] uh, the OEM says, I can buy these blades for 20 to 30% less money in China, and that’s what you’re gonna be held as, as a standard. That is what’s gonna kill most of these things with a 25% tariff on top. Right? Exactly. But still they’re still bringing Joel Saxum: blades in. That’s why I’m saying a local blade manufacturer, Rosemary Barnes: I think it’s less the case. That everyone thinks about China, although maybe a little bit unconventional opinion a about China, they certainly can manufacture blades with, uh, as good a quality as anyone. I mean, obviously all of the, um, Danish, uh, American manufacturers have factories in China that are putting out excellent quality blades. So I’m not trying to say that they dunno how to make a good blade, but with their. New designs, you know, and the really cheap ones. There’s a couple of, um, there’s a couple of reasons for that that mean that I don’t think that it just slots really well into just replacing all of the rest of the world’s, um, wind turbines. The first is that there are a lot of [00:23:00] subsidies in China. Surely there can only continue so long as their economy is strong. You know, like if their economy slows down, like to what extent are they gonna be able to continue to, um, continue with these subsidies? I would be a little bit nervous about buying an asset that I needed support for the next 30 years from a company like. That ecosystem. Then the other thing is that, um, that development, they move really fast because they take some shortcuts. There’s no judgment there. In fact, from a develop product development point of view, that is absolutely the best way to move really fast and get to a really good product fast. It will be pervasive all the way through every aspect of it. Um, non-Chinese companies are just working to a different standard, which slows them down. But also means that along the way, like I would be much happier with a half developed, um, product from a non-Chinese manufacturer than a half developed product from a Chinese manufacturer. The end point, like if China can keep on going long enough with this, [00:24:00] you know, like just really move fast, make bold decisions, learn everything you can. If they can continue with that long enough to get to a mature product, then absolutely they will just smash the rest of the world to pieces. So for me, it’s a matter of, um, does their economy stay strong enough to support that level of, uh, competition? Allen Hall: Well, no, that’s a really good take. It’s an engineering take, and I think the decision is made in the procurement offices of the OEMs and when they start looking at the numbers and trying to determine profitability. That extra 20% savings they can get on blades made in China comes into play quite often. This is why they’re having such a large discussion about Chinese manufacturers coming into the eu. More broadly is the the Vestas and the Siemens CAAs and even the GE Re Novas. No, it’s big time trouble because the cost structure is lower. It just is, and I. [00:25:00] As much as I would love to see Vestas and Siemens and GE Renova compete on a global stage, they can’t at the moment. That’s evident. I don’t think it’s a great time to be opening any new Blade Factory. If you’re not an already established company, it’s gonna be extremely difficult. Wind Energy O and M Australia is back February 17th and 18th at Melbourne’s Pullman on the park. Which is a great hotel. We built this year’s agenda directly from the conversations we’ve had in 2025 and tackling serial defects, insurance pressures, blade repairs, and the operational challenges that keeps everybody up at night around the world. So we have two days of technical sessions, interactive roundtables and networking that actually moves the industry for. Forward. And if you’re interested in attending this, you need to go to WMA 2020 six.com. It’s WOMA 2020 six.com. Rosemary, a lot of, uh, great events gonna happen at. W 2026. Why don’t [00:26:00] you give us a little highlight. Parlet iss gonna be there. Rosemary Barnes: Parlow is gonna be there. I mean, a highlight for me is always getting together with the, the group. And also, I mean, I just really love the size of the event that uh, every single person who’s there is interested in the same types of things that you are interested in. So the highlight for me is, uh, the conversations that I don’t know that I’m gonna have yet. So looking forward to that. But we are also. Making sure that we’ve got a really great program. We’ve got a good mix of Australian speakers and a few people bringing international experience as well. There’s also a few side events that are being organized, like there’s an operators only forum, which unfortunately none of us will be able to enter because we’re not operators, but that is gonna be really great for. For all of them to be able to get together and talk about issues that they have with no, nobody else in the room. So if, if you are an operator and you’re not aware of that, then get in touch and we’ll pass on your details to make sure you can join. Um, yeah, and people just, you know, [00:27:00] taking the opportunities to catch up with clients, you know, for paddle load. Most or all of our clients are, are gonna be there. So it is nice to get off Zoom and um, yeah, actually sit face to face and discuss things in person. So definitely encourage everyone to try and arrange those sorts of things while they’re there. Joel Saxum: You know, one of the things I think is really important about this event is that, uh, we’re, we’re continuing the conversation from last year, but a piece of feedback last year was. Fantastic job with the conversation and helping people with o and m issues and giving us things we can take back and actually integrate into our operations right away. But then a week or two or three weeks after the event, we had those things, but the conversation stopped. So this year we’re putting some things in place. One of ’em being like Rosemary was talking about the private operator forum. Where there’s a couple of operators that have actually taken the reins with this thing and they wanna put this, they wanna make this group a thing where they’re want to have quarterly meetings and they want to continue this conversation and knowledge share and boost that whole Australian market in the wind [00:28:00]side up right? Rising waters floats all boats, and we’re gonna really take that to the next level this year at Allen Hall: WMA down in Melbourne. That’s why I need a register now at Wilma 2020 six.com because the industry needs solutions. Speeches. That wraps up another episode of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate all the feedback and support we received from the wind industry. If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Just reach out to us on LinkedIn and please don’t forget to subscribe so you’d never miss an episode. For Joel Rosemary and Yolanda, I’m Allen Hall. We’ll catch you next week on the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast.

This Holiday Season, let's find out why so many small manufacturers around the world are driven by purpose as much as profit and how behind many small shops is a story of care and a commitment to serving others. You can learn more in this episode or read about it on our blog For more information about the MRPeasy software, visit our website: mrpeasy.com

“I think the next stage of American capitalism includes co-opetition." - Dutch RojasOn the last episode of Self-Funded with Spencer in 2025, Dutch Rojas joins the show to expose the financial "arbitrage" that he believes is destroying independent medical practices in America. Dutch explains how current CMS incentives allow hospitals to buy independent clinics and immediately charge 165% more for the exact same services, which is a practice that is crushing employers and patients alike.In this episode, Dutch lays out his bold vision for "Co-opetition”, a new playbook where independent practices, manufacturers, and even churches band together to leverage their collective buying power. We discuss why the traditional "HR-led" model of buying benefits is failing, why CFOs need to take the wheel, and his dream of creating a true "Healthcare Commodities Exchange" to normalize pricing.We also get personal about his journey from the Netherlands to the U.S., the importance of social media for building influence in DC, and why he believes the next 10 years will be defined by those who can master media.Tune in for a fascinating look at the future of independent medicine.Chapters:(00:00:00) What is "Co-opetition" in Healthcare? (00:01:00) How Hospital Arbitrage Kills Private Practices (00:06:40) Why Independent Doctors Don't Work Together (Yet) (00:14:00) The 165% Markup(00:29:40) The Dream of a Healthcare Commodities Exchange (00:41:00) Why HR Shouldn't Make Healthcare Decisions (00:49:00) Aggregating Buying Power: Churches & Manufacturers (00:57:00) The 4-Stage Plan to Fix HealthcareKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Why does one moisturizer cost $15… while another sells for $65? The answer isn't as simple as it seems. In Episode 37 of Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship, I break down how contract manufacturers actually determine pricing and the behind-the-scenes factors most founders never see. From ingredients and packaging to labor, volume, and logistics, this episode walks you through what really drives cost. If you're already working with a manufacturer or thinking about launching a beauty brand, this is a must-listen. Clarity here can save you money, time, and a lot of frustration. Thanks for tuning in. Catch the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeart. Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. Let's dive in.  

VADA's Don Hall sat down for a candid, two-part interview on the threats facing the franchise system–from manufacturers like VW and Scout pushing for direct sales to the new political landscape in Richmond. In Part 1 Don delivers a message to dealers who think they can coast through 2026: "Manufacturers have made it clear... they would love to be able to take off certain vehicles and sell them direct. We need to care and we need to get engaged. This is a big deal. It's not going to go away."

Another community filed a lawsuit against a group of fire truck manufacturers, alleging a price-fixing conspiracy that forced cities and fire departments to overpay for their vehicles. The latest legal action comes from the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and targets REV Group, Oshkosh Corporation, Pierce Manufacturing (owned by Oshkosh) and Rosenbauer America.The city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, filed the first lawsuit in August, claiming that the aforementioned companies conspired to restrict supply and drive up fire truck prices and that inflation alone does not explain the increases. Other entities with cases include Onalaska, Wisconsin, and fire departments in Pennsylvania, Maine and New York. Ann Arbor's filing claims that the companies control up to 80% of the fire truck market and that their alleged conspiracy contributed to prices doubling over the past decade, while also extending delivery times from 18 months to four years. The argument echoed La Crosse's case from August, which stated that a fire truck priced at $500,000 in the mid-2010s now costs about $1 million, while specialized units that once sold for $900,000 now exceed $2 million. 

The U.S. and Mexico reached an understanding on meeting the current water obligations of American farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to repay the water deficit in Texas as part of the 1944 Water Treaty, and November sales of ag tractors in the U.S. dropped almost 20%, while combine sales fell 35% compared to last November.

This podcast episode elucidates the intricate developments surrounding American Signature's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, wherein the U.S. Trustee has articulated significant objections regarding potential conflicts of interest. Specifically, the Trustee asserts that the affiliations among American Signature, SB360 Capital Partners, and other associated entities, all linked to the Schottenstein family, necessitate a thorough scrutiny to safeguard the bankruptcy estate's integrity. As the dialogue unfolds, we explore the implications of these proceedings on the broader furniture industry, particularly in light of the recent slowdown in sales momentum, as evidenced by the Department of Commerce's latest report. Furthermore, I will delve into the optimistic forecasts for manufacturing revenues in 2026, juxtaposed against the persistent challenges posed by rising raw material and labor costs. Lastly, we shall examine emerging trends within the market, including the burgeoning popularity of gaming furniture that reflects contemporary consumer behaviors, thereby providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry.Takeaways: The bankruptcy proceedings of American Signature are under scrutiny due to potential conflicts of interest involving the Schottenstein family. Sales data indicates a troubling trend in the furniture industry, with only a minimal increase over the previous year's October figures. Manufacturers anticipate a promising financial outlook for 2026, expecting a revenue growth of approximately 4.4%. The introduction of multifunctional gaming furniture at the High Point market reflects evolving consumer lifestyles and preferences. Brandhouse Collective's disappointing sales figures underscore the challenges faced by retailers during the transition to Bed, Bath and Beyond. The ongoing rise in raw material and labor costs continues to challenge margin stability within the furniture manufacturing sector. Companies mentioned in this episode: American Signature SB360 Capital Partners Second Avenue Capital Partners ASI Purchaser Natuzzi Hooker Furnishings Woodbridge Brandhouse Collective Kirkland's Bed, Bath and Beyond

Fashioncast® Episode #57, December 2, 2025 Adam Taubenfligel, Co-founder of Triarchy, Leading the Next Generation of Responsible Denim ManufacturersIn this episode, you will meet Adam Taubenfligel, Co-founder of Triarchy, a U.S.-based sustainable women's denim manufacturer. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Adam and his co-founder siblings, Mark and Ania, have been developing and refining the business since 2011.In the interview, Adam discusses the key challenges involved in launching a startup fashion brand, such as ensuring business continuity, upholding the brand's mission, achieving product and process differentiation, and managing organizational growth. He further explains how Triarchy sets itself apart from other denim brands, maintaining that no competitor—domestic or international—equals Triarchy's leadership in environmentally responsible denim manufacturing. Adam's extensive knowledge of denim and fashion comes from his self-driven learning and experiences in Italy and China. In this podcast, he thoroughly examines several topics such as identifying target markets, forming strategic retail partnerships, and advancements in manufacturing innovation. It is always fulfilling to interview a master of their field, particularly Adam Taubenfligel, whose denim expertise truly distinguishes him. He continually leverages his skills to improve both products and manufacturing methods, making significant advancements for environmental sustainability. Notably, RIVET magazine included him on its list of the 50 most influential people in the denim industry. Whether you're new to fashion or have years of experience in the industry, you'll find Adam Taubenfligel to be among the most impactful guests ever interviewed on Fashioncast. Enjoy the show! https://triarchy.com @triarchy @adamtaubenfligel  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe D’s have lost he narrative, they are trying to blame Trump for the affordability crisis, but he is turning it around on them. The autopen was used to bring Powell, Trump wants it investigated.The gold card has gone live, timing is everything. The affordability crisis is about the [CB]. The [DS] along with foreign gov have been trying to divide the people and the MAGA movement. It is not working, it crumbling and people are learning the truth once again. Trump sets the message and the direction of the midterms. The [DS] is struggling, they will not be able to overcome the economic factor in 2026. This will give the people the power to override anything the [DS] tries to do. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); “Democrats Know Their Constituents Can’t Read Charts. That’s Why…” Another attempted “gotcha moment” on X by Democrats backfired, revealing that their political strategists and whoever handles their social media accounts lack the most basic chart-reading skills. However, X users pointed out that these political operatives aren’t DEI fools; instead, they seem incapable of telling the truth. https://twitter.com/MajorityPAC/status/1998434136483410412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998434136483410412%7Ctwgr%5E1e2efe6a29f9c814decbe7c889387ccc40d1410c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fpolitical%2Fdemocrats-know-their-constituents-cant-read-charts-thats-why Just like eggs earlier this year and power bills this fall, Democrat operatives are seizing any opportunity to blame Trump for soaring prices that mainly occurred in the previous four years. X user ALX shows why context matters.  Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/StephenMoore/status/1998763870001991751?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998789965254144171?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998830464321323091?s=20  into 2026. The Fed must do the right thing! https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998841970559512878?s=20  to inject $40 billion per month into Treasury bill purchases beginning December 12. The combined policies strengthen liquidity, reduce borrowing costs, and ease credit strains that often stall growth. Bank of America says both stocks and crypto stand to gain as confidence rises. The Fed's actions confirm the resilience of Trump's expanding second term economy. https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1999098794412319027?s=20 The post highlights a Wall Street Journal report on Ionic Rare Earths’ discovery of 16 rare earth and critical minerals in Utah’s Mill Creek area, including high-grade lithium and gallium, positioning it as the U.S.’s largest such reserve to reduce reliance on China, which controls 90% of global processing. An aerial image shows the arid Utah landscape near the Great Salt Lake with visible mining pits, underscoring the site’s remote, geologically rich Basin and Range province, where USGS surveys identified potential for 1.5 million tons of rare earth oxides  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1998846082953130482?s=20 The Trump Gold Card program, launched via executive order in 2025, allows foreign nationals (primarily investors or those sponsored by corporations) to apply for a U.S. green card through expedited channels like EB-1(a) for extraordinary ability or EB-2 national interest waiver. It requires a nonrefundable $15,000 processing fee plus a “contribution” or “gift” of at least $1 million per individual (or $2 million via an employer sponsor), with additional amounts for dependents. The funds go to entities like the U.S. Department of Commerce, and applicants must prove a lawful source of money, similar to the EB-5 investor visa.  The process involves filing a new Form I-140G, followed by consular processing abroad—no in-country adjustment of status is allowed—and approvals can happen in weeks, though backlogs from per-country caps (especially for Indian or Chinese nationals) may still cause delays for the actual green card. This program is separate from the H-1B visa system, which remains a temporary work visa for skilled professionals with issues like annual caps (85,000 visas, including 20,000 for advanced degree holders), a random lottery selection process, and criticisms of abuse (e.g., companies using it to displace U.S. workers or suppress wages via outsourcing firms). In fact, alongside the Gold Card, the Trump administration introduced a separate $100,000 one-time entry fee for H-1B applicants to deter such abuses and ensure only “the best and brightest” use it. https://twitter.com/TheRubberDuck79/status/1998791717752062345?s=20  Autopen. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1998407015756964343?s=20   to decide if it gets a floor vote. I hope they do the right thing. The Affordability Crisis Is Not a ‘Hoax.' It Is an Existential Threat to the American Dream.  Recently, President Trump has been quoted as referring to the affordability crisis as a “Democrat scam,” “hoax,” and “con job.” Although I think Trump was likely trying to remind Americans that policies enacted when Democrats had total control of the federal government under the first two years of the Biden administration accelerated and exacerbated the affordability problem, it is dangerous for the president to use that type of language. Already, mainstream media reprobates are twisting Trump's words, leading people to believe that he is saying the affordability crisis does not exist.  In proper context, Trump is not denying that middle- and lower-class Americans are struggling to make ends meet; rather, he is trying to assign blame and hang the affordability crisis on the Democrats. But even doing that is politically unwise.  The American people are not nearly as concerned with pointing fault as they are with seeking immediately viable solutions to the untenable reality they face. For many Americans, the affordability crisis is so severe that they think the American dream is no longer within reach. In fact, only 22 percent of young Americans think they will be better off than their parents. Source: redstate.com Political/Rights https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1999146290584678721?s=20 https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1998819294658842681?s=20 https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1998773065870708813?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1999144165213380788?s=20 We hope the headlines and social media likes are worth it. DHS: Legacy Media Report Leaves Out an Important Detail on ICE Purchasing Planes for Deportations The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed  the agency has inked a deal for the purchase of six planes for nearly $140 million, which will aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in deportations, allowing them to bypass charter airlines. The Post report read: https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1998794208736411870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998794208736411870%7Ctwgr%5Ebd9d4a7f5e7443f5f0455bfbeb427e17d3fa2b05%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fkatie-jerkovich%2F2025%2F12%2F10%2Fdhs-confirms-excellent-news-about-deportations-and-its-own-fleet-n2197015 flight patterns.    President Trump and @Sec_Noem are committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country. Source: redstate.com US To Ask Visitors For 5 Years Of Social Media History Under New Plan The United States is planning to require visitors from dozens of countries on the visa waiver program to provide up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday. Countries on the list include much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Qatar, Israel, Chile and Brunei. Citizens or nationals of these countries have been allowed to freely travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. If the proposal is adopted, they’ll have to share their online footprint – something that immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants from different categories have been required to provide since 2019. The list also includes; Telephone numbers used in the last five years Email addresses used in the last 10 years IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos Biometrics – including facial, fingerprint, DNA and Iris data Information about one’s family – including  names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, places of birth and residences. The CBP proposal is open for a 60-day public comment period. ESTA – an automated system, costs $40 and is generally valid for two years. An ESTA holder can enter multiple times during that period. Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1998484877180604877?s=20   is part of the FBI's Joint Task Force Vulcan investigation out of @FBIHouston to locate, indict, and arrest members of MS-13 leadership “La Mesa.” Great work from @FBIOmaha and partners @HSI_HQ @DEAHQ and more – this admin is taking a whole of government approach to dismantling MS-13 and their presence within the country. DOGE https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1998810382576792048?s=20 https://twitter.com/pepesgrandma/status/1998428503759294519?s=20   EU High Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime that wrote the 2016 Code of Conduct. The Code Conduct is a document agreed upon by social media companies for removing hate. The improved upon “Code of Conduct Plus” continues to be an important tool under the DSA: “On 20 January 2025, the revised Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online + (the ‘Code of conduct+') was integrated into the regulatory framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA), following a positive assessment from the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services. The Code of conduct+, which builds on the Code of Conduct adopted in 2016, strengthens the way online platforms deal with content deemed illegal hate speech according to EU law and Member States' laws. It facilitates compliance with and the effective enforcement of the DSA in this specific area.” This new Conduct Code+ was established as a “DSA Code of conduct”. This empowered civil society organisations to act as watchdogs. “Following its integration, adherence to the Code of conduct+ may be considered as an appropriate risk mitigation measure for signatories designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Search Engines (VLOSEs) under the DSA.” “The DSA classifies platforms or search engines that have more than 45 million users per month in the EU as very large online platforms (VLOPs)” https://twitter.com/emd_worldwide/status/1998556257251152246?s=20   letter confirms the details of that action. And it arrives at a very appropriate moment. As we watch certain officials in Europe experiment with coercive fines, regulatory threats, and pressure campaigns aimed at shaping American political discourse, the Moraes precedent is worth remembering. The United States views foreign attempts to control U.S. speech as a human rights violation and a breach of sovereignty. Geopolitical https://twitter.com/RMistereggen/status/1998419619220996236?s=20 society destabilised? When a country must hand over cash to escape a policy that harms it, the structure stops looking like a union and starts looking like organized coercion. Let's call the EU what it is: its a mafia organisation. Abolish the EU. Unelected Brussels Bureaucrat Demands Trump ‘Show Respect' for EU, as US President Is Chosen ‘The Most Powerful Person in Europe'   Trump is flexing his political and military muscles all over the world. Those who want respect, give respect.     Trump has just been chosen as ‘the most powerful person in Europe'. ‘ Politico reported: “Top EU officials tried to set the record straight Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Europe as a ‘decaying' group of countries ruled by ‘weak' leaders. […] ‘I think they're weak', the Republican said, referring to the continent's presidents and prime ministers, adding, ‘I think they don't know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do'.” “European Council President António Costa said Europe and the U.S. ‘must act as allies' — and urged the Republican leader to show ‘respect'.   Costa is an unelected bureaucrat – he was not ‘elected', he was ‘appointed' by the same Globalist leaders that are polling 11% to 23% in their countries. Source: thegatewaypundit.com War/Peace https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1998980234763219052?s=20https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1999068890421195037?s=20   Impeccable. This clip emerged just as Maria Corina Machado, the woman Maduro has hunted for 16 months, escaped Venezuela and arrived in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting his dictatorship. His secret police surrounded the U.S. Embassy thinking she was inside. She slipped out of the country anyway. Her team risked their lives to get her on that plane. Meanwhile, Maduro is on stage crooning about peace. The irony writes itself. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1998936856000397477?s=20   showed up in Norway anyway. The 58-year-old opposition leader arrived in Oslo Thursday and waved from the balcony of the Grand Hotel, free and defiant. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the prize for her fight against what it called a dictatorship. Maduro’s regime tried everything to stop this moment. It didn’t work.  https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1999068890421195037?s=20   freely in accordance with the regime. https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1999065856580661500?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998879421491483071?s=20   Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” “For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.” https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1998895443347124514?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1999140870516576385?s=20  6th no-confidence vote, Zhelezaykov said, “I hear the public's dissatisfaction and consider the protection of democracy my top priority,” choosing to step down. Protests erupted in November over a 2026 budget packed with tax hikes, higher social contributions, and bloated spending. Even after scrapping the budget, crowds demanded total regime change, early elections, and a crackdown on corruption, culminating in massive rallies yesterday across Sofia and beyond. This is a rare public uprising toppling a government in real-time! With Bulgaria set to join the eurozone on January 1, the collapse risks economic chaos, currency shifts, investor panic, while exposing deep rot (corruption scandals cost $3B yearly, per EU audits). Zhelezaykov's exit might spark a power vacuum, pitting pro-EU reformers against nationalist factions. https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1998875723931812291?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1999099346676334925?s=20  Allegations that some staff members may have ties to Hamas, with zero indictments, no formal charges, and no due process. Washington, once UNRWA's biggest donor, froze funding in January 2024 after Israel accused roughly a dozen staff members of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war. If the move goes through, it would effectively criminalize a major arm of humanitarian relief in Gaza and beyond. Although, it’s been noted that such sanctions would be highly unusual, since the U.S. is both a U.N. member and the host nation of the body that created the agency in 1949. Despite this, Trump previously reaffirmed that the U.S. would not fund UNRWA earlier this year. In October, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also referred to UNRWA as a subsidiary of Hamas: “UNRWA’s not going to play any role in it… The United Nations is here, we're seeing the work they're doing… They’re on the ground. We’re willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas.” https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/1998824786022003044?s=20  billion they seized might well come up   https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/1998849819071353071?s=20   is going to demand their frozen assets be returned. I suspect the current people in power don't expect to be around or forced to deal with that problem when it arises. They just want their money laundering schemes to continue being funded. Short term planning by the EU. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1998991133033054636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998991133033054636%7Ctwgr%5E279dcf506be99c0c99616930f129b9a99fcd7bf2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fwatch-ukraine-strikes-another-oil-tanker-russian-shadow%2F https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1999118921564090787?s=20 Trump talks Ukraine peace deal with Macron, Merz and Starmer President Donald Trump held a conference call with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, a White House official said, as the U.S. president continues to push for an end to the conflict while expressing skepticism that Kyiv stands a chance of coming out ahead. Source: politico.com Zelenskyy Signals Openness to Elections After Trump Criticism President Donald Trump on Tuesday pressed Ukraine to hold a presidential election despite its war with Russia, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say he is prepared to hold a vote within months if parliament and Western allies make it feasible. Zelenskyy responded, saying the decision is solely for Ukrainians. “This is a question for the people of Ukraine, not people from other states, with all due respect to our partners,” he said. Ukraine’s constitution bars elections under martial law, but Zelenskyy signaled he’s willing to hold one anyway and asked the U.S. and European partners for help securing a wartime vote. “Since this question is raised today by the president of the United States of America, our partners, I will answer very briefly: Look, I am ready for elections,” he said. “Then, in the next 60 to 90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold the elections. I personally have the will and readiness for this.” Zelenskyy’s five-year term expired in May 2024. Source: newsmax.com Medical/False Flags FDA Reviewing Deaths Potentially Linked to COVID Shots The Food and Drug Administration is looking into whether COVID-19 vaccines were tied to any deaths, government officials announced this week. The FDA is “doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to COVID vaccines,” Andrew Nixon. a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. Manufacturers report that the FDA is also reviewing the safety of RSV immunizations. COVID-19 vaccines were deployed in late 2020 under emergency use authorization. Less than a year later, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first to receive full FDA approval. Source: newsmax.com [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1998789285281968322?s=20  with all the other America-hating Somalis! https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998806184846045404?s=20 BREAKING: Democrats Flip Miami – Eileen Higgins Wins Mayoral Runoff Election: Decision Desk Democrats flipped Miami Mayor's office on Tuesday. Higgins defeated Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former Miami City Manager who served on Trump's DHS transition team. Higgins will be Miami's first Democrat mayor since 1997. Fox News reported: It took nearly 30 years, but Democrats finally broke their decades-long ballot box losing streak in Miami, Florida, the city known as the nation's “Gateway to Latin America.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/chad_mizelle/status/1998565231136747996?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998912315672977728?s=20   are: Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Tom Kean, R-N.J., Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, Chris Smith, R-N.J., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio. Full passage vote could happen Thursday. President Trump's Plan REVEALED: DC pipe bomb suspect obsessed with My Little Pony art, fan fic: report My Little Pony is a franchise marketed at young girls. An adult male fan of the toys are known as a “Brony,” a community that at its peak was large enough to hold annual conventions. Brian Cole Jr, the man charged with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committees' Washington, DC headquarters the evening before January 6, 2021, was reportedly a massive fan of the children's series “My Little Pony,” making fan art and fan fiction dedicated to the characters.Per the New York Post, Cole, 30, appeared to have gone by usernames including iDeltaVelocity, Bron1Delta, Delta1Forgotten, and Blue Velocity online. In one account on an online forum, Cole allegedly posted dozens of fan art pieces dedicated to the My Little Pony franchise. Many of the art pieces feature characters with light purple bodies and multicolored hair.In a Tumblr account associated with the username delta1forgotten, Cole allegedly wrote in response to another user's drawing of a My Little Pony character with a machine gun, “Eh… I'd give her an RPG [Rocket-Propelled Grenade]. What can I say? Explosions are COOL!!”My Little Pony is a franchise marketed at young girls. An adult male fan of the toys are known as a “Brony,” a community that at its peak was large enough to hold annual conventions. Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr Daniel Chadborn wrote in his book “Meet the Bronies: The Psychology of the Adult My Little Pony Fandom,” “The subculture of Bronies was very online and unique and attracted a lot of male fans, who were breaking gender norms, which attracted a lot of attention.”He noted that the subculture is generally not sexual, however, he is not surprised that some members within the community are troubled. “Someone who is disaffected is often going to look for spaces to engage in, for a sense of identity and belonging.”Cole also allegedly wrote fanfiction dedicated to the franchise, with one story marked as being an “adventure/horror” story featuring the characters Applejack and Applebloom  Source: thepostmillenial.com Winning: Woke D.C. Police Chief Stepping Down Following Trump's Bold Moves to Federalize the DC Police Force and Send in National Guard https://twitter.com/MayorBowser/status/1997992364367884758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1997992364367884758%7Ctwgr%5Edc94739b1880255ed9a381d0aefa9d1b2da25236%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fwinning-woke-d-c-police-chief-stepping-down%2F ‘Righteous Anger’: Erika Kirk Shuts Down Insane Conspiracies Surrounding Her Husband’s Murder Erika Kirk appears to have possibly reached her breaking point as she addressed those insane conspiracies surrounding the murder of her husband, Charlie Kirk, and to say she didn’t hold back is a serious understatement. During her appearance on Wednesday on Fox News’ Outnumbered, Kirk was asked about the accusations and claims floated by podcasters like Candace Owens and others surrounding the assassination of the late co-founder of Turning Point USA, including speculation about where Charlie is buried. No rock will be unturned. I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family more than anyone else out there. “My silence does not mean that I’m complacent,” Erika continued. “My silence does not mean that somehow Turning Point USA and all of the handpicked staff that loved my husband and that my husband loved them is somehow in on it. We are busy building.” Erika said she understands a lot of the noise is people trying to find answers to the horrific killing of her husband, and made it clear no “rock will be unturned. I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family more than anyone else out there.” Kirk said she does have a breaking point, though, and it’s when influencers and others go after those she loves, like her family, her Turning Point USA family, and her Charlie Kirk Show family. “When you go after the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode, going after the people that I love because somehow they’re in on this… NO!” Erika said, as the host Harris Faulkner pointed out, she’d never seen Kirk like this before. “This is righteous anger because this is not okay, it’s not healthy,” she added. “This is a mind virus… but this is not okay. But just know your words are very powerful, and we are human.” “My team are not machines and they’re not robots, they are human,” Erika continued. “We have more death threats on our team and our side than I have ever seen. I have kidnapping threats. I have…you name it, we have it. And my poor team is exhausted, and every time they bring this back up, what are we supposed to do, relive that trauma all over again?”  . Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1998877640862904429?s=20 https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/1998867607429292200?s=20 2846 Feb 21, 2019 12:02:07 PM EST Q !!mG7VJxZNCI ID: 6b73ac No. 5304336  Dz8HH2lWwAIQX5K.jpg-large.jpg https://twitter.com/JudahsTrumpets/status/1098604676621189122 Be ready for the ‘Q’, Anon(s). Eyes on increasing +each day. You are the NEWS NOW. Handle w/ care. Q 3628 Nov 25, 2019 12:05:46 PM EST Q !!mG7VJxZNCI ID: 000000 No. 7370121  https://twitter.com/Incarcerated_ET/status/1198990090757914625 Enemy of the People. You are the NEWS NOW. Facts matter. Q https://twitter.com/medeabenjamin/status/1998886707891155231?s=20 https://twitter.com/_johnnymaga/status/1999140426222088595?s=20 https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1938072642374058297?s=20  Bejamin briefly – who had an interesting history of speaking to Chinese media. She co-founded Global Exchange with her husband, Kevin Danaher, which goes on a number of “Reality Trips” to various closed countries – Cuba, Venezuela, among others. If you’ve followed me long enough … you know that’s a big red flag. State-facilitated exchange trips are one of the most common “soft power” tools that countries have in exporting their ideology to others. https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/1998429763744976927?s=20 Supreme Court OKs Trump's Firing Of Biden FTC Appointee The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a significant victory, ruling that he can remove Federal Trade Commission leader Rebecca Slaughter after months of legal challenges. Trump has sought to dismiss Slaughter, a Democrat appointed by former President Joe Biden, since March. The court also agreed to consider whether presidents may dismiss FTC commissioners without cause. In the meantime, Slaughter will not be allowed to remain in office. Source:  conservativebrief.com  https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1998163014336561437?s=20 https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1998237338678563300?s=20 Trump Sinks Anonymous Reports by Reaffirming Support for Hegseth, Noem Trump sunk the anonymous reports while fielding questions from the press during a roundtable with tech CEO in the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday. https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998886540215472413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998886540215472413%7Ctwgr%5Ec250eb4c9bce232b03b56224d33227964e8f8b05%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Ft%2Fassets%2Fhtml%2Ftweet-5.html1998886540215472413 Trump's comments follow an Atlantic report that Trump “is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth,” citing “an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official.”They also come on the heels of an MS Now report, citing two anonymous sources, and claiming that “White House officials have grown frustrated with Kristi Noem's leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to calls for a new secretary to more aggressively support key parts of the president's deportation agenda.” Source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1999130198906728645?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1998453138857099684?s=20   primarily Nordic-German. Importing voters is a CERTAIN path to a single-party supermajority and has ALREADY happened at the state level in California and New York. It also explains why those states have BANNED VOTER ID in order to accelerate a permanent socialist supermajority, destroying any semblance of democracy. We stand on the precipice of disaster, an end to America. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1998769742455435403?s=20   say stupid stuff like “I’m not voting in the mid-terms.” The Constitutional powers of the President are limited by design. Moreover, Trump faces unique challenges in an intransigent Deep State and an array of rogue judges, neither of which any other President has faced at this scale. Nevertheless, in less than a year Trump has kept more of his campaign promises than any other President since FDR. Some of you people need to wise up. There is no Government Fairy. It’s a hard slog, and we’re winning–unless YOU mess it up, Doomsters. Don’t mess it up. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1998827695439004144?s=20  care, the GOP deserves it.” This is self-fulfilling prophecy. It suppresses voter enthusiasm, suppresses voter turn out, and creates exactly the barren ground that Leftists have come to expect from a conservative movement that seems determined to fail at every turn even when it is winning. *versus* 2. “I am so happy that we have made so much progress. Trump has done amazing things in a short period of time against unprecedented institutional resistance. We are winning and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the restoration of our Constitutional republic. Nevertheless, there is much to be done. President Trump and the true conservatives in Congress need our enthusiastic, vocal support. We must keep the pressure on the eGOP, the Democrats and the lying media. This is a tough battle, but we will win.” THAT my friends is a message of victory. It too becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as it inspires the voting base yet does not ignore the work yet to be done. It’s winning. ————————— Allow me to paraphrase Napoleon Bonaparte: “In politics, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.” _________________________ In other words, why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves, Moriarity. https://twitter.com/Avis_Liberatum/status/1998829654241694036?s=20 https://twitter.com/MattMorseTV/status/1998541820285145219?s=20    and for America itself. In all fairness, the Democrats have been doing Redistricting for years, and continue to do so. Unfortunately, Indiana Senate “Leader” Rod Bray enjoys being the only person in the United States of America who is against Republicans picking up extra seats, in Indiana's case, two of them. He is putting every ounce of his limited strength into asking his soon to be very vulnerable friends to vote with him. By doing so, he is putting the Majority in the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., at risk and, at the same time, putting anybody in Indiana who votes against this Redistricting, likewise, at risk. The people of Indiana don't want the Party of Sleepy Joe Biden, Kamala, Ilhan Omar, or the rest to succeed in Washington. Bray doesn't care. He's either a bad guy, or a very stupid one! In any event, he and a couple of his friends will partner with the Radical Left Democrats. They found some Republican “SUCKERS,” and they couldn't be happier that they did! Guys like Failed Senate Candidate Mitch Daniels, who I opposed in his Race against Senator Jim Banks, and Cam Savage, whoever that is, are fighting against the Republican Party, all the way. Bray and his friends are the favorite Republicans of Hakeem Jeffries, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, and Cryin' Chuck Schumer. Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring. If Republicans will not do what is necessary to save our Country, they will eventually lose everything to the Democrats. Rod Bray and his friends won't be in Politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again. One of my favorite States, Indiana, will be the only State in the Union to turn the Republican Party down! Master Messenger: Trump Goes Full MAGA at Pennsylvania Rally, Hands GOP the 2026 Talking Points The master messenger is at it again, this time handing the GOP the 2026 midterm talking points directly. During a rally Tuesday evening in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, President Trump reminded both Republicans and Democrats of just how savvy a messenger he can be when energizing his base. He crushed former President Joe Biden and his administration for overseeing the runaway inflation we are still battling today. He discussed his efforts to bring higher wage jobs to American workers, not illegal aliens. He dismantled Obamacare, highlighting high costs and the trillions in taxpayer dollars given to insurance companies instead of the American people. President Trump went full MAGA. The  message was clear: Republicans, take this message and run with it during the 2026 midterm election cycle. President Trump tore apart Obamacare. He is tired of insurance companies lining their pockets with Obamacare subsidies, and stated once again that he wants that money sent directly to the American people. Imagine being able to use your own money to purchase health insurance instead of those dollars going straight to the insurance companies? For Republicans in 2026, this is a smart policy that could excite the base in an election cycle where President Trump is not on the ballot. Healthcare across America, in many cases, is unaffordable and frustrating. This is certainly an area where the GOP can make up ground with sound policy ideas. President Trump has essentially closed our southern border by the sheer power he wields through the executive branch. The administration has now moved to tackle illegal immigration within our borders, in regards to both deportations and American jobs taken by illegal aliens.  Since President Trump took office, 100 percent of all net job creation has gone to American citizens. That is an amazing statistic that every GOP House and Senate member should be touting on the campaign trail. Not for nothing, but President Trump is also clearly tired of immigrants coming to America who do not care to fully assimilate or share our values. President Trump also announced a permanent pause on third-world migration, “including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries.” This is a very smart and, frankly, important policy. During the recent off-year election cycle, many Americans learned for the first time how many third-world immigrants have infiltrated major American cities. This is a winning message and one the GOP should carry into 2026. Finally, the deadly drugs have got to stop flowing into this country. President Trump has taken lethal action that is sure to have every drug boat planning to bring drugs to America second-guessing that decision. For some Republicans who support Trump’s policy but have struggled to properly communicate the importance to their constituents, the president simplified the issue for the entire party. Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/1998449163403419722?s=20  ALL THE INFORMATION.” LFG  One thing I know is that the American public (outside of X) needs to understand how rigged and fake our elections are before we have another election in this country. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn welcomes first-time guest Lee Edwards, Vice President and Territory Manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Co-Chair of NSTA's Manufacturers, Suppliers and Technology (MST) Committee. Lee and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance won the 2025 NSTA Vendor Partner of the Year at the NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention in Boston this past July. The duo start the conversation by tracing Lee's path from an early sales background to his current role in supporting the school transportation industry with Wells Fargo. Lee gives Curt an inside look at Wells Fargo Equipment Finance and the role of the Commercial Vehicle Group, while he and Curt discuss evolving trends, post-COVID market dynamics, and key developments shaping student transportation today. The pair highlight the NSTA MST Committee, and it's priorities as they head into the new year. The duo shift gears by talking all things SEC football, and cover everything from coaching rumors, to the outlook for UT, and the growing rivalry feel in the Volunteer State between Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The episode closes as Lee shares how listeners can stay connected with Wells Fargo Equipment Finance. Become a podcast subscriber and don't miss an episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop- NSTA Vendor Partners can take advantage of our comprehensive advertising package that will help you reach your target audience - private school bus operators!Support the show

Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 9:00 AM., MBN was on the road to find out how CAMC, the Capital Area Manufacturing Council was highlighting the significance of manufacturing in our region and showcasing the programs and partnerships that support workforce development. This is a valuable opportunity to demonstrate support for both our students and the college as we continue to prepare the next generation of highly skilled professionals. Participation in this important event included the following: Speakers: 1. President Dr. Robinson - LCC Staff 2. Cindy Kangas - CAMC Executive Director 3. Fred Render - CAMC Board - Capital Steel & Wire 4. LCC – Sid Mosley - Manufacturing Engineering Technology Professor 5. LCC – Barbie Staley – Welding Student 6. LCC – Jonathan Gusmano + Robotic Dog – Program Director 7. Politicians 8. Dismissed for Tours You Can't Be What You Can't See — Manufacturing Day 2025 Kickoff Event at LCC West Lansing, MI — The Capital Area Manufacturing Council (CAMC) is proud to announce National Manufacturing Day 2025 will kickoff with a press conference at Lansing Community College West Campus on This event marks the start of a month-long celebration designed to change the narrative of manufacturing, showcase diverse career pathways, and inspire students across Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, and Livingston counties. “Manufacturers are deeply committed to nurturing the talent pipeline,” said CAMC Executive Director Cindy Kangas. “You can't be what you can't see, and MFG Day brings vision to life. Students will take field trips to local manufacturing plants to walk the shop floor, watch robots in action, see products being made in real time, and try hands-on activities. They'll meet engineers, welders, quality control experts, and other professionals who can answer their questions and share what a day on the job looks like. These experiences help students discover pathways they may never have considered.” For many, manufacturing carries the outdated stereotype of being dirty, dark, dingy, and dangerous—but today's reality is entirely different. Modern manufacturing is driven by robotics, automation, engineering, and cutting-edge technology, and it offers career pathways in fields like marketing, packaging, supply chain management, quality control, human resources, accounting, statistics, engineering, agriculture, and biology. “We drive past facilities daily, often unaware they house million-dollar industries powering our economy,” Cindy Kangas continues. “Michigan manufacturers are creators, problem-solvers, and innovators—and we should be proud of the incredible work happening here.” Following the press conference, attendees will tour LCC West Campus and participate in technology demonstrations and interactive activities designed to spark interest and excitement. Members of the press, local leaders, educators, and community supporters are encouraged to attend. ### PRESS CONFERENCE: MANUFACTURING DAY 2025 WHO: Capital Area Manufacturing Council (CAMC), Lansing Community College West Campus, local manufacturers, educators, and students. WHAT: Kickoff press conference for Manufacturing Day 2025, followed by facility tours, technology demonstrations, and student engagement activities. WHEN: Thursday Oct 2, 2025 ⋅ 9am – 10am (Eastern Time - Detroit) WHERE: 5708 Cornerstone Dr. Lansing, MI 48917 - LCC's West Campus Robotics Lab (Room W166). WHY: Michigan manufacturers are coming together to change the narrative about manufacturing and inspire the next generation. Students will explore career pathways they may not have known existed. Workforce need: The U.S. will need 3.8 million new manufacturing workers over the next decade. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN

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.

Dr. Yuan Li, Director of Medical Business at DQS and a former medical device auditor with deep expertise across orthopaedic manufacturing and regulatory systems.In this episode, we discuss the sweeping regulatory transition coming to the U.S. with the introduction of the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), which formally aligns 21 CFR Part 820 with ISO 13485. Yuan unpacks what this shift means for U.S.-based manufacturers, why FDA is phasing out the QSR audit model and why contract manufacturers and software-based device firms are particularly vulnerable if they delay planning.We also explore the growing use of AI in QMS platforms, the pitfalls of template-driven compliance, and why “regulatory fatigue” is no excuse when patients' lives are at stake. From post-market surveillance strategies to paperless QMS migrations and the validation grey zone, Yuan offers pragmatic, deeply informed advice for those navigating FDA audits, ISO certification and international expansionTimestamps[00:02:36] Why QMSR is a Big Deal for U.S. Manufacturers[00:04:09] Key Differences Between 21 CFR 820 and ISO 13485[00:05:09] Why Companies Wait Too Long to Comply[00:07:19] Impact on Contract Manufacturers and Supply Chains[00:08:36] Do You Really Need ISO 13485 Certification?[00:10:18] AI-Generated QMS Systems: Useful or Risky?[00:11:52] Most Memorable Audit Story: Iterative Design Gone Wrong[00:14:46] How to Spot Proactive vs Reactive Post-Market Surveillance[00:17:03] Why Software Companies Struggle with The Regulatory Mindset[00:20:57] What Validation Really Means Under ISO 13485Connect with Yuan - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuan-li-phd-3bb14013/Learn more about DQS - ⁠https://www.dqsglobal.com/en/Get in touch with Karandeep Badwal - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/karandeepbadwal/ ⁠⁠Follow Karandeep on YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@KarandeepBadwal⁠⁠Subscribe to the Podcast

Pastor Matt Chavez shares insights on how powerful word of mouth marketing can be as illustrated in both consumer experiences and biblical teachings, emphasizing the impact of personal testimonies in bringing transformative stories to life.

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred sits down with Andrew Zapf, CPA, Senior Tax Manager at Withum. Andrew shares critical insights into the recently passed legislation known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" or OBBBA. The conversation explains how this bill reinstates the full expensing of research and experimental (R&E) costs, reintroduces 100% bonus depreciation for machinery, and introduces a powerful new incentive: 100% bonus depreciation for new manufacturing facilities under the Qualified Production Property (QPP) rule. Whether you're a small manufacturer or a large-scale producer, this episode unpacks how the latest tax reforms can fuel expansion, increase cash flow, and support growth across Florida's booming manufacturing sector. Andrew also emphasizes the complexity of these provisions and why strategic, professional tax planning is crucial to avoid costly mistakes.   Connect with Our Guest: https://www.withum.com

John Reilly of TheEffect.net is with Jess to talk through the Chinese phone manufacturers changing the game when it comes to battery power.

For review:1. President Trump: US is Preparing for Land Operations Against Narcotics Manufacturers in Venezuela.2. US - Russian Talks in Moscow "Useful & Constructive" -  But No Concrete Deal.3. The Israel Ministry of Defense delivered the first operational Arrow 3 Air Defense System to Germany in a formal ceremony at a German Air Force base near Berlin, Israel's Ministry of Defense said today. 4. The Red Cross transferred the body of a presumed hostage from Hamas to Israeli security forces in Gaza on Wednesday evening.5. The family of Sudthisak Rinthalak, one of the two remaining hostages whose bodies are held in the Gaza Strip, spoke Wednesday about the long wait for the return of their son and brother.Mr. Rinthalak came from the town of Ratnawee in northern Thailand.6. Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades Wednesday, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the war with Hezbollah.The meeting was held at the UN peacekeeping force's headquarters in Naqoura in Lebanon, near the border with Israel.7. Australia is launching a new independent acquisition system to better cope with increasingly complex weapons systems, one that will report directly to the defense minister and not pass through the secretary of the Defense Department.“It is the biggest reform to the Defense Organization in 50 years,” Pat Conroy, Minister for the Defense Industry, told reporters on Monday, 

The MacVoices Live! panel breaks down Apple's study on EU DMA impacts and why App Store pricing hasn't shifted as expected. huck Joiner, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, David Ginsburg, Mark Fuccio, Web Bixby, and Jim Rea also explore reports that Tesla may add CarPlay, and what that means for Rivian, GM, and the EV market.  This edition of MacVoices is supported by MacVoices Magazine, our free magazine on Flipboard. Updated daily with the best articles on the web to help you do more with your Apple gear and adjacent tech, access MacVoices Magazine content on Flipboard, on the web, or in your favorite RSS reader. Show Notes: Chapters: [0:08] Black Friday sale details from Take Control Books[0:40] Apple's DMA study and App Store pricing debate[1:30] Panel reactions to developer incentives and revenue shifts[3:08] Economist perspectives on the study's findings[4:06] Report: Tesla exploring CarPlay support[4:59] Rivian, Lucid, and broader EV ecosystem reactions[6:51] Anticipated Tesla update timeline and compatibility[9:59] Manufacturers dividing over CarPlay inclusion[11:15] EV market slowdown, discontinued models, and incentives[14:21] Tesla enters rental market; implications for CarPlay demand[17:20] CarPlay licensing questions and Apple's control[20:40] Closing notes and support options Links: Bloomberg: Tesla working to add CarPlayhttps://sixcolors.com/link/2025/11/bloomberg-tesla-working-to-add-carplay/ EU's Digital Markets Act Failed to Lower App Store Prices, Apple-Commissioned Study Sayshttps://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/12/dma-no-lower-fees-study/ Guests: Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky. Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon     http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect:      Web:     http://macvoices.com      Twitter:     http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner     http://www.twitter.com/macvoices      Mastodon:     https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner      Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner      MacVoices Page on Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/      MacVoices Group on Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice      LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/      Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe:      Audio in iTunes     Video in iTunes      Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:      Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss      Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

The MacVoices Live! panel breaks down Apple's study on EU DMA impacts and why App Store pricing hasn't shifted as expected. Chuck Joiner, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, David Ginsburg, Mark Fuccio, Web Bixby, and Jim Rea also explore reports that Tesla may add CarPlay, and what that means for Rivian, GM, and the EV market.  http://traffic.libsyn.com/maclevelten/MV25302.mp3 This edition of MacVoices is supported by MacVoices Magazine, our free magazine on Flipboard. Updated daily with the best articles on the web to help you do more with your Apple gear and adjacent tech, access MacVoices Magazine content on Flipboard, on the web, or in your favorite RSS reader. Show Notes: Chapters: [0:08] Black Friday sale details from Take Control Books [0:40] Apple's DMA study and App Store pricing debate [1:30] Panel reactions to developer incentives and revenue shifts [3:08] Economist perspectives on the study's findings [4:06] Report: Tesla exploring CarPlay support [4:59] Rivian, Lucid, and broader EV ecosystem reactions [6:51] Anticipated Tesla update timeline and compatibility [9:59] Manufacturers dividing over CarPlay inclusion [11:15] EV market slowdown, discontinued models, and incentives [14:21] Tesla enters rental market; implications for CarPlay demand [17:20] CarPlay licensing questions and Apple's control [20:40] Closing notes and support options Links: Bloomberg: Tesla working to add CarPlay https://sixcolors.com/link/2025/11/bloomberg-tesla-working-to-add-carplay/ EU's Digital Markets Act Failed to Lower App Store Prices, Apple-Commissioned Study Says https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/12/dma-no-lower-fees-study/ Guests: Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky. Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud. Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession 'firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon      http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect:      Web:      http://macvoices.com      Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner      http://www.twitter.com/macvoices      Mastodon:      https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner      Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner      MacVoices Page on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/      MacVoices Group on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice      LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/      Instagram:      https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe:      Audio in iTunes      Video in iTunes      Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:      Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss      Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

Jarrod Adam is Head of Production & Distribution at The Access Group Explore how Unleashed helps small businesses thrive through AI-driven inventory management, smarter tools, and actionable data that streamline operations and empower strategic growth. Summary Today I'm speaking with Jarrod Adam, Head of Production & Distribution at The Access Group. In this episode, we talk about . . . how Unleashed empowers small businesses with actionable data, AI-powered tools, and integrated inventory solutions. Introduction to Jarrod Adam and his background in product management The story behind Unleashed and its acquisition by The Access Group Overview of the inventory and warehouse management landscape for SMBs Unleashed's value proposition for small businesses and advisors When and why to move from basic inventory in GL systems to dedicated inventory tools Implementation approach and onboarding process at Unleashed Unleashed's ecosystem: integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify, Amazon & more Evolving supply chain issues post-COVID and solutions like Advanced Inventory Manager (AIM) AI in Unleashed: Evo copilot, AI feed, and intelligent agents Partner Portal for accountants and bookkeepers – real-time client access Use of operational data for advisory services The Unleashed Manufacturing Health Index – valuable for advisory insights Discussion around the manufacturing “haves and have-nots” Closing thoughts on simplicity, design, and real value from software

Recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, this episode features Candy Cole, Executive Director of the Manufacturing Association of Central Florida (MACF), in conversation with Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred. Cole shines a spotlight on the more than 6,000 manufacturers in Central Florida, 80% of which have fewer than 20 employees, and explains how MACF serves as a critical connector for these often-overlooked small businesses. From navigating utility challenges to workforce development and student outreach, Cole discusses how MACF helps manufacturers grow in a region often dominated by tourism headlines. This conversation is a powerful reminder of Florida's diverse economic engine and the urgent need to invest in the next generation of skilled workers. This podcast episode was recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: https://www.macf.biz

FOLLOW UP WITH LARALara Guevara is the CEO of Move Supply Chain, a Philippines-based supply chain agency that can help you develop new products, reduce COGS, speed up lead times, get better payment terms, and more. Schedule a call with Lara and her team at www.movesupplychain.com.Schedule time with Lara and Move Supply Chain at https://calendly.com/hello-movesupplychain/move-supply-chain-discovery-call?month=2025-11. Join Move's "Supply Chain Lounge" Slack group to get your questions answered: https://tinyurl.com/move-supplychain-loungeALSO REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEExplore working with the designer who designed my brand and packaging at https://aronsoncreative.com/FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.RICHPANELCut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.

How a 27-Year-Old Built 6 Gyms, a Statewide Equipment Company, and a New National Repair Service — with Colton BurtEp 199: Small Town Domination — How 27-Year-Old Gym Owner & Equipment Expert Colton Burt Built an Empire Across Rural Wisconsin Core Themes:Building profitable gyms in towns of 500–5,000 peopleHow to launch multiple locations with low overheadThe power of saying YES to opportunityHow the fitness equipment industry really worksGym Repair Now — the new service that's changing equipment repairs foreverContact Colton directly for equipment/repairs (details below)Most gym owners believe you need a huge city, big budgets, and prime real estate to grow a successful fitness business.But today's episode proves the exact opposite.Scott Carpenter sits down with 27-year-old gym owner and equipment operations expert, Colton Burt, who built:

The power industry is experiencing unprecedented demand growth, driven largely by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This surge is creating both opportunities and challenges for utilities, equipment manufacturers, and the broader power generation ecosystem. As a guest on The POWER Podcast, Seth Harris, growth director for Emerson's Power business in North America, discussed how the company is helping the industry navigate this transformative period. With 20 years at Emerson across various roles, Harris brings a comprehensive perspective on the evolving needs of power generation facilities. The Data Center Effect The conversation around power generation has fundamentally shifted. Data centers are forcing utilities to rethink everything. “I'm focused on the power markets, but I can't tell you the last time I was able to have a conversation about power without somehow referencing the data center aspect of it,” Harris said. This demand is affecting multiple stakeholders simultaneously. Manufacturers of turbines, heat recovery steam generators, control systems, valves, and instruments are all facing unprecedented orders. The challenge extends beyond simply meeting demand. Companies must rapidly scale up manufacturing capabilities and engineering resources that have been stagnant for years. Extending Plant Lifespans Among the things that must be rethought are decisions on existing plant operations. In some cases, power plants that were previously scheduled for retirement are now being extended. “The ability to deliver power as quickly as possible is certainly top of mind as this kind of race to deliver on the technology promises coming from AI and the various use cases for data centers has really put those existing assets in a place where they have to focus on driving the most efficiency and reliability they possibly can,” said Harris. However, many owners haven't been investing in these plants beyond the necessities, which means upgrades are often needed to keep the plants operating efficiently. “The technology has come a long way since those facilities were originally built,” Harris explained. Furthermore, operational expectations are changing. Rather than operating as baseload units, these legacy facilities may now only be called on to provide peaking or backup power, which means control systems may need upgrades to accommodate for that as well. Harris said retrofitting existing plants “has been a bit of a boom from an Emerson standpoint.”

The next two episodes of Reliability Matters will be all about contract manufacturing, an area that can make or break the reliability and success of a product.  Mike Konrad's guest on this episode is Raymond Novara, founder and owner of East End Assemblies, a US-based contract manufacturer recognized for its focus on quality, customer service, and compliance with AS9100 and IPC standards. During our conversation, Raymond talks about key questions that every OEM should be considering: What are the best practices for selecting a contract manufacturer? What common mistakes do companies make when working with a CM—especially in communication and hand-offs? How can design-for-manufacturability feedback prevent problems down the road? What should customers know about transitioning from prototypes to volume production? And how can contract manufacturers help ensure long-term product reliability, not just passing initial tests? If you're an OEM evaluating partners, an engineer preparing to hand off a design, or someone interested in how contract manufacturers contribute to product reliability, this episode is packed with insights.

In this episode, Adam Torres and reconnects with Mission Matters authors Bradley Kissler, Founder of VanCap and host of the upcoming Transformative Finance podcast, and Ed Hetherington, President of Hetherington Advisors, LLC. Brad and Ed explain how manufacturers can use financing strategically through virtual captive structures, why many companies don't need to “be in” the finance business to benefit from it, and how this shift can free up capital, reduce risk, and drive equipment sales. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, ⁠Adam Torres⁠ and reconnects with Mission Matters authors ⁠Bradley Kissler,⁠ Founder of VanCap and host of the upcoming Transformative Finance podcast, and ⁠Ed Hetherington⁠, President of Hetherington Advisors, LLC. Brad and Ed explain how manufacturers can use financing strategically through virtual captive structures, why many companies don't need to “be in” the finance business to benefit from it, and how this shift can free up capital, reduce risk, and drive equipment sales. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

     MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MINUTE: New United Healthcare CFO plans to restore the company's "swager"!      YOUR MEDICARE BENEFITS 2025: Surgery Lipitor (Atorvastatin) has endured a very large recall that may affect hundreds of thousands of users; There might be a pattern of lapses in drugs manufactured overseas. Finally, I examine the very small rate increases enjoyed by those insured by High Deductible Plan G. Inspired by: "MEDICARE FOR THE LAZY MAN 2025; SIMPLEST & EASIEST GUIDE EVER!" "MEDICARE DRUG PLANS: A SIMPLE D-I-Y GUIDE" "MEDICARE FOR THE LAZY MAN: BARE BONES!" For sale on Amazon.com. After enjoying the books, please consider returning to leave a short customer review to  help future readers. Official website: https://www.MedicareForTheLazyMan.com.

Tyler earned the 2025 Manufacturing Employee of the Year Award after leading one of WaterStep's most critical manufacturing efforts to date:A million-dollar contract required WaterStep to build 28 mobile water treatment systems (WoW Cart) in just 90 days. Failure wasn't an option — communities around the world were depending on this equipment for clean, safe drinking water.Tyler stepped up in a huge way:Reengineered the entire production processDeveloped a clear plan and structure for his teamDelivered all 28 units on time, saving the contractEnsured thousands of people received access to safe waterBut what made Tyler truly stand out wasn't just the systems he built — it was the team he built. WaterStep's manufacturing team is largely made up of volunteers, many with little or no factory experience. Tyler trained, encouraged, and inspired them, and when crunch time hit, those volunteers stayed late, worked weekends, and believed in the mission because Tyler helped them see their impact.Check out WaterStep's social:LinkedInFacebookInstagram Find all Built In The Bluegrass links here https://linktr.ee/builtinthebluegrass We want to take a moment to thank our partner – the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. For over 100 years, KAM has served our state's manufacturing industry through advocacy, workforce development, education, and training, as well as cost-saving benefits for members. Fighting for manufacturers is what KAM does best, representing the industry in both Frankfort and Washington, D.C. Whether it's advocacy, offering shipping discounts, or group health insurance, KAM has its members covered. Learn more and become a member by visiting www.kam.us.com

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The next two episodes will be all about contract manufacturing, an area that can make or break the reliability and success of a product. My guest on this episode is Raymond Novara, founder and owner of East End Assemblies, a U.S.-based contract manufacturer recognized for its focus on quality, customer service, and compliance with AS9100 and IPC standards.During our conversation, I'll be asking Raymond some key questions that every OEM should be considering:What are the best practices for selecting a contract manufacturer?What common mistakes do companies make when working with a CM—especially in communication and hand-offs?How can design-for-manufacturability feedback prevent problems down the road?What should customers know about transitioning from prototypes to volume production?And how can contract manufacturers help ensure long-term product reliability, not just passing initial tests?If you're an OEM evaluating partners, an engineer preparing to hand off a design, or someone interested in how contract manufacturers contribute to product reliability, this episode is packed with insights.Raymond Novara's Company:East End Assemblieshttps://eastendassemblies.com

We sit down with Adam of Boar Products. Manufacturers of all natural made in the USA Firearms cleaning and lubricating fluids. Get the low down on an all natural cleaning !

Many manufacturers are taking the wrong approach to artificial intelligence, picking the wrong implementation partners, and in general, not preparing their data effectively.In this interview, Aaron Lober - VP of Marketing at CADDi - is going to share what AI can realistically do for a manufacturing company and how to properly prepare for an AI implementation.

What does it take to navigate tariffs, rate cuts, and AI disruption all at once?Hosts Kevin Brown and Tom Burton break down the week's headlines that matter most to manufacturers and distributors, from the U.S. government shutdown and Fed policy to the emerging reality of AI‑driven decision‑making and agentic commerce. Discover why contextual intelligence is now a core leadership skill and how data strategy can turn economic uncertainty into competitive advantage. What You'll Learn:Why the shutdown's “fix” is really a delay until January 31, and how prediction markets like Polymarket quantify that risk The truth about tariffs and refund rumors, and why smart pricing beats policy guessworkWhat the Fed's next decision means for capital, lending, and distribution growth plans How AI‑enabled CRM and customer intelligence platforms deliver clarity from chaos Why leaders who blend economic awareness + data fluency will own the next decade of wholesale innovation Episode Highlights:03 : 12 –  The shutdown “ends”… or does it? Budget reset and political realities behind the deal 16 : 40 –  Prediction markets vs. traditional polls: how Polymarket nailed its forecast 31 : 25 –  Rate‑cut drama: inside the Fed meeting math and the Burton Market prediction 48 : 07 –  Tariff talk decoded, methodology matters more than headlines01 : 03 : 14 – Refunds or fantasy? Legal complexity of tariff paybacks explained01 : 14 : 58 –  AI and contextual intelligence: from theory to tool sets inside LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ 01 : 28 : 47 –  Final takeaways, leadership, data literacy, and the new rules of economic resilience Meet the Hosts:Kevin Brown and Tom Burton are co‑founders of LeadSmart Technologies, creators of LeadSmart Channel Cloud™, an AI‑enabled Customer Intelligence and Smart CRM platform purpose‑built for manufacturers and distributors. They bring decades of experience in distribution operations, software engineering, and data strategy to help leaders turn siloed information into growth insight.Tools & Frameworks Mentioned:LeadSmart Channel Cloud™ — Unified AI CRM for distributors & manufacturers Context Engineering — Aligning AI systems with business intent Agentic Commerce — Autonomous AI workflows for B2B transactions Prediction Markets (Polymarket) — Crowdsourced economic signal analysis Customer Intelligence Framework — Transforming ERP and CRM data into actionable insight Closing Insight:“AI doesn't replace relationships, it reinforces them by removing friction.” — Kevin Brown Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/ Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.

Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India's knitwear capital, has long depended on massive U.S. orders that shaped its factories, products, and growth. But when the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Indian garment imports, the town's export engine received a long-pending shock. Turns out, the crisis became a turning point. Manufacturers are now scrambling for discounts, shifting production to Sri Lanka and Kenya, reorienting toward Europe, and overhauling product lines from mass-market basics to intricate boutique styles. Amid layoffs, automation, and global diversification, Tiruppur's exporters are discovering something surprising.This shock may be exactly the push the industry needed to evolve.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Associated Equipment Distributors, we get a market update from Curt Blades, senior vice president of AEM. In the Technology Corner, Noah Newman catches up with Paul Welbig, director of precision technology for New Holland, for a conversation about the latest outlook for autonomy in agriculture. Also in this episode, Tennessee dealer Tim Brannon sheds some light on how livestock customers are failing compared to their row-crop counterparts and the latest Ag Economy Barometer highlights how farmers may spend government payments.

Sustainability goals are everywhere in manufacturing; net-zero by 2030, carbon neutral by 2035. While many manufacturers have set ambitious targets, the gap between goals and execution remains a challenge, especially when sustainability projects compete with production priorities for capital.Eric Spink and Shiva Subramanya from Veregy join the show to talk about energy transition and what it looks like in practice. Energy used to be just another line item and the cost of doing business, now it's tied to resilience, sustainability, and a company's long-term strategy.One key insight from the conversation was how the equipment on the perimeter of your manufacturing floor (think compressed air systems, boilers, refrigeration, and HVAC) consumes 60-80% of your plant's total energy.But manufacturers typically don't have expertise in these support utilities, which is why they get overlooked for efficiency opportunities.We dive into real projects, including a five-plant dairy operation where AI can predict steam demand based on production data. Plus, how performance contracting allows manufacturers to fund these projects using energy savings rather than tying up capital.In this episode, find out:Why energy has evolved from an expense to a strategic priorityHow perimeter equipment consumes 60-80% of plant energy but often receives the least attentionWhy sustainability projects typically compete with production priorities for budgetHow performance contracting uses energy savings to fund improvements without capital investmentThe low-hanging fruit in most plants, such as compressed air leaks, lighting upgrades, and controls optimizationWhat happens when you connect production data with utility systems using AI and advanced controlsReal examples from dairy processing that delivered significant energy savingsEnjoying 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:“Traditionally, manufacturing companies have relied on their own capital to implement sustainability projects. But they always compete with productivity goals. With performance contractors, companies can now use the savings from energy reductions and put their capital elsewhere but still implement energy efficiency projects.” - Eric Spink“Upgrading control systems by putting in PLC-based controls, and adding instrumentation and metering really allows all these systems to consume a lot less energy. Historically these have yielded very high paybacks, between one and a half and two years in many cases.” - Eric Spink“Having a sustainability goal is important, but having a sustainability plan is key. The sustainability plan needs to include how the organization is going to implement it and how it's going to be funded year-on-year.” - Shiva SubramanyaLinks & mentions:Veregy, an award-winning decarbonization company providing turnkey engineering and construction services to reduce energy costs through efficiency upgrades, smart building technology, EV infrastructure, and clean energy solutions.Skillwork, a premier staffing agency providing skilled industrial technicians on a contract basis to augment facility teams across 30+ states for elevated impact and decreased downtime.Fortinet, securing the world's largest enterprises, service...

In this episode of Component Connection, SBCA's Director of Business Development, Abby Langenberg, is joined by Executive Director Jess Lohse to talk about what component manufacturers can do to stay proactive and resilient in a shifting housing market. From developing new business and promoting components locally to diversifying offerings and learning from peers, this conversation breaks down real-world strategies manufacturers can use to keep growing — even when demand slows. Whether you're a seasoned CM or new to the industry, you'll come away with fresh ideas for building a stronger, more adaptable business.

In recent years, advancements in implant technology have prioritized patient safety and comfort. Manufacturers have introduced more cohesive silicone gels, improved shell designs, and enhanced surface textures to minimize complications. These innovations aim to provide more natural-looking results and ensure long-term durability while addressing previous concerns associated with older implants.In this episode we hear about the current state of implants, as well as whether there is still concern about Breast Implant Illness or possible malignancy, from Aesthetic Society president, Dr. Tracy Pfeifer. Listen to find out what you need to know!

This panel was recorded September 18, 2025.⁠⁠⁠⁠ We hope you'll join us live in the future to ask your own questions and participate in the attendee chat! See similar events on demand and read other free MedTech resources at ⁠RQMplus.com⁠.Manufacturers often focus on MDR or IVDR and miss cross-cutting EU laws that impact CE marking, technical documentation, quality systems, and reporting. As a result, devices may be delayed, blocked from the market, or recalled, and manufacturers may suffer legal penalties and reputational harm.In this RQM+ Live! panel discussion, experts from BSI, Brabners, and RQM+ map how sectoral, horizontal, and national requirements fit together, how notified bodies assess them, and how to build an evidence-based path to EU market access.We cover practical implications of recent and emerging regulations, including:Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542AI Act (EU) 2024/1689Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40European Health Data Space Regulation (EU) 2025/327You'll learn:About the market surveillance regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and EU Blue Guide.How to identify all applicable legislation for your product and verify coverage.What notified bodies expect to see and the typical level of scrutiny.How to structure your compliance register, QMS updates, and regulatory reporting.Transition timelines and planning tactics to avoid last-minute surprises.Who should listen: Regulatory, quality, clinical, legal, and product leaders responsible for EU market access for medical devices and IVDs.Panelists and moderator:Greg Griffin, PhD, MRSE – Technical Specialist, BSIClaire Burrows – Regulatory Partner, BrabnersChris Parr, PMP – Principal, RQM+Jaishankar Kutty, PhD – Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Reimbursement, & Market Access, RQM+ (Moderator)--

FELIPE MASSA AND THE 2008 CHAMPIONSHIP NOW IN COURT!…WHO KNEW AND, WHO DIDN'T KNOW? WILL LCH BE FORCED TO HAND OVER 2008 GOODIES?...HOW COULD PIASTRI DROP OFF SO BADLY? COMPARED TO LANDO NORRIS! AND, THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE GET NOSTALGIC WITH A LOOK BACK TO 2016...GP2 ENGINE AAAHHHH.... Felipe Massa's Legal Case: In 2023, Massa filed a lawsuit against the FIA (International Automobile Federation) and F1's governing body, arguing that the manipulation of the 2008 race — which he believes cost him the championship — was not only unfair but should have been investigated more thoroughly at the time. Key points in Massa's case include: Fraud and Misconduct: Massa alleges that the events surrounding the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 were fraudulent and misrepresented to the public, and that this directly affected the outcome of the championship. Potential Victory: He claims that, had the safety car period not occurred due to the orchestrated crash, he would have won the race and the title. Timing: Massa's case is built on the assertion that new evidence (like testimonies from insiders and other facts) has come to light, suggesting that the true extent of the manipulation wasn't fully revealed or dealt with at the time. Why Now? Massa's legal action comes years after the original events, with the key question being why the case is being pursued so late in the day. Some speculate that Massa might have been waiting for the right legal grounds or new evidence to surface, or simply for a change in the FIA's leadership and its handling of such cases. Current Status: As of late 2023, the case was ongoing, with Massa and his legal team looking to secure compensation or possibly even a re-opening of the 2008 season's results. Massa has hinted that he might be seeking justice more than just financial recompense. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for F1 and how the sport handles cases of team manipulation, race fixing, or other forms of cheating. It also raises questions about accountability within F1 and the FIA regarding race conduct. Massa's lawsuit is likely to be a long and complex legal battle, given the intricacies of sports law and the FIA's position in the motorsport world. How sweep it is: Porsche takes all three IMSA titles. At the end of the day, you can't talk about a history of racing without a history of winning. After a season of sweat, heat, trading paint and swapping drivers, Porsche Penske Motorsport has taken all three 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles: Drivers', Teams', and Manufacturers'. No race—and no championship—is a given until the checkered flag drops. Yet after finding victory lane in the first four races of the season, there was definitely something in the air around Porsche Penske Motorsport. And with victories secured at Daytona, Sebring, Long Beach, and Monterey, the 963 was cementing its status as another legendary Porsche endurance racer. A string of strong finishes followed, all of them in the face of intense competition—which is exactly how racing should be. Because it's in the heat of the moment that you learn the lessons that make you better. All of them culminating at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, where the whole Porsche Penske Motorsport crew took what they'd learned and made it official: they're the champs. JAK CRAWFORD CONFIRMED AS ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO THIRD DRIVER FOR 2026 AMRTC, Silverstone, 28 October 2025: The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team has announced that Young Driver Jak Crawford will become the team's Third Driver for the 2026 Formula One season. The role sees Jak act as the team's reserve driver at all races next season. The 20-year-old, who joined the team's Young Driver Development Programme in 2024, has accumulated over 2,000km in Formula One machinery. Most recently, he made his Grand Prix weekend debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix, driving Lance Stroll's AMR25 during FP1. Throughout 2025, Jak has been a constant presence in the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone, providing valuable technical feedback that has supported both race operations with the AMR25 and development work on the 2026 challenger, the AMR26.  Jak is currently competing in his third Formula 2 season, where he sits second in the Drivers' Championship. The series heads to Qatar next month for the first of the final two rounds.  Jak Crawford, Young Driver, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team: “I'm incredibly proud to be confirmed as the Third Driver for 2026. It's a huge moment in my journey with Aston Martin Aramco and a big motivation to keep learning and contributing. Over the past two seasons, I've learned so much from being in the Formula 1 environment, both at the factory and trackside. I'll be doing everything I can to support the team and continue developing as a driver.” Andy Cowell, CEO and Team Principal, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team: “It is great to see Jak progress to become our Third Driver for 2026. Over the past two years, he has shown his value as a key member of our driver squad and built up a valuable bank of experience and test mileage. Jak has impressed in the simulator, having completed regular sessions at the AMR Technology Campus to support our race operations and car development. Jak's performances in Formula 2 have also been outstanding, and we are excited to continue supporting his growth as he takes on a bigger role.  

In this highly informative episode, recorded at the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred talks with Michael Lauer, founder of Taxster, a boutique CPA firm specializing in helping small and mid-sized manufacturers uncover valuable, often-overlooked tax opportunities. Lauer breaks down two of the biggest current incentives: a newly fixed R&D tax credit available retroactively through July 4th and a powerful new provision that allows manufacturers to fully write off new facility costs in the first year. He also explains why showing profitability on tax returns is crucial not just for tax purposes, but also for securing loans and preparing for a business sale. Whether you're building a new plant or innovating on the shop floor, this episode offers timely advice that could put serious money back in your business. This podcast episode was recorded live at the MakeMore Manufacturing Summit hosted at the Embassy Suites Downtown Orlando. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: https://www.taxster.co/

Small Business Economy Steady; AI Remains a 'Toy'. Gene Marks reports on the small business economy, noting steady activity among machine parts manufacturers, often preparing for an "onshoring boom." Construction and housing are holding steady but anticipate a future boom as interest rates decline. Tariffs have a muted impact, often absorbed or passed on as separate invoice line items for transparency. Marks demonstrates that AI, despite its advances, is not ready for prime-time business use, failing to accurately generate a requested image of a Yorkshire Terrier hitting a home run.

Small Business Economy Steady; AI Remains a 'Toy'. Gene Marks reports on the small business economy, noting steady activity among machine parts manufacturers, often preparing for an "onshoring boom." Construction and housing are holding steady but anticipate a future boom as interest rates decline. Tariffs have a muted impact, often absorbed or passed on as separate invoice line items for transparency. Marks demonstrates that AI, despite its advances, is not ready for prime-time business use, failing to accurately generate a requested image of a Yorkshire Terrier hitting a home run.