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Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

Manufacturing is challenging, but if you are connected to a community of leaders, you can elevate your skills, solve your problems and grow your business! MakingChips was launched in 2014 to equip and inspire the metalworking nation. Hundreds of episodes and a million downloads later, it’s an industry-leading source of information, inspiration, and entertainment for manufacturing leaders of all types. It’s hosted by Jason Zenger and Nick Goellner, two multi-generational manufacturing leaders, and they’re joined by a rotating panel of expert guests – including Titan Gilroy (TITANS of CNC), John Saunders (NYC CNC), Mark TerryBerry (Haas Automation), and many more. Join us as we tackle the topics that keep you up at night - leadership, operations, technology, growth, workforce development and culture.
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Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders
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Now displaying: June, 2015
Jun 17, 2015

We introduced you to Patricia Miller of Matrix IV back in episode 26 and in today’s episode we’re going to do a deeper dive into the challenges and victories Patricia has faced as she’s taken over the reigns of her family’s ailing manufacturing company. The insights she shares as a former marketer from the biotech field, looking into the manufacturing industry for the first time, are very insightful and worth a listen.

 

As Patricia Miller took over the reigns of her grandfather’s failing company she realized that she had her work cut out for her. The company was stuck in the 70s and had to pivot quickly or else it would die. Patricia took immediate steps to do a handful of vital things - 4 in fact - that she highlights in this episode of Making Chips.

 

First on Patricia Miller’s list of advice for those in the manufacturing industry is the vital need to build community and connection within the industry. She did exactly that after taking over as leader of Matrix IV, going to conventions and local meetups, using the internet to get to know other influencers and leaders within the manufacturing industry, and working to not only be known, but to get to know others in the community for the sake of mutual support and help as the industry moves forward in a new era.

 

Patricia’s marketing background comes into play as she looks at the way the manufacturing industry has traditionally done its own marketing - and she’s convinced that more time needs to be spent by company owners getting to know their market, asking their customers how they are doing at meeting their needs, how their needs are changing, and what they can do to better serve and enable their clients to achieve their business goals. Companies need to become more concerned with creating a positive experience for their customers and those who might use their services in the future.

 

As Matrix IV began to re-grow under the leadership of its new CEO, Patricia Miller, many challenges and hurdles had to be overcome. Morale and company culture needed attention immediately, as did the discovery of new pools or niches of customers so that the business could continue on a solvent path. On top of all that, Patricia had to discover how to add much needed employees to get the company producing effectively while balancing a very meager budget at the same time. You’ll learn a lot from Patricia’s advice.



All this and more on this episode of Making Chips!

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Here’s the outline of part two of the conversation with Patricia

 

  • Patricia Miller from Matrix IV - inheriting a family business after a successful marketing career in the corporate world.

  • Through the eyes of a newbie - Patricia’s observations and advice to those who are in the manufacturing industry.

  • The power of community and connections within the industry and how Patricia made connections within the manufacturing community after taking over the helm at Matrix IV.

  • Why Patricia thinks it’s very important for manufacturers to truly understand their market, their clients, and how to create a positive position for them.

  • The first steps Patricia took to understand her market and customers.

  • The valuable presence and a path forward for the manufacturing industry in the U.S.

  • Why change is a great ally for manufacturing companies.

  • The first thing that had to change in her company when Patricia moved into the manufacturing industry.

  • How the culture in Patricia’s company has changed as she’s implemented improvements.

  • The challenges of adding employees to an older company.

  • The roadblocks experienced as the company experienced its re-growing pains.

  • What Patricia believes will be the next steps in the growth of Matrix IV.

Links mentioned on this episode

 

Part 1 of the conversation with Patricia Miller - http://www.makingchips.com/mc026-40-year-old-manufacturing-startup-with-patricia-miller-of-matrix-iv-podcast/

 

Patricia’s company - Matrix IV - http://www.matrixiv.com/

 

Episode 18 with Ray Ziganta

http://www.makingchips.com/the-third-place-for-engineers-with-ray-ziganto-mc018-podcast/

 

Episode 22 - Create your corporate snapshot

http://www.makingchips.com/taking-your-corporate-snapshot-podcast-mc022/

 

www.MakingChips.com/contact

 

Or call us at 312-725-0245

Tweets you can use to tell others about the benefits of vending systems

 

Is my #manufacturing company a positive experience for my customers? http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

 

Learn to market your #manufacturing company without a #marketing degree http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

 

A #thankyounote is one of the most powerful messages you can send to your customers http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

 

Change produces hope, even in the #manufacturing industry http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

 

Changing the culture in your manufacturing shop is hard, but worth it http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

 

Why #change is a great ally for #manufacturing companies that want to grow http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=516

Jun 10, 2015

Marketing is an important part of any business. It’s got to be because it’s how you let people know who you are and what you do. That’s something that can never change. But the WAY you marketing has GOT to change. Why? Because the world we live in changes. People are repulsed or attracted by different things today than they were even a few years ago. Marketing has got to flex with the times.

 

In this episode of Making Chips, Jim Carr and Jason Zenger walk you through their personal mindset about marketing for the manufacturing industry, focusing on the top old-school marketing tactics that don’t work in the modern era. Some of them are seen as “staples” of good marketing but simply don’t yield results and wind up wasting money. Listen in to find out what they are.

 

A peek into this episode: Interruption marketing. Do you know what that is? Do you know why it’s probably the WORST way to get attention for your manufacturing business? And do you know if you’re doing it or not? If you didn’t know what it was in the first place, chances are you are still doing it. Listen in to this episode to learn how to modify your marketing tactics so you can be more effective in generating interest in your services and products.

 

Do you use the Yellow Pages to market your business? Jim and Jason beleive the good old YP are a thing of the past as well. The ways people search for information have gone increasingly online and less toward print. The advent of smartphone technology is making that more true every day. The money you spend for those expensive yellow pages ads could be money wasted. Jim and Jason will explain it in the episode.

 

In manufacturing news, there’s a growing need for skilled, quality people in the manufacturing industry. Opportunities are abundant and more are popping up every day. There’s plenty of room for advancement and good salaries. Listen to this episode of Making Chips to find out more details about this great opportunity.

 

All this and more on this episode of Making Chips!

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Here’s the outline of the conversation

 

  • The possibility of sponsorship opportunities for the Making Chips podcast.

  • News items: Quality people needed in the manufacturing industry.

  • No more interruption marketing - do you know what that means?

  • What about the yellow pages and manufacturing directories? Should you really be in there?

  • Are you a spammer? You might be surprised.

  • General radio advertisements.

  • Line cards, facilities lists, and brochures - do you need them?

  • What is permission-based marketing? It’s the new way marketing works today.

  • Do you know what inbound marketing is? You need to.

  • Jim and Jason’s personal top No-No’s of traditional marketing.

 

Links mentioned on this episode

 

www.MakingChips.com/contact


Or call us at 312-725-0245

Jun 4, 2015

That’s what Patricia Miller’s professional associates told her when she started investigating the possibility of taking over her family business after she’d already pursued and been successful at a career that included marketing, corporate leadership, and politics. Put yourself in her shoes and you’ll probably understand why they said what they did. She’d already experienced many perks that manufacturing leaders seldom do. Travel, posh offices, important connections - yet, she says her heart and her home pulled her back to take over her grandfather’s failing manufacturing business.

 

Welcome to Making Chips - THE podcast for manufacturing leaders and those involved in the manufacturing industry. Jim Carr and Jason Zenger bring you these shows week after week to help you keep on top of what’s happening in the manufacturing industry and to equip you to be the leader of your company as you desire to be.

 

Today the guys are talking with Patricia Miller in what is likely part one of a two part conversation. Patricia’s story is anything but typical. Though she was surrounded by the world of manufacturing as a child, spending time around her grandparent’s very successful machine shop, she never felt a draw to be “in” the family business. Her parents encouraged her to pursue her dreams and she did exactly that. But when her grandfather retired and his health failed, Patricia was at a juncture in her own life where she was choosing her next step. Suddenly, the option of taking over her grandparent’s business was a very real possibility that she’d not considered before.

 

In this episode of Making Chips you’re going to hear Patricia’s story of moving out of the corporate world to take over a manufacturing business that she admits was “stuck in the 70s” and on its last leg. It’s a story that testifies to the value and importance of long-time manufacturing operations and the leadership abilities of one amazing lady.

 

Grab your coffee, turn up the volume, and join Jim, Jason, and their guest Patricia Miller, CEO of Matrix IV as they discuss the process of moving a old-school manufacturing business into the modern era. On this episode of Making Chips.

 

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Here’s the outline of the conversation with Patricia

 

  • The story of Matrix IV, beginning with Patricia’s grandfather and grandmother

  • Patricia’s experience as a child being around the world of manufacturing

  • Patricia’s education led her into corporate leadership, politics, pharmaceuticals, and everything BUT manufacturing

  • Patricia’s opportunity to take over the leadership of Matrix IV and how she came to that decision

  • The realization that the company was stuck in the 1970s and what Patricia did about it

  • The first steps toward rejuvenating a tired, old business

  • How 400% growth since Patricia’s arrival is spurring the business forward

 

Links mentioned on this episode

 

Patricia’s company - Matrix IV - http://www.matrixiv.com/

 

An article from “Plastics News” describing what Patricia has done with Matrix IV - http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20141212/NEWS/141219962/new-leader-gives-molder-a-spark

 

www.MakingChips.com - sign up for the Making Chips newsletter & podcast posts automatically (your information is never given to anyone else).

 

You can leave a comment or add to the discussion on this episode by visiting http://www.MakingChips.com/25

 

Or call us at 312-725-0245

Tweets you can use to tell others about the benefits of vending systems

 

Old-school manufacturing has to move into the modern age. It’s a new day http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=490

 

My family encouraged me not to come back and take over the family business http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=490

 

I had done the things I wanted to do and decided to consider taking over the family business http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=490

 

90% of the business had gone offshore before I took over the leadership http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=490

 

I decided to take over this family business that was 6 months from having no cash http://www.MakingChips.com/?p=490

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