As we close out 2025, we’re wrapping up more than just a year. This episode marks the conclusion of the Machine Shop MBA series, a collaboration with CLA and Modern Machine Shop built around insights from the Top Shops benchmarking program. What started as a practical exploration of shop metrics ends with a much bigger question: what truly separates shops that survive from shops that endure?
For this final chapter, we’re joined again by Brent Donaldson of Modern Machine Shop, who helped kick off the series earlier in the year. Drawing from hundreds of shop visits and years of benchmarking data, Brent helps us connect the dots across operations, finance, leadership, and strategy. Together, we reflect on a clear shift happening across manufacturing: moving away from pure “rise and grind” thinking and toward intentionally designed systems.
Throughout the episode, we revisit five deceptively simple questions pulled directly from the Top Shops survey. These questions challenge assumptions and expose where real opportunity lives. From RFQ response time and revenue per employee to reinvestment discipline, standardized scheduling, and succession planning, each one reinforces a central theme we’ve explored all year.
Rather than chasing the next machine or relying on one big customer, the most resilient shops we see are building repeatable processes, measuring what matters, and reducing dependence on tribal knowledge. This conversation serves as both a reflection on what we’ve learned through the Machine Shop MBA series and a call to action as we head into 2026.
If there’s one takeaway we hope sticks, it’s this: the shops that last aren’t just collections of people and equipment. They are systems. Designed on purpose. Improved on purpose. And built to outlast any one individual.
Some episodes are planned. Others are produced. And then there are episodes like this one—where the setting, the people, and the moment all collide into something memorable. For the 500th episode of MakingChips, the team gathered once again At the Boring Bar for an unfiltered, bourbon-fueled roundtable with leaders from across the manufacturing ecosystem.
Recorded live at Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions during the Top Shops Conference in Charlotte, this special annual episode brings together shop owners, executives, advisors, and industry partners for the kinds of conversations that usually happen after the microphones are turned off. The drinks are poured, the guardrails come down, and the real stories start to flow.
What emerges is an honest discussion about what truly separates top-performing shops from the rest. Not hype. Not buzzwords. But culture, systems, communication, and the discipline to do the hard things consistently—especially when cash flow is tight, customers are demanding, and complexity is rising.
From benchmarking through the Top Shops survey to navigating OEM power dynamics, cash flow strain, customer communication, and the maturity of manufacturing as an industry, this conversation reflects how far the industry has come—and how far it still needs to go. Along the way, there are laughs, sharp takes, personal stories, and more than a few lessons earned the hard way.
This is At the Boring Bar. And for Episode 500, it’s exactly where the MakingChips conversation belongs.
What happens when a machine shop does everything right operationally but still feels exposed when markets shift, customers pull back, or one industry cools overnight? In this episode of MakingChips, the conversation turns squarely toward one of the most uncomfortable and misunderstood areas of manufacturing leadership: proactive sales and diversification.
We’re joined by Gabe Draper, founder of Factur, and Alan Hartmann, CEO of Hartmann’s Inc., a multi-generation Texas manufacturer. Gabe shares a raw and honest origin story that starts with growing up in a manufacturing family, fighting to save a struggling shop, riding the oil and gas rollercoaster, and ultimately losing nearly everything when the downturn hit. That experience became the catalyst for building Factur, a company designed to help shops avoid reactive, last-minute sales cycles by intentionally filling their pipeline.
Alan brings the perspective of a well-run, highly capable shop that realized success alone wasn’t protection. With major customers concentrated in just a few industries, Hartmann’s needed diversification, not because business was slow, but because resilience matters. Through their partnership with Factur, Alan explains how proactive sales, clearer positioning, and market intelligence led to rapid customer growth, industry expansion, and the confidence to invest in new capabilities.
We unpack the difference between scarcity and abundance mindsets, why most shops accidentally commoditize themselves, and how sales, operations, and finance must work together as equal legs of the stool. From aerospace and medical to space flight and Swiss machining, this episode offers a candid look at how manufacturers can stop waiting for the phone to ring and start taking control of their future.
Some conversations feel scripted. This one… absolutely did not. Larry Robbins walked in ready to talk life, passion, family, culture, workholding, philosophy, and whatever else popped into his head — and somehow it all connected back to manufacturing. This episode of MakingChips is one of the most unhinged, hilarious, honest, and wisdom-packed conversations we’ve ever recorded.
Larry has been in the industry for nearly 46 years, and he’s collected enough stories, scars, and laughs for ten careers. From his father dragging him into the business (“long hair doesn’t work here”) to his famous explanation that SMW makes “magic hands,” Larry blends humor and experience into lessons every shop owner needs to hear. His passion for the industry is unmatched — and his candor is even better.
Throughout the episode, the crew dives into culture, leadership, lying (don’t), modularity, flexibility, high-density workholding, predictable setups, financing equipment, and why you should stop crawling across a dollar to pick up a dime. Larry opens up about the future of manufacturing, warns against bad advice, and reminds everyone that machining touches every single thing in the world.
If you’re ready for an episode that’s equal parts educational and unhinged in the best possible way, buckle up — Larry Robbins is in rare form.
In this special episode of MakingChips, we broadcast from the EBITDA Growth Systems Double Your Value Planning Event—a gathering designed to pull shop owners out of the day-to-day grind and force intentional thinking about long-term growth. This year’s event was hosted at the Sandvik Coromant facility in Mebane, North Carolina, creating a perfect backdrop for conversations about planning, strategy, and culture.
Paul is joined by three key voices who bring decades of hard-earned manufacturing wisdom: Jim Carr, a founding voice of MakingChips; Zach Overton, who is deep in the trenches of leading a multi-generation shop through transition and growth; and David Capkovitz, co-founder of EBITDA Growth Systems, whose strategic coaching framework is the backbone of this entire event. They pull back the curtain on why the event exists, how planning actually becomes actionable, and how shops can double their value in three years.
Together, they dive into the realities every manufacturer faces—financial blind spots, operational challenges, cultural shifts, succession dilemmas, and the emotional weight of leadership. David’s perspective as a coach blends seamlessly with Jim and Zach’s lived experiences, creating a conversation that’s equal parts strategic and deeply human.
This episode highlights why stepping away from the shop floor is often the missing link for achieving the next level of growth. Whether you’re planning for 2026, building resilience for a generational handoff, or simply trying to stop fighting fires, the insights shared here offer a clear direction forward. And yes—there’s also a Cheerwine Old Fashioned or two.
If you’re ready to plan your next chapter with more clarity and confidence, this episode gives you the mindset and the roadmap to get started.
In this episode of MakingChips, we sit down with Charlie Hushek, President of Phoenix Heat Treating, whose family has been in the heat-Treating world for over a century. Charlie is a fifth-generation heat Treatinger—but his leadership story is anything but inherited. When he stepped into the business in 2020, he wasn’t handed stability. He was handed a crisis.
Within a matter of months, Phoenix Heat Treating lost its NADCAP certification—twice—suffered major operational setbacks, faced COVID turmoil, and endured the tragic loss of their general manager. For a company where more than 70% of revenue is tied to regulated aerospace work, this wasn’t a stumble. It was a free fall. And it forced Charlie into leadership far earlier—and far harder—than he expected.
But instead of shrinking from the challenge, Charlie transformed it into a total rebuild. He redesigned their QMS from the ground up, implemented true systems thinking, rewrote cultural standards, and introduced transparent, performance-driven practices that aligned every employee around shared values. The result? A thriving business, a revitalized culture, and a blueprint for how to rebuild a manufacturing company under extreme pressure.
In this raw and energizing conversation, Charlie shares how Phoenix Heat Treatinging went from chaos to clarity, how culture becomes a competitive advantage, and what it takes to lead a team through uncertainty, fear, and burnout—and come out stronger on the other side. If you’re leading a shop through change, growth, or crisis, this episode is a masterclass.
Top Shops 2025 brought together the most innovative, forward-thinking leaders in manufacturing—and this year’s gathering at the NASCAR Hall of Fame felt like stepping directly into the winners’ circle. Surrounded by the energy of hundreds of top-tier manufacturers, we sat down with the four shops recognized as the crème de la crème in their categories: Technology, Shopfloor Technology, Business Strategy, and Human Resources. Together, these honorees represent what’s possible when ambition meets execution.
In this special episode of MakingChips, recorded live in Charlotte, we talk with each winner about the decisions, investments, philosophies, and people that drove their rise to the top. From multimachine pallet-tech automation and Swiss machining efficiency to bold equipment investments and workforce strategies that transform culture, each story reveals a different path to excellence. Yet all four shops share a mindset of curiosity, courage, and relentless improvement.
Throughout these conversations, we explore how technology becomes a competitive advantage, how small teams can deliver massive output, why unconventional business strategies can pay off, and how employee-first leadership becomes the backbone of success. Every guest brings candor, humor, and real-world wisdom—showing that you don’t become a Top Shop by accident.
Whether you’re just starting your Top Shops journey or are already benchmarking in the top percentile, you’ll walk away from this episode energized, inspired, and equipped with ideas you can put into practice immediately. Because these shops aren’t just winning awards—they’re redefining what modern manufacturing looks like.
When you walk into IMTS—the International Manufacturing Technology Show—it’s easy to be awestruck by the machines, the energy, and the sheer scale. But few people realize just how much planning, logistics, and collaboration go into bringing that experience to life. In this episode of MakingChips, we sit down with Mark Kennedy, Senior Director of Exhibitions at AMT, to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the world’s largest manufacturing trade show comes together.
This conversation dives deep into the IMTS Exhibitor Workshop, a two-day event that helps exhibitors prepare for success long before the show floor opens. Mark explains how exhibitors—from first-timers to seasoned veterans—can maximize ROI, streamline operations, and turn their IMTS booth into a “Super Bowl moment” for their brand.
From freight logistics and pavilion planning to marketing strategy and exhibitor education, Mark shares stories that reveal the incredible coordination required to transform McCormick Place into a million-square-foot hub of innovation. The hosts also share their own trade show experiences—from lessons learned the hard way to creative booth strategies like ProShop’s “Ambassador Program.”
Whether you’re an exhibitor, attendee, or simply curious about the manufacturing event that defines the industry every two years, this episode offers a rare look at what it takes to make IMTS happen—and how to make it count.
We’re coming to you once again from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit in Washington, D.C.—the largest gathering of small business owners in U.S. history. This time, we’re joined by two inspiring leaders from the Metalworking Nation who prove that the heart of American manufacturing beats strongest in small towns and family-run shops.
Our guests, Jenny Steffensmeier, owner of Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing in Pilot Grove, Iowa, and Paul Bothe, third-generation owner of a CNC job shop in Kenosha, Wisconsin, share how the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program transformed not only their businesses, but their lives. From resilience in the face of loss to the legacy of family ownership and the power of advocacy, their stories show what it means to make small big.
Together, we talk about how to lead through transition, the role of creativity in machining, and why the best shops are built by “high-quality people doing high-quality work.” Whether you’re a shop owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a believer in the power of community, this episode will remind you why manufacturing matters—and how small businesses create a big impact.
We’re coming to you live from Washington, D.C., at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit—the largest gathering of small business owners in U.S. history. With more than 2,700 entrepreneurs in one place, the energy is electric, and the conversations are powerful. Among them is our guest, Brandon Dahms, owner of Innovative Manufacturing & Engineering (IME) in Des Moines, Iowa.
Brandon’s story captures what this summit is all about—growth, resilience, and transformation. After starting his career with plans to work in sports marketing, he took an unexpected turn into manufacturing and never looked back. Today, his 10,000-square-foot, lights-out machining operation runs nearly 24/7, serving as proof that automation, strategy, and strong leadership can turn even the smallest shop into a powerhouse.
In this episode, we talk with Brandon about how the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program helped him refine his growth strategy, strengthen his company culture, and position IME for long-term success. We dive into what it’s like to go through a program that feels like an “MBA for real-world business owners” and how it shaped his ability to pivot from a traditional job shop to a high-volume, automated manufacturer.
We also explore the advocacy side of the program—how small business owners like Brandon are meeting directly with congressional leaders to influence policy on issues that affect manufacturers every day: workforce development, healthcare costs, and economic uncertainty. From his experience in the classroom to his conversations on Capitol Hill, Brandon shows how one voice can help represent the entire metalworking nation.
If you’ve ever wondered how programs like this can truly impact your business—and why stepping outside your bubble might be the key to future growth—this conversation is one you don’t want to miss.
In this powerful installment of the Machine Shop MBA series, we welcome two guests who embody the heart of continuous improvement: Noah Goellner, President of AME and Hennig, and Nick DeGeorgia, Manufacturing Engineer at P1 Industries.
What starts as a story of one listener’s journey—from cutting chips to becoming a lean champion—evolves into a masterclass on how lean thinking transforms not just the shop floor, but every function of an organization. Nick shares how MakingChips inspired him to bring process improvement into his career, using whiteboards, kaizen events, and a relentless focus on reducing waste to reshape his company culture.
We also break down how lean applies far beyond machining—into quoting, engineering, office workflows, and even sales strategy. They unpack how to start small, gain buy-in, and build trust that leads to sustained results.
From Kanban systems to complete-and-accurate feedback loops, this conversation bridges the gap between concept and practice. Whether you’re a shop leader, engineer, or business owner, this episode offers a blueprint for turning lean from a buzzword into a daily habit that drives clarity, collaboration, and growth.
Every machine shop relies on outside processes—whether that’s heat treating, plating, grinding, or coating. But every time a part leaves your building, your risk profile changes. Quality, timing, and accountability become harder to control. In this episode of MakingChips, the hosts sit down with Charlie Hushek, owner of Phoenix Heat Treating and a newly minted machine shop owner, to unpack what it really takes to manage outside processes like a pro.
Charlie’s experience on both sides of the fence—running a generational heat-treating company and now owning a machining operation—gives him a rare perspective on what separates smooth partnerships from painful ones. He shares the top mistakes shops make when sending parts out, how to build lasting vendor relationships, and how to turn your outside processes into a seamless extension of your own workflow.
The conversation dives deep into practical strategies for planning, communication, and documentation, plus how to handle the inevitable hiccups along the way. From establishing fixed processes to verifying incoming and outgoing inspections, this episode equips manufacturing leaders with the tools they need to reduce risk, improve consistency, and strengthen their supplier relationships.
If you’ve ever lost sleep waiting on a heat-treating order—or had a part fall off a truck—this one’s for you.
Finance doesn’t have to be a mystery—it can be your greatest advantage. In this episode of the Machine Shop MBA series, we sit down with Jon Hughes, Erik Skie, and Mike Estes from CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) to unpack the financial principles that separate high-performing shops from those that just get by. Together, they dig into how manufacturers can transform their accounting systems from mere compliance tools into strategic assets that fuel growth.
From understanding capacity and pricing to mastering forecasting and job costing, this conversation bridges the gap between the shop floor and the balance sheet. CLA’s experts explain why simplicity often beats complexity, how to avoid “bad business” when chasing volume, and why aligning cost structure with capacity utilization is the secret to consistent profitability.
They also explore how automation and advanced equipment investments change the financial equation, why separating costing from pricing is essential, and how the best-run shops use forecasting not just to plan—but to learn. Whether you’re running a $3M job shop or a $30M operation, this episode gives you the tools to make smarter financial decisions and build long-term resilience.
What happens when two brothers with a racing background decide to start a machine shop—with zero machining experience? You get Olson Custom Designs, a company that’s gone from two Haas machines in 2014 to nearly 90 employees today—serving medical, defense, and aerospace industries out of a world-class facility in Indianapolis.
In this episode, we sit down with Mitch and Brian Olson to unpack the remarkable story behind their explosive growth. They share how their competitive drive from sprint car racing carried over to machining, the lessons learned from starting with no industry experience, and the systems that have fueled their scale—from culture to ProShop ERP.
The brothers talk openly about the struggles of starting from scratch, the importance of integrity and teamwork, and how they’ve built a facility and a culture that attracts top young talent. They also dig into how automation, palletization, and continuous improvement have allowed them to grow at breakneck speed without losing control of quality—or their vision for what manufacturing should look like.
This episode is packed with lessons on grit, growth, and leadership for anyone looking to take their shop from humble beginnings to high performance.
Recruiting and retaining great people is one of the biggest challenges in manufacturing today—but what if the solution isn’t just about wages or benefits, but about building a culture where people thrive? In this episode of the Machine Shop MBA series, we are joined by guest co-host Jon Franko and special guest Mike Tamasi, CEO of AccuRounds, a former Top Shops award winner for Human Resources.
Mike shares how AccuRounds has become an employer of choice by focusing on community engagement, core values, and creating opportunity for every team member. From partnering with vocational schools and launching unique workforce development programs to embracing servant leadership and lifelong learning, Mike reveals why culture is not a buzzword—it’s a competitive advantage.
You’ll hear how AccuRounds is tackling the workforce shortage by looking beyond traditional talent pools, empowering young people through co-ops and internships, and even launching initiatives like the Uniquely Abled Academy to provide CNC training for adults on the autism spectrum. The results? A highly engaged team, industry recognition, and stories of employees buying homes, building families, and creating meaningful careers.
If you’re a shop leader struggling with workforce challenges—or simply looking for fresh ideas on how to build a resilient and loyal team—this episode is packed with lessons you can implement immediately.
Leadership is more than a buzzword—it’s the backbone of every successful machine shop. In this episode of MakingChips—Machine Shop MBA, hosts Paul Van Metre and Jen Dubose sit down with Kyra Tillman, owner of BTM Industries, to explore what real leadership looks like on the shop floor and in the front office.
Kyra inherited a decades-old family shop steeped in tradition and transformed it into a forward-looking, systems-driven operation without losing its close-knit culture. Drawing on her experience in construction and her perspective as a non-machinist leader, she shares how she built trust, introduced new systems, and developed her people—all while respecting the expertise already on her team.
This conversation digs into the mechanics of leadership in a small manufacturing business: why humility and transparency matter, how to foster a culture of continuous improvement, and the difference between managing work and leading people. Kyra also outlines her approach to apprenticeship programs, leadership training, and grants, showing that even small shops can invest in their workforce and future.
Whether you’re an established owner or just starting your journey, Kyra’s lessons on change management, talent development, and leading by example will help you strengthen your shop from the inside out.
In this special MakingChips Machine Shop MBA episode, we sit down with Peter Doyle—CEO of Hirsh Precision—to unpack what it takes to grow and transform a machine shop with purpose. From his roots as an Air Force officer to leading a former Top Shops award winner, Peter has blended strategy, structure, and heart into a roadmap any shop leader can learn from.
Peter shares why strategic vision is more than a slogan on a wall. He explains how his team at Hirsh Precision focuses on high-mix, low-volume work, invests heavily in sales and marketing, and positions themselves as partners to engineers—not just parts suppliers. This shift has generated a steady stream of new business opportunities while maintaining the discipline required for regulated industries like aerospace and medical.
Throughout the conversation, Peter emphasizes the importance of deliberate decisions: building customer-centric processes, developing leaders, hiring wisely, and implementing technology and certifications that align with their mission to “improve quality of life through precision manufacturing solutions.”
For machine shop owners, managers, and future leaders, this episode is a blueprint for balancing risk with reward—how to create a strategic growth vision, win the right customers, and build a resilient team ready for the next decade of manufacturing innovation.
If you’ve ever lost sleep wondering whether you missed a critical detail in a quote—or felt the adrenaline of winning a job only to realize you underpriced it—this MakingChips episode is for you. Recorded live at FABTECH 2025, Nick sits down with Jason Ray, founder of Paperless Parts, to unveil a breakthrough tool that promises to transform how shops handle complex RFQs, drawings, and bills of materials.
Over the past decade, Paperless Parts has become synonymous with solving bottlenecks in estimating and quoting. Their mission has been clear: empower people—not replace them—with software designed to make quoting faster, smarter, and less risky. In this conversation, Jason shares how their latest release takes that vision even further by surfacing critical requirements buried inside complex drawings and bills of materials.
This episode is full of relatable stories and practical lessons. Jason explains how the new “Requirements Review” functionality captures tribal knowledge, accelerates mentoring, and helps shops avoid underpricing jobs while improving their RFQ triage process.
Nick and Jason also dig into the big picture: the hype cycle of AI in manufacturing, the importance of trust and customer retention, and the future of Paperless Parts—including “historical intelligence” and next-level shop insights.
Whether you’re a shop owner, estimator, or manufacturing leader, you’ll leave this episode with actionable takeaways for quoting more accurately, prioritizing the right work, and scaling your business intelligently.
Every machine shop leader knows you can buy the best equipment, implement cutting-edge automation, and have bulletproof processes—but without the right team and culture, growth will stall. In this episode of MakingChips Machine Shop MBA, we talk with Matt Wardle, President of JD Machine, about how he transformed a small Utah shop into a 210-person powerhouse by prioritizing people and culture over everything else.
Matt’s story shows what happens when leadership takes workforce development seriously. From his early days as a 10-person shop owner watching competitors poach his talent, to becoming a two-time Top Shops winner recognized for HR and culture, Matt has built a system for attracting, training, and retaining the kind of people who make growth possible.
We dive deep into JD Machine’s unique approach to workforce development: Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship programs, high school counselor outreach, profit-sharing models, mentorship incentives, and cultural rituals like celebrating apprenticeship completions with a “Masters Jacket.” The result? A company that not only keeps top talent but grows its own leaders from within.
If you’ve ever wondered how to build a resilient shop culture where employees feel invested, customers trust your team, and growth becomes sustainable, this conversation delivers the blueprint. Matt shows that “winning” in manufacturing isn’t just about throughput or margins—it’s about building people who build the business.
Every machine shop has a story—and Chad Schmidt has made it his mission to tell them. As a sales engineer + content creator, Chad blends his technical background with a passion for storytelling. He creates authentic shop tour videos that shine a spotlight on the people, culture, and values driving the manufacturing industry. His YouTube channel has quickly gained traction, giving machinists and shop owners a platform to showcase their work in an honest and unpolished—but deeply engaging—format.
In this episode of MakingChips, Chad shares his journey from tool rep to filmmaker and how a pandemic-era discovery of shop tour videos sparked his creative pursuit. He opens up about the challenges of convincing shop owners to go on camera, the humility he sees in the most successful leaders, and the business trends shaping machine shops across the country.
The conversation dives into everything from diversification and leadership mindsets to adopting new technology and empowering the next generation of machinists. Whether you’re a seasoned shop owner or just starting out, Chad’s perspective reveals why authenticity, culture, and a willingness to evolve are essential ingredients for long-term success in manufacturing.
By capturing raw, human-centered stories, Chad isn’t just documenting the industry—he’s helping elevate it. Tune in to hear his take on where shops are thriving, where they’re struggling, and what lessons every leader can take away from the tour videos that are inspiring thousands online.
Running a machine shop isn’t just about cutting chips—it’s about managing the numbers that make the whole operation possible. In this Machine Shop MBA episode of MakingChips, the team sits down with Jon Hughes of CLA to tackle one of the most overlooked yet critical parts of shop ownership: financial strategy.
Many shop leaders rise through the ranks of the shop floor without formal financial training. The books often become “just compliance”—something you do because you have to file taxes. But as Jon makes clear, your financial systems can be far more than compliance—they can be a competitive advantage. From managing cash flow to planning for growth and capital expenditures, the way you handle money directly impacts your ability to survive downturns, seize opportunities, and build wealth.
In this episode, we dig into why cash flow is king, what “working capital” really means for a shop, and how to navigate customer payment terms that often feel stacked against smaller manufacturers. They also explore practical strategies for budgeting, forecasting, and job costing—ensuring that every hour and every order drives long-term profitability.
Packed with stories, humor, and battle-tested advice, this episode equips shop owners with the knowledge they need to turn finance into a weapon rather than a weakness. Whether you’re just trying to make payroll or planning your long-term exit, these insights will help you keep making chips—and making money.
At the heart of every successful machine shop isn’t just the parts it produces—it’s the experience it delivers to its clients. In this episode of MakingChips (part of our Machine Shop MBA series), we sit down with Andy Reinwald, President of Ripley Machine, to unpack what it really takes to deliver an excellent client experience in manufacturing.
Andy shares his journey of stepping into leadership at a young age, navigating the challenges of declining sales, and transforming Ripley Machine into a recognized Top Shops award winner. His story proves that client experience doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built intentionally through systems, communication, and values that shape the culture of the entire shop.
From implementing ISO and ProShop ERP, to instilling a daily rhythm of accountability and continuous improvement, Andy reveals the practical steps his team has taken to turn Ripley into a trusted partner for its customers. Along the way, he highlights how something as simple as quick communication—or as complex as restructuring internal systems—can make all the difference in retaining clients and earning their loyalty.
Whether you’re a seasoned shop owner or just starting out, this conversation will challenge you to look at your business through the lens of your customers. Because at the end of the day, consistency, transparency, and responsiveness aren’t just “nice to have”—they are the foundation of growth and profitability.
Inventory and materials management may not sound glamorous, but for us—and for any thriving shop—it’s the difference between healthy cashflow and a financial chokehold. In this Machine Shop MBA conversation, we break down how smart inventory practices—both physical and digital—can free up space, cut costs, and improve delivery performance.
From raw materials and finished goods to WIP and cutting tools, we share the financial, operational, and workflow implications of what you keep on the shelf (and what you shouldn’t). You’ll hear real-world examples of vendor-managed material programs, strategies for keeping traceability without burying yourself in admin work, and ways we’ve turned “dead” stock into real cash.
We also dig into why inventory accuracy matters beyond just making parts—touching on tax implications, property valuations, and how inventory missteps can kill the value of your business in a sale. And if you’ve ever lost hours hunting for the right cutter or fixture, our storage and tracking advice might change the way you think about tooling forever.
This episode isn’t about counting nuts and bolts—it’s about building an inventory strategy that supports your cashflow, your team’s efficiency, and your long-term profitability.
In Part 2 of our conversation with certified lead auditor Jess Teasdake, we dig deeper into what it really takes to build an efficient, audit-ready quality management system (QMS). If you caught Part 1, you heard us talk through the big picture: certifications, audits, and what separates a good QMS from a bad one. This time, we’re getting tactical.
We’re not just talking about passing an audit—we’re talking about building a system that supports your team, reduces risk, and eliminates waste across your business. From risk registers and RPN scoring to digitizing your paperwork and planning with cross-functional teams, we cover the actual tools and habits that make quality real on the shop floor.
Along the way, we share stories from our own shops—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how integrated technology has changed the game. We’ve lived the paper-chasing, binder-filled chaos that too many shops call a QMS. And we’ve seen what happens when you replace it with a connected system that actually reflects how your shop runs day to day.
If you’re working toward certification—or just want to build a culture of quality that doesn’t require heroics to maintain—this episode is your blueprint.
If you think quality management is just about passing audits, think again.
In this episode of MakingChips, we’re joined by Jess Teasdale—a true QMS expert and certified lead auditor in both AS9100 and ISO 13485—to break down what it really takes to build a world-class quality system. Whether you're running a two-person job shop or leading a growing operation aiming for medical or aerospace work, we consider this your QMS MBA.
We dig into the purpose, process, and power of implementing a robust quality management system—from selecting the right registrar to defining your key processes and KPIs. Jess also shares why culture matters more than checklists, how leadership buy-in can make or break your success, and how tools like ProShop ERP can make audit day feel like just another Tuesday.
This isn’t just about earning a certificate. It’s about building a business where quality is baked into how you operate—every single day. If you're trying to compete in regulated industries—or simply want to stop cleaning up preventable mistakes—this episode is your blueprint.