Manufacturers Make Strides
Manufacturers Make Strides is a podcast about people in manufacturing and the paths they’ve taken. Martin speaks with guests from across the manufacturing world about their careers, the challenges along the way, and the strides that keep the industry moving forward. New episodes every other Tuesday
Episodes
55 episodes
Inside a micro manufacturing business with Mike Adkins
Micro manufacturing businesses operate in a constant balance between flexibility, quality, cash, and people.In this episode, we sit down with Mike Adkins, President of Performance Results Plus, to explore what it really takes to run a sm...
Why Good Designs Fail with Dianna Deeney
Manufacturing design collaboration is at its most powerful long before a drawing hits the shop floor. Yet many teams only discover misalignment when designs arrive in production and the problems start stacking up.In this episode, we sit ...
Breaking the Firefighting Cycle in Manufacturing with Samantha Benbow
Manufacturing process improvement often focuses on what happens on the shop floor, but what if the constant firefighting in manufacturing is actually caused by issues that begin much earlier in the process? In this episode, we sit down ...
Make Change Stick In Manufacturing with Ron Crabtree
What if resistance to change in manufacturing isn’t the problem we think it is?In this episode, we sit down with Ron Crabtree, a manufacturing transformation expert whose career spans...
Run your manufacturing business like you’re going to sell it with Adina Fetche
Manufacturing business growth often slows when everything depends on one person.In this episode, Martin speaks with Adina Fetche, founder of E...
Building Better Engineering Teams with Marisa Kurimbokus
Engineering teams often face intense time pressure, and the environment they work in has a direct impact on how clearly they think and how effectively they collaborate.This episode looks at how leadership, communication and team culture ...
Managing complexity in aerospace engineering with Mark Cook
Aerospace engineering can be a high-pressure environment, but the way teams communicate often shapes how that pressure is felt. This episode looks at how calm, clear, and collaborative communication supports engineers working inside complex aer...
Building a manufacturing business that lasts with Larry Dix II
Manufacturing leadership looks different once responsibility moves beyond the role and into ownership. In this episode of Manufacturers Make Strides, Martin speaks with Larry Dix II, President at Apex Truss, about what it means to l...
What a financially healthy factory actually looks like with Stewart Ervin
Many manufacturing businesses look busy, yet still feel financially exposed underneath. Stewart Ervin has seen this pattern repeatedly inside factories where activity masks a lack of control, and where a financially healthy manufact...
How values shape modern manufacturing with Angelo D’Amico
Values-driven manufacturing shows up in who people trust when decisions matter. In this episode, Angelo D’Amico, President of Canada Rubb...
A people-first digital transformation with Ryan Pollyniak
Digital transformation doesn’t fail because the tech isn’t ready. It fails when people aren’t. In this episode, Ryan Pollyniak, who has spent over 15 ...
Balancing cost and value across manufacturing operations with Floriano Liguoro
Manufacturing operations touch every part of a business. It’s where cost, quality and day-to-day decision-making come together, and where collaboration can make the biggest difference to performance.In this episode,
Manufacturing Collaboration for SME Growth with Richard Patch
Manufacturing collaboration is helping UK businesses escape the feast-or-famine cycle, build trust across the supply chain, and grow without relying on expensive marketing. In this episode, Richard Patch, co-founder of the Manufactu...
The Key to Sustaining Improvement with George Pesansky
Sustaining improvement in manufacturing takes more than introducing new processes. It’s about making change last, empowering people, and balancing consistency with progress. In this episode, George Pesansky, President of My Blended Learning and...
Finding Fulfilment in Manufacturing with Samantha Shelley
Finding fulfilment in manufacturing is about more than climbing the career ladder. It is about aligning your work with your values, building integrity into every decision, and knowing when to shape your own path.In this episode, quality...
From Military Discipline to Manufacturing Innovation with Martin Jewell
Manufacturing innovation is about more than new machines. It is about leadership, resilience, and building the right teams. In this episode you will hear how military discipline shaped Martin Jewell’s approach to leadership, why culture determi...
Building a Career in UK Aerospace with Chris Woodhams
Building a career in UK aerospace does not have to follow a straight line. In this episode you’ll hear how apprenticeships can open doors, why culture matters as much as technical skills, and what the future holds for the aerospace ...
Sustainable Leadership in Manufacturing with Kate Davies
Kate Davies, transformation consultant and founder of Rufus Wren, brings two decades of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and industrial change.
How Automation Changed One Founder’s Journey with Paul Wilson
Automation, machine vision and AI are changing manufacturing. In this episode, you’ll hear how one founder used them to stay competitive and build a thriving business.
Why Quality Isn’t Just for the Quality Team with Suresh Babu
Quality is not just a department. It is a mindset that should be part of everything a manufacturer does.In this episode, Suresh Babu explains why the most successful manufacturers treat quality as a shared res...
Turning Waste into Value with Greg Logelain
Waste is often seen as a problem, but what if it could be a valuable resource instead?In this episode, Greg Logelain shares how manufacturers can rethink waste management and find opportunity in what used to...
Sustainability as a Competitive Edge with Eszter Haberl
Sustainability is no longer just about cutting emissions. For manufacturers, it can be a smart way to reduce costs, protect margins, and stand out in a changing market.In this episode, Eszter Haberl shares ho...
Solving SME Challenges with Anthony Walker
SMEs face no shortage of challenges. Tight budgets, limited time, and too many tech options. But you don’t have to figure it out alone.In this episode, Anthony Walker shares...
Why Manufacturers Need to Rethink Marketing with Jennelle McGrath
If your marketing still feels disconnected from sales or like it’s not doing much at all, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.In this episode, Jennelle McGrath shares how manufacturers ...
How to Stop Firefighting and Start Designing for Success – with Craig Higton
Most manufacturing teams are stuck reacting to problems instead of preventing them.In this episode, Craig Higton shares how better collaboration, earlier influence, and sharper skills can help manufacturers...
