Machine Shop Growth

Mike Fritz
  • 5.0 (11)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

The Machine Shop Growth Podcast gives a fresh perspective to help you grow your shop by focusing on 3 key factors - Sales, Marketing and Efficiency.  For decades the machine shop industry was build on a “good-ol-boys” mentality and was full of great machinists and engineers that made great parts.  What has been discovered is many of those amazing shops have plateaued or are starting to decline - because they didn’t put enough emphasis on getting more work and making more money with the work they had.  On this podcast you will hear first hand advice from machine owners and mangers how they are getting more work and how they are making more money.   Now let’s Grow Your Shop!

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode #26: Should You Start a Second Shift for Growth

    A second shift sounds like growth. More hours. More output. More revenue. But what if adding a second shift is actually the fastest way to multiply your problems? In this joint episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps tackle one of the most common ideas floating around machine shops right now: “Should we add a second shift?” On paper, it sounds simple. In reality, it can create more complexity, more liability, more labor pressure, and more process breakdown than most shops are prepared for. In this episode, we break down: Why most sub-$5M shops are not actually ready for a true second shiftThe hidden cost of off-shift managementWhy process refinement should happen before labor expansionHow automation, fixturing, tooling, and better routing can unlock capacity firstWhy lights-out manufacturing is often a better “second shift” than a manned oneHow bad processes duplicated at night only fail fasterThis episode is a must-listen for shop owners who are feeling maxed out, thinking about growth, and wondering whether second shift is the answer—or just a very expensive distraction. Because sometimes the capacity you need is already sitting inside your current shop... You just have not uncovered it yet. Subscribe to our weekly format:  1st & 3rd Tuesdays: Sales & Marketing  2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Operations & Engineering  Joint episodes: Special industry deep-dives with Mike and Kirk If this episode helps, leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show.

    49 min

  2. APR 7

    Episode #25: Your Price Is KILLING You

    Your shop isn’t struggling because you’re too expensive. It might be struggling because you’re still pricing like you’re afraid. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most dangerous habits in manufacturing: USING PRICE AS YOUR MAIN SALES STRATEGY. A lot of shops think lowering prices wins more work. But in reality, it often wins the wrong work. Mike shares why shops without a niche are forced to compete on price, how underpriced jobs quietly destroy your margins, and why “cheap work” can end up being the most expensive work you ever take on. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: Why a shop without a niche is always left arguing on priceHow bad pricing creates chaos, burnout, and cash flow pressureWhy quality and delivery matter more than being the cheapestHow to find your differentiator and attract better-fit customersWhy profitable growth starts with disciplined quotingAnd here’s the twist: One of Mike’s shops increased the price on a part by nearly 80%…  and got the PO back almost immediately. That moment says a lot about what customers are really buying. If your shop is constantly busy but still feels squeezed, this episode will help you rethink pricing, quoting, and what it really takes to grow. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

    36 min

  3. MAR 24

    Episode #24: The Skilled Machinist Shortage… And Why It’s Our Fault

    The skilled labor shortage didn’t happen by accident. We built it. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Andrew Skoog of Machinist X to unpack one of the hardest questions in manufacturing: How did we let the skilled machinist pipeline get this thin — and what do we do now? They dig into the real causes behind the shortage: offshoring and trade shiftsgenerational gaps in the shopgatekeeping of tribal knowledgenegative industry messagingpoor mentorship and broken career pathsBut this conversation doesn’t stop at the problem. It goes into what actually needs to change if manufacturing wants to win the next decade — from how we train and promote people, to how we talk about the trade, to why AI still won’t replace real machinists. You’ll also hear: why the “dying trade” narrative is dead wrongwhat separates operators from skilled machinistswhy effort and initiative still matter more than everhow collaboration may be the missing piece in rebuilding the workforceAnd here’s the twist: The shortage may actually create one of the best long-term opportunities this industry has seen in years… but only for the shops and people willing to adapt. If you care about the future of manufacturing, this is an episode you need to hear.

    1h 4m

  4. MAR 17

    Episode #23: How to Get Aerospace Work for Your Machine Shop (Certification, Margins & Strategy)

    The Truth About Aerospace Work for Machine Shops Aerospace manufacturing is often seen as the ultimate growth opportunity for machine shops. Higher margins, better customers, and long-term contracts. But here’s the reality: Aerospace isn’t just another industry. It’s a completely different way of running your shop. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz sits down with Dan Echternkamp of AeroGrowth to break down how machine shops can actually get into aerospace and defense work without overcomplicating the process or making costly mistakes. We cover: How to get aerospace work for your machine shopWhether you really need AS9100 certification to startWhy can many shops enter aerospace industry without 5-axis machiningThe difference between aerospace vs OEM marginsHow to build relationships with aerospace companiesThe importance of GD&T, inspection, and documentationWhy cash flow (not capability) is the biggest riskHow to grow into aerospace without overbuilding your businessIf you’re a machine shop owner, operator, or manufacturing leader looking to grow your business, increase margins, and break into aerospace machining or defense manufacturing, this episode gives you a clear and practical starting point. 🎧 Listen now and learn how to position your shop for higher-value work.

    56 min

  5. MAR 10

    Episode #22: Why Young People Aren’t Choosing Manufacturing — And How to Change That

    Young people aren’t avoiding manufacturing because they hate it. Most of them simply don’t know it exists as a career path. In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Mike Franz of Shop Floor Coffee to explore why fewer young people are entering the manufacturing industry — and what shop owners can do to change that. They discuss the real reasons behind the talent gap and how awareness, community engagement, and leadership inside the shop all play a role in attracting the next generation of workers. You’ll learn: • Why manufacturing still struggles with outdated perceptions • How robotics competitions and STEM programs are feeding the future workforce • Why parents and teachers influence career decisions more than most people realize • How shop culture impacts whether young employees stay or leave • Why machine shops need to market to future workers — not just customers Manufacturing offers incredible career opportunities. But if the next generation doesn’t see it, they’ll never choose it. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners discover the show.

    1h 5m

  6. MAR 3

    Episode #21: One of The Most Important Decisions for Your Machine Shop

    You don’t need more leads. You need the right customers. In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most important strategic decisions you’ll ever make for your machine shop: defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Most shops call themselves “job shops” and try to serve everyone. The result? Price pressure. Clogged capacity. Inconsistent margins. Your ICP changes that. We cover how to: Identify your most profitable work using your last 50–100 jobsStop saying “we make stuff” and start positioning your shop strategicallyUse ICP to filter RFQs and protect your capacityAlign your marketing, hiring, quoting, and equipment decisions around the right customersAnd one of the biggest takeaways: Your biggest customer is not always your ideal customer. If you want clearer messaging, stronger margins, and a shop that grows intentionally instead of reactively — this episode is for you. Subscribe to our weekly format: Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners find the show.

    33 min

  7. FEB 24

    Episode #20: Machine Shop Profit | How to Handle the 20% of Jobs You Lose Money On

    Are you losing money on jobs in your machine shop without realizing it? In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps break down how to identify and fix the 20% of machine shop jobs that quietly destroy your profit margin. From legacy pricing and inaccurate burden rates to poor payment terms and customer concentration risk, we unpack the real reasons job shops struggle with profitability. You’ll learn how to: Calculate your true machine shop burden rateIdentify unprofitable jobs using simple time studiesDecide when to blend margin vs. renegotiate pricingProtect cash flow from long payment termsStay the solution for your customer — even if you don’t machine the partMany manufacturing businesses think they have a sales problem.  Often, they have a margin visibility problem. If you run a machine shop, job shop, or manufacturing business and want to improve profitability without sacrificing customer relationships, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework to follow. Because being busy isn’t the goal. Being profitable is.

    55 min

  8. FEB 10

    Episode #19: OEE & the Cost of Perfection: Are You Making Enough Scrap?

    You don’t have an OEE problem. You have a perfection problem. In this episode, Kirk Phelps breaks down Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and challenges one of the most ingrained beliefs in machining: that zero scrap equals a high-performing shop. We unpack Availability, Performance, and Quality—and explain how fear of scrap quietly kills throughput, adds downtime, and limits growth. This isn’t about being careless. It’s about understanding risk, planning for reality, and operating your shop like a system. You’ll learn how to: Rethink scrap as a byproduct of manufacturing—not a failure Identify how perfection erodes availability and throughput Use OEE to see where capacity is really being lost Apply standardization to reduce setup time and improve performance Balance quality with risk management instead of fearIf your shop is busy, clean, and still stuck, this episode will change how you think about OEE—and what “good” really looks like. Subscribe to our new 2026 weekly format: Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays) Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

    46 min
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The Machine Shop Growth Podcast gives a fresh perspective to help you grow your shop by focusing on 3 key factors - Sales, Marketing and Efficiency.  For decades the machine shop industry was build on a “good-ol-boys” mentality and was full of great machinists and engineers that made great parts.  What has been discovered is many of those amazing shops have plateaued or are starting to decline - because they didn’t put enough emphasis on getting more work and making more money with the work they had.  On this podcast you will hear first hand advice from machine owners and mangers how they are getting more work and how they are making more money.   Now let’s Grow Your Shop!

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Fritz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Machine Shop Growth
  • Show Website
    Machine Shop Growth

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