Manufacturing Talk Radio

Manufacturing Talk Radio
  • 4.5 (26)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

Your Everything Manufacturing Podcast. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the industry, we’ve got something for you! Manufacturing Talk Radio is led by two dynamic hosts, Lewis Weiss and Amy Nicklaus, who bring expertise and fresh perspectives to the industry. Lewis, with five decades of hands-on experience, simplifies complex manufacturing challenges, offering actionable insights on technology, workforce strategies, and industry transformation. Amy brings an engaging approach, exploring the real-world impact of innovations in technology, logistics, and workforce dynamics. Together, they create a compelling and insightful podcast that keeps professionals informed, inspired, and ready for the future of manufacturing. 

  1. 1d ago

    BREAKING: June ISM Manufacturing PMI

    In this exclusive Manufacturing Talk Radio interview, hosts Lewis Weiss and Amy Nicklaus sit down with ISM Manufacturing PMI Chair Susan Spence to discuss the latest ISM Manufacturing Report released June 1, 2026. The group break down the key data points impacting the global supply chain and what the effects of that might mean. To shed light on the report’s crucial findings, we speak with Susan Spence, a preeminent authority within manufacturing. Key Insights Reviewed In The Latest Report Demand and New Orders Production Trends Supply Chain Dynamics Challenges Facing the Manufacturing Sector Tariff Impacts Labor Market Constraints Global Economic Uncertainty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min

  2. 2d ago

    Beyond Earth: The Multi-Trillion Dollar Space Economy with Oğuz Karasu

    Is the global space industry paving the way toward a multi-trillion dollar commercial empire, or are we drastically underestimating the economic ripples it creates right here on Earth? In this episode of Manufacturing Talk Radio, host Lew Weiss and co-host Cliff Waldman sit down with Oğuz Karasu, a prominent postdoctoral research fellow at the Saïd Business School and founder of the Space and Economy Alliance. As a specialized teaching fellow in space finance and sustainability, Oğuz provides a rigorous, data-driven framework to examine how the post-Artemis II era is fundamentally shifting the global macroeconomic landscape. Together, the hosts and their guest explore the hidden complexities of measuring direct and indirect industrial outputs, tracing the financial divide between heavy upstream launch mechanics and expansive downstream data distribution networks. From the impending realization of direct device-to-satellite cellular communication to the engineering barriers of mitigating sharp lunar regolith dust for off-world infrastructure, Oğuz separates reality from speculation. Tune in to discover how cutting-edge research in space-based solar power depends directly on the launch scalability of platforms like Starship, the strategic balance between public government contracts and innovative private entrepreneurship, and how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and orbital data centers are co-evolving to redefine the limits of human industry. Timestamps to Watch: 00:00 – Welcome to the Space Economy: Introducing Scholar Oğuz Karasu 03:41 – Upstream vs. Downstream: Unveiling the Real Size of the Space Markets 04:47 – Microgravity Manufacturing: Pharmaceuticals, Crystals, and Biotech 06:29 – Direct Device-to-Satellite Comm: Connecting the Next 30% of Humanity 07:44 – The $1 Million Spillover Metric: Tracking Over 2,000 NASA Spinoffs 10:00 – Space-Based Solar Power: Wireless Beaming and the Starship Multiplier 11:39 – Lunar Infrastructure Realities: Scalability Obstacles and the Threat of Moon Dust 13:17 – Market Structure Balance: Public Oligopolies vs. Disruptive Private Tech 16:00 – Geopolitics vs. Open Markets: The Hard Trade-Off in Global Space Finance 18:37 – Rising Superpowers: Why China and Regional Blocs are Shifting the Landscape 26:00 – Cost vs. Returns: Quantifying the Long-Term ROI of Manned Space Flight 32:42 – AI and Quantum Interconnection: Modeling the Next 50 Years of Orbital Assets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  3. Jun 22

    EXCLUSIVE: ISM Chair's Susan Spence & Steve Miller on the Supply Chain Planning Forecast

    In this exclusive Manufacturing Talk Radio, we look ahead to a critical conversation centered on the latest ISM Supply Chain Planning Forecast. This comprehensive outlook serves as a major barometer for commercial confidence, offering a dual-sector perspective on where the economy is headed, how corporate leaders are budgeting, and how businesses are adjusting their operational strategies. Join us as we break down the overarching trends from this pivotal forecast and discuss what these insights mean for the broader economy moving forward. About this Episode’s Guests Susan Spence is currently serving as ISM Manufacturing PMI Chair and is a winner of the J. Shipman Gold Medal Award. Her distinguished career includes serving as vice president of the Sourcing & Procurement group at FedEx Corp. With 28 years of experience at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in leadership roles across supply management and operations, Spence offers unparalleled insight into manufacturing trends and economic activity. Steven Miller is currently serving as ISM Services PMI Chair and is an accomplished supply chain management executive. His distinguished career includes 40 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, IT implementation and operations, and operations management consulting at Disney, P.F. Chang’s, Accenture, and Kearney. With 40 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, IT implementation and operations, Miller offers unparalleled insight into services trends and economic activity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  4. Jun 16

    Managing Large-Scale Manufacturing with Tanushree Ghosh

    Can artificial intelligence completely replace a manufacturing workforce, and how are massive manufacturing plants adapting to the modern skill gap? In this episode of Manufacturing Talk Radio, host Lewis Weiss sits down with Tanushree Ghosh, the Senior Director leading site operations at Medtronic's Tempe complex. Managing a population of nearly 800 people across a nine-building facility, Tanushree oversees the production of critical cardiovascular, neurovascular, and pelvic health medical devices. Drawing from her PhD background in science and material chemistry—alongside a 17-year career at Intel—she delivers an authentic look into running a complex manufacturing ecosystem. Tune in as Lewis and Tanushree break down the actual reality of AI proliferation on the factory floor, separating the media hype from cost-effective operational constraints. Tanushree shares how large companies effectively manage long-term internship and workforce models to upskill the next generation. Finally, explore her parallel career as an author and the founder of the non-profit Her Rights, where she targets gender parity, workforce diversity, and social activism. Timestamps to Watch: 00:00 – Meet Guest Tanushree Ghosh: Senior Director at Medtronic 02:15 – Inside the Tempe Complex: Medical Device Manufacturing at Scale 03:41 – Addressing the Skill Gap, Obsolete Equipment, and Workforce Realities 05:06 – Developing Long-Term Interships & Mentorship Programs 08:47 – The Real Impact of AI vs. AI Hype in 2026 Manufacturing 13:17 – Capital Equipment Depreciation and the Mathematics of Automation 16:14 – Leveraging AI and Startups for Small to Medium-Sized Companies 19:59 – Social Activism: Founding "Her Rights" and Fostering Gender Equality 21:35 – Authorship & Literature: Navigating Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Social Change 24:54 – Ruthless Efficiency: Work-Life Balance and Finding Personal Success 29:05 – The Struggle of the "Stanford Duck": Being Vulnerable About Mental Health Continued Reading + Resources Queer Chronicles Book: https://mybook.to/queerchronicles Beyond #MeToo Book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-MeToo-Ushering-Womens-Noise-ebook/dp/B0CN4GJVFN Her Rights Advocacy: https://www.herrights.org/ Thoughts & Rights Platform: https://www.thoughtsandrights.com/ Connect with our Guest Instagram: @thoughtsrightsnimages X: @thoughtsnrights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min

  5. Jun 4

    How Global Conflict Is Reshaping the U.S. Manufacturing Outlook

    Is the global manufacturing economy headed for a crash, or is it entering a historic resurgence? In this episode of Manufacturing Think Tank, host Cliff Waldman sits down with top economists Mark Vitner (Founder of Piedmont Crescent Capital) and Jeremy Leonard (Director of Industry Services at Oxford Economics) to break down how the conflict with Iran is transforming the global manufacturing outlook. Despite major geopolitical uncertainty, the U.S. manufacturing sector has shown surprising resilience. Our guests explain the hidden economic forces at play—including massive waves of domestic reshoring, the build-out of massive AI data center infrastructures, and the critical differences in energy independence between the U.S. and Europe. Tune in to discover which sectors are set to benefit from defense replenishment and domestic chemical production, why automotive and consumer durables face heavy demand destruction, and what the ending of the war could mean for the future of global supply chains. Timestamps to Watch: 00:00 – Meet the Economists: Mark Vitner & Jeremy Leonard 03:37 – Is the War Damaging U.S. Manufacturing? 07:44 – Winners & Losers: How Oil Prices Impact Chemicals, Automotive, and Aerospace 12:42 – The Most Impacted Manufacturing Industries 19:52 – Europe vs. U.S.: The True Extent of the Energy Crisis 24:55 – The Structural Reality of Reshoring & Pharmaceutical Supply Chains 34:31 – The Long-Term Geopolitical Fingerprint of the Iran Conflict 41:27 – Global Manufacturing: How the Rest of the World is Responding 45:48 – Federal Reserve Rates, Policy Reversals, and AI Opposition Risks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    51 min

  6. Jun 3

    BREAKING: ISM Chair Steve Miller Reviews the Latest ISM Services Report June 2026

    In this exclusive Manufacturing Talk Radio interview, host Lewis Weiss sits down with ISM Services PMI Chair Steve Miller to discuss the pivotal May ISM Services Report the very day it is released June 3rd 2026, breaking down the key data points impacting the services economy. To shed light on the report’s crucial findings, we speak with Steve Miller, a preeminent authority within the services sector. Miller is currently serving as ISM Services PMI Chair and is an accomplished supply chain management executive. His distinguished career includes 40 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, IT implementation and operations, and operations management consulting at Disney, P.F. Chang’s, Accenture, and Kearney. With 40 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, IT implementation and operations, Miller offers unparalleled insight into services trends and economic activity. Check out data discussed in this episode here: https://www.ismworld.org/globalassets/pub/research-and-surveys/rob/nmi/fuelrob202605svcs.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min

  7. Jun 1

    BREAKING: Susan Spence, ISM Manufacturing PMI Chair, on the latest ISM Report June 2026

    In this exclusive Manufacturing Talk Radio interview, hosts Lewis Weiss and Amy Nicklaus sit down with ISM Manufacturing PMI Chair Susan Spence to discuss the latest ISM Manufacturing Report released June 1, 2026. The group break down the key data points impacting the global supply chain and what the effects of that might mean. To shed light on the report’s crucial findings, we speak with Susan Spence, a preeminent authority within manufacturing. Spence is currently serving as ISM Manufacturing PMI Chair and is a winner of the J. Shipman Gold Medal Award. Her distinguished career includes serving as vice president of the Sourcing & Procurement group at FedEx Corp. With 28 years of experience at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in leadership roles across supply management and operations, Spence offers unparalleled insight into manufacturing trends and economic activity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min

  8. May 19

    Carrie Hines on the Most Important Shifts in Modern Manufacturing

    What does the future hold for the 99% of American manufacturing defined as "small business"? In this episode of Manufacturing Talk Radio, host Louis Weiss sits down with Carrie Hines, President and CEO of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC). Carrie shares her deep expertise on the vital role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network—a powerful public-private partnership providing boots-on-the-ground technical assistance across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.   Discover how MEP centers are driving domestic growth by mapping supply chain risks, accelerating reshoring initiatives, and helping small facilities navigate advanced automation. Carrie also tackles the ongoing workforce crisis, highlighting how modern manufacturing is leveraging AI, video, and gamification to bridge the skills gap and preserve institutional knowledge as Baby Boomers retire. Tune in to find out why the industry is no longer "dark, dirty, and dangerous," and how a career in modern, high-tech manufacturing commands an average salary of over $90,000.          Key Takeaways From This Episode:- The Scale of Small Manufacturing: Why businesses with fewer than 500 employees make up 99% of the U.S. manufacturing landscape.- Securing the Supply Chain: How the MEP network works directly with lower-tier suppliers to mitigate risks and transition outsourced resources back home.- Next-Gen Workforce Solutions: Overcoming knowledge loss through community college partnerships, apprenticeships, and AI-driven training.- Accessible Technical Support: Navigating the fee-based, cost-effective consulting services and technology labs available to small and rural manufacturers.Looking to connect with your local MEP center or learn more about the ASMC? Visit smallmanufacturers.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
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4.5
out of 5
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About

Your Everything Manufacturing Podcast. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the industry, we’ve got something for you! Manufacturing Talk Radio is led by two dynamic hosts, Lewis Weiss and Amy Nicklaus, who bring expertise and fresh perspectives to the industry. Lewis, with five decades of hands-on experience, simplifies complex manufacturing challenges, offering actionable insights on technology, workforce strategies, and industry transformation. Amy brings an engaging approach, exploring the real-world impact of innovations in technology, logistics, and workforce dynamics. Together, they create a compelling and insightful podcast that keeps professionals informed, inspired, and ready for the future of manufacturing. 

Information

  • Creator
    Manufacturing Talk Radio
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    812
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 Jacket Media Co. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Manufacturing Talk Radio

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