Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories ProShop ERP

03. From Investment Banker to Making Space Parts with Matt Lindsay from Autopilot

Matt Lindsay was an investment banker, spending lots of time in airports and different cities.  He was also an avid fly-fisherman. When he saw an article about a local fly fishing reel manufacturing company and decided to ask the company for a tour to see how the reels were made, that sparked a conversation about him buying into the business.  The existing owner, an excellent machinist and engineer, who wanted to grow the business but didn’t have the business skills, was looking for a partner to help grow the company.  Matt joined in 2018 and got bitten by the manufacturing bug.  After running the business on paper forms and spreadsheets for several years, he learned about ProShop and realized there was a better way.  Four years later, they’ve doubled in size, gotten AS9100 certified, and could not imagine living without ProShop today. It feels great to be able to support a company like Autopilot.  Enjoy this episode!

About Autopilot:
Our vision at Autopilot is to be a world class design and manufacturing company headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. From Fortune 100 companies to small innovation groups, we approach every project as a challenge that has a best-path and a best-result. We provide a broad range of design and manufacturing services to meet many specific needs and utilize both designers and machinists to ensure continuity in our process.

Follow Matt and Autopilot:
Personal LI: /matthew-lindsay
Company LI: /autopilot-inc
Website: www.autopilotdesign.com
IG: @autopilot_cnc
FB: /autopilotdesign

02. A College Course in Machine Shop Management with James Marzilli from Marzilli Machine Co.

James started his shop on a dare from his wife. For the first many years he did the best he could and grew the shop, but it was chaotic and a struggle.  Once he implemented ProShop, he describes it as getting a college level education on HOW a machine shop should actually be run.  From there, he grew Marzilli Machine 64% the next year with the same staff and machines.  And he and his wife have taken more vacation in subsequent years than in the decade before.  This is a true transformation story which we are lucky to be able to capture in person. Enjoy this episode.

About Marzilli Machine Co.:
Marzilli Machine strives to be the best machine shop in our area. We have the ability to make the complicated parts that other shops are unwilling to. We are constantly improving processes and techniques to bring our customers the best value. Our goal is to help our customers achieve their needs within their budget. Marzilli Machine will take your parts and deliver them to you complete with paint or finish that you desire.

Follow James and Marzilli Machine Co:
Personal LI: /james-marzilli
Company LI: /marzilli-machine
Website: www.marzmachine.com
FB: @Marzilli-Machine-Co
IG: @marzilli_machine_co

01. The Company that Helped Launch ProShop with Rich Olson from Sealth Aero Marine

Sealth Aero Marine is a leading supplier of aerospace hardware to the commercial and private aircraft market, since the 1950s. And, Rich Olson, their current President, has been a part of the ProShop story since before ProShop was even a product, in the late 1990s. As one of the earliest and largest customers of Pro CNC, Sealth Aero Marine (SAM) has watched the evolution of ProShop from its earliest days. When they adopted ProShop as their ERP in 2009, and went live in less than 2 weeks, that gave us huge confidence that ProShop could be impactful for other companies beyond just our own shop. This was a very full circle moment to record this first-ever episode of the Manufacturing Transformed Podcast.

About Sealth Aero Marine:
Sealth Aero Marine designs and manufactures an extensive range of Latches, Bolting Systems, Hinges and Many other Precision Components. The Original SAM Bolt system offers advantages over other conventional latching systems. Our products are widely used in multiple industries to include Aerospace (Private and Commercial), Military, Marine, and Space applications.
Follow Rich and Sealth Aero Marine:
Personal LI: /rich-olson
Company LI: /sealth-aero-marine-co
Website: www.sealth.com
FB: @SealthAero
IG: @sealthaero