The Manufacturing Executive Joe Sullivan

Ashleigh Walters tells her story of transformation inside of the manufacturing organization she recently led – as they went from a command-and-conquer operation to an employee-focused operation, all the way to an employee-OWNED operation.

This ex-Navy Seal, turned manufacturing CEO believes the future of workforce development and training falls not only on the shoulders of the trade schools, but also the employers themselves.

Imagine the power of standing next to a piece of machinery and answering a prospect's questions on a sales call. Or leading a product training session for a new customer, right there inside of your manufacturing facility, on camera. Our guest today has figured all of this out. And it's changed his business forever.

If you want to run a killer manufacturing business, you need to avoid the silent business killers that can keep you from the success you’ve worked hard to earn.

Today, we’re speaking with Steve Blue, CEO of Miller Ingenuity, about his recent article Seven Silent Business Killers. He shares the seven silent killers (along with a bonus one) manufacturers need to be on the lookout for and how to treat them before it’s too late.

Some highlights:
Everyone makes nice in meetings
Innovation is DOA
Hiding in the USA
And other signs that your business is slipping from prosperity to irrelevance

Most organizations spend more time and resources on new customer acquisition rather than talent acquisition, but why is that? Our guest today joins us to explain how organizations can showcase why their business is a great place to work and how to hire the right people for the job.


Jay Veniard is the Founder and CEO of Ventech Search Group, a company on a mission to help organizations hire the best sales talent in the market. In this episode, Jay offers insights on how companies can hire and retain top talent.


Join us as we discuss:Why company leaders should not offload the responsibility of talent acquisitionWhy Jay believes outside recruiting partners are essentialHow to build relationships with future recruits ahead of time How to write compelling job descriptions

Some of the best conversations we have on this show are with Presidents and CEOs leading midsize American manufacturing companies. Listen in as our guest provides his insights into running a company that is a leader in innovative tooling and casting solutions.


Mick North is the President and CEO of Anderson Global Inc., a full-service supplier for the design and build of complex foundry tooling. In this episode, Mick talks about his experiences leading a midsize American manufacturing company.


Join us as we discuss:How Mick and his team have been able to de-commoditize themselves at Anderson Global Why manufacturing is misunderstood by most of the general publicTraits that every leader should have