The Robot Industry Podcast

Jim Beretta in partnership with A3 Association for Advancing Automation.
  • 4.2 (6)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Podcast for the Automation, Robotics and Manufacturing Industries by host, Jim Beretta. The podcast is partnered with A3 | RIA Robotics Industry Association. We discuss trends, innovation, and important tech for advanced manufacturing.

  1. 5D AGO

    AgRobotics, Agriculture, and Automation with Chuck Baresich

    Welcome to podcast # 158. Chuck Baresich is the Founder and President of Haggerty Creek farming operation. He is a farmer and an expert in AgRobotics. The farming operation is part of Haggerty Creek Ltd. owned & operated by Chuck & Justin Baresich and AGRIS Cooperative since 2001 www.haggertycreek.com. He has been researching and testing various automated technologies. Haggerty AgRobotics is actively developing relationships with leading ag-technology companies to commercialize new innovations and bring them to farmers in Eastern Canada. Here are some of my questions to Chuck: Who is the Ontario AgRobotics Working Group? Ag robotics adoption in Canada? What’s holding users back? What motivates them? What is digital agriculture? How did you get into automation….and what automation are you using? Laser Zapper? Standard equipment? What countries do they come from? Service and support question (what is plan B?) Resistant weeds and speed Data question: Cameras and computers in every machine quality of images, etc. Canadians are typically slow to install automation in factories…are farmers the same? Let's talk about autonomous farming vehicles (AMRs, AGVs and logistics) Is broadband a problem? Remote processing. What is your advice to farmers who are thinking about automation? Where can farmers see demonstrations? How do we get better at putting more automation into farm? Too complicated? Waterloo company startup example. How can people get a hold of you? AgRobotics Working Group The AgRobotics Working Group comprises a diverse membership, including representatives from various levels of government, academic institutions, industry associations, and many more stakeholders in the agriculture sector. Since our establishment in March 2021, we have been dedicated to on-farm demonstrations, fostering networks, facilitating collaboration, and brainstorming innovative technology solutions. Our weekly meetings serve as a platform for discussing ideas, reviewing new technologies, applying for funding opportunities, and developing priorities for Ontario Agriculture. Show Notes: https://www.agroboticswg.com/memberships https://www.agroboticswg.com/events ‍London, ON – March 23, 2026 – The future of farming will be on display at the inaugural Canadian AgRobotics & AI Summit on March 26, 2026, at The Grove, Western Fair District. As Canada’s largest agrobotics conference, the one-day event will bring together farmers, innovators, researchers, funders and industry leaders from across North America to explore the rapidly evolving role of robotics and artificial intelligence in agriculture. If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet. And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio Be safe out there! Jim Jim Beretta...

    32 min

  2. MAR 28

    AVL Battery and Test Systems with Matthew Hortop, PE

    Welcome to #157 of TRIP, The Robot Industry Podcast. I met up with Matt in Windsor during the Windsor-Essex' Emerging Technologies in Automation & Mobility Transformation Conference & Trade Show. Matthew Hortop, P.E. is a Technical Specialist for all Things Electrification. AVL is his employer and they are a 12,000-person company focused on powertrains. They don't make engines or inverters, they help customers doing the technology development. Batteries have become an important part of the automotive industry, including the drivetrain. AVL https://www.avl.com/en/engineering/e-mobility-engineering/battery-development-electric-vehicles Some of the questions that I asked Matt: How did you get into the industry? What do you do? What do you have for an automotive OEM? The speed of the battery industry? How do you support your customers? You can find out more about the organizers (Invest Windsor Essex) at https://www.emergingtechnologies.ca/ or at https://www.investwindsoressex.com/. If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet. And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio Be safe out there! Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON

    20 min

  3. FEB 25

    TetraGen Robotics AI welding automation and robotics with Matt Khoshdarregi

    Welcome to #156 of TRIP, The Robot Industry Podcast. Matt Khoshdarregi is the CEO of TetraGen Robotics. He holds a P.Eng. and Ph.D. They, TetraGen, are a Manitoba-based developer of adaptive robotic manufacturing systems for high-mix, high-variability applications. Their current focus is on welding and trimming processes. Enjoy the podcast! Some of my questions to him: Matt, How did you get into the industry? Tell me (and our audience) about TetraGen. Who are your bullseye customers? Why did you choose robotic welding? How big is the labour challenge? How does AI come into welding? Tell me about your partners? Have you had any surprises in starting TetraGen? Data? How important is this to your customers? How does a customer get started with you? What does the future look like for automated - AI - welding? What are some Frequently Asked Questions? How can people get a hold of you? https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-khoshdarregi-561b8631 https://www.linkedin.com/company/tetragen-robotics If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet. And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio Be safe out there! Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON

    30 min
  4. Automation Matters Podcast CRM for Automators with Stephen Slothuber

    FEB 18

    Automation Matters Podcast CRM for Automators with Stephen Slothuber

    Welcome to #158, I have known Stephen Slothuber for a long time; in fact, I worked with him and his father at ATS Automation. The Slothubers were an institution at ATS for accuracy, dependability and getting things done. I was happy to have Steve on the podcast to talk about CRM for automation integrators and machine builders. Enjoy the podcast and if you are thinking about a CRM for your machine building company, or are thinking about a Zoho implementation, I highly recommend him and his company https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenslothouber Emberops is his company name. I would like to thank my team and our Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner, and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio Thanks for listening! Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON jim@customerattraction.com

    30 min

  5. FEB 12

    Mass Timber and Element5 with Chris Latour

    Chris Latour and I have known each other for many years, from our days at ATS Automation, and it was my pleasure to reach out to him to arrange a tour of Element5 in St. Thomas, Ontario. So if you have never heard of Mass Timber, it is structurally efficient wood that is bonded together and used to form small and large buildings: walls, ceilings, floors and is engineered to be easy to use, to look beautiful and be functional. Think of a wall that needs a plumbing stack cutout, but it is actually cut at the factory using 3D CAD model files. Elegant and purposeful. St. Thomas is just South of London, ON and North of Port Stanley, which is where I grew up in the summer, so the opportunity to have a tour and record a podcast was very exciting to me. Chris is a manufacturing professional who has worked with The Cakerie, Armo Tools, Convergix Automation (JMP Automation), and ATS Automation ~ so we have a lot in common, as many of these companies have been my clients before, and we have a lot in common, living nearby. St. Thomas (aka Railway City) is also the "Rail Capital" of Canada. At one time, St. Thomas had around 25 different railroads that came into the city, and it was, and still is, a major hub of manufacturing. For the large amount of wood that is required, being connected to CP and CN rail line is a game-changer for Element5. Chris is now the CEO of Element5 (a member of the HASSLACHER group) and oversees the entire operation, including a 350-square-foot facility with sanding, pressing, CNC cutting, RF pressing, gluing, laminating, X-ray, vision inspection, material handling, and staff and sales. The build of the operation took place during covid.  The facility was recently expanded substantially in September of 2025 from 137,000 square feet to over 350,000 square feet, adding in a full Glulam production line, and a two-storey mass timber front office. This expansion also doubled the production of the facility from 50,000 cubic meters to 100,000 cubic meters annually of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (Glulam) products.. Keywords: Dimensional lumber, Engineered lumber, Mass Timber, Element5, St. Thomas, Messenger Freight, Artificial Intelligence. CLT Cross Laminated Timber, Glue Lamination, Build Canada, Canadian Wood Council. For background information here, see: Element5 Mass Timber Celebrates Grand Opening of Expanded Manufacturing Plant in St. Thomas, Ontario - Element5 Thanks to Diana Tamblyn, Mira Grkavac, and my friends at MPI who did the early connect. Element5 is located at 70 Dennis Road, St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 0B6 https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-latour-5a5a044 www.Element5.co for some wonderful pictures! 1 888-670-7713 info@elementfive.co If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet. Be safe out there! Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Rob...

    28 min
  6. Mecademic Industrial Robotics - Micro Automation in Action Powered by Integrators

    JAN 28

    Mecademic Industrial Robotics - Micro Automation in Action Powered by Integrators

    I had the pleasure of recording an episode with Stan Gleizer, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Integrators and OEMs. He works for Mecademic Industrial Robotics and is based in Montreal. With a background in mechatronics and over a decade of experience in aerospace and automotive robotics, Stan has spent his career working on high-precision systems involving vision, force feedback, and micron-level motion. That path led him to Mecademic, a Montreal-based robot manufacturer purpose-built for microautomation. Together, they explore how Mecademic is rethinking industrial robotics for applications where space, precision, and system simplicity matter more than brute force. From electronics and medical devices to optics and photonics, Mecademic robots are enabling automation in environments traditional robots were never designed to handle. You’ll hear about: Why Mecademic robots are designed specifically for microautomation What makes ultra-compact six-axis robots viable in space-constrained systems How embedded controllers and no external teach pendants simplify cell architecture The difference between precision, repeatability, resolution, and accuracy, and why it matters How some manufacturers treat robots as swap-and-go spare parts to minimize downtime Where Mecademic robots overlap with, and go beyond, hexapods in high-precision applications How system integrators use Mecademic to access medical, photonics, and electronics markets What the Mecademic Approved Integrator Program offers and who it’s built for Stan also shares insights on Mecademic’s North American manufacturing, global expansion, and what makes a strong integrator partnership in high-precision automation. I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more. If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet. Be safe out there! Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON

    25 min
  7. Automation Matters #1 with Geoffrey Bremner

    JAN 22

    Automation Matters #1 with Geoffrey Bremner

    If you have been a listener to The Robot Industry Podcast, then you already know Geoffrey Bremner. His fingerprints are all over our podcast. He is my audio engineer, but he is more than that; he is a friend, a supplier, and a neighbour. Geoff is a true geek, loves recording music and podcasts. Welcome to Automation Matters Podcast with me, Jim Beretta. Have a listen. Jim Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreybremner https://linktr.ee/gbaudio

    30 min
  8. Automation Matters with Jim Beretta Podcast Introduction

    JAN 22 ·  BONUS

    Automation Matters with Jim Beretta Podcast Introduction

    I would like to introduce you to my NEW podcast called Automation Matters. In Automation Matters, we are going to concentrate on the front of the house in the automation business. The people who interface, who plan and who provide services, to the companies that build and deploy automation and robotics.  This podcast will be about marketing, sales, strategy, business development, customer attraction and strategies for growing your automation business.  We will look at big trends and micro trends, best practices and things I learned helping grow one the largest automation integrators in the industry. A few of our first podcasts for automation matters will be on CRM, marketing, and yes, even podcasting. We will look at some of the common mistakes and clever ways that companies differentiate themselves in the industry. My feedback channel is open and you can message me at the email automationmatters@gmail.com or reach out to me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you on the automation matters podcast and If you’re interested in participating please reach out to me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn...https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/ Thanks for listening and for subscribing. Jim Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast, Automation Matters Podcast with Jim Beretta London, ON info@customerattraction.com

    1 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Podcast for the Automation, Robotics and Manufacturing Industries by host, Jim Beretta. The podcast is partnered with A3 | RIA Robotics Industry Association. We discuss trends, innovation, and important tech for advanced manufacturing.

Information

  • Creator
    Jim Beretta in partnership with A3 Association for Advancing Automation.
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 The Robot Industry Podcast | Customer Attraction
  • Show Website
    The Robot Industry Podcast

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