Manufacturing Happy Hour
by Chris Luecke
Latest episode
310: The Automation Skills Gap: Why Manufacturers Need to Train the…
310: The Automation Skills Gap: Why Manufacturers Need to Train the…
About this podcast
Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers.
Hosted by industry veteran Chris Luecke, each week, we interview makers, founders, and other manufacturing leaders that are at the top of their game and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. We go beyond the buzzwords and dissect real-life applications and success stories so that you can tackle your biggest manufacturing challenges and turn them into profitable opportunities.
Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 375 episodes
- 310: The Automation Skills Gap: Why Manufacturers Need to Train the Workforce They Already Have · 30 min · Episode 310Five years ago, many companies treated training as optional. That’s changing. Joining Chris is Christelle Keefer, Director of Training and Certification at the Association for…
- 309: How Physical AI Is Changing What's Possible in Warehouse Automation · 36 min · Episode 309In a factory, work in progress is a problem. In a warehouse, it’s the whole job. Chris takes the show inside the warehouse with Josh Cloer, General Manager, North America at…
- 308: From Prototype to Production: Inside Chicago’s Hardtech Innovation Engine with mHUB's Bill Fienup and Kim Blomquist · 42 min · Episode 308How do you explain mHUB? Chris asks the people behind it, over coffee instead of beer. Recorded in Chicago’s West Loop, Chris sits down with mHUB’s Bill Fienup, Co-Founder and VP…
- 307: Building the Factory of the Future - LIVE from Revere Electric's Executive Forum at UWM's Connected Systems Institute (Milwaukee, WI) · 46 min · Episode 307Manufacturing has been collecting skills for centuries, and the list keeps growing. Chris takes Manufacturing Happy Hour to Revere Electric’s Executive Forum at the University of…
- 306: From Systems of Record to Systems of Action: Putting AI to Work in Manufacturing with Sanjay Brahmawar · 46 min · Episode 306Manufacturing has a lot to gain from AI, and a lot to lose by waiting. Recorded at mHUB in Chicago’s West Loop during IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show), Chris…
- 304: How to Build a Manufacturing Company from First Principles with Supersede CEO Sean Petterson · 47 min · Episode 304RVs are homes that go 60 miles an hour. That changes everything about what goes inside them. Chris sits down with Sean Petterson, CEO of Supersede, a company combining recycling…
- 303: Made in Iowa: Ag Equipment, Butter Braids, and Women in Manufacturing (WiM) · 36 min · Episode 303There's a lot more coming out of Iowa than corn. Chris heads to Des Moines for a live conversation with four guests who each know Iowa manufacturing a little differently…
- 302: Philly's Answer to the Talent Shortage (LIVE in King of Prussia, PA) · 57 min · Episode 302You can count on Philly to bring the energy! Recorded live in King of Prussia at the final stop of the Northeast leg of the All-American Manufacturing Summer Tour, this episode…
- IMTS After Hours: Your Unofficial Guide to IMTS 2026 featuring Jim Mayer and Emily Wilkins · 26 minWhere's the party at? While there’s a lot to see on the show floor at IMTS 2026, some of the best conversations, connections, and memories happen after the show floor closes each…
- 301: NYC's Role in Reindustrialization and American Manufacturing (LIVE from Brooklyn) · 1 h 2 min · Episode 301"New York City is where dreams come to audition", and this goes for manufacturers too. Recorded live at New Lab in Brooklyn, this episode is split into three segments and…
- IMTS 2026 Preview: Live Drone Production, the Industrial AI Arena, and More · 17 minThe largest manufacturing trade show in the Western Hemisphere is coming to Chicago September 14 through 19, and this bonus episode is your preview of IMTS 2026. Chris shares…
- 300: Chris Luecke’s Friends from High School Interview Him on His Own Podcast, LIVE in St. Louis · 1 h 10 min · Episode 300300 episodes of Chris asking all the questions, this week he is finally in the hot seat - and it’s his high school buddies doing all the grilling! Recorded live at Urban Chestnut…
- BONUS: Predictive Maintenance: The Key to Replacing Unplanned Downtime with Personal Downtime (Sponsored by AssetWatch) · 33 minSome of the best manufacturing advice comes down to one simple idea - buy back your weekends. In this bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Chris is joined by Patrick…
- 299: Inside Connecticut's Manufacturing Ecosystem: Innovation, Workforce Development, and Industrial Leadership, Live from Hartford, CT · 47 min · Episode 299We're not beating the drum this week… we're ringing Cici's bell. Filmed live at Trinity College's Innovation Hub - our first time in Connecticut, and our first ever 9:30am…
- BONUS: What Is Servitization? How OEMs Can Turn Their Installed Base Into Long-Term Revenue with PTC's Sam Neva · 57 minSelling the equipment is the easy part. The real revenue shows up after the sale. Sam Neva, Vice President of Sales for Service Lifecycle Management at PTC, joined the show to…
- 298: Exploring Massachusetts' Aerospace & Defense Industry, LIVE in Canton, MA · 41 min · Episode 298When Massachusetts shows up for something, it's rarely small, and this live show was no exception. Over 100 people packed into Canton to join Chris as he sits down with Megan…
- BONUS: The Future of Intralogistics featuring Siemens' Joel Thomas and Markus Thiel · 30 minDigital, real, real, digital. It sounds simple, but it's rewriting how a warehouse gets designed. Joel Thomas has spent over a decade in the Intralogistics space and now leads…
- 297: Defense Spending, Contract Manufacturing, and Navigating Regulated Industries with Fathom CEO Rush LaSelle · 50 min · Episode 297Fine tuning manufacturing like a guitar - that's the kind of parallel you can expect from this episode. This week Chris sits down with Rush LaSelle, CEO at Fathom, recorded on…
- BONUS: Software-Defined Automation: The Future of Industrial Control (sponsored by Siemens) · 29 minTwo worlds that have never previously spoken the same language are now building the same machine. This week Chris sits down with David Nichols, CEO, Co-Founder and Engineer at…
- 296: The Art of Building in the Age of AI with Baukunst Co-Founder Tyler Mincey · 48 min · Episode 296What does it take to build something well, on purpose, in a world that keeps pushing you to move faster? This week Chris sits down with Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General…
- 295: Reindustrialization, AI Agents, and the Future of Manufacturing with First Resonance CEO Karan Talati · 47 min · Episode 295What happens when a former SpaceX engineer decides manufacturing software needs to be completely reimagined? In this special live episode of the podcast, recorded at Arts…
- BONUS: AI in Manufacturing: What’s Broken, What’s Working, and How Manufacturers Can Succeed with AI featuring PTC's Joseph June · 23 minWhat if your AI strategy doesn't need more agents, just a better plan? This week Chris sits down with Joseph June, who leads AI strategy at PTC to talk about what companies are…
- BONUS: From a Sabbatical to Building the First Full-Stack Industrial AI Company with Andres Naranjo, CEO of Software Toolbox · 1 h 6 minAndres Naranjo sailed a race around the world, wrote Japan's digital agenda, and spent his sabbatical teaching himself AI from scratch. This week Chris sits down with Andres, CEO…
- 294: "One in Four Bites"...Inside California’s Food and Manufacturing Heartland (LIVE from the Central Valley) · 1 h 8 min · Episode 294When most people think about California business, Silicon Valley and Hollywood come to mind. But travel the I-5 corridor and you’ll find one of the most productive manufacturing…
- 293: Manufacturing Leadership That Works with Author and Geislinger CEO Jason Woodard · 36 min · Episode 293Your frontline team can only perform as well as the processes they're handed. So why are so many leaders still blaming the wrong people instead of listening to the ones closest…
- 292: What Manufacturers Can Learn from Silicon Valley: Mechatronics, Startups, and More (LIVE from San Jose, CA) · 57 min · Episode 292Growing your own machinists and orchestrating robots across four continents, is this what the future of manufacturing looks like? This live episode from Hapa's Brewing in the Bay…
- BONUS: Factory Orchestration: The Next Frontier of Manufacturing Operations with Harmoni Co-Founder David Caputo · 1 h 0 minWhat if the biggest efficiency problem in your factory isn't your machines, it's the dead time you waste before you even get to one. Workers queuing at ADP and ERP terminals…
- BONUS: What Manufacturers Can Learn from Central Wisconsin's Workforce Strategy (LIVE from Wausau, WI) · 44 minWhat happens when manufacturers stop competing for talent and start working together to develop it? In this special LIVE episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Chris travels to…
- 290: Why Danny Gonzales Thinks Manufacturing Has a Storytelling Problem · 49 min · Episode 290Content becomes forgettable when the key message isn't wrapped in storytelling. People don’t retain information anywhere near as well as they remember stories they hear, and this…
- 289: Beyond the Hype: How Autonomy Is Scaling Across Critical Industries (LIVE from Pittsburgh) · 56 min · Episode 28920 years ago, automation was a pipe dream for industrial workers, 10 years ago it existed in research and development labs. Now it's fully operational in warehouses, production…
- 288: Inside the Sisterhood of Trades: Why Women Are Choosing Skilled Trades Careers · 22 min · Episode 288For women working in skilled trades, running into someone who knows what the work feels like doesn't happen every day, Sisterhood of Trades was founded to build that connection…
- 287: The Art of Precision Manufacturing: Why Humans Still Matter on the Factory Floor | Live from The Manufacturing Exchange in Rochester, NY (Powered by Fathom) · 49 min · Episode 287Full automation and AI on the factory floor are great, but the line still doesn't run without people who can feel a part click into place wrong or hear a tool burn. That space…
- 286: Why Local Execution Drives Regional Manufacturing Success: Live from Cleveland, OH · 49 min · Episode 286American manufacturing’s next chapter is being written one region at a time, and Northeast Ohio is one of the places setting the standard. In a region like theirs, the…
- BONUS: Purpose-Built AI for Manufacturing: How AI Agents Are Transforming Workflows on the Factory Floor with Apprentice CEO Angelo Stracquatanio · 46 minGeneral-purpose AI can answer almost anything, but that flexibility becomes a liability on the factory floor. In this bonus episode, Chris sits down with Angelo Stracquatanio…
- 285: Why Offshoring Looks Cheaper (But Isn’t): The Real Math Behind Reshoring with Harry Moser · 54 min · Episode 285For years, reshoring was a fringe idea. Now, it’s one of the most talked-about topics in manufacturing. Even though the conversation is now in vogue, there’s still a challenge…
- BONUS: From Spreadsheets to MRP: How SMB Manufacturers Are Improving Visibility to Inventory and Costs with MRPeasy · 34 minHow do you know when your current setup has stopped working, and what to do with it when it does? In this bonus episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Chris sits down with Shane…
- 283: From Craft to Manufacturing: How Crafted Glory’s Kwadwo Som-Pimpong Is Scaling a Furniture Business While Working the Night Shift · 47 min · Episode 283Kwadwo Som-Pimpong started making furniture in 2015 because he bought a house with no furniture and decided to build his own. A decade later, he runs Crafted Glory, a small-batch…
- 282: Inside a Warehouse Automation Project: How Sumitomo Drive Technologies Is Transforming Logistics and Reshoring Operations · 43 min · Episode 282Running out of warehouse space doesn’t always mean you need more of it. For Sumitomo Drive Technologies, it meant rethinking the whole operation from the ground up. In this…
- 281: How AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance Enhances Operational Reliability with Colin Morris of MaintainX · 33 min · Episode 281AI-powered predictive maintenance has been on the radar for years, but for most facilities, it still hasn’t fully landed. Chris sits down remotely with Colin Morris, Senior…
- 280: How to Create a Manufacturing Ecosystem of Support with Matt Bogoshian, Executive Director at the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC) · 42 min · Episode 280Most regions have pockets of manufacturing strength. Very few have a manufacturing ecosystem. Matt Bogoshian has spent 15 years trying to change that. In this episode of…
- 279: The Creative Process: Building Relationships and Businesses That Last, Live from The Argo in Milwaukee, WI · 53 min · Episode 279What happens when a multimedia entrepreneur and a concert venue owner sit down for a live podcast? A good conversation – with a couple beers – about creativity, grit, and what it…
- 278: How Second-Chance Hiring Changes Lives and Helps Manufacturers Find and Develop Talent with Marcus Sheanshang, President of JBM Packaging · 52 min · Episode 278Most of the time, applications from candidates with a felony record end up in the garbage can. The problem is, by overlooking people from what are seen as ‘problematic’ talent…
- 277: The Future of CAM Software and Elevating the Status of Manufacturing Jobs with Mastercam President Russ Bukowski · 44 min · Episode 277AI is reshaping what it means to be a modern manufacturing professional. When a 30-year veteran retires, decades of expertise used to leave as well. How they ran a machine, which…
- 276: 2026 Automation Industry Outlook, Live from the A3 Business Forum · 1 h 9 min · Episode 276Fear is expensive. In 2025, manufacturers delayed billions in capital projects because anxiety, not data, drove business decisions. But 2026 is different. Tax incentives expire…
- 275: Building a Brand New Manufacturing Company in the US with Andrew Johnson, Co-Founder of HeavyTech · 53 min · Episode 275There’s a commonly held belief in manufacturing: big ideas need big money, fast growth, and outside control to survive. But that playbook doesn’t work for every business or every…
- 274: The Auto Rescue, Critical Minerals, and Moving Manufacturing Forward with Representative Haley Stevens · 37 min · Episode 274What do smartphones, batteries, defense systems, and solar panels all have in common? They all depend on critical minerals like lithium, graphite, gallium, and polysilicon…
- 273: The Only Podcast Ever Recorded in an Open-Pit Mine featuring Imerys' Ken Rasmussen · 30 min · Episode 273Loud, dusty and far removed from innovation. We often think of mining as separate from modern manufacturing, but our visit to Imerys West Hub in this episode challenges that…
- 272: Working Capital: The Hidden Constraint to Sustainable Manufacturing Growth featuring Klear Co-Founder & CEO Chris Hale · 33 min · Episode 272A lot of manufacturing companies can build insanely complex and intricate things, but far fewer are set up to handle what happens once customers start buying. So, what happens…
- 271: Preparing Manufacturers for the Semiconductor Boom: Insights from SEMICON West and Beyond · 56 min · Episode 271Chips are the new oil. And that's not just a catchy line, it's the lens through which national security, supply chain strategy, and trillion-dollar investments are being made…
- 270: How Packaged MBRs are Revolutionizing Wastewater Treatment with Troy Ellison, Co-Founder & CEO of Cloacina · 46 min · Episode 270In this episode, Chris sits down with Troy Ellison of Cloacina to talk about what it takes to build infrastructure that works in the real world, not just on paper. Troy explains…
