# Andy Wells | Touching Lives Through Engineering

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2023-05-05
- Length: 1h 00m
- Episode: 18
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering/

## Summary

Andy Wells, founder and CEO of Wells Technology, a Minnesota-based manufacturing company, shares his journey from a poverty-stricken upbringing to building a successful aerospace and medical device supplier. He details how Wells Tech grew from a $1,300 startup into a multi-industry manufacturer by developing proprietary air-powered tools and offering rapid, high-tolerance CNC job shop services. Wells emphasizes the importance of integrity, customer relationships, and hiring practices that provide second chances to individuals with felonies or from disadvantaged backgrounds, transforming them into loyal, skilled employees.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=0) Introduction: Andy Wells and Wells Technology
- [1:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=98) Early Life and Inventions on the Farm
- [6:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=402) Polaris Industries and College Education
- [15:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=938) Founding Wells Technology and Early Struggles
- [24:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=1442) Customer Service and Business Ethics
- [36:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=2195) Design for Manufacturing and Tolerances
- [46:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=2784) Social Engineering and Hiring Program
- [56:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering#t=3398) Philosophy on Engineering and Patience

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Wells Technology (company)
- Polaris Industries (company)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Why We’re Proud to Be Manufacturers & Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-08-03-why-were-proud-to-be-manufacturers-engineers) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Zane Hengsperger (Founder/CEO, Nox Metals)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-03-25-zane-hengsperger-founder-ceo-nox-metals) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [180: Made in Missouri, Live from the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-04-09-180-made-in-missouri-live-from-the-2024-midwest-manufacturers-trade-show-confere) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [On-Demand Labor, Operations, and Finding a Co-Founder with Veryable CEO Mike Kinder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-09-21-on-demand-labor-operations-and-finding-a-co-founder-with-veryable-ceo-mike-kinde) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-05-05-andy-wells-touching-lives-through-engineering. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.