On-Demand Labor, Operations, and Finding a Co-Founder with Veryable CEO Mike Kinder

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 21 Sept 2021 · 38m

What this episode covers

Mike Kinder, CEO and co-founder of Veryable, discusses the company's growth from its pre-pandemic origins to becoming five times larger, driven by a labor shortage that he views as an amplification of long-standing manufacturing challenges. He details his transition from aerospace engineering and GE operations to consulting, and explains how he and co-founder Noah Labhart complement each other with operations and software expertise. Kinder argues that manufacturers must 'play offense' by adopting startup-like agility and reclaiming operational authority to innovate, emphasizing that establishing a clear vision is the key to industrial innovation.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 40m

    Building for Long-Term Success w/ Ron Speicher and David Craft

    Ron Speicher and David Craft of Davron Technologies, Inc. (DTI) explain how a small mechanical contractor evolved into a top U.S. industrial oven manufacturer by maintaining in-house operations to ensure supply chain resilience and quality. They discuss the challenges of component shortages during the pandemic, which forced them to pivot scheduling and communicate transparently with customers about extended lead times. The founders emphasize their strategy of hiring people of character, investing in their workforce, and fostering a culture where employees feel valued enough to want to retire at the company.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 8m

    From Garage Startup to EMS Excellence with Out of the Box COO Allison Budvarson

    Allison Budvarson, Co-Founder and COO of Out of the Box Manufacturing, explains how her company evolved from a 2008 garage startup to a 70-employee contract manufacturer serving aerospace and defense clients. She details their hybrid business model, which balances 50% revenue from rapid prototypes with 50% from established local OEM products, supported by AS9100 and ITAR certifications. Budvarson discusses the operational challenges of managing fluid schedules and the strategic decision to reshore production despite higher onshore costs, citing intellectual property safety and collaboration benefits. Finally, she highlights the critical industry-wide talent shortage and her proactive approach to recruiting through high school engagement, apprenticeships, and maintaining gender parity in management.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 23m

    Wait, why is Jeff glowing?

    Jeff Keyzer, founder of MightyOhm, discusses his return to self-employment after five years at Valve, where he managed the full product lifecycle of consumer electronics. He details the challenges of high-volume manufacturing, including the difficulty of changing assembly processes once tooling is set and the importance of vendor relationships for custom components. Keyzer also describes a recent trip to the Hanford site in Washington to tour the historic B Reactor and the LIGO observatory, highlighting the engineering complexities of early nuclear production and gravitational wave detection.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 29m

    On-Demand Labor for a Fluctuating Demand Curve w/ Adam Rubatt

    Adam Rubatt, Director of Operations Intelligence at Veryable, explains how manufacturers can manage fluctuating labor demand by shifting from fixed workforces to an on-demand labor model. He details the company's digital marketplace and workforce management software, which help businesses match staffing to real-time production needs rather than historical averages. Rubatt cites specific use cases, including ADAC Automotive stabilizing shifts during OEM demand spikes and Arctic Coolers testing a new B2C product line with flexible workers.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 36m

    The Shared Responsibility of Upskilling the Workforce w/ Bill Berrien

    Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindal Global Precision and Liberty Precision Manufacturing, discusses upskilling the existing manufacturing workforce as a solution to labor shortages, drawing parallels between his Navy SEAL background and modern shop floor operations. He argues against the fallacy that education ends in the first 25 years of life, advocating for industry-led, continuous professional development modeled after the military's NCO corps structure. Berrien highlights specific success stories at his Wisconsin facility, such as material handlers becoming CNC operators, and proposes a 'shared economy' model for training to increase scalability.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.