# From Blue Collar to Company Founder with Brennen Dugger, President of Blue Collar Automation

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2022-07-26
- Length: 32m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Brennen Dugger, President and Founder of Blue Collar Automation, explains his transition from a controls engineer at companies like JR Automation and Rockwell to starting his own firm specializing in collaborative robotics. He details why collaborative robots offer superior ROI and ease of use for solving labor shortages in Memphis, citing applications like machine tending and a memorable project involving UR5e robots with nail guns. Dugger also shares the pivotal advice he received from James Dean of Appalachian Automation to simply quit his job and start the business, highlighting the importance of community and collaboration in the automation industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=0) Introduction: Brennen Dugger and Blue Collar Automation
- [3:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=188) Trade Show Strategy: Robots Serving Beer at Automate
- [6:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=385) Career History: From Blue Collar Roots to Controls Engineering
- [9:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=568) The Origin of Blue Collar Automation and Naming Strategy
- [11:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=689) Why Collaborative Robots: ROI, Labor Shortages, and Remote Support
- [15:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=946) Collaborative Robot Applications: Machine Tending and Nail Guns
- [18:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=1139) Future of Robotics: AMRs, LGVs, and Mobile Manipulation
- [21:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=1280) Founder Challenges: Engineering vs. Business Management
- [26:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar#t=1578) Key Advice from James Dean and Community Collaboration

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Blue Collar Automation (company)
- JR Automation (company)
- Rockwell (company)
- Universal Robotics (company)
- Mobile Industrial Robots (company)
- Wiseacre Brewing Co. (company)
- Appalachian Automation (company)
- Hayden Automation (company)
- UR5e (product)
- Boston Dynamics Stretch (product)
- MFCEO Project Podcast (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 47 | Universal Robots CEO Kim Povlsen on Collaborative Robots for the 98%](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-06-07-ep-47-universal-robots-ceo-kim-povlsen-on-collaborative-robots-for-the-98) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Episode 142: Collaborative robot arms - Mark Gray](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-30-episode-142-collaborative-robot-arms-mark-gray) (Robot Talk)
- [MODEX Recap; Family-owned business turns to cobots for help](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2022-04-08-modex-recap-family-owned-business-turns-to-cobots-for-help) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Divya Thakur (Founder, Yardbot)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-05-06-divya-thakur-founder-yardbot) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [RoboBusiness 2024 recap](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-10-19-robobusiness-2024-recap) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-07-26-from-blue-collar-to-company-founder-with-brennen-dugger-president-of-blue-collar. 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 Manufacturing Happy Hour.