# A Behind-The-Scenes Look at Custom Ski Manufacturing with Mike McCabe

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2022-12-27
- Length: 51m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Mike McCabe, CEO and co-founder of Folsom Custom Skis, explains how his company survives in a challenging industry by maintaining a lean, debt-free structure and focusing on deep customer consultation to tailor ski geometry and materials. He details the specific material science behind their skis, including the use of wood cores (aspen, poplar, maple, bamboo), composites (carbon fiber, fiberglass), and plastics, contrasting their robust US-based manufacturing with overseas mass production. McCabe shares advice for aspiring manufacturers, emphasizing the critical importance of financial literacy, personal resilience during early recession-era struggles, and hiring a passionate, small team to maintain quality control without external funding.

## Chapters

- [0:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=46) Introduction and Mike McCabe's Background
- [5:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=306) Early Life, Education, and Manufacturing Foundation
- [11:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=670) Founding Folsom Custom Skis and Market Opportunity
- [13:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=795) Custom Ski Design Process and Customer Consultation
- [18:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=1132) Materials and Construction: Wood, Composites, and Plastics
- [28:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=1696) Business Strategy: Surviving the 2008 Recession and Lean Operations
- [38:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=2292) Advice for Engineers and Career Guidance
- [42:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe#t=2548) Skiing Destinations and Industry Commentary

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Folsom Custom Skis (company)
- Aspen Brewing Company (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- CAM Software (tool)
- Aspen (material)
- Graphene (material)
- Tetanol (material)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [361: It’s complicated](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2022-07-08-361-its-complicated) (Making It)
- [044: Turning customizable jackets into a multi-million dollar business, Elyse Daniels of Exodus Wear](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-03-14-044-turning-customizable-jackets-into-a-multi-million-dollar-business-elyse-dani) (Product Startup)
- [Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture) (How I Built This)
- [STL 93: Nick Offerman's Dream Shop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2015-09-11-stl-93-nick-offermans-dream-shop) (Shop Talk Live)
- [005: Miniature Construction Materials](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-04-05-005-miniature-construction-materials) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

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