# The Future of Food and Beverage Manufacturing, LIVE from Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, OH

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2023-05-02
- Length: 1h 00m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

In a live panel discussion at Rhinegeist Brewery, host Chris Luecke interviews Cole Hackbarth of Rhinegeist, Jeremy Saunders of SugarCreek, and Larry Hecker of CBT Company about the future of food and beverage manufacturing. The group discusses the critical shift from reactive to predictive maintenance, emphasizing the need for technician buy-in and cross-departmental communication. They also address severe talent retention challenges, highlighting SugarCreek’s innovative onboarding programs and Rhinegeist’s pivot to work-life balance, while Larry Hecker explains how automation fills labor gaps rather than eliminating jobs. The conversation concludes with insights on making manufacturing more accessible to women and advice for young professionals navigating the industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=0) Introduction and Panel Overview
- [5:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=343) Flexible Manufacturing and Hygienic Design
- [8:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=521) Automation in Craft Brewing
- [10:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=642) Predictive Maintenance and Technician Buy-in
- [21:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=1303) Recruitment, Onboarding, and Retention Strategies
- [26:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=1569) Talent Challenges and Automation's Role
- [31:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=1906) Regulatory Challenges and Flexible Manufacturing
- [34:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=2094) The Cincinnati Manufacturing Ecosystem
- [41:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-05-02-the-future-of-food-and-beverage-manufacturing-live-from-rhinegeist-brewery-in-ci#t=2504) Q&A: Women in Manufacturing and Career Advice

## Topics

- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up, established companies

## Mentioned

- Rhinegeist Brewery (company)
- CBT Company (company)
- SugarCreek (company)
- Traction (company)
- Paperless Parts (company)
- FPSA (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Raytheon (company)
- I 900 (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Perspectives on Finding and Keeping Manufacturing Talent w/ Jon Franko](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-09-03-perspectives-on-finding-and-keeping-manufacturing-talent-w-jon-franko) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [S7E7 Mike Romance | Industry 4.0, Production Transfers, & People-Centric Leadership](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-02-13-s7e7-mike-romance-industry-4-0-production-transfers-people-centric-leadership) (Being an Engineer)
- [Diversity in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Andrew Crowe and Justin Sherman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-07-27-diversity-in-the-manufacturing-sector-w-andrew-crowe-and-justin-sherman) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Smarter Manufacturing in an Evolving Ecosystem w/ Chris Lupfer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-02-04-smarter-manufacturing-in-an-evolving-ecosystem-w-chris-lupfer) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Amplifiers of the workforce: The future of robots in manufacturing w/ Ryan Lillibridge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-04-06-amplifiers-of-the-workforce-the-future-of-robots-in-manufacturing-w-ryan-lillibr) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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