# 158: Letting Curiosity Lead and Finding Your Identity with Gray Solutions CEO Walker Mattox

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2023-10-24
- Length: 47m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Walker Mattox, CEO of Gray Solutions, explains how he founded the automation and systems integration firm after recognizing a need for in-house expertise during a Clemens Food Group project. He details the company's rapid growth to become one of the top 20 systems integrators in the U.S., attributing success to hiring curious, non-traditional talent and empowering them to solve complex problems. Mattox also discusses the strategic rebranding of Gray Solutions, the importance of embracing innovation through proof-of-concept testing, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines in modern manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=0) Introduction and Origin Story
- [6:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=404) Letting Curiosity Lead and Hiring Philosophy
- [11:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=693) Scaling Gray Solutions and Leadership Advice
- [26:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=1563) Industry Challenges: Flexibility vs. Stability
- [31:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=1891) Innovation, Risk Mitigation, and Rebranding
- [38:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal#t=2303) Storytelling, Partnerships, and Company Identity

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Gray Solutions (company)
- Clemens Food Group (company)
- Gray Construction (company)
- E-Plan (tool)
- Rockwell (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Rise of the Automation Workforce w/ Ale Walker](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [How Curiosity Drives Smart Business Decisions w/ Jim Vaselopulos](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-03-12-how-curiosity-drives-smart-business-decisions-w-jim-vaselopulos) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Starting Small With AI and Emerging Manufacturing Technology w/ Jarred Knecht](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-07-30-starting-small-with-ai-and-emerging-manufacturing-technology-w-jarred-knecht) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Unlocking Company Growth: A Journey of Technological Evolution and Automation with Matric Group CEO Rick Turner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2023-10-25-unlocking-company-growth-a-journey-of-technological-evolution-and-automation-wit) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Leading by Empowering Your People](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-02-14-leading-by-empowering-your-people) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## 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/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal. 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.