# 195: 3 Characteristics of Machine Shops That Adopt Technology and Thrive with Paul Van Metre

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2024-07-23
- Length: 57m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop ERP, explains why some machine shops are thriving while others close, citing the need for sales-driven strategies, industry-specific certifications (like AS9100), and a culture of continuous improvement. He details ProShop’s journey from bootstrapping for seven years to securing growth equity from Mainsail to scale implementation capacity, and discusses his strategy for running two separate podcasts, Machine Shop Mastery and Manufacturing Transformed, to serve the industry without compromising authenticity.

## Chapters

- [6:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=367) Thriving vs. Struggling Machine Shops
- [11:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=699) Pivoting Industries and Sales Strategies
- [20:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=1204) Culture and Mindset for Technology Adoption
- [27:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=1674) ProShop’s Growth and Bootstrapping History
- [38:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=2280) Taking Private Equity and Scaling Implementation
- [46:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau#t=2797) Strategy Behind Two Separate Podcasts

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- ProShop ERP (product)
- Machine Shop Mastery (product)
- Manufacturing Transformed (product)
- Mainsail (company)
- Visual Components (company)
- Gruff Brewing (other)
- AS9100 (other)
- NIST SP 800-171 (other)
- CMMC (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Working On the Business, Not In the Business, w/ Paul van Metre](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-05-11-working-on-the-business-not-in-the-business-w-paul-van-metre) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Building a Digital Backbone for Your Manufacturing Business w/ Paul Van Metre](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-04-16-building-a-digital-backbone-for-your-manufacturing-business-w-paul-van-metre) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Manufacturing's Past, Present, and Future w/ Jim Carr](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-06-15-manufacturings-past-present-and-future-w-jim-carr) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Demystifying the Buying and Selling of a Manufacturing Business w/ Mike Payne](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-02-25-demystifying-the-buying-and-selling-of-a-manufacturing-business-w-mike-payne) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Are You Even Prepared to Run a Lights Out Shop? Ep #8](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2024-11-20-are-you-even-prepared-to-run-a-lights-out-shop-ep-8) (Lights Out)

## 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/2024-07-23-195-3-characteristics-of-machine-shops-that-adopt-technology-and-thrive-with-pau. 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.