Hardware Podcasts

266: A Century of Cookware Manufacturing and the Impact of Automation and Reshoring with David Duecker, President of SynergyOps

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 16 Dec 2025 · 34m

What this episode covers

David Duecker, President of SynergyOps, discusses the company's 115-year history in West Bend, Wisconsin, formed by the merger of West Bend and Regal Wear, and its current role as a contract manufacturer for cladded stainless steel cookware. He explains the company's strategic decision to divest from overseas appliances to focus on core cookware strengths, the implementation of highly automated but human-centric manufacturing processes, and the industry-wide shift toward reshoring driven by tariffs and supply chain disruptions. Duecker also highlights the critical challenge of developing PFAS-free non-stick coatings and the importance of retaining institutional knowledge through partnerships with Moraine Park Technical College and engaging retirees.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
SynergyOps, West Bend, Regal Wear
Also
Moraine Park Technical College, Indeed Brewing

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 28m

    Obstacles to Quickly Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Rylan Pyciak

    Rylan Pyciak, founder and president of Cleveland Automation, discusses the significant obstacles to rapidly reshoring American manufacturing, citing infrastructure deficits, a complex global supply chain, and a critical labor skills gap. He explains that while automation can help fill roles in 'dirty, dull, and dangerous' positions, the lack of experienced tradespeople and outdated facility infrastructure in traditional manufacturing hubs like Pittsburgh and Detroit slows progress. Pyciak shares a success story of a client who successfully reshored operations to the US Midwest, increasing production and creating 130 new jobs by addressing supply chain bottlenecks and investing in local vendor relationships.

    Sourcing & supply chainHiring & workforce
    7 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 7m

    Navigating Industry Change with Out of the Box Manufacturing's Allison Budvarson

    Allison Budvarson, COO and co-founder of Out of the Box Manufacturing, discusses the current state of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry at APEX 2025. She highlights a growing customer openness to reshoring manufacturing to the US, despite ongoing hesitancy regarding tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty. Budvarson argues that addressing talent shortages and capacity constraints requires leveraging AI to automate non-value-added processes, allowing the workforce to focus on high-technology tasks. She also emphasizes the importance of industry collaboration through the EMS Leadership Summit to share knowledge and elevate the entire sector.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringAI & machine learning
    5 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 18m

    Rise of the Automation Workforce w/ Ale Walker

    Ale Walker, Director of Business Development at Gray Solutions, discusses the intersection of automation and workforce development, highlighting her mother Kathy Walker’s E-CAMMY trade school in Eastern Kentucky which retrained laid-off coal miners for advanced manufacturing roles. Walker explains Gray Solutions’ turnkey approach to designing and building automated food and beverage facilities, emphasizing their agnostic selection of hardware like AGVs and AMRs. She argues that reshoring US manufacturing necessitates widespread automation to address labor shortages, while also advocating for greater diversity in the robotics industry by upskilling workers of all demographics.

    Scaling productionHiring & workforce
    5 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 32m

    The Hard Truths About Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Eddy Azad

    Eddy Azad, CEO of Parsec Automation, discusses the strategic realities of reshoring manufacturing to the United States, arguing that it is a long-term, complex process rather than a simple cost-saving switch. He explains that reshoring makes the most sense for high-value, high-tech products like semiconductors and medical devices where supply chain resilience and innovation are critical, rather than for commoditized goods. Azad highlights that while automation and AI can mitigate higher US labor costs, they require robust data infrastructure and end-to-end integration to be effective. He also addresses the impact of AI on the workforce, noting a shift from manual execution to human-in-the-loop oversight and prompt engineering.

    Policy, trade & tariffsAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 12m

    The Success of MATRIC: Evolution, Automation and Future Growth Strategies with VP Bradley Turner

    Bradley Turner, VP at MATRIC, explains how the contract electronics manufacturer has maintained competitiveness through heavy investment in automation and optical inspection technology, specifically partnering with Koh Young for pre- and post-reflow AOI and SPI. He details how this strategy reduces labor dependency, enabling MATRIC to benefit from reshoring trends by lowering the fully landed cost of production in North America. Turner also discusses the company's 50-year evolution from mining products to diversified industrial segments, leveraging NADCAP certifications to mitigate customer concentration risk and ensure financial stability for future growth.

    Scaling productionManufacturing partners & offshoring
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.