# Leading Digital Transformation in Industrial America ft. Nick Petersen

- Show: [Over the Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air)
- Published: 2025-11-24
- Length: 34m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/over-the-air/episodes/Leading-Digital-Transformation-in-Industrial-America-ft--Nick-Petersen-e3b9n72

## Summary

Nick Petersen, Division Director at FortifyIt (a division of DuraServe), explains how he led a 21-month digital transformation to build an intelligent IoT platform for loading dock equipment. He details the decision to use edge computing to achieve 10-year battery life in rugged environments, the strategic choice to outsource hardware development to external partners, and how the team navigated manufacturing challenges during the pandemic, bank failures, and shifting tariff landscapes. Petersen also shares his outlook on the rise of manufacturing in Mexico and Central America as a viable alternative to China.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=8) Introduction: Nick Petersen and FortifyIt
- [3:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=180) Situational Analysis and Platform Reboot
- [7:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=439) Design Thinking and User-Centric Hardware Development
- [11:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=705) The Edge Computing Decision for Battery Life
- [16:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=968) Insourcing vs. Outsourcing Strategy
- [20:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=1255) Navigating Pandemic, Bank Failures, and Tariffs
- [27:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-11-24-leading-digital-transformation-in-industrial-america-ft-nick-petersen#t=1672) The Future of Manufacturing in Mexico and Central America

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- FortifyIt (company)
- DuraServe (company)
- Backtrack (company)
- Target (company)
- Home Depot (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Silicon Valley Bank (company)
- First Republic Bank (company)
- USMCA (other)
- NAFTA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [EMS@C-LEVEL Season #2021 Episode #8 with Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Instrumental](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2021-08-09-ems-c-level-season-2021-episode-8-with-anna-katrina-shedletsky-instrumental) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [155: Down to Earth Digital Transformation Advice with Vatsal Shah](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-09-26-155-down-to-earth-digital-transformation-advice-with-vatsal-shah) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Strategies for Success in the Evolving Manufacturing Landscape with Season Group CEO Carl Hung](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-05-23-strategies-for-success-in-the-evolving-manufacturing-landscape-with-season-group) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [What are the Benefits of Edge Computing? | Bryan Jones, SVP & GM, Embedded & Edge Solutions at Dell Technologies | #IoTMakers E038](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-08-21-what-are-the-benefits-of-edge-computing-bryan-jones-svp-gm-embedded-edge-solutio) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [The Future of Systems Integration with Tim Shope](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-05-12-the-future-of-systems-integration-with-tim-shope) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

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