Hardware Podcasts

25 - Michael Hughes CEO of Elevation Labs

People of Packaging · 13 Jun 2020 · 43m

What this episode covers

Michael Hughes, CEO of Elevation Labs, discusses his transition from Procter & Gamble to leading a contract manufacturer in Idaho Falls, emphasizing a culture of employee recognition that reduced labor costs by 30% despite higher wages. He details the company's rapid pivot to producing hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 crisis, which created a massive surge in demand for specific packaging components like pumps and sprayers. Hughes highlights the resulting supply chain disruptions, noting customers' urgent shifts toward sourcing from the US and South Korea, and predicts a future where sustainability and refillable packaging systems will regain priority once safety constraints ease.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Elevation Labs, Procter & Gamble, Costco, Jakers, Nike

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 13m

    How I Built Resilience: Live with Susan Griffin-Black

    Susan Griffin-Black, founder of EO Products, explains how her company pivoted production to hand sanitizer and soap during the pandemic, prioritizing frontline workers and community distribution. She details the operational challenges of maintaining safety protocols, managing supply chain disruptions for ingredients like Brazilian alcohol, and scaling hiring to meet overwhelming demand. Griffin-Black also discusses the strategic decision to quadruple inventory and the broader cultural shift toward health and self-care that emerged from the crisis.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    6 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 24m

    EMS@C-LEVEL Season #2021 Episode #4 with Carl Hung, President & CEO, Season Group

    Carl Hung, President & CEO of Season Group, discusses the EMS industry's response to severe supply chain disruptions, highlighting a book-to-bill ratio of 1.82 and the shift from cost-driven to resilience-driven engineering. He explains how component shortages, particularly in batteries and ICs, have forced rapid redesigns and the adoption of 'China plus one' strategies to mitigate risk. Hung also details the impact of rising labor costs in China on automation adoption and emphasizes the critical role of organizational culture and sustainability in building a robust, future-proof manufacturing business.

    Sourcing & supply chainDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 21m

    EMS@C-LEVEL Season #1 Episode #2 with Creative Electron's Dr. Bill Cardoso

    Dr. Bill Cardoso, CEO of Creative Electron, explains how his company pivoted its manufacturing operations during the COVID-19 crisis by decentralizing assembly to eight locations in San Diego County to maintain production of x-ray systems. He details the adoption of AI-driven autonomous inspection and the shift to 'X-ray as a Service' (XAS), allowing remote operation of equipment via virtual laboratories. Cardoso also discusses leadership strategies, including a '20-mile march' philosophy and a results-oriented culture, which allowed the company to avoid layoffs and sustain growth despite supply chain disruptions.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • Global Medical Device Podcast · 1h 01m

    #331: 28 Days To Save The World: Lessons Learned from a Pandemic Month of Supply Chain Issues

    Dan Purvis, CEO of Velentium, explains how the company pivoted during the early pandemic to help General Motors and Ventec Life Systems scale ventilator production from 100 to 10,000 units per month. He details the extreme supply chain challenges, including buying $2 million in parts without a purchase order and using personal networks to source components, to reopen a GM plant in Kokomo, Indiana. Purvis emphasizes that this crisis validated Velentium's core culture of 'changing lives for a better world,' which enabled the team to commit to 16-hour workdays and deliver 30,000 ventilators over the summer. He argues that strong culture, clear vision, and principles-based leadership are more critical than strategic planning when facing existential threats.

    Leadership, teams & cultureSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 11m

    Intervala President & CEO Teresa Huber on EMS@C-Level with Philip Stoten

    Teresa Huber, President & CEO of Intervala, discusses the company's history, including its acquisition seven years ago to save 150 jobs, and its strategic growth through four acquisitions to maintain dual US manufacturing sites in New Hampshire and Pittsburgh. She details how a catastrophic flood on Christmas Eve 2019 necessitated a rapid relocation, strengthening customer relationships through resilience and partnership with suppliers like Koh Young. Huber explains that Intervala serves high-reliability markets (defense, medical, industrial) by prioritizing automation to mitigate talent shortages and offering short lead times that justify US manufacturing costs over offshore options.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringScaling production
    6 chapters

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