Revitalize Manufacturing Through Employee Wellness

The Manufacturing Executive · 24 May 2022 · 32m · Episode 103

What this episode covers

Jason Azevedo, Chief Strategy Officer at MRCA, discusses revitalizing US manufacturing by prioritizing employee wellness and automation. He argues that companies must treat manufacturing as a 'people business,' using robotics to eliminate dangerous tasks like welding while upskilling workers to program and maintain those systems. Azevedo highlights MRCA's strategy of acquiring legacy US manufacturers, improving their facilities to be clean and safe, and transferring ownership to local employees to ensure community retention and long-term viability.

Mentioned

Companies
MRCA, Mosaic, Foxconn, Tesla, Ford, Rethink Robotics, Gorilla 76
Products
Baxter Robots

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 44m

    How to Attract Young Talent and Build Your Network in Manufacturing with Nicole Wolter

    Nicole Wolter, President & CEO of HM Manufacturing, explains how she transformed her father's family business from a struggling operation into a young, tech-forward company by hiring recent high school graduates and investing in advanced robotics and CNC equipment. She details her empathetic management style, which involves understanding employee personalities over resumes and actively preventing burnout through open dialogue and approachability. Wolter also discusses her strategic involvement in industry organizations like TMA, NAM, AGMA, and MHub to drive education, advocacy, and networking for the manufacturing sector.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 38m

    From Sports Writing to the Association for Advancing Automation with A3 President Jeff Burnstein

    Jeff Burnstein, President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), explains how the organization merged the Robotic Industries Association, AIA, and Motion Control and Motor Association to simplify resources for users integrating robotics, vision, and motion technologies. He argues that automation creates safer, higher-paying jobs and drives the reshoring of manufacturing to North America by mitigating supply chain risks associated with low-cost labor abroad. Burnstein emphasizes that the industry is still in its early innings, with adoption expanding rapidly into non-automotive sectors like food, pharma, and agriculture, while highlighting the critical need to integrate automation education into school curricula to address workforce shortages.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 33m

    177: Strengthening Your Engineering Team through Co-Ops and Employee Ownership with Marcease Warren

    Marcease Warren, VP of Manufacturing at Sentry Equipment, joins host Chris Luecke to discuss scaling a manufacturing engineering department from a single role to a team of 65 using co-op programs and employee ownership. Warren explains how Sentry Equipment, a provider of sampling equipment for the power generation industry, uses automation and 'Industry 4.0' technologies like robotic tenders to handle high-mix, low-volume production. He also busts myths about ESOPs, emphasizing that employee ownership drives a competitive culture and cost-consciousness without requiring financial risk from staff.

  • Lights Out · 39m

    Make the Right Chips, Do the Right Work, Ep #12

    Max Falcone, Vice President of Sales Engineering at PushCorp, joins hosts Nick Golner and Caleb Mertz to discuss how automation can eliminate dangerous, repetitive tasks in manufacturing rather than replacing workers. Falcone explains the technical differences between passive and active compliance devices, which allow robots to apply constant force for material finishing tasks like deburring and polishing. He emphasizes the critical need for practical, hands-on experience in engineering education and highlights PushCorp's role in enabling skilled workers to transition into technical roles by automating the 'dirty, dangerous' jobs.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 46m

    160: Buying a Manufacturing Company and Reimagining Upskilling with Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision

    Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision, explains his strategy of acquiring a legacy machine shop and transforming it by investing in advanced CNC technology and a rigorous upskilling program. He details how Pindel shifted from low-value, multi-operation parts to high-complexity, single-operation machining, allowing them to capture more value through automation. Berrien emphasizes a 'hire for attitude, train for skill' philosophy, citing examples like promoting a janitorial worker to CNC operator, and discusses using AI tools like Otter.ai and ChatGPT to streamline training and administrative tasks.

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