# Rise of the Automation Workforce w/ Ale Walker

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2023-06-27
- Length: 18m
- Episode: 159
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-71eab1cc-0b94-449a-bf95-869398af48ff

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker#t=38) Introduction and E-CAMMY Story
- [6:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker#t=412) Ale Walker’s Career Path
- [9:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker#t=544) Gray Solutions’ Turnkey Automation Model
- [12:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker#t=721) Human-Centric Automation Philosophy
- [13:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker#t=803) Diversity and Reshoring in Robotics

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Gray Solutions (company)
- E-CAMMY (company)
- AGV (product)
- AMR (product)
- ASRS (product)
- Gorilla 76 (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [From Sports Writing to the Association for Advancing Automation with A3 President Jeff Burnstein](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-10-05-from-sports-writing-to-the-association-for-advancing-automation-with-a3-presiden) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [254: From Steel City to Robotics Powerhouse: Pittsburgh’s Industrial Legacy featuring Jay Douglass, COO of ARM Institute](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-23-254-from-steel-city-to-robotics-powerhouse-pittsburghs-industrial-legacy-featuri) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [158: Letting Curiosity Lead and Finding Your Identity with Gray Solutions CEO Walker Mattox](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-24-158-letting-curiosity-lead-and-finding-your-identity-with-gray-solutions-ceo-wal) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Inside Conexus Indiana: The Industry Network Driving Manufacturing Tech and Talent | Ep. 46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-07-31-inside-conexus-indiana-the-industry-network-driving-manufacturing-tech-and-talen) (Lights Out)
- [BONUS: A Look Inside the 2022 A3 Business Forum](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-22-bonus-a-look-inside-the-2022-a3-business-forum) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-27-rise-of-the-automation-workforce-w-ale-walker. 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 The Manufacturing Executive.