# Scaling a Family Manufacturing Business to $100M with Jenn Barlund

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2025-12-09
- Length: 38m
- Episode: 287
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-80905287-00ae-4b96-8fd3-8a6de2942c91

## Summary

Jenn Barlund, President of Falcon Plastics, explains how the 50-year-old family-owned manufacturer scaled to nearly $100M in revenue by prioritizing employee well-being, operational excellence, and selective customer partnerships. She details the strategic decision to terminate a major multimillion-dollar client who violated company values, a move that reinforced internal culture and allowed the company to focus on high-value, long-term partners. Barlund also discusses the importance of transparent pricing, open-book financial management with employees, and investing in marketing to differentiate Falcon Plastics in a saturated injection and blow molding market.

## Chapters

- [0:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=34) Introduction: Jenn Barlund and Falcon Plastics
- [4:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=286) Falcon Plastics History and Global Expansion
- [6:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=394) Maintaining Family Culture During Growth and Acquisition
- [9:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=552) Employee Well-being, Safety, and Whole-Life Support
- [16:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=987) Differentiation Through Customer Experience and Metrics
- [20:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=1243) Terminating a Major Client to Protect Company Values
- [25:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=1534) Open-Book Management and Profit Sharing Transparency
- [29:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=1780) Marketing Strategy and Brand Visibility in Plastics
- [33:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-09-scaling-a-family-manufacturing-business-to-100m-with-jenn-barlund#t=2010) Women in Manufacturing and Industry Advocacy

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Falcon Plastics (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Industrial Marketing Summit (other)
- Sujo China (other)
- Monterey, Mexico (other)
- Carissa Kopecki (other)

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- [258: Mentorship, Mid-Career Entrepreneurship, and Inspiring Women in Manufacturing with Patti Nowak, Owner of Control+M Solutions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-10-21-258-mentorship-mid-career-entrepreneurship-and-inspiring-women-in-manufacturing) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [S6E38 Wally Waldron | How to Successfully Exit A Manufacturing or Industrial Services Business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-09-19-s6e38-wally-waldron-how-to-successfully-exit-a-manufacturing-or-industrial-servi) (Being an Engineer)
- [180: Made in Missouri, Live from the 2024 Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-04-09-180-made-in-missouri-live-from-the-2024-midwest-manufacturers-trade-show-confere) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford.  A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-03-09-bobos-beryl-stafford-a-single-mom-turns-a-baking-project-into-a-100m-business) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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