# Preserving Brand Legacy While Expanding Global Footprint w/ Todd Smith

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2026-01-06
- Episode: 291
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-019ad6a8-92e3-4e21-bda9-804be95ffd1b

## Summary

Todd Smith, President and CFO of Associated Metal Forming Technologies (AMFT), explains how the company unified five legacy brands (Associated Spring, Winkelman, Heinz Hagn, Skoda, and others) to solve supply chain fragmentation and geopolitical risks. He details the strategy of standardizing operational 'how' (safety, finance) while harmonizing engineering 'what' and 'where' to preserve brand equity and customer continuity. Smith emphasizes that modern manufacturing challenges have shifted from material scarcity to production placement, requiring regional resilience and total landed cost analysis over simple labor arbitrage.

## Chapters

- [0:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=35) Introduction: Todd Smith and the AMFT Platform Strategy
- [4:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=261) Unifying Legacy Brands to Solve Supply Chain Fragmentation
- [8:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=481) Shift from Scarcity to Production Placement and Resilience
- [12:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=757) Geographic Diversity and Total Landed Cost Analysis
- [16:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=1007) Standardizing Operations vs. Harmonizing Engineering
- [20:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=1229) Preserving Brand Equity and Customer Continuity
- [25:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-01-06-preserving-brand-legacy-while-expanding-global-footprint-w-todd-smith#t=1509) Private Equity Partnership and Capability Lift

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Associated Metal Forming Technologies (company)
- Associated Spring (company)
- Barnes Group (company)
- Winkelman (company)
- Heinz Hagn (company)
- Skoda (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- GM (company)

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- [Uncertainty Has Become The Only Certainty - EMS@C-Level with IMI CEO Lou Hughes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-06-06-uncertainty-has-become-the-only-certainty-ems-c-level-with-imi-ceo-lou-hughes) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [EMS@C-Level 2022 Season, episode 12 - Chng Boon Huei (BH), CEO, Flexi Versa Group](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-09-12-ems-c-level-2022-season-episode-12-chng-boon-huei-bh-ceo-flexi-versa-group) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Manufacturing Excellence Through Customer-Centric Strategies with SMTC's Bob Miller at APEX 2024](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-05-07-manufacturing-excellence-through-customer-centric-strategies-with-smtcs-bob-mill) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Electronica 24: Redefining Manufacturing Partnerships with Hanza Group CSO Mattia Lindhe](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-11-29-electronica-24-redefining-manufacturing-partnerships-with-hanza-group-cso-mattia) (EMS@C-LEVEL)

## Citing this page

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