Manufacturing Happy Hour

Fear is expensive. In 2025, manufacturers delayed billions in capital projects because anxiety, not data, drove business decisions.
But 2026 is different. Tax incentives expire mid-year, borrowing costs are down, and the hard data shows CapEx accelerating at 3-4%. The companies acting on facts while others remain frozen are the ones positioned to gain market share, capture expiring tax benefits, and pull ahead.
This episode comes to you live from the A3 Forum 2026, where the message is clear: 2026 isn't about waiting for certainty. It's about preparing for complexity with multiple strategies, acting on hard economic data, and recognizing that technology will solve the labor shortage.
You'll hear why geopolitics can no longer be ignored and why every manufacturing company needs dedicated monitoring and scenario-based planning to navigate constant disruption. We dig into why America's $1+ trillion manufacturing investment boom is creating career opportunities that rival the tech industry and why the outdated narrative around manufacturing jobs is costing the industry the next generation of talent.
Plus, we explore how automation and robotics are becoming the central solution for critical challenges and how theme park robotics taught the industry the power of asking “how” instead of “no”.
In this episode, find out:
Why 2026 is transitioning from a year of uncertainty to a year of complexity
How to become a value-added partner instead of a transactional seller
How America's $1+ trillion manufacturing investment is rebuilding domestic capability
Why manufacturing careers now offer competitive tech-level salaries
Why 92% of manufacturing CEOs prioritize smart manufacturing as their top growth strategy
The impact of expiring tax incentives on CapEx decision-making urgency
Why AI has shifted from hype to practical implementation questions
How theme park robotics pioneered human-robot collaboration and safety standards
Why the answer should be "how" instead of "no" when facing unconventional challenges

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
“We are in a manufacturing revolution, but most people don’t realize it yet. More importantly, America is starting to learn how to rebuild and manufacture its own goods. We are starting the process to build and AI is a tool that will help close that chasm.” – Bob Little
“If 2025 was marked as a year of uncertainty, I think we are now far enough into the process to recognize that it's transitioning to a year of complexity in 2026. You have to be prepared for a variety of different scenarios. You have to treat it almost like war gaming, if you think about it.” – Alex Chausovsky,
“92% of manufacturing CEOs interviewed by Deloitte said smart automation or smart manufacturing...

There’s a commonly held belief in manufacturing: big ideas need big money, fast growth, and outside control to survive. But that playbook doesn’t work for every business or every industry.
Andrew Johnson, co-founder of HeavyTech and CEO of ShelfAware, joins the show from Everywhere Beer Co. in Anaheim, California, to talk through how he and his partners built HeavyTech, a hybrid and electric big machinery manufacturer, on their own terms. He shares the long road behind developing technology for hybrid and electric heavy machinery, and why, when it came time to scale, they made a deliberate decision to crowdfund and not follow the traditional VC path.
Along the way, we also get into why diversification within a single industry creates leverage most business owners miss, what it means to be fearless in business, and the struggles of connecting with other entrepreneurs at the same stage of growth.
If you’ve ever questioned whether the “standard” approach to funding actually fits your business, this conversation will make you rethink the rules.
In this episode, find out:
Why timing is the most important factor in business success
How crowdfunding gives you more control over your business and direct access to future customers
Why diversifying within an industry is one of the smartest entrepreneurial moves you can make
The importance of connecting with other entrepreneurs in the same position as you
How HeavyTech invented its hybrid and electric machines for construction, farm and ranch
What it means to be fearless in business
Where Andrew sees the future of U.S. manufacturing going

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
“I think the inclination today is that you need to go raise a bunch of money with private equity venture capital. I believe that’s wrong. Crowdfunding allowed us to raise a bunch of money from individuals. Normal people who believed in the future vision of our company and would eventually become our customers.”
“I think that’s the beauty of diversification. Each business is in the same industrial space. The products are different, but they complement each other. Sometimes I go into a meeting trying to sell ShelfAware, and I end up selling O-rings or end up talking about HeavyTech and leave with a new investor.”
“Timing is everything in business. You have to be at the right place at the right time. You can have a great idea, but if the market is not ready, it won’t work.”

Links & mentions:
HeavyTech, a manufacturing company designing and building hybrid and electric machinery for the construction and agriculture industries.
ShelfAware, a manufacturing intelligence company providing real-time production visibility and workflow insights to improve efficiency on the factory floor.
Everywhere Beer Co, an independent craft brewery based in Cleaveland, producing small-batch beers.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Mentioned in this episode:
Industrial Marketing Summit 2026
The Industrial Marketing Summit is the go-to gathering for marketers working in the manufacturing,...

What do smartphones, batteries, defense systems, and solar panels all have in common?
They all depend on critical minerals like lithium, graphite, gallium, and polysilicon. Access to these resources affects how people, businesses, and governments communicate, generate power, and operate.
In this episode, Chris sits down with Representative Haley Stevens from Michigan’s 11th district to discuss her plans for lessening U.S. dependence on the production and refining of these resources from other countries.
The conversation digs into the current state of the U.S. supply chain. We look at how innovation shaped the auto rescue during the 2008 recession and how it will continue to influence the success of the American auto industry over the next 25 years.
We also unpack why Representative Stevens is passionate about the manufacturing industry, how it continues to shape her career, and the type of legislation changes you can expect from her 100-page proposal.
In this episode, find out:
How the auto rescue saved 200,000 Michigan jobs
The impact of the manufacturing industry on Representative Steven’s career in Congress
How barriers to entry are costing the manufacturing industry room to innovate
Why it's important to bring the entire supply chain to the U.S.
How Representative Stevens plans to lessen U.S. dependence on other countries for critical minerals
What needs to change from a federal level to fix supply chain vulnerabilities, lower costs, and create jobs
How environmental concerns fit into legislation plans
The importance of a tax code that empowers manufacturing workers and small businesses
What will secure the future of American manufacturing for the next 25 years

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
”Somewhere between 85 and 95% of critical minerals are processed and refined in China. It’s a supply chain vulnerability.”
“We need to lessen our dependence on China, invest in loan guarantees and tax credits that will grow this industry here in the United States of America.”
“Who will continue to lead the free world in the next 25 years? Well, it's going to be American industry through free market principles that allow for equal opportunity and people to thrive.”

Links & mentions:
Kennedy’s Irish Pub, a longstanding Irish pub serving up draft brews, cocktails, and casual eats in a funky, upbeat atmosphere in Waterford, MI.
Representative Haley Stevens, Congresswoman for Michigan's 11th District.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Mentioned in this episode:
Industrial Marketing Summit 2026
The Industrial Marketing Summit is the go-to gathering for marketers working in the manufacturing, engineering and industrial sectors. Built by Gorilla 76 and TREW Marketing, IMS delivers strategic insight, hands-on learning and true community.

Whether you’re a team of one, or leading a scaled marketing department, you’ll walk away ready to market smarter, lead stronger and impact your...

Loud, dusty and far removed from innovation. We often think of mining as separate from modern manufacturing, but our visit to Imerys West Hub in this episode challenges that idea.
The conversation was recorded on site at the largest diatomaceous earth mine in the world, in Lompoc, California. During the recording, a sonic boom from a nearby SpaceX launch cuts across the background, a reminder of how closely materials, regulation, and advanced manufacturing often overlap.
Chris is joined by Ken Rasmussen, Operations Director at the site, who shares a practical perspective on what modern mining looks like when it’s done right.
Ken walks us through how diatomaceous earth is mined, processed, and shipped as a finished product from a single site, and why that matters. The material is used in industries most people don’t associate with mining, including water filtration, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines.
In this episode, we look at how mining fits directly into modern manufacturing, and what it takes to run an end-to-end operation on a global scale.
In this episode, find out:
Why “if you can’t grow it, you have to mine it” still applies to modern manufacturing
What diatomaceous earth is and why it’s critical for filtration, pharma, and medical applications
How a mining operation runs start to finish, from raw material to finished product
Why mining in California forces higher standards for safety, automation, and environmental control
How automation improves recovery, efficiency, and process visibility across the operation
What mining really looks like today versus common perceptions
How and why mining should coexist with communities instead of being pushed outside them

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
“If you can’t grow it, you have to mine it. It’s not magic. Everything we use has to come from somewhere.”
“Mining absolutely has to be part of communities, or else everything would need to be imported. There’s no other way around it.”
“The safety of our employees is first and foremost in everything we do. Every single person here has the authority to stop work if something doesn’t feel right.”

Links & mentions:
Imerys, a provider of mineral-based specialty solutions for industry globally, including construction, automotive, and consumer goods; their Lompoc, CA facility is the world’s largest diatomite mine.
SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Its primary mission is to revolutionize space technology by making rockets fully and...

A lot of manufacturing companies can build insanely complex and intricate things, but far fewer are set up to handle what happens once customers start buying. So, what happens when those products start selling at scale, contracts get longer, and customers get bigger?
In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Hale, CEO and Founder at Klear, to uncover a side of manufacturing that often gets overlooked: how money moves through industrial businesses.
The conversation explores how money flows when deal cycles are long, customers are global, and planning starts to feel less like spreadsheets and more like a 3D chessboard. Trade finance sits underneath a lot of this activity, shaping how physical infrastructure gets built and how manufacturers grow.
We also hear about Chris' experience touring in a band, and how this shaped the way he thinks about coordination, timing, and handoffs, ideas that show up repeatedly in how he approaches financial systems for manufacturers today.
In this episode, find out:
How Chris Hale moved from touring in a band to working in finance and building fintech tools for industrial companies
Why trade finance underpins everything from shipping containers to large-scale infrastructure projects
What orchestration means in a manufacturing context, and why clean handoffs matter
Why managing money often becomes harder as companies grow and demand increases
How global volatility, customer behaviour, and innovation shape financial decision-making
Where financial visibility tends to break down inside fast-growing manufacturers
Why tying money directly to physical execution changes how companies scale

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!
Tweetable Quotes:
“Trade finance as an asset class is fascinating because it’s how the world gets built through money. If you see a boat full of shipping containers, that boat is trade finance. If you see a data center being built, everything going into it is trade finance.”
“The board keeps moving. You’ve got government customers, supply chain disruptions, strikes, geopolitics, and it becomes incredibly difficult to plan with confidence.”
“Manufacturer are doing all this precision work, but when it comes to their money, they’re doing dead reckoning. They’re looking at the sun and guessing, and that’s where things fall apart.”

Links & mentions:
Klear Inc., a payment and working capital infrastructure provider that’s designed specifically for modern industrial companies. The platform helps manufacturers gain clearer visibility into cash flow, manage risk across long contracts, and better align financial operations with physical execution.