138. From a Dining Room Drill Press to 276-Inch Wing Spars: The Volumatic Story

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Every machine shop has an origin story, but not many start with a drill press on the family dining room table and grow into a company machining 276-inch wing spars for military aircraft. In this episode, I sit down with Joey Schmucker and Alyssa Da Costa, the brother-and-sister team leading Volumatic, a third-generation family-owned machine shop in Macon, Georgia. What started with their grandfather in 1969 has grown into a highly specialized defense manufacturer with approximately 25 employees and a reputation built over decades.

What fascinated me most was the sheer scale of their work. We’re talking about massive structural components that can require weeks of machining, creative fixturing, and multiple setups just to complete a single part. But the business challenges are equally interesting. Volumatic doubled its sales last year and is experiencing tremendous growth again this year.

Joey and Alyssa share how they’re navigating that expansion, managing expensive materials and cash flow, and protecting the customer relationships that have fueled their success. We also get into why they’re willing to turn down work rather than promise delivery dates they can’t meet, and how smaller, quick-turn jobs have become an unexpected financial advantage.

We also explore one of the biggest challenges facing established shops today: transferring decades of knowledge before experienced employees retire. With several team members approaching 30 years at Volumatic, Joey and Alyssa are figuring out how to preserve that expertise while developing the next generation of machinists. From navigating volatile material prices to deciding when a multimillion-dollar machine investment makes sense, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the decisions behind a growing, multigenerational manufacturing business.

What’s Covered in this Episode

• (0:00) Introducing Volumatic and its third-generation leadership
• (5:03) Inside a shop specializing in massive defense components
• (6:10) Kennametal designs tooling for the real world of the shop floor
• (6:59) From a dining room drill press to a family manufacturing legacy
• (9:13) Finding a niche in aerospace and defense, building customer relationships, and diversifying
• (13:35) Creating a family-oriented culture that retains employees for decades
• (15:00) Recruiting and developing machinists from within
• (17:18) Why finding qualified, motivated employees remains the biggest challenge
• (18:07) Check out the Hennig WorkFlow automated pallet delivery system
• (18:59) Managing scrap risk when machining extremely expensive parts
• (22:14) Weighing the risks and opportunities of investing in larger machines
• (25:24) Managing rapid growth and increasing production demands
• (27:03) How quality, on-time delivery, and customer scorecards drive growth
• (30:35) How Navu can get your customers reliable and accurate answers in real time
• (31:48) Negotiating lead times and managing outside processing delays
• (37:32) Using quick-turn jobs to improve cash flow
• (40:25) Balancing production schedules with jobs requiring weeks of machining
• (43:27) Navigating rising tooling costs and volatile raw material prices
• (46:11) Strategies for protecting material pricing and managing financial risk
• (49:14) Why you should check out the Lights Out podcast
• (49:39) Preparing for retirement and preserving decades of tribal knowledge
• (53:32) Introducing the next generation to machining careers
• (55:06) Advice for building lasting customer relationships and winning new business
• (58:12) Navigating CMMC cybersecurity compliance in defense manufacturing
• (1:00:07) Final thoughts and connecting with Volumatic

Resources Mentioned

• Volumatic, Inc.
• Boeing Defense
• Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
• Mastercam
• CMMC Cybersecurity Requirements
• NIST SP 800-171

How to Connect with the Guests

• Joey Schmucker on LinkedIn
• Alyssa Da Costa on LinkedIn
• Volumatic on LinkedIn
• Volumatic Website
• info@volumatic-usa.com