Before he was host of MakingChips, Nick was a devoted listener. He also had a combination of metalworking and content marketing expertise that very few possess, so he always knew he had something to offer. In 2018, he teamed with Jason to further Equip and Inspire Metalworking Nation. Like Jason, Nick is also an indispensable part of a thriving family business. He is a Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer (CMTSE), which he uses in a Sales & Marketing leadership role at Hennig and AME, two long standing and impeccable manufacturing companies.
Nick Goellner
The relentless idea guy
What started as a humble hardware store just after World War II is now a leading industrial supplier, and it’s thanks in large part to Jason’s vision and drive. For over two decades, he’s poured everything into the family business, forming it into a values-driven organization that delivers crucial expertise and support to customers—as well as the tooling and tool crib management they need. He started on the shop floor and has worked his way up to running the entire show at ZENGERS Industrial Supply, which means he knows all there is to know about starting out, building a culture and growing a company.
Jason Zenger
The passionate business builder
Before he was host of MakingChips, Nick was a devoted listener. He also had a combination of metalworking and content marketing expertise that very few possess, so he always knew he had something to offer. In 2018, he joined MakingChips to further Equip and Inspire Metalworking Nation. Nick is an indispensable part of a thriving family business. He is a Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer (CMTSE), which he uses in a Sales & Marketing leadership role at Hennig and AME, two long standing and impeccable manufacturing companies.
Nick Goellner
The Relentless Idea Guy
Mike graduated from the University of Tulsa with a BSBA and immediately became a member of a startup software company focused on shop floor data collection. The rapid growth of his company led Mike down a career path in Private Equity and M&A, where he spent the next 15+ years helping to fund, manage, and exit dozens of companies in numerous sectors, including manufacturing. In 2018, he pursued his dream of purchasing a company in the manufacturing space and acquired Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication. He continues to expand his manufacturing portfolio. He's also the host of MakingChips upcoming "Buy the Numbers" podcast.
Mike Payne
The Wise Numbers Guy
Paul is a founder of ProShop—a revolutionary web-based and paperless ERP/MES/QMS system specifically designed for the metalworking industry. Paul holds a BS in Industrial Technology and founded a precision aerospace machine shop directly out of college. The company quickly realized that the current ERP systems on the market were inadequate for machine shops and started developing ProShop. After growing the company to 75 employees and over $11M in revenue, Paul and his partners sold the company in 2014 to focus on bringing ProShop to the metalworking industry. He's sharing his expertise with the Metalworking Nation in the MakingChips family's newest addition: Machine Shop Mastery.
Paul Van Metre
The Machine Shop Master
Matthew is the President and CEO of NIX and the Co-Founder of ProFab Alliance. Nix Industrial is his family’s 120+ year legacy business that they’ve grown to a regional company with over 200 team members. They’ve achieved 100X revenue growth in less than 20 years. He is passionate about building a company known for excellence in people & culture, and firmly believes that business can and should be a force for good. As a welder turned entrepreneur, he brings a wealth of knowledge from the welding and fabrication industry. Matthew is the co-host of MakingSparks.
Matthew Nix
The Growth Guru
Casey is the Managing Partner at Captivated Content. He loves to help brands and internal marketing teams grow their businesses with video and content marketing through digital platforms. Captivated Content is a video content company that is all about culture-driven and action-oriented videos. His goal is to build a company that continues to help businesses and organizations connect and motivate viewers. He is also the co-host of MakingSparks.
Casey Voelker
The Video Guy
Mike is the founder and CEO of Titanium Capital Investments (TCI), where he and his team have acquired over $60M in real estate and businesses, raising over $70M. TCI's holdings span across OH, KY, IN, IL, and MI. Mike’s mission is to advance U.S. manufacturing by adding 1,000 jobs and providing investors with passive cash flow and equity in growing companies. Mike owns and manages six manufacturing companies, all experiencing growth and gaining market share. He’s passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom through passive investment in thriving businesses, without the daily operational concerns. Mike is also the author of The Private Capital Blueprint and a sought-after speaker.
Mike Fritz
The Manufacturing Mogul
Kirk is the President of American Precision Partners, a Midwest holding company with six machine shops in its portfolio. Growing up in manufacturing as a third-generation worker, Kirk served six years in the USAF as a certified Criminal Investigator before returning to machining. Now, with 20 years in manufacturing, Kirk applies military leadership principles to guide his teams and approach customer and employee negotiations. He emphasizes the importance of leadership in closing the skills gap and achieving operational success. He's the co-host of Machine Shop Growth.
Kirk Phelps
The Precision Leader
In addition to co-leading the Industrial Marketing Agency, Gorilla 76, Jon’s day-to-day duties are focused on growing and developing a great team rooted in great relationships and creating an award-winning culture. Jon’s mission is to create one of the best workplaces in the country. He's the host of The Manufacturing Employer podcast.
Jon Franko
The Culture Cultivator
Joe Sullivan is a manufacturing marketing advisor of 12+ years and co-founder of Gorilla 76. In addition to co-leading the agency, Joe serves as the company’s sales lead. Joe has been hosting the The Manufacturing Executive – a growth strategy podcast for manufacturing leaders with more than 2000 weekly listeners – for over 250 consecutive weeks.
Joe Sullivan
The Marketing Master
As Director of Accounts at Gorilla 76, Brendon helps industrial companies reach their business goals through effective marketing. With over 11 years of manufacturing industry experience, he has a proven track record of turning complex technical products into clear, compelling stories that connect with buyers.
Brendon Forrest
The Strategic Savant
Nihal is a writer at Gorilla. He likes crafting work that is clear and thoughtful, with just enough verve to feel like a pleasure to read. Before joining Gorilla 76, he taught Russian literature to college students, was a writer and editor at wikiHow and worked out of an independent writing outfit that contracted with socially engaged startups.
Nihal Shetty
The Content Machine
After years working in the mental health field, Jen took a leap of faith and dove into the world of writing. She combined her love of content creation and podcasting into her role at a podcasting agency, where she wrote for MakingChips' for years. Now, Jen serves as their Manager, helping them realize their mission of equipping and inspiring the metalworking nation.
Jen Dubose
The Chaos Coordinator
What started as a humble hardware store just after World War II is now a leading industrial supplier, and it’s thanks in large part to Jason’s vision and drive. For over two decades, he’s poured everything into the family business, forming it into a values-driven organization that delivers crucial expertise and support to customers—as well as the tooling and tool crib management they need. He started on the shop floor and has worked his way up to running the entire show at ZENGERS Industrial Supply, which means he knows all there is to know about starting out, building a culture and growing a company.
Jason Zenger
The passionate business builder
Before he was host of MakingChips, Nick was a devoted listener. He also had a combination of metalworking and content marketing expertise that very few possess, so he always knew he had something to offer. In 2018, he teamed with Jason to further Equip and Inspire Metalworking Nation. Like Jason, Nick is also an indispensable part of a thriving family business. He is a Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer (CMTSE), which he uses in a Sales & Marketing leadership role at Hennig and AME, two long standing and impeccable manufacturing companies.
Nick Goellner
The relentless idea guy
Mike is the founder and CEO of Titanium Capital Investments (TCI), where he and his team have acquired over $60M in real estate and businesses, raising over $70M. TCI's holdings span across OH, KY, IN, IL, and MI. Mike’s mission is to advance U.S. manufacturing by adding 1,000 jobs and providing investors with passive cash flow and equity in growing companies. Mike owns and manages six manufacturing companies, all experiencing growth and gaining market share. He’s passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom through passive investment in thriving businesses, without the daily operational concerns. Mike is also the author of The Private Capital Blueprint and a sought-after speaker.
Mike Fritz
The Video Guy
Casey is the Managing Partner at Captivated Content. He loves to help brands and internal marketing teams grow their businesses with video and content marketing through digital platforms. Captivated Content is video content company that is all about culture-driven and action-oriented videos. His goal is to build a company that continues to help businesses and organizations connect and motivate viewers. He is also the co-host of MakingSparks.
Casey Voelker
The Video Guy
Mike is the founder and CEO of Titanium Capital Investments (TCI), where he and his team have acquired over $60M in real estate and businesses, raising over $70M. TCI's holdings span across OH, KY, IN, IL, and MI. Mike’s mission is to advance U.S. manufacturing by adding 1,000 jobs and providing investors with passive cash flow and equity in growing companies. Mike owns and manages six manufacturing companies, all experiencing growth and gaining market share. He’s passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom through passive investment in thriving businesses, without the daily operational concerns. Mike is also the author of The Private Capital Blueprint and a sought-after speaker.
Mike Fritz
The Wise Numbers Guy
These guys aren’t just hobbyists who view this industry from afar. They live and breathe manufacturing, and they’ve made it their calling. They can talk shop, understand the ups and downs of running a business, and know their way around every piece of equipment in the facility.
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