Paul Van Metre is no stranger to MakingChips, and we’ve shared his story before. But this time, we’re looking at it through a whole new lens. Paul and his partners started in the industry running a machine shop.

How do you create and cultivate a manufacturing leadership mindset? What can you do to recharge? How do you take care of yourself so you can take care of your team? How do you unify your team toward a shared goal?

What is the most impactful factor that helps machine tool distributors sell tools? Is it the quality of the tools themselves? Is it the skill of the salesperson? Is it the service that the distributor can offer? Tony Harrod—General Manager at Methods Machine Tools, Inc.—believes that one of these things sets you apart: Service: But is the answer really that simple?

In this special Bonus Chips episode of MakingChips, we’re guests on Chris Luecke’s podcast, Manufacturing Happy Hour. Of all the manufacturing podcasts, we both double down on leadership topics. So in this episode, we seek to tackle one question: What does it mean to be a manufacturing leader?

In 2018, the US Government set a standard for cybersecurity, so anyone in any industry that touched the US government had to meet the requirement—but it wasn’t happening. Now, CMMC is coming out and you will be audited. So what is CMMC? Does your shop need it?

There is a widening disparity in the manufacturing industry: Insanely busy shops and shops that are barely treading water. In any business, there will always be companies that thrive and grow and those that don’t.

We are melting our faces off with some hot sauces in this episode of MakingChips. Why? Because spices break down barriers. And as these hot sauces break down our mouths, you may just get some answers you weren’t expecting about everything from mental health to making investments.