Manufacturers Make Strides

Manufacturers Make Strides is a podcast about people in manufacturing and the paths they’ve taken. Martin speaks with guests from across the manufacturing world about their careers, the challenges along the way, and the strides that keep the industry moving forward. New episodes every other Tuesday

Manufacturers Make Strides is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 58 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Manufacturers Make Strides, a business show with 58 episodes published.

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  Episode #28

  Winning More Manufacturing Business with Jennifer Kelly

  Sep 14, 202637 minS2

  Doing great work doesn’t guarantee your next customer will find you. So how do you make sure your manufacturing business gets noticed? In this episode, Martin sits down with Jennifer Kelly , CEO of New Initiatives Marketing , to explore how manufacturers can become more visible and create a more consistent approach to winning business. Drawing on her career in B2B marketing and more than a decade working with established businesses, Jen shares why referrals can only take you so far, how marketing can support sales and why understanding what matters to different buyers can make a real difference. In this episode: Building visibility Moving beyond referrals B2B buying decisions Supporting sales Lead nurturing Customer case studies Consistent marketing Connect with Jennifer Kelly Website: h ttps://www.newinitiativesmarketing.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkelly/

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  Episode #27

  Why profitable manufacturers think differently with Jay David

  Aug 10, 202644 minS2

  Most manufacturers think profitability starts with margins. Jay David believes it starts somewhere completely different. In this episode, Martin sits down with Jay David , who has spent more than 30 years helping manufacturers improve performance. Starting his career in cost accounting before moving into operations leadership, Jay realised many of the assumptions he'd been taught didn't match what he was seeing on the shop floor. That journey changed the way he thinks about pricing, capacity and what really makes manufacturers profitable. In this episode: - Capacity utilisation - The death spiral - Smarter pricing - Shop floor leadership - Better decisions - Automation - Mentoring teams Connect with Jay David Website: https://dobusinessbetter.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayadavid/ Turnaround Revelations: https://www.amazon.com/TURNAROUND-REVELATIONS-Alternative-Approaches-Transforming-ebook/dp/B0GHQN4YWQ

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  Manufacturers Make Strides

  Manufacturing Beyond Machinery with Angela Hodgson

  Jul 13, 202639 min

  Manufacturing businesses often invest heavily in machinery and systems, but what happens when they overlook the people running them? In this episode, we sit down with Angela Hodgson , Founder of Ignite Improvement . After more than 20 years working across automotive, luxury manufacturing and engineering SMEs, Angela now helps manufacturing businesses strengthen leadership, develop their people and build healthier ways of working. Together we explore why growth doesn't have to lead to more pressure, what healthy manufacturing teams have in common, and why investing in people is just as important as investing in technology. This conversation covers: What a healthy manufacturing culture really looks like Why growth exposes weaknesses that already exist How leadership behaviour shapes the wider business The risks of knowledge sitting with one person Why adding more people doesn't always reduce pressure The importance of investing in people alongside machinery How to reduce firefighting and empower teams Connect with Angela 📋 Free Team Diagnostic Quiz Discover what's really limiting your team's performance. https://ignitediagnostic.scoreapp.com/ 📖 Free eBook: Team Success System™ Discover what's blocking your business from scaling and how to build stronger teams. https://igniteimprovement.co.uk/ebook 🌐 Website https://igniteimprovement.co.uk/ 💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahodgson/

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  Episode #25

  Inside a micro manufacturing business with Mike Adkins

  May 4, 202643 minS2

  Micro manufacturing businesses operate in a constant balance between flexibility, quality, cash, and people. In this episode, we sit down with Mike Adkins, President of Performance Results Plus, to explore what it really takes to run a small, highly specialised manufacturing business. Mike shares his journey from mechanical engineering and the military through to leading roles in large organisations, before stepping into ownership and reshaping a micro manufacturing company in his own way. He explains why resilience matters in smaller operations, how a focused team can operate with high standards, and what changes when you move from improving businesses to owning one. This conversation covers: What a well-run micro manufacturing business looks like Why flexibility matters across both people and production How fewer, highly skilled people can change the way a shop runs The reality of cash flow in small manufacturing businesses Why customers often misunderstand manufacturing costs How to build process without losing skill and experience The role of culture when reshaping a business One practical way to get more from your team Connect with Mike LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelleeadkins/ PRP Manufacturing: http://www.prph2o.com/

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  Episode #24

  Why Good Designs Fail with Dianna Deeney

  Apr 20, 202640 minS2

  Manufacturing design collaboration is at its most powerful long before a drawing hits the shop floor. Yet many teams only discover misalignment when designs arrive in production and the problems start stacking up. In this episode, we sit down with Dianna Deeney , quality and reliability engineer and founder of Deeney Enterprises , to explore how early conversations, simple tools and shared context can erase the friction between design and manufacturing. Dianna explains how process thinking brings clarity to concept development, why manufacturing input matters sooner than most teams realise, and how cross functional habits can prevent costly rework later on. This conversation covers: Why early design decisions shape manufacturing success How manufacturing input accelerates concept development Shop floor tools that instantly improve design clarity Flowcharts and FMEAs used the right way Why context beats assumptions in engineering discussions Small conversations that avoid big problems What AI still cannot replace in design collaboration One practical step to improve communication today If you enjoy the episode, follow the show for more conversations from across the manufacturing world. Connect with Dianna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannadeeney Deeney Enterprises: https://deeneyenterprises.com/ Pierce the Design Fog: https://deeneyenterprises.com/pierce-the-design-fog/

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