Manufacturing Talks

Hosted by Jim Vinoski

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Episodes

209

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

There are millions of cool stories in manufacturing. Your host, Jim Vinoski, helps share them by talking to the people who are making them happen. Manufacturing is where the rubber meets the road. There's no hiding. You're either making good products people will buy for enough to keep you in business, or you're not. Meet the amazing folks who thrive in that survival-of-the-fittest world.

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60 recent

June 16, 202632 min

Tariffs Are Savaging His Manufacturing Business!

Send us Fan MailIt was illuminating to hear from Mike Musheinish, CEO of Detroit Axle, about the effects of tariffs on his aftermarket auto parts-making business.Mike discussed the severe impact of the new tariffs on his business. Initially, tariffs cost his company $25,000 per $1 million in parts, but this rose to $725,000. This forced Detroit Axle to raise prices, affecting profitability and consumer affordability. Mike highlighted the broader economic consequences, including inflation exacerbated by rising energy costs. He criticized tariffs for favoring large corporations and creating a "tariff mafia."Mike advocated for better infrastructure and education to support domestic manufacturing, emphasizing the need for competition to drive down costs and improve quality. He also praised the potential of employing returning citizens.Highlights:00:00 - Introduction - Mike's Background and Business Model02:42 - Impact of Tariffs on Detroit Axle05:34 - Challenges of Tariffs and Market Dynamics08:53 - Regulation and Competition12:15 - Positive Actions for Manufacturing16:26 - Challenges of Producing in the USA26:18 - Support for Returning Citizens29:44 - Conclusion and Final ThoughtsTune in and take in the whole show, because this one has a lot of the details of the current reality for the hardworking people on the front lines of American manufacturing.Check out the Detroit Axle website here: https://www.detroitaxle.com/

June 9, 202634 min

inFlow Inventory Marries Multimedia With its SaaS Business Strategy!

Send us Fan MailIt was great to return the favor of podcast guesting with Melinda Tse, Louis Leung, and Jared Plumb from inFlow Inventory. They had our host Jim Vinoski on their show, "The Secret Life of Inventory," a few months ago.For their visit with us, we dove into their strategy of making their show an integral part of marketing their industrial inventory management software.Highlights:00:00 - Introduction02:08 - Guest Backgrounds06:28 - Inflow Inventory's Origin and Focus08:20 - The Role of the Podcast in Marketing23:36 - Challenges and Future Plans25:46 - Closing Thoughts and Future DirectionsThis was a great exploration of a really fascinating way to make the most of social media and content creation to help sell software services.inFlow Inventory's website: https://www.inflowinventory.com/Jim Vinoski's appearance on "The Secret Life of Inventory:" https://secretlifeofinventory.buzzsprout.com/2232037/episodes/18945032-manufacturing-beyond-machines-culture-ownership-succession-ft-jim-vinoski

June 3, 202628 min

The latest newsletter from the National Center for Energy Analytics is FIRE!

Send us Fan MailYour host Jim Vinoski discusses the latest newsletter from the National Center for Energy Analytics (NCEA), highlighting key articles. He praises Jonathan Lesser and Portia Roberts' critique of wind power, noting its low capacity factor (25%) compared to nuclear (90%). Vinoski also summarized Ike Keifer's op-ed criticizing corn ethanol, citing a 28% increase in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. He highlights a shortfall in the nuclear workforce, advocating for training and delayed retirement. Jim also gives an update on his upcoming book, "American Manufacturing," and mentions his next episode on inventory management with inFlow Inventory. He emphasizes the need for better forecasting and leadership in energy and workforce issues.Highlights:01:12 - Introduction to the NCEA Newsletter02:36 - Critique of Wind Power Subsidies11:25 - Environmental and Economic Impact of Corn Ethanol15:00 - Nuclear Workforce Shortfall20:24 - Mark Mills's Note on AI Revolution and Energy25:40 - Closing Remarks, the Book Update, and the Upcoming EpisodeCheck out the whole newsletter, and do click the links and read the articles. You'll be glad you did.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ncea-newsletter-may-26-national-center-for-energy-analyti-yiaye/

May 26, 202610 min

Why is everything made in America so much more expensive? REGULATIONS!

Send us Fan MailYour host, Jim Vinoski, goes solo and discusses the impact of regulations on American manufacturing, emphasizing that hyper-regulation has driven jobs offshore and hinders reindustrialization efforts. He highlights the Trump administration's deregulation initiatives, such as repealing the Obama-era endangerment finding and implementing a 10:1 regulation rollback policy. Jim notes that manufacturers face nearly 300,000 regulations, adding significant costs. He also addresses the role of labor laws and unions in deindustrialization and the high costs of inputs compared to China. Finally, he details his plans to delve deeper into these issues throughout July on his Manufacturing Talks platform, here on YouTube, on his related podcast outlets, and on his Manufacturing Talks Substack.Highlights:00:00 - Introduction01:10 - Regulations and Their Impact on Manufacturing03:15 - Trump Administration's Efforts on Deregulation06:29 - Challenges Posed by Labor Laws and Unions08:15 - Cost Differences Between American and Chinese Manufacturing09:15 - Future Plans for Discussing RegulationsLast week's Substack article Jim mentioned: https://manufacturingtalks.substack.com/p/american-reindustrialization-wont

May 12, 202631 min

This Startup Makes Machine Shops More Competitive! Benny Buller with Uptool

Send us Fan MailSoftware for manufacturing feels like a minefield sometimes. These guys get it.Benny Buehler from Uptool, a startup focused on improving American machine shops, joined us this week. Benny, with a background in metal additive manufacturing, co-founded Uptool with Alex Huckstepp to address the inefficiencies in traditional manufacturing software. Uptool's AI-driven software automates the quoting process, reducing response times and increasing win rates. The platform integrates with email and cloud services, ensuring seamless operations. Uptool aims to help machine shops become faster, more responsive, and more productive, ultimately contributing to the growth of American manufacturing. The company has gained significant traction, with many customers already experiencing positive results.Here are the highlights:00:00 - Introduction01:38 - Benny's Background03:43 - Challenges in Advanced Manufacturing07:28 - Machine Shops' Skepticism Towards Software10:29 - Uptool's Solution for Machine Shops14:00 - AI Integration in Uptool21:22 - Cloud-Based Software and Continuous Improvement24:41 - Future Opportunities and ExpansionThis was a fascinating deep dive into how effective solutions for software for manufacturing are designed and implemented. The part about keeping up with AI developments was enlightening!Do check out the whole thing.Uptool website: https://uptool.com/company

May 6, 202630 min

Jim Vinoski On The Energy Future Forum and His New Book!

Send us Fan MailWe've got a shorter episode for you this week. Your host Jim Vinoski flies solo for deep dive into the event he attended last week, the Energy Futures Forum by the National Center for Energy Analytics. It was a pow-wow with some very smart folks and a few big names talking the latest and greatest on energy in America and beyond.The highlights:00:00 - Introduction02:46 - Senatory Alan Armstrong03:25 - Ezra Yacob, EOG Resources04:53 - Chris Womack, Southern Company06:05 - Toby Rice, EQT07:03 - Andy Power, Digital Realty08:15 - John Bear, MISO09:35 - David Rosner, FERC10:15 - Nat Sahlstrom, Meta11:40 - Mark Hume, Blackrock12:25 - Pierce Norton, ONEOK13:45 - Matt Neal, Seimens Energy15:00 - Nicole Holmes, GE Vernova16:20 - Jesse Ausubel, Rockefeller University17:17 - Zach Dell, Base Power18:10 - Damion Shelton, Agility Robotics20:00 - Daniel Yergin, S&PAgain, this is just a brief summary of the topics each speaker brought to light - but it's still chock-full of important points!To close, Jim gave an update on his upcoming book, *American Manufacturing: 22 Tales of Integrity, Ingenuity, and the Modest Heroes Who Built a Nation,* which is coming very soon!

April 28, 202638 min

Making Machines to Help People with Special Needs: Enabling Devices!

Send us Fan MailWhat an amazing episode!Our guests this week are Seth Kanor and Vinny Livoti from Enabling Devices, a company that creates assistive technology for people with disabilities. Seth's father, a medical engineer, founded the company in the 1970s after witnessing the transformative impact of a simple switch on a child with cerebral palsy. The company has since grown, focusing on customized solutions based on user needs. Vinny, an assistive technology specialist for 24 years, shares stories of lives changed through their products, such as an eye blink switch that enabled a nonverbal boy to communicate and a custom-made switch for a paraplegic drummer. They discuss the importance of listening, innovation, and the human touch in their work.Highlights:00:00 - Introductions05:54 - Early Days and Company Growth07:26 - Listening and Innovation09:40 - Challenges and Success Stories26:03 - Technological Advancements and 3D Printing31:42 - Balancing Production and Personal Touch34:11 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-UpThese are some of the very best and most meaningful stories we've ever had on this show. You owe it to yourself to check out the whole thing!Enabling Devices website: https://enablingdevices.com/

April 22, 202636 min

GM, Hyundai and Xerox veteran John Suh on AI, robotics, and industrial policy

Send us Fan MailWhat a treat it was to have John Suh as our guest to talk broadly about how advanced tech will help reindustrialize America!John is a seasoned engineer with experience at Hyundai, Xerox, and General Motors, and he discussed his innovative work on combining robotics with car design, particularly an off-road vehicle with robotic suspension. Despite the project's end at Hyundai, John believes in its future potential. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to reindustrialize, leveraging AI and new technologies to reinvent manufacturing. He also highlighted the importance of rethinking assumptions about the world, such as the existence of roads, and developing a mathematical language for creativity and innovation to better integrate AI. John advocates for a comprehensive industrial policy to revitalize American manufacturing.Highlights:00:00 - Introduction02:23 - John's work on the Hyundai Ultimate Mobility Vehicle concept05:53 - The current state of the automotive world11:03 - Opportunities with advanced manufacturing tech and robotics15:59 - Humanoid robots24:05 - John's exploration of a new language for manufacturing32:51 - Industrial policyWe covered a whole lot of ground in this one! Do check out the whole thing.Here is a link to our host Jim Vinoski's Forbes article about the Hyundai UMV concept project: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2020/10/21/hyundai-and-autodesk-join-forces-to-design-ultimate-mobility-vehicles/

April 14, 20261 hr 0 min

The Great Shipbuilding Debate with Lance Lemcool and Colin Grabow

Send us Fan MailThe wide range of opinions on the right path forward to revitalize American shipbuilding gave us an idea: how about having a couple previous guests with differing opinions on to debate them?Many thanks to Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute and Lance Lemcool, a career shipbuilding executive, for taking on the challenge!For background on each, tune in to their previous individual episodes with us:Lance - https://youtu.be/DGiAzabXwroColin - https://youtu.be/hW1Hdlor0IILance is cautiously optimistic about President Trump's Maritime Action Plan and the SHIPS Act, emphasizing the need for government subsidies to revitalize the industry. Colin is skeptical, noting the U.S. has averaged 0.15% of global shipbuilding output over the past decade, ranking 19th in 2024. Both agree on the historical ineffectiveness of government policies and the need for a robust commercial shipbuilding industry for national security. They debate whether government subsidies or leveraging allied shipyards is the better approach.These guys both really know their stuff, and they represented their differing views with great expertise and exemplary respectfulness. It's nice to see that reasoned debate still exists!

April 7, 202635 min

David Rashid on Trade Cheating and Trade Fraud

Send us Fan MailDavid Rashid, an expert on trade cheating, discussed his experiences and the challenges of combating trade fraud. He detailed how his competitor shifted production from China to Thailand to avoid tariffs, leading to a significant loss of business. Despite efforts, including hiring investigators and engaging the DOJ's Trade Fraud Task Force, the case remained unresolved. David emphasized the complexity and slow progress of trade enforcement, highlighting the need for more resources, transparency, and legislative support. He also mentioned the de minimis exemption, which allowed undervaluation, and the non-resident importer loophole, which hindered enforcement. David advocates for better education and advocacy to address these issues.Highlights:00:00 - David's Background06:32 - Introduction to Trade Cheating08:15 - David's Experience with Trade Cheating11:47 - Legal and Enforcement Efforts15:36 - Challenges in Enforcing Trade Laws22:27 - Legislative and Educational Efforts29:23 - Conclusion and Call to ActionThis is a critical reality that gets far too little attention.You can learn more at David's website, and by connecting with him firsthand. Those links are here:David's website: https://trade-fraud-awarenes-u8dl.bolt.host/David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rashid-b4017a/David's email: drashid71@gmail.com