Wanna be inspired by the next generation of manufacturers? Watch this episode!    This week's guest discovered a passion for manufacturing that led not only to her current role at Accuturn Manufacturing, but also to designing programs that teach the next generation about manufacturing.   Rani Viroja, Quality Engineer and a 2nd generation leader at Accuturn talks about her company, her story, and the Advanced Manufacturing Employee Partnership (AMEP).   Rani tells Ari about Accuturn's focus on being more than a job shop - their ability to act quickly, and locally, means they ..read more

A company that values good culture values its employees. In this episode we learn all about Dymotek, specialists in plastic molding, from their CEO, Shelley Fasano.   Shelley talks to Ari about the history of the company - how their entrepreneurial founders believed in finding the right people for the right job and continue that tradition today.   We learn about Shelley's manufacturing journey - a great women in manufacturing story. And we discover how she aligns the company's Core Values with everything from hiring to bonuses.   There's a lot to learn from this episode, includi ..read more

Sustainability, customer focus, core values, and relationships are what this episode is all about.   This is a compelling conversation with Jaclyn Epstein, COO of MICA Corporation, a pioneer in water-based primers for sustainable flexible packaging solutions.   Discover how Mica Corporation is revolutionizing the industry with a customer-focused approach and a commitment to environmental stewardship ingrained in the company's DNA.   Jaclyn also shares insights into documenting the company's core values—customer focus, continuous improvement, and helping each other thrive —which ..read more

Farrel Pomini is a 175 year old company that has been through multiple iterations of their manufacturing journey - and still survives! In their latest iteration, they are a leader in research, design and manufacture of compounding systems for the polymer processing industry.   In this episode, Ari talks to Paul Lloyd, President of Farrel Pomini, about the history of the company and Paul's role for the past 30+ years. They dive into the sustainability of the plastics industry and the innovation that must continue in order to make it a viable solution for the planet in addition to the econo ..read more

CCATs technology adoption programs and funding opportunities for small and medium sized manufacturers keep growing and developing, so we are always happy to hear from Ron Angelo, President & CEO about their latest and greatest programs.   Ron tells Ari about continuous improvement over the years at CCAT and how they are focusing in on areas like training and technology adoption.  They discuss programs like the Digital Thread Lab, Additive Adoption Program, and Digital Transformation Program - which focuses on areas like model-based definition and non-destructive testing.  &n ..read more

The manufacturing industry is constantly talking about workforce recruitment and retention. It's been a big topic on the podcast for several years, as well, and approaches are changing.   This week, we're sharing some of the recruitment and retention secrets that you may have missed during this year's episodes. We've pulled together some of the best tactics from great leaders across the state to help you make some additions or changes to your recruitment and retention strategy.   We also threw in some updated (and positive!) plans from Connecticut's Department of Economic and Communi ..read more

Medical device reprocessing is a fascinating niche of medical manufacturing that we haven't yet discussed on the podcast!   In this episode, Craig Allmendinger, CEO of Northeast Scientific (NES), shares the remarkable journey of NES. This a story of some serious perseverance!   Discover how NES navigated substantial early challenges, overcame massive regulatory hurdles, and established credibility in a tough market. Ari and Craig talk about the innovation needed to continue and to compete, as well as the added complexity of quality control required of any medical manufacturer.  ..read more

What does it mean to make mechanical watches the traditional way? Think made-by-hand, incredibly tight tolerances, and exceptional attention to detail!  That's what you get with Love Hunter Watches, an exclusive luxury watch manufacturer bringing back American watch manufacturing.   On this episode, we welcome Love Hunter owner of Love Hunter Watches and learn about his fascinating journey and his obsession with watchmaking. Love talks about his unique road to entrepreneurship, the inspiration his father gave him, and the inspiration he passes along to his high school students as a m ..read more

Carey Manufacturing is a 2nd generation manufacturing company specializing in latches, catches, and handles. With 10-15000 unique parts, their catalog is massive!   On this episode, Ari and talks to Alison Carey-Lynch about coming into manufacturing and learning her way through the company.   Alison talks about her time working with Paul Lavoie, CT's Chief Manufacturing Officer, and how his leadership helped move Carey forward and inspired her.    Ari and Alison talk about the value of manufacturing community outreach and the ability to change things for the better. Alison ..read more

When you combine entrepreneurial spirit, customer collaboration, and technology, you get a well-run company that leans into technological advancements. That's what we're learning about in this episode with Sam Simons, President of OEM Controls    On this episode, Ari and Sam talk about OEM Controls, which specializes in industrial joystick controllers as well as Internet of Things (IOT) hardware that allows data from the customers' machines to be collected and analyzed.   Ari and Sam talk about what IOT is, how OEM is harnessing it, and the many applications that will help their ..read more