I don’t know about you, but when the tariffs hit on Liberation Day, April 2nd, we were like “Oh @#$%, is this really happening?” We watched our portfolios crash in real time. Our company lost half our profit from one deal overnight, and honestly, we had no clue what was coming next. On today’s show, Lloyd and I are discussing how tariffs blindsided the machining industry and how maybe we’re seeing the same panic-to-adaptation cycle we lived through during the pandemic. Listen on your favorite podcast app using pod.link. View the podcast at the bottom of this…
Author: Noah Graff
Malachi Greb, my guest on today’s show, has a mission, “freeing humans, one robot at a time.” He is the founder of Elite Automation, a company that designs automated systems for manufacturing clients, taking manual processes and automating them with robotics, conveyors, vision, and more. They also provide robotic welding systems. Malachi and I talked about some of the latest technologies in the robotics field. Malachi also hosts the Manufacturing Come Up Podcast. We discussed his career journey, from dropping out of high school on purpose to founding his own company in his 20s, which has grown to 27 employees…
Most shop owners get comfortable after 50 years. John Griner gets uncomfortable on purpose. John has been making screw machine parts since 1979 while starting countless other businesses, which he refers to as “hobbies.” As a machinery dealer, I’ve bought and sold equipment from John over the years. He’s always a tough negotiator and always interested in trying new equipment and specking on opportunities that seem undervalued. And, he’s usually having fun with his business, which makes him fun to work with. Today we’re exploring what it means to build a life around calculated risks, being most comfortable when you’re…
On today’s episode we continue our season talking about companies who produce their own products. Our guest is George Breiwa, founder of DynaVap, a company that produces a unique type of vaporizer, using Index multi-spindles and CNC Swiss lathes. George says that one of the keys to the company’s success is growing and nurturing a community of passionate customers. Main Points George describes DynaVap’s VapCap 2020 M vaporizer, which he prefers to refer to as a selective thermal extraction tool. To operate the VapCap M a user removes a temperature indicating cap and places a chosen substance (often dry herb)…
I know a ton of people reading this will relate to what I’m talking about: starting something that feels completely daunting. So here’s another blog about my new YouTube channel, I Learned It on a Podcast—partly because I desperately need viewers, but mostly because this episode hit me hard.” “For those new to the show: I Learned It on a Podcast is my attempt to create what I always wished existed—something that highlights amazing podcast episodes the way book reviewers highlight great books. I listen to podcasts constantly and kept finding incredible insights that I wanted to share.” Watch the…
Have you ever wondered if bone screws could actually be machined from real tissue? If that were possible, where could one get such bone? What animals would be safe enough? Here’s an old favorite episode. If you haven’t listened to it before, it is going to expand your mind. And you get to learn a thing or two about ranching! Today’s podcast is the first episode of our new season about companies related to medical manufacturing. Our guests are Jim and Mary Rickert, owners of Prather Ranch in Fall River Mills, California. Prather’s closed herd, in which no female cattle…
A few months ago, we brokered a Tornos MultiSwiss 8/26 from Germany to a shop in Massachusetts. To make sure the machine was in top shape, we brought in two Tornos experts—my friend Dulio and his longtime mentor, Donato Notaro–today’s podcast guest. Donato had just officially retired after nearly 50 years in the machining world, much of it spent at Tornos in Switzerland. He still works freelance. Born in Italy, raised in Switzerland, Donato has done service work on at least four continents. He’s the kind of guy who checks backlash like a surgeon testing vitals. We talked about Swiss…
Happy Father’s Day. My parents never let me get a dog, and my dad, Lloyd, is a self-proclaimed “not a dog person.” The closest thing I got was a rabbit in the 4th grade named Floppers, that I gave away because I got bored with him (though I did love him). Like I did two weeks ago, I’m shamelessly promoting my new YouTube show, I Learned It on a Podcast, where I share the fascinating, mind-opening ideas I discover through podcasts. The show is still brand new (this is Episode 2), so I need all the views I can get.…
Our guest on today’s show, Howard Sheldon, grew up working in his family’s third generation precision turning company. He planned to eventually take over the business from his father, but unfortunately succession didn’t happen the way he had hoped. Howard left his family company in his mid-30s, and 10 years ago started his own Swiss turning company, Sheldon Precision Engineering Ltd. Howard turned out to be a natural entrepreneur, and he has built a thriving business that gives him the lifestyle he wants. Starting a business from scratch gave Howard the opportunity to create his ideal company and run it…
A couple weeks ago, I took my family for a weekend getaway to Lansing, Michigan, so I could bid on an ACME 1-5/8″ RBN-8 screw machine built in the ‘60s. It had threading, a slotting attachment and five slides. We figured we had a few interested customers, and my colleague Rex went to inspect it ahead of time. The trip didn’t go exactly as planned. We got caught in traffic, and by 10 PM we were still an hour and a half away. I got drowsy, my wife tried driving, but after five minutes on construction roads with no lights—and…