We often don’t think of a franchise and a manufacturing business as being an easy match, but systematizing your business according to the franchise model can vastly improve the functionality and profitability of your company. Tools such as an ERP

Excellent customer experience is vital to the success of your manufacturing business, and marketing automation solutions can help you not only sell your business but maintain your customer base as well. In this episode of MakingChips, Jim and Jason

Knowing when to start the conversation about family business succession planning can be tough. Jim and Jason understand that the dialogue surrounding the family business can be hard as it is - without throwing in who is getting what and when. In

Specific skills and practical know-hows are needed to succeed in the manufacturing world, making a manufacturing startup difficult to achieve. Brandon Kane, however, knew he wanted hands-on work that made a difference in the world and began his own

Having a robust workholding system is just as important as utilizing the best cutting tools.  Jim Carr and Jason Zenger know the importance of keeping up with the times.  Alvin Goellner, the Business Development Leader for Amrok Workholding in North

  On this week’s episode of MakingChips, guest Noah Goellner talks about lean process improvement for manufacturers. Noah is the Vice President of Continuous Improvement for Hennig Inc. He is also a lean expert with who presents lean practices in

Jim and Jason are back in the studio to start their new series on process by talking about the Entrepreneurial Operating System. This podcast series on process is designed to help you evaluate your current processes and determine where in your

  It’s time for you to start dialing in manufacturing processes that can revolutionize your business. Manufacturing is challenging. But MakingChips is here to help through every aspect of running and growing your business. One of the best ways to

On this episode of MakingChips, Rob Sattler talks about how his family business took manufacturing from the farm to the shop floor. Rob is the Vice President of Sales, Estimating and Engineering at Sattler Inc in Ira, Michigan. He comes from a

On this episode of MakingChips, Jim interviews his son Ryan Carr, Operations Manager at CARR Machine and Tool, Inc. along with Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop ERP, about the risk and reward of implementing a new ERP system. During the

In order to generate measurable growth in your manufacturing company, you need to develop a sales playbook. While marketing can help you get noticed among prospective clients, a sales division converts them into revenue producing clients. In order

In order to have a successful cutting tool manufacturing business, you must have a plan. As Benjamin Franklin once said, failing to plan is planning to fail. Manufacturers shutter their doors every day, not because they aren’t providing a valuable