Making Sparks

In this episode of Making Sparks, we sit down with Joshua Battles from Forge and Tripp Hudson of Machine Pilot and The Way Automation to dive into the transformative power of automation in small job …

In this episode of MakingSparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix sit down with Sam Gingerich, a 21-year-old shop manager at Wertzbaugher Services, to talk about the unique challenges of leading a team …

In this episode of Making Sparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix sit down with Noah Dell, president of Champion Bridge, to explore the journey of a 150-year-old company embracing the future. Noah shar…

Curious about what sets American manufacturing apart? In this episode of MakingSparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix sit down with leaders from Pacific Press to uncover what it takes to be a standout…

Curious about leadership and growth in manufacturing? In this episode of Making Sparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix sit down with Jim Stratman to discuss leadership strategies, culture, and busines…

Curious about leadership and growth in metal fabrication? In this episode of Making Sparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix sit down with Jeff Salyer from Wysong Manufacturing to discuss the importance…

Looking to break into the fabrication industry or curious about the leap from corporate life to business ownership? In this episode of MakingSparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix chat with Jeff Matus…

Curious about to navigate a sales downtown in industrial manufacturing? In this episode of MakingSparks, Casey Voelker and Matthew Nix dive into the power of leveraging CRM systems like Pipedrive to …

Did you know that the way you're marketing right now could be your secret weapon for massive growth? In this eye-opening episode of MakingSparks, we dive deep with Alissa Paik, an expert in leveragin…

There are over 1 billion users on LinkedIn worldwide, 200 million of which are in the United States. Manufacturing is one of the largest industry segments represented on LinkedIn. Interestingly, Link…

What’s keeping you up at night? What are you excited about? It’s important to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why? First and foremost, to learn from our mistakes. But secondly, to embrace…

Did you know that only about 6% of welders are women? Women bring a much-needed perspective and expertise to the table. So how do we get more women in welding? NIX has actively been trying to recruit…

Mike Payne has spent the last 20+ years deeply entrenched in the M&A process with dozens of companies throughout Oklahoma. Early in his career, he realized he loved the world of manufacturing. He als…

You need to know the “numbers” in your business. Every business owner needs to know that they’re making enough to pay their employees, make and deliver their products, and grow the business. That’s j…

How can leadership remain connected to what’s happening on the shop floor? At Nix, we’ve found a creative way to bridge a gap that many businesses experience. We’ve implemented a program that allows …

How do we recruit more young talent to fabrication? How do we navigate rapid growth balanced with training and development? How do we help develop young talent into our future leaders? These are just…

BWXT Mount Vernon produces components for naval nuclear reactors, used in submarines and aircraft carriers. Their sprawling facility is home to CNC machine tools and sophisticated welding and heat-tr…

What are the pros and cons of plasma cutters vs. water jets vs. lasers? How does cutting with nitrogen differ from cutting with oxygen? How is technology driving innovation in fabrication? R.J. Reed …

Every family business that’s growing and expanding runs into some challenges. From navigating tough conversations with family to determining a centralized versus decentralized model, there are numero…