What It Takes to Build a Business with Your Name on the Door with Rob Caron

On this episode of Manufacturing Mavericks, Greg McHale interviews Rob Caron of Caron Engineering, a true pioneer and the recipient of the 2024 M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal from ASME/SME. Rob shares his journey from unexpectedly finding himself jobless to building a company known for its groundbreaking innovations in advanced sensor and monitoring technology. Hear about how his early fascination with CNC controls and a deep desire to do things better led to the creation of Autocomp, TMAC, and even the tool ID systems that have made Caron Engineering a leader in the machine tool industry for over 35 years.

Rob also shares his thoughts on building a strong company culture, meeting customer expectations no matter what, and the transition to an ESOP or employee stock-owned company.

Tune in for a wealth of insights from a leader who has been on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology for over four decades. This episode is packed with inspiration and practical tips. Rob’s advice for shops looking to get into automation is priceless.

SHOW NOTES:

• Rob talks about his early fascination with how CNC controls communicated with the metal parts of the machine to make a part and how it could be done better. (3:00) 
• How chains on the door of his employer drove Rob to start his own company (6:37)
• The genesis of the cutting-edge Caron Engineering tools of today (AutoComp & TMAC) back in the mid-1980s (9:23)
• His #1 message to employees: we're going to get this job done for the customer the way we promised it. (13:38)
• How losing money on some jobs helped Caron make more money down the road (15:54)
• Leveraging great relationships with customers to get feedback on employee performance. (17:31)
• The pros and cons of transitioning to an ESOP company (18:54)
• Rob’s insights into how shops can start incorporating automation into their business in a way that makes sense (24:15)
• The payoff of hiring engineers to work on in-house automation projects (32:35)
• The advice Rob would give to the young Rob Caron three weeks before he walked up to the door with chains on it. (34:37)

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