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Artwork for Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

MakingChips LLC
Manufacturing
Automation
IMTS
Manufacturing Industry
Artificial Intelligence
CNC Machining
Workforce Development
Financial Management
Proshop ERP
Engineering
Manufacturing Technology
Work-Life Balance
Proshop
ERP Systems
AI In Manufacturing
Quality Control
Lean Manufacturing
Entrepreneurship
Mergers and Acquisitions
Trade Shows

Manufacturing is tough—but you don't have to go it alone. If you're leading a manufacturing business, you face constant pressure: staying competitive, adopting new tech, managing people, and driving growth. MakingChips helps you tackle those challenges head-on. Since 2014, we've been equipping manufacturing leaders with the knowledge and inspiration they need to succeed. With hundreds of episodes ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes548Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementBusinessCareers

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Artwork for Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

Latest Episodes

You can hold tight tolerances, nail a complicated setup, and deliver beautiful parts—and still find yourself staring at a shrinking backlog. Most shop owners didn't get into manufacturing because they loved making cold calls. But being good at the wo... more

The RFQs are coming in. Your machines have capacity. But the quotes are waiting on the same handful of people who are already busy keeping the shop running. Quoting takes experience, eats up valuable time, and comes with an especially frustrating rea... more

We spend a lot of time asking where the next generation of machinists will come from. Ethan Crane was working in building supplies. A trip to a machine shop for a project turned into a receiving job, and a look around the shop turned into a new ambit... more

What do a freestyle motocross legend, a custom motorcycle painter, and a machine shop owner with 19 spindles have in common? A whole lot more than motorcycles. And at IMTS 2026, Kennametal brought all three together to prove it.

Recorded live from ... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Gabe Draper
Co-founder and CEO of Factur and former machine shop owner
Factur
Episode: How to Grow Existing Accounts, Win New Customers, and Take Control of Your Revenue | Ep. 547
Theo Saville
Co-founder and CEO of CloudNC
CloudNC
Episode: From CAM to Quoting: Breaking Through Your Shop's Bottlenecks | Ep. 546
Jason Bowes
CloudNC leader who has worked across company functions and helped build its machine shop
CloudNC
Episode: From CAM to Quoting: Breaking Through Your Shop's Bottlenecks | Ep. 546
Ethan Crane
Manual machinist learning to operate and program CNC machines
Barclay Trucker Builders
Episode: Why Manual Machining Still Matters and How to Fuel the Next Generation of Machinists | Ep. 545
Taylor Schultz
Custom motorcycle painter whose work includes helmets and motorcycles
Schultz Designz
Episode: From Motorcycles to Machining: Building a Business Around What You Love | Ep. 544
Carey Hart
Freestyle motocross pioneer and custom motorcycle builder
Hart Luck Parts & Gear
Episode: From Motorcycles to Machining: Building a Business Around What You Love | Ep. 544
Satya Kraus
Founder of Kraus Motor Co., a manufacturer of aftermarket motorcycle parts
Kraus Motor Co.
Episode: From Motorcycles to Machining: Building a Business Around What You Love | Ep. 544
Mark Christopher
DN Solutions representative, focused on automation and high-end machining
DN Solutions
Episode: Buying Your Next Machine? Make the Automation Math Work | Ep. 543
Titan Gilroy
Founder/CEO of Titans of CNC, educator and industry advocate
Titans of CNC
Episode: Titan Gilroy's Challenge to Every Machine Shop Owner | Ep. 542

Hosts

Paul Van Metre
Host of Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders; focus on leadership, operations, and manufacturing strategy
Mike Payne
Host emphasizing practical shop-floor improvements and growth playbooks
Nick Goellner
Co-host bringing industry insights and guest coordination

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 167 ratings
  • Such an important show

    This podcast is so important for the industry. The guys do a great job. I listen to every episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JudyCNC12
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great podcast for the manufacturing leaders of today and tomorrow

    Podcast Addict
    blue_bleeder
    4 years ago
  • Great Podcast

    This show brings me insight and joy thank you so much

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @TheYechGuy
    United States4 years ago
  • Moved to thank you.

    Just finished listening to your episode with Ken Parent. I am still in Northern Michigan and my story sounds a lot like Ken’s! Thanks so much for sharing Ken’s story with Metal Working Nation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Naton 2
    United States4 years ago
  • Highly recommend

    That’s the podcasts I wait every week. Awesome vibe by the hosts and great content. A valuable source for someone on the research and academic side of manufacturing (and, especially, if you are international). Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Eldarik11
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critique shows a more promotional branding around marketing topics, but value remains high for most listeners.
Many find the show essential for manufacturing leadership and growth.
Listeners praise practical, actionable insights and strong guest lineups.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How to Grow Existing Accounts, Win New Customers, and Take Control of Your Revenue | Ep. 547
Q: Who should normally be the one that's selling at a shop?
Draper says the owner remains accountable for revenue, especially in a small shop. As the business grows, sales can shift to a skilled generalist and later to specialized hunters and farmers.
How to Grow Existing Accounts, Win New Customers, and Take Control of Your Revenue | Ep. 547
Q: How does a shop strategically go after broadly filling up the capacity on their various types of equipment?
Gabe Draper recommends first growing existing accounts by proactively discussing the shop's capabilities, identifying other plants or divisions to serve, and seeking forecasts from customers.
From CAM to Quoting: Breaking Through Your Shop's Bottlenecks | Ep. 546
Q: Why can't a shop simply vibe code its own CAM or ERP software?
A prototype may work, but reliable, secure, validated software for core manufacturing operations requires understanding what to build and engineering it to withstand audits and avoid costly errors or machine crashes. Vibe coding can still help with lower-risk tasks such as dashboards and hints.
From CAM to Quoting: Breaking Through Your Shop's Bottlenecks | Ep. 546
Q: Why did CloudNC build its own machine shop?
The original software problem was too broad to solve quickly, so the company built a shop with a narrower set of machines and work to make the challenge manageable, test software, and learn manufacturing firsthand.
From Motorcycles to Machining: Building a Business Around What You Love | Ep. 544
Q: How can we continue to attract that next generation in fabrication, machining, painting, and related fields?
The guests recommend emphasizing creativity and hands-on work, bringing back shop classes, showing young people what manufacturing careers involve, and sharing engaging shop content online. They also note that automation can reduce repetitive work while people take on more creative tasks.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two- to three-host conversations mix leadership, operations, and technology insights for small-to-mid size manufacturers. Episodes frequently explore lean principles, automation, AI applications on the shop floor, workforce development, and practical growth playbooks for family-owned and independent shops. Notable strengths include hands-on case studies, a focus on real-world scaling, and a consistent emphasis on making manufacturing more accessible through practical strategies, vendor partnerships, and community-oriented programs.

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Machine Shop Mastery
2. Buy the Numbers
3. Lights Out: Technology and Automation Podcast by MakingChips
4. Machine Shop Growth
5. Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 12 years ago and published 548 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Gabe Draper
2. Theo Saville
3. Jason Bowes
4. Ethan Crane
5. Taylor Schultz
6. Carey Hart
7. Satya Kraus
8. Mark Christopher

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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