The Manufacturing Executive

Natalie Kaddas, CEO of Kaddas Enterprises, believes investing in employees means empowering them with lifelong skills. After discovering financial literacy gaps were holding her team back, she launched a transformative program focused on helping them understand money, set goals, and build financial stability. In this episode, she shares how teaching essentials like budgeting and credit scores led to dramatic improvements in retention, morale, and even business performance. She’ll explain the impact of removing financial anxiety and why supporting employee financial health can be a powerful catalyst for success

Founder and CEO of Poe Wolf Partners, Renita Wolf, will tell you that exit planning isn’t just a final step before selling your business. It’s something smart owners build toward from the very beginning.
She’ll explain why building transferable value and reducing owner dependency are crucial from the start, setting the stage for higher valuations and a smoother sale when the time comes.
You’ll hear her insights on the most common gaps, deal killers and the practical actions business owners can take now to strengthen their companies.
She’ll also discuss why the hardest part of exiting is often personal, and how to prepare yourself for both the financial and emotional sides of what comes next.

Free resource:
7 Essentials Every Business Owner Must Have Before Exiting (preparing for a high-value, low-regret business transition):
https://www.poewolfpartners.com/seller/

With supply chain disruptions, shifting geopolitical risks and increasing pressure for efficiency, today’s manufacturing leaders face operational challenges that go far beyond simply making parts.
In today's conversation, President and CFO of Associated Metal Forming Technologies (AMFT), Todd Smith, explores the opportunities and complexities of weaving multiple specialized legacy brands into a unified platform to help address those challenges, without losing the trust and expertise that made those brands successful.

Why do so many continuous improvement and lean initiatives start with excitement, only to stall out or disappear entirely months later? What distinguishes organizations that truly embed these principles into their culture from those that just go through the motions?
In today’s episode, COO of Bespoke, Steve Riley, will share his firsthand perspective from decades in manufacturing leadership. Specifically, he'll tell you why visual systems matter, where most lean rollouts go off track and what it really takes to make progress stick.

In this conversation with Gorilla 76 Marketing Director, Peyton Warren, we'll dive deep into five things we believe b2b manufacturers should consider doing to move the needle through marketing in the new year. They are:

1. Events and in-person opportunities
2. Building an audience you own through community development
3. Distribution and reach
4. Streamlined content creation (repurposing and AI efficiency)
5. Clear vision of what success looks Like