Make It: Frank Conversations on the Future of Manufacturing

Ethan Karp Gets Frank Behind the Scenes (Again) In this second behind-the-scenes episode of Make It, Ethan is joined once again by producer Margaret Kashmir to reflect on conversations with three remarkable founders: Harvey Nelson (Main Street Gourmet), Steve Peplin (Talan Products), and Amy Mucha (Daisy Pops & Daisy Makes). From muffins to metal stamping to cake pops, these stories are wildly different—but each one is packed with lessons in grit, reinvention, and Northeast Ohio ingenuity. We talk about what surprised us most, the moments that didn't make the final cut, and how these leaders are building the future of manufacturing—with purpose, creativity, and joy. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Today's guest has been a cowboy, a logger, a sailor, a chef—and for nearly 40 years, a manufacturing entrepreneur. Steve Peplin is the founder and CEO of Talan Products, a Cleveland-based metal stamper that ships hundreds of millions of components annually for high-growth industries like defense, solar, EV, and commercial roofing. Ethan and Steve talk about scaling a high-productivity operation with just 70 employees, building a culture rooted in collaboration and planning for succession while still playing the long game of growth. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Ethan Karp Gets Frank with Amy Mucha What started as a side hustle to her teaching career became an innovative manufacturing business. Amy Mucha is the founder of Daisy Pops and Daisy Makes—two companies revolutionizing cake pop production through 3D-printed tools and joyful entrepreneurship. On today's episode, Ethan and Amy talk about invention through necessity, scaling with purpose, and how a former math teacher ended up running 40 3Dprinters and shipping to customers worldwide—all from a cake pop shop in Northeast Ohio. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Ethan Karp Gets Frank Behind the Scenes On this special episode of Make It, I sit down with producer Margaret Kashmir to go behind the scenes of our conversations with Trina Bediako (New Horizons Baking Company), Frank "Sully" Sullivan (DayGlo), and Miguel Lugo (E.C. Kitzel & Sons). Three very different companies—food manufacturing, fluorescent pigments, and precision tools. But a surprising common thread: people-first leadership and deep pride in making things that matter. We talk about what didn't make the final cut, why radical transparency matters, and how the next generation of manufacturing leaders is shaping the future of Northeast Ohio. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

It started with a muffin shop in a crumbling building in downtown Akron. It grew into a national custom bakery supplier serving chains like McDonald's. Harvey Nelson is the co-founder of Main Street Gourmet, a manufacturing entrepreneur who's reinvented his company more than once—including buying it back after a venture capital sale went sideways. On today's episode, Ethan and Harvey talk about creative grit, betting on people, and the leadership philosophy that helped grow a startup bakery into a multimillion-dollar powerhouse. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Today's guest is Frank "Sully" Sullivan—CEO of DayGlo Color Corp, the Cleveland company that invented fluorescent color. Ethan and Sully talk about what it's like to lead a company where most of the workforce is older than you are, how radical transparency helps rebuild trust, and why sometimes the best operations fix is to simply "turn the dials up to 11." They also talk about the future of Industry 4.0, what makes Northeast Ohio competitive, and what's on the horizon for manufacturing. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Today's guest has had one dream since joining manufacturing as a teenager—to own a factory. After two decades, that dream is finally within reach. Miguel Lugo is Chief Operating Officer at E.C. Kitzel & Sons, a family-owned tool manufacturer in Parma, Ohio, and he's set to take over the business. They talk about how manufacturing changed Miguel's life, the million-dollar machines reshaping the shop floor, and how he's built a workforce that's 50 percent women. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org.  Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On today's episode, Ethan sits down with Trina Bediako, second-generation CEO of family-owned New Horizons Baking Company. If you've eaten buns or English muffins at McDonald's or Starbucks, you've tasted their products. At their state-of-the-art Columbus plant, which produces 96,000 buns an hour, Trina discusses the joys and challenges of a family business, her father's legacy, and how she's used technology to kickstart growth since taking the CEO seat. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On this episode, we turn the tables on host Ethan Karp, and he becomes our guest. Producer Margaret Kashmir chats with Ethan about the best moments and most insightful wisdom from our interviews with Hallie Stewart (Bee Valve), Tony Mazzella (Mazzella Companies), Wendy Slone (bTECH), and Paulo Ruiz (Eaton). Don't miss our frankest conversation yet about some of the most searingly honest and "didn't see that coming" moments on the podcast this year. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org  

On today's episode Ethan sits down with scientist, manufacturer, innovator - and MAGNET Board Member - Dr. Vinod Purayath. He's had an incredible career around the world, working on everything from making plastic more eco-friendly to building the semiconductor chip that powered the first iPhone! He's such a prolific innovator, he's named as an inventor in more than 150 patents! We talk about why permission to fail is critical to innovation, why polymers matter, and how he believes we can keep plastic out of landfills. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org.  Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org  

On today's episode Ethan sits down with Tony Mazzella, CEO of Mazzella Companies. He's grown the family business 100x by expanding across 45 locations and diversifying from lifting and rigging into building massive overhead cranes, metal roofing, and a whole host of other things. We talk about how he achieved that phenomenal growth, his "dream come true" of having three sons working alongside him in the business, and why he thinks politics sometimes stands in the way of manufacturing growth. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On today's episode Ethan sits down with Dr. Wendy Slone, CEO and Founder of bTECH, a med-tech startup out to revolutionize the way we treat and heal chronic wounds. We talk about the very personal reason she's passionate about helping millions of people with her light therapy patch, why she's invested every cent of her retirement savings in her invention, and the wake-up call Cleveland needs if it wants to be a hub for medical manufacturing start-ups. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On today's episode, Ethan sits down with Paulo Ruiz, President and COO of the Industrial Sector at Eaton, an iconic power management company headquartered in Cleveland. We talk about why Eaton is investing $1 billion in North America, the mega trends driving a massive spike in electrical demand, how Eaton's culture and values power its success, and why Paulo believes technology is the only way manufacturing can win the war for talent. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On this episode, we turn the tables on host Ethan Karp, and he becomes our guest. Producer Margaret Kashmir chats with Ethan about the best moments and most insightful wisdom shared in our interviews with Eric Logan (KPMG), Felix Brueck (Reflection Point), and Jim Cavoli (Swagelok). Plus, Ethan gets very frank about the funny, touching, and surprising things that happen behind-the-scenes. Ethan connects the dots and shares the top takeaways that manufacturers can use to fuel the journey to smart manufacturing. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP.

On today's episode Ethan sits down with Hallie Steward, CEO of Bee Valve (fluid handling components) about the immense grit and resilience you need to survive as a small manufacturer in today's uber competitive world, the challenges of investing in technology when meeting payroll is the priority, and why her family is so devoted to this industry. Watch the video of this conversation here. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org. 

On this episode, Ethan Karp goes from host to guest! Producer Margaret Kashmir sits down with Ethan to find out what he's learned on the last four episodes of the podcast with Tom Lix (Cleveland Whiskey), Andew Hurst (Delivered), Jack Schron (Jergens, Inc.) and Carey Jaros (GOJO, Makers of Purell). Ethan gets very frank about the funny, touching, and surprising things that happen behind-the-scenes. Ethan also shares the top pieces of advice that manufacturers can use to jumpstart innovation and Industry 4.0.   Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org.   Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org. 

On today's episode Ethan sits down with James Cavoli, President of Swagelok, a global company that makes products and parts to help other companies deal with often dangerous fluids like gas and chemicals. We talk about the importance of unshakeable values, why every employee owns a piece of the company, how they're getting rid of dull, dirty, and dangerous work and how Swagelok is finding new talent in unexpected places. Watch the video of this conversation here. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org. 

On today's episode Ethan sits down with his mentor (and the reason he became a CEO at 28!) Felix Brueck. The Board Chair at Reflection Point, owner of a manufacturing company, and Director Emeritus at McKinsey & Company – Felix is an incredible advocate for manufacturing. We talk about everything from how ego is the enemy of great leadership, why this is the moment to redefine manufacturing and why the industry needs a serious wake-up call on Industry 4.0. Watch the video of this conversation here. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org. 

On this episode, we turn the tables on host Ethan Karp, and he becomes our guest. Producer Margaret Kashmir chats with Ethan about the best moments and most insightful wisdom shared on the podcast so far. Plus, Ethan gets very frank about the funny, touching, and surprising things that happen behind-the-scenes. Ethan connects the dots and shares the top takeaways that manufacturers can use to fuel the journey to smart manufacturing. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

On this episode, Ethan sits down with Neal Restivo, CEO of global plumbing manufacturer Oatey. Neal has built an amazing corporate culture at Oatey, one strongly committed to diversity and inclusion. A place where everyone feels respected and lives the company's values. We talk about the importance of empathic leadership, making plumbing a career of choice again, and meeting people where they are so they can do their best work. Watch the video of this conversation here. Send comments and ideas to ekarp@manufacturingsuccess.org. Make It is brought to you by MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, MAGNET has been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with effective workforce programs, advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. MAGNET also catalyzes bigger change by rallying companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems that hold the region back. MAGNET's work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org