149 - Reviving Manufacturing: A Different Way Forward with Mykel McElwee

Kevin Nolan once cracked a customer’s window, then blamed a dead bird he found and placed beneath it. That early lie became a lesson in accountability, one of many hard-earned experiences behind the unusual company he built: a $20 million painting business with 165 employees and no subcontractors.In this episode of Growing Up B2B, host Ed Delia talks with Kevin Nolan, Founder and Chairman of Nolan Painting, about how paying and caring for employees became a competitive advantage, why years of financial strain taught him to keep cash reserves, and how a family council, constitution, and non-family CEO helped prepare Nolan Painting for succession. Now retired from day-to-day leadership, Kevin is turning his energy to warehouses, renovations, and whatever comes next.Check out Kevin's work at Nolan Painting HERE.Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

At 17, Mykel McElwee came to Universal Tools & Manufacturing to sweep floors, expecting a summer job, not a future as President of Sales. Today, he and CEO Robin lead the fourth-generation New Jersey manufacturer, whose family business has weathered a founder’s sudden death, COVID-era upheaval, and the loss of most of its small customers.In this episode of Growing Up B2B, host Ed Delia talks with McElwee about how acquisitions expanded Universal’s capabilities, why affordable automation is essential to keeping small manufacturers alive, and his “tugboats and tankers” vision for American manufacturing. McElwee also shares how the family is making room for the distinct strengths of its next generation.Check out Mykel's work at Universal Tools & Manufacturing HERE.Connect with Mykel on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

A founder can become so central to a family business that even their presence in the office makes the next generation hesitate to lead.In this episode of Growing Up B2B, Ed Delia speaks with Mark Iorio, managing partner of Brand & Culture Alignment Technology (BCAT), about turning a founder’s instincts into a culture the whole company can carry forward. Iorio shares how BCAT’s survey has found CEOs and employees describing their organizations in almost opposite terms, and why that gap matters. They discuss the everyday behaviors behind a credible brand promise, the procedures that help prevent fractures during rapid growth, and how inviting frontline employees into candid conversations can uncover why growth has stalled.Check out Mark's work at Brand & Culture Alignment Technology HERE.Connect with Mark on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

At 14, Melissa Ortiz spent her summers on a tomato harvester, sorting out snakes, rats, and dirt clods before they reached the ketchup. Years later, after returning to her family’s fifth-generation California farm, she left when a business debt landed in her lap, and eventually urged her husband to leave too, so he and her brother could preserve their relationship.In this episode of Growing Up B2B, host Ed Delia talks with Ortiz, Talent Optimization Expert and CEO of Activate Human Capital Group, about family loyalty, fair pay for next-generation employees, and why avoiding conflict can breed resentment. Ortiz also shares how her family separates business, ownership, and family decisions, and why leaving the family business can be the right choice.Check out Melissa's work at Activate Human Capital Group HERE.Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

George LaCapra spent nearly a decade on the factory floor before becoming president of his family’s metal-finishing business. When his brother chose a different path, George moved into the office and worked his way up.On Growing Up B2B, host Ed Delia speaks with George, President of UniMetal Surface Finishing, about how a 2011 merger with a respected competitor expanded the company’s capabilities, why integrating the cultures of two facilities took years, and how his 88-year-old father still contributes while giving the next generation room to lead. George also describes a hands-on, accredited training program developed with industry competitors to prepare new workers for a trade most people can’t study in school.Check out George's work at UniMetal Surface Finishing HERE.Connect with George on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

Just Packaging, Inc. began with a partner’s phone calls, and a first job that grew out of a conflict-of-interest scare. Steve Fischbein soon left his own job, and the company grew from a basement in a newspaper building to roughly 200,000 square feet.On this episode of Growing Up B2B, Steve and his sons, Evan and Jesse, share how the brothers worked their way through the business, pursued careers in finance, and eventually found their way back; why Steve says the hardest part of succession is giving up decisions; and how the family is preparing for a future shaped by technology, changing supply chains, and a new generation of leadership.Check out Steve, Evan, and Jesse's work at Just Packaging, Inc. HERE.Connect with Steve on LinkedIn HERE.Connect with Evan on LinkedIn HERE.Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

After joining Withum as a staff accountant, Theresa Richardson rose to partner and became the firm’s first chief talent officer, helping guide its growth from about 75 people to 3,300.In this episode of Growing Up B2B, your host Ed Delia talks with Richardson about how her CPA experience shaped her approach to developing talent, why Withum replaced traditional mentoring with dedicated career coaching, and how the firm is preparing new accountants for work increasingly handled by AI. They also discuss what keeps people engaged, which qualities mark emerging leaders, and why family businesses are better off treating succession as a process, not a one-time event.Check out Theresa's work HERE.Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

In this episode of Growing Up B2B, your host Ed Delia speaks with Matt Dusa about building and selling Capstone Fire and Safety Management, a family-owned business he co-founded with his father and brother in 2007.Matt shares how they navigated challenges like seasonality, geographic expansion, and family dynamics while scaling the company using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). He discusses bringing in outside leadership, eventually selling to Global Medical Response in 2021, and the emotional transition from owner to corporate executive. Matt now applies his experience as an EOS implementer, helping family businesses scale and reduce owner dependency.Check out Matt's work HERE.Connect with Matt on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

In this episode of Growing Up B2B, your host Ed Delia speaks with Shawn Kuehn, former President of Kuehn Bevel, Inc., a family manufacturing business.Shawn shares his journey from sweeping factory floors as a kid to leading the company, and the hard lessons learned when a shrinking market forced difficult decisions. He discusses how understanding business numbers and building owner-independent systems transformed operations—and ultimately shaped his current venture, Work Faster, Play Longer. Shawn also offers practical advice for second-generation leaders navigating change while honoring what the first generation built.Check out Shawn's work at Work Faster, Play Longer HERE.Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.

In this episode of Growing Up B2B, your host Ed Delia interviews Jonathan Goldhill, founder of the Goldhill Group and author of Disruptive Successor.Drawing from his family's multi-generational apparel business, which closed in 1986, Jonathan explores the challenges of family business succession. He discusses how next-generation leaders can earn credibility, balance preserving legacy values while modernizing operations, and navigate complex family dynamics. Key topics include authority versus responsibility, sibling fairness, and the emotional intelligence required for effective leadership transitions.Check out Jonathan's work at the Goldhill Group HERE.Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn HERE.Check out Jonathan's book, Disruptive Successor, HERE.Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.