Make It: Frank Conversations on the Future of Manufacturing

Billions are flowing into new factories. AI and automation are changing how products are made. But manufacturing employment has barely moved. Is American manufacturing really coming back? Producer Margaret Kashmir puts host Ethan Karp in the hot seat for a blunt assessment of the state of the industry. They talk about the numbers behind the comeback, why America should compete on high-value products instead of low-cost volume, how automation will change jobs and wages, and what small manufacturers need to do to survive. Ethan also lays out his best-case vision for the next decade: twice the wages, far higher productivity, new industries invented here, and more companies willing to invest in people, technology, and long-term growth. Send comments and ideas to [email protected]. 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. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

Northeast Ohio has world-class hospitals, materials experts, skilled workers, and thousands of manufacturers. Yet one local wound-care entrepreneur could not find the right manufacturing partner here in Ohio. That gap sits at the center of this episode. Ethan and producer Margaret Kashmir revisit conversations with Steve Peplin, Chris Mapes, Andrew Hurst, Wendy Slone, Vinod Purayath, and Tom Lix. They explore how the region lost some of the connections that once made it an industrial powerhouse, what startups need to grow here, and why large companies, small manufacturers, universities, investors, and public leaders must work closer together. They also examine what's possible if we connect more assets with more speed, capital, and ambition. Send comments and ideas to [email protected]. 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. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

A $40,000 robot can transform a small manufacturer. It can also end up gathering dust. New technology is cheaper and more accessible than ever, but picking the wrong tool can be a costly mistake. Ethan and producer Margaret Kashmir revisit conversations with Felix Brueck, Amy Mucha, Tom Lix, Hallie Stewart, and Jim Cavoli to get their best advice on investing smartly in Industry 4.0. Amy explains how a sore shoulder led to a global 3D-printing business. Tom shares how Cleveland Whiskey makes whiskey in 22 hours that can beat eight-year-aged competitors in blind taste tests. Hallie explains how she weighs safety, flexibility, and long-term value before buying new equipment. Together, the stories make a clear case: start with a stubborn problem, test the solution on a small scale, and put your money behind the best idea instead of spreading it across 100 projects. Send comments and ideas to [email protected]. 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. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

The factory of the future has a people problem. Automation is eliminating many of the entry-level jobs that once taught people how a factory works. If the first rung of the career ladder disappears, how does anyone climb up? To answer that question, host Ethan Karp and producer Margaret Kashmir revisit conversations with Miguel Lugo, Felix Brueck, Trina Bediako, Jim Cavoli, and Carey Jaros. They talk about hiring for potential, accelerating technical training, rebuilding trust during technology change, and creating clear paths from the production floor to leadership. Send comments and ideas to [email protected]. 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. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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