Modern Industrialist Xchange

What does it actually take to keep a small or mid-size manufacturer competitive right now? Jason Hehman sits down with David Boulay, President of IMEC, the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, to find out.

David and his team work with thousands of Illinois manufacturers every year. His read on the industry is grounded, honest, and a little different from what you usually hear. In this conversation, they get into why the process has to come before technology, what the workforce challenge actually looks like beyond the "skills gap" talking point, and why David is genuinely optimistic about the next 10 years of domestic manufacturing.

If you are running a plant, managing operations, or making decisions about where to invest right now, this one is worth your time.

Episode 30

In this episode Jason Hehman, Industry 4.0 Vertical Lead at TXI, sits down with Jim Pang, a senior technology executive and product innovator with decades of experience in freight transportation. Together, they uncover the surprising truth about rail's quiet leadership in AI and machine learning applications—innovations that have been transforming the industry for over two decades.

Episode 29

Immersive technology is revolutionizing workforce training, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are leading the way. From reducing downtime in manufacturing to enhancing hands-on learning without real-world risks, AR/VR is shaping the future of industrial operations. In this live episode of the Modern Industrialist Podcast, Jason Hehman is joined by Ed LaFoy, Lead Engineer specializing in spatial computing and XR, and Patrick DeMichael, TXI’s Strategy Practice Lead.

Episode 28

What if you could optimize your manufacturing processes in real time, anticipate failures before they happen, and optimize processes with just a few key data points? That’s the power of digital twin solutions—an evolving technology that’s reshaping industries from smart manufacturing to logistics. Host Jason Hehman, Industry 4.0 Vertical Lead at TXI, is joined by Andrew Horner and Alan Gardner, principal engineers at TXI, for a deep dive into what digital twins iiot solutions really are and how companies can start using them today.

Episode 27

What does it take to lead a company at the forefront of innovation in highly regulated industries? Melissa Robbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mindr, joins the Modern Industrialist Podcast to share her approach to balancing cutting-edge technology with a people-first mindset. Mindr, a leader in substance detection and monitoring solutions, is reshaping public safety with products like Intoxalock and Keeper while maintaining a deep commitment to customer care. Melissa reveals how her values-based leadership philosophy, developed at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, drives Mindr's success.

Episode 26

When you’re in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, you have a unique perspective on efficiency and improvement processes. There aren’t a lot of iterations where you can implement improvements or amortize suboptimization. Brian Montanari is the President & CEO of HABCO Industries, a leader in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. He joins us on the show today to bring his unique perspective to the conversation.

We explore his fascinating case study of how his company identified and solved a critical business challenge using Microsoft's HoloLens technology. We also discuss how he has incorporated AI into his business-side processes.

As Brian describes these change processes, he weaves in wisdom about leadership and team development. His take on workforce development should be heard across industries. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Episode 25

Tim O’Neal has a bird’s-eye view of digital transformation projects in manufacturing plants across the world. Tim is the Global Operations Director for Operational Excellence and Leveraged Services for Dow Chemical, overseeing digital transformation projects at over 300 plants in 31 different countries.

Here are his top insights for any manufacturing leader, no matter how big or small their production.

Episode 24

What’s all the buzz about NVIDIA? And what does it have to do with manufacturing and logistics? In today’s episode, Jason Hehman and Patrick Turley break down everything you need to know.

Jason and Patrick explain the technological difference between traditional computer chips (CPUs) and NVIDIA’s GPUs. Then they explain how these NVIDIA GPUs are making GenAI, machine learning, and edge computing possible. Jason and Patrick also get into NVIDIA’s valuation and future, including geopolitical concerns around their supply chain.

Episode 23

In Patrick Turley’s own words, his “dogs are barking,” but the ache of his feet doesn’t compare to the excitement he felt walking around the International Manufacturing Technology Show for days. Patrick joins the podcast to give us highlights from the event.

He tells about trends he saw from 3D printing and additive manufacturing vendors. Then Patrick goes over what he saw in the automation and robotics space. He wraps up by describing what he saw in terms of connected systems and digital twins.

Whether you are a suit-wearing type or a camouflage-hat-wearing type– or both – you’ll get a lot out of this episode, including a renewed excitement about the future of manufacturing.

Episode 22

Both IoT devices and 3D printing have followed a similar timeline recently: a surge of interest, lots of hype, and now stricter scrutiny.

In this episode, Jason Hehman and Matt Reich discuss where these two technologies are trending, both in the consumer world and in the industrial space.

Listen in as Jason and Matt break down IoT devices and 3D printing (aka additive manufacturing) in terms of value proposition, maintenance, and ecosystem.

Episode 21

Jason got to take a tour of an Amazon Fulfillment Center and he’s here to share takeaways that every industrial business can benefit from.

With co-host Patrick Turley, Jason breaks down Amazon’s use of computer vision, edge computing, and digital twins and what it can teach us about Industry 4.0.

Episode 20

What’s virtual reality’s value for manufacturing today? In this episode we break down everything you need to know about today’s spatial computing (virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, etc.) for manufacturers.

We discuss how it could speed up and standardize training. We envision how it could empower more stakeholders, including clients and maintenance teams, to provide input earlier in the design process. We also get into the difference between the spatial computing leaders (Apple, Microsoft, and Meta) and what to watch for in this space.

Episode 19

What lessons can manufacturing professionals learn from Friday’s Crowdstrike catastrophe? We give an overview of what happened and what it can teach the manufacturing community about best practices in the software development process. We also explain what incident response should look like in these situations.

This episode is for manufacturing executives who need to have a basic understanding of these threats, how to prevent them, and how to respond to them.

BONUS episode

HS Inc. is a success story of a family-owned manufacturing company surviving and thriving by future-proofing itself. Today its Director of Business Development, Paul St. Louis, joins the show to tell us about their fifty-year evolution from mold maker to automation integrator. Paul walks us through how HS Inc. leveraged automation to future-proof itself and how it now does the same for its clients.

Episode 18

The annual Rethink Conference by the Manufacturing Leadership Council is one of the top events in the digital transformation of manufacturing. What’s discussed there is indicative of what’s likely to come for manufacturers of all shapes and sizes. Jason attended the conference and is ready to report his top three takeaways. Patrick is here to help him analyze it all.

Episode 17

Deepti Yenireddy has an incredible track record of creating tech products and platforms that change the trajectory of businesses. What’s her secret sauce? She spends 90% of her time with clients. When she’s not with a client, she and her team are in full ‘speed-to-value’ mode– getting iterations to clients to enjoy and give feedback on, within days, not months. Deepti is our guest on the show today and she’s a fountain of insight and knowledge. Currently, Deepti is the Founder of Boon, a connected AI platform transforming the trucking and logistics industry.

Episode 16

Patrick is finally back from his secret mission, so we’re here to do a group debrief about the past few episodes, tying together themes that we noticed ran throughout.

We talk about AI safety, forecasting what will need to be done before enterprises are comfortable putting their data into AI tools and training models. We discuss how technology can play an important role in compliance and tracking chain of custody. And we all agree that the importance of business strategy in making tech decisions can’t be emphasized enough.

Episode 15

Transportation is a uniquely physical business– it’s not going to be taken over by AI any time soon. But that doesn’t mean that AI or other tech innovations can’t be genuinely helpful for workers and management. Today, Chris Torrence, Chief Strategy Officer from Optym joins us to talk about how tech automation and optimization should work.

Episode 14

In this episode of the Modern Industrialist Podcast, we explore the cutting-edge of last-mile delivery with Mike Koleno, the Chief Technology Officer at Better Trucks. Mike, whose background spans financial services and technology, now leads the charge in revolutionizing logistics with Industry 4.0 innovations. Under his leadership, Better Trucks has become a beacon for technological advancements in the logistics sector, particularly focusing on the complexities of last-mile delivery—a crucial endpoint that directly impacts customer satisfaction.

Episode 13

Today we’re diving into the world of cannabis supply chain management with Colton Griffin, CEO of Flourish Software. With a rich history in optimizing supply chains through innovative data analytics, Colton brings to the forefront the intricacies and challenges of navigating the cannabis industry.

Episode 12

In this episode of the Modern Industrialist Podcast, we sit down with Ben Sprecher, the Chief Product Officer at Bookend.ai, to explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence in the realm of modern industry.

Episode 11

In this episode of the Modern Industrialist Podcast, we delve into the crucial support system for startups navigating the transition from prototype to market-ready product. Our guest, Adam Rodrigues of FORGE, a nonprofit with offices across CT and MA, shares his journey and the mission of FORGE to connect innovators with local manufacturing resources.

Episode 10

In this episode of the Modern Industrialist podcast, hosts Jason Hehman and Patrick Turley speak to Zach Peña from Empirix Partners to explore the pivotal role of strategic sourcing and procurement in the era of industry 4.0. They delve into the challenges and strategies for building resilient supply chains, particularly in mission-critical infrastructure like data centers.

Episode 9

In this episode we're joined by Bo Guilbeault of Starbucks, a leader in IT Asset Management and Retail Infrastructure Technologies. Dive into the heart of Industry 4.0 with us as Bo shares his expertise in managing complex IT assets across Starbucks' global network. Learn about the integration of IT Asset Management with cybersecurity, financial strategies, and sustainability efforts.

Episode 8

In this episode we dive into the world of cybersecurity with renowned experts Dr. Michael Powell and Aslam Sherule from The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE). They chat with Jason and Turley about the evolving cyber threat landscape in the US, discussing the role of AI, critical changes in cybersecurity paradigms, and pragmatic strategies tailored specifically for the manufacturing and logistics sectors.

Episode 7

TXI recently had the opportunity to attend the 'Smart Manufacturing Showcase' presented at MxD, a collaborative event by IMEC Illinois and CESMII in Chicago. It was an insightful gathering, bringing together industry leaders and innovators in the manufacturing space.

Episode 6

Jason and Turley interview the team behind Tangler Wrangler about manufacturing, 3D printing, EVs, and what it's like forming a startup company in grad school. David Lyke, President and Chief Engineer and Lauren Barrera Reny, COO discuss how they met and brought their product for EV owners to market - a one-piece plastic cord wrap designed to make storing and transporting an electric vehicle’s mobile charging cord easy, safe, and convenient.

Episode 5

Join hosts Jason and Turley as they unravel the latest breakthroughs in the age of Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence. In this episode, the dynamic duo shares insights from attending Applied Intelligence Live! Austin 2023, a new amalgamation of the IoT World and AI Summit conferences. We explore the main themes of the show, including wireless connectivity, quantum computing, smart cities, and the intriguing concept of digital twins.

Episode 4

Jason is joined by Jeff Yin, VP of Technology at Motorcity Systems. They discuss upgrading 30-year-old transportation software in the trucking industry. Regular guest Turley returns to the program to take a deep dive into the modern product strategy, where technical challenges related to data integration play a significant role alongside aesthetics and usability.

Episode 3

Jason Hehman and co-host Turley delve into predictive maintenance options in the world of Industry 4.0. Tune in as they explore the foundations of predictive maintenance and discover how organizations use IoT sensor data to monitor system components and predict maintenance needs, ultimately saving money and reducing equipment downtime.

Episode 2

Jason and Turley discuss the barriers to wide-scale Industry 4.0 adoption and on-prem versus cloud solutions in the industrial manufacturing space.

Episode 1