Clocking In Podcast - Voices of NC Manufacturing, your host Phil Mintz, Director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP)

PODCAST EPISODES


E-15: Checking the Pulse of the Economy with Dr. Walden


Dr. Michael Walden
The pandemic has done a number on our economy. The shut down necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19 caused the economy to recede and led to massive layoffs. To dissect the status of the economy, the manufacturing industry and the possible track to recovery, we’re talking to someone we had on the podcast a year ago under different circumstances—economist Dr. Michael Walden. View Show Notes.

E-14: Revving Up Manufacturing Solutions


Switching On Manufacturing
In business, flexibility is a strength, especially in times of uncertainty. The range of standard and custom products our next guest can design and produce has helped his company find their way through the pandemic. We talk with a manufacturer who takes pride in its product line’s versatility and quality. View Show Notes.

E-13: Switching On Manufacturing


Electroswitch Electronic Products
In business, flexibility is a strength, especially in times of uncertainty. The range of standard and custom products our next guest can design and produce has helped his company find their way through the pandemic. We talk with a manufacturer who takes pride in its product line’s versatility and quality. View Show Notes.

E-12: Molding The Future of Manufacturing


Molding The Future of Manufacturing
The pandemic has brought an abrupt end to the last 10 years of business and economic growth in the United States, resulting in many manufacturers suffering short and long-term damage. In spite of the situation, we talk with a North Carolina manufacturer that has found opportunities in the face of this adversity. View Show Notes.

E-11: The Job Manufacturer


NC State’s Office of External Affairs, Partnerships and Economic Development
Jobs are the foundation of any thriving economy. When people have jobs, they get paid. When they get paid, they spend money. When they spend money, it bolsters the economy. This is precisely why organizations like NC State’s Office of External Affairs, Partnerships and Economic Development (EAPED) are so vital. View Show Notes.

E-10: Cultivating Solutions


Mertek Solutions
According to Gallup, 70% of Americans view the American Dream as personally achievable. Our next Clocking In guest was a farm boy from Iowa who worked his way through the manufacturing industry and created a prosperous business in which he’s proud to go to every day. He is a manifestation of that dream, showing it is achievable to anyone. View Show Notes.

E-09: North Carolina Business in the Era of COVID-19


Business North Carolina (BNC)
According to North Carolina’s Small Business and Technology Development Center, there are 179,773 employer businesses in North Carolina. 98.1% of them are small businesses. As of March 24, 2020, many of those businesses were deemed “non-essential” and had to temporarily close to limit the spread of COVID-19. This has resulted in mass layoffs and some businesses are facing the threat of having to permanently close their doors. View Show Notes.

E-08: Fetching Designs


2 Hounds Design
There are almost 90 million dogs currently owned in the US. As dogs have become a more integral part of American life, their owners have sought more quality and variety in their little friend’s accessories. View Show Notes.
E-07: A North Carolina “Basement” Success Story


Equilibar
Pressure control technologies are an integral part of many products and industries. They assist in supplying important operations with the appropriate amount of fluid or gas. Our next guest’s valves and regulators have been dubbed gold standard within pressure control technology manufacturing. View Show Notes.
E-06: Taking Aerospace Manufacturing To New Heights


VX Aerospace
Dynamic composites are extremely useful in the advancement of the aerospace industry. The use of composites can reduce the weight of aerospace vehicles up to 20 to 50%. They have a high thermal stability and are resistant to fatigue and corrosion. With the ever growing demand within the industry for something state-of-the-art, it is vital that aerospace manufacturers be both adaptable and innovative. View Show Notes.
E-05: Going With The Flow


Hoffer Flow Controls
Measurements make a difference. The wrong measurement of fluids could make or break a product or operation. In your home, a flow meter determines the difference between a $50 water bill and a $250 water bill. In the aerospace industry, a flow meter determines whether a space shuttle receives enough rocket fuel to launch into outer space. View Show Notes.
E-04: Stepping Outside The Box


Package Craft
Virtually every item we receive comes in a package… whether it’s a brand new computer, clothes you ordered online or food you bought last minute for dinner. Probably most of us put little or no thought into where the packaging is actually manufactured and how it’s made. View Show Notes.
E-03: Cashion Fishing Rods Angling To Improve Your Fishing Game


Cashion Fishing Rods
The economy was rough after Matthew Cashion graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009. With a doctorate in chemistry and concentration in advanced materials science, he was having no luck finding full-time employment. View Show Notes.

E-Special-01: The State Of The North Carolina Economy For Manufacturing


Dr. Michael Walden
When people talk about the general economy and the economics surrounding the manufacturing industry, we may get lost in all the technical and jargon-riddled analysis. We want answers, that’s why I sat down with the guy who has the scoop, N.C. State University economist Dr. Michael Walden. View Show Notes.
E-02: Tri-County Industries Fosters Strong Work Discipline, Sense Of Worth And Inclusion


Tri-County Industries
Tri-County Industries is a unique blend of private enterprise, government funding and local volunteers working together since 1966. Its philosophy of rehabilitation is to help people develop a strong work discipline and a sense of self-worth while obtaining hands-on job experience in a realistic work environment. View Show Notes.

E-01: Not Your Grandmother’s Formica Laminate!


ATI Laminates
ATI Laminates is a family owned and operated manufacturing facility located in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are maniacally focused on developing innovative surfaces for the hospitality, retail, healthcare and institutional markets. View Show Notes.