Sustainability goals are everywhere in manufacturing; net-zero by 2030, carbon neutral by 2035. While many manufacturers have set ambitious targets, the gap between goals and execution remains a challenge, especially when sustainability projects compete with production priorities for capital.

Eric Spink and Shiva Subramanya from Veregy join the show to talk about energy transition and what it looks like in practice. Energy used to be just another line item and the cost of doing business, now it's tied to resilience, sustainability, and a company's long-term strategy.

One key insight from the conversation was how the equipment on the perimeter of your manufacturing floor (think compressed air systems, boilers, refrigeration, and HVAC) consumes 60-80% of your plant's total energy.

But manufacturers typically don't have expertise in these support utilities, which is why they get overlooked for efficiency opportunities.

We dive into real projects, including a five-plant dairy operation where AI can predict steam demand based on production data. Plus, how performance contracting allows manufacturers to fund these projects using energy savings rather than tying up capital.

In this episode, find out:

• Why energy has evolved from an expense to a strategic priority
• How perimeter equipment consumes 60-80% of plant energy but often receives the least attention
• Why sustainability projects typically compete with production priorities for budget
• How performance contracting uses energy savings to fund improvements without capital investment
• The low-hanging fruit in most plants, such as compressed air leaks, lighting upgrades, and controls optimization
• What happens when you connect production data with utility systems using AI and advanced controls
• Real examples from dairy processing that delivered significant energy savings

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!

Tweetable Quotes:

• “Traditionally, manufacturing companies have relied on their own capital to implement sustainability projects. But they always compete with productivity goals. With performance contractors, companies can now use the savings from energy reductions and put their capital elsewhere but still implement energy efficiency projects.” - Eric Spink
• “Upgrading control systems by putting in PLC-based controls, and adding instrumentation and metering really allows all these systems to consume a lot less energy. Historically these have yielded very high paybacks, between one and a half and two years in many cases.” - Eric Spink
• “Having a sustainability goal is important, but having a sustainability plan is key. The sustainability plan needs to include how the organization is going to implement it and how it’s going to be funded year-on-year.” - Shiva Subramanya

Links & mentions:

• Veregy, an award-winning decarbonization company providing turnkey engineering and construction services to reduce energy costs through efficiency upgrades, smart building technology, EV infrastructure, and clean energy solutions.
• Skillwork, a premier staffing agency providing skilled industrial technicians on a contract basis to augment facility teams across 30+ states for elevated impact and decreased downtime.
• Fortinet, securing the world's largest enterprises, service...

What's better than a live podcast? I live podcast AND a factory tour. For today's episode, we dove into Fathom Digital Manufacturing's Hartland, WI facility before a discussion with industry experts.

The automotive industry has come a long way from three-piece suits and mechanical production lines. Twenty-five years ago, manufacturers weren't thinking about EVs, tool changers, or the complexity we see today. Those who weathered 2008 will tell you: when the next downturn comes, it won't be your sales pitch that saves you, it'll be whether you were a true partner to your customers.

This episode was recorded Oktoberfest-style at RAM Solutions, featuring eight industry leaders discussing what's transforming automotive manufacturing. Mitch Yencha and Scott Hunter share timeless lessons from surviving 2008, while Tanner Boyko and Jim Marlowe highlight the insane amount of innovation happening right now, from the safest cars in history to new EV players entering the space.

Paul Otto and Andy Johnson reveal how AI is finally unlocking value from terabytes of welding data generated daily, while John Macdonald and Markus Weckbach from STÄUBLI explain why you need proactive planning with Plans B and C ready. They also cover why technologies like AMRs, AGVs, and gigacasting have finally crossed the adoption threshold.

In this episode, find out:

• How team culture and customer empathy helped manufacturers survive 2008
• Why automotive has been having the supply chain conversation since Henry Ford's assembly line days
• How AI is analyzing terabytes of welding data daily to optimize quality
• Why cobots, camera programming, and automated forklifts are creating new job opportunities
• What gigacasting is and how it's eliminating spot welding by casting car bodies in 3-5 components
• Why trade roles like maintenance and electricians are seeing a resurgence
• The proactive vs. reactive approach needed when running hundreds of jobs per hour
• How RAM Solutions trains hands-on with STÄUBLI equipment to fully support customers

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!

Tweetable Quotes:

• “You have unbelievable technology coming into the automotive industry. It might be perceived as stagnant but that’s just not true. There’s a wide range of opportunities for anybody with any type of background to participate in this space.” – Scott Hunter
• “We talk about AI, but you still have to know the basics and know how to work with your hands. You need to know how to weld or operate a robot. You need to know the core foundation principles before you can take the next step.” – Paul Otto
• “We’ve always had a ton of automative data but the next step has been how to get it into a format so data scientists can use it and draw conclusions from it. Now the number crunchers can use AI tools to drive decision making on the manufacturing’s floor.” – Andy Johnson

Links & mentions:

• RAM Solutions, LLC, providing specialized automation solutions and 24/7 technical support across North America, with expertise in robotic tool changers, collision sensors, pneumatic systems, and overhead lifting equipment.
• STÄUBLI, a global mechatronic solution provider delivering robotics, electrical connectors, fluid connectors, and textile solutions across nearly every industry with long-term support in 28 countries.
• G.E Schmidt, a global leader in resistance welding solutions providing complete spot, seam, and projection welding systems with proprietary technologies for automotive and industrial manufacturers across the U.S., U.K., and...