Where’s Willie?

Today, Willie’s virtual travels across the country take him to Orange County, California, to talk to – in the words of his 12-year old son – the coolest man in the world, Aaron Aders. Aaron is the founder of Summerboard, an electric snowboard designed so that he could snowboard anywhere. Summerboard is wildly popular among snowboarders, but it is also loved by surfers, rock climbers, musicians, and engineers who get lost in their own passions. In this episode, Aaron shares a bit about his background and what led him to creating Summerboard, to emulate the feeling of snowboarding, and providing an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. We talk about marketing, production, and customer service, as well as raising capital and finding angel investors. Aaron talks about the importance of durability testing and the voice of the customer, and he encourages those with hardware ideas – like hoverboards, because Summerboard is eager to produce one! – to reach out to him with pitches. Tune in today.

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Today Willie’s digital travels take him Nashville, Tennessee to chat with author, speaker, and co-founder of Metacake, Ken Ott! Metacake is an e-commerce growth team who have helped many influential brands all over the world to achieve healthy growth in online sales. The company provides coaching, one-on-one services, as well as guides and courses for businesses of all sizes. In addition to this, Ken is also the host of the Agency Exposed Podcast, where he talks all about his business strategies and philosophies with a variety of guests. In our conversation today, Ken lays out his ‘anything can happen’ approach to business and we talk about how the e-commerce side of things can fit into a holistic perspective for any business. Ken unpacks exactly what Metacake does with their clients and how much this can aid their bottom line and sustainability. This conversation falls in the current climate of the pandemic, which underlines the value of what Metacake does and Ken reminds us that all businesses need to be flexible and ready for upheavals of this sort. Ken talks about the coaching they do, what this role means to him, and the buy-in that is needed in order to fully adopt an e-commerce platform. At the end of our chat, Ken also shares some great online resources from Metacake and directs listeners on how they begin their journey and get in contact with the company!

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Stopping off in Mesa, Arizona for today’s chat, Willie hosts Brian Nunes of APS Payments to talk about the amazing ways the company can save money for manufacturing companies! Brian has more than 20 years of e-commerce experience, and we get to hear all about how he brings that expertise into his work at APS. Our guest breaks down Level 3 rates and the issue of ignorance around them, explaining how they apply directly to the manufacturing sector. Brian also shares his special guarantee offer for a payout from APS if they are not able to save you money! That part of the conversation is worth the price of admission alone! We also get into the markets that APS service and the limits of their reach, we talk about PCI compliance, the future of e-commerce and what it means for manufacturing companies to bounce back from the current downturn. Brian does an amazing job of walking us through what he does with his customers, and just how much this can improve customer experience on the other side. Listeners can expect to learn a great deal and have more than one reason to call up Brian and APS after this episode!

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Willie touches down in Greenville, South Carolina today to chat to Mark McClure, Vice President of International Plastics! The company is a second-generation family business and Mark has an immense 36 years of experience in the flexible packaging industry with an extensive resume of knowledge in the field. We get to hear about the history of the company, how it was started by Mark’s father, the way it grew, and its current response to the pandemic and the instability of the industry, that is so prevalent. International Plastics has managed to continue to provide value to clients and stay open and functioning through this difficult time and Mark comments on the usefulness of tariffs in bolstering the domestic sector. We talk about the services that the company has provided this year and the plastics they have made to transport PPE during the health crisis. Mark also comments on tricky issues in the supply chain, the company’s marketing strategy, approach to new business, and how all of this fits into their general mission statement. The last part of our conversation focusses on the future; Mark talks about the possibilities offered by digital printing and some exciting new products they are currently bringing out. So for all of this and a whole lot more, listen in today!

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Today, we’re talking with the veterans of VETtoCEO, a nonprofit organization that supports veterans and transitioning military members to succeed in business ownership. We meet the co-founders, Michael Horn and John Panaccione, the First Executive Director, Monty Heath, and current Executive Director, Rob Campbell. Michael served as an Airborne Ranger for 21 years in the US Army, and also owns Brothers Body and Equipment, a specialty vehicle manufacturer in Galion, Ohio. John served 6 years on active duty as a US Army Officer, mostly as a Paratrooper and Jumpmaster in the 82nd airborne division. John is also the co-founder and CEO of LogicBay, working with leading companies to develop and implement strategies for scaling indirect sales channels, using a combination of services and technologies. Monty, the first Executive Director of VETtoCEO in 2017, is a veteran who served as a US Navy SEAL for over 10 years. Rob, VETtoCEO’s current Executive Director, began his career in the Army as an Infantry Officer in 1990. He served in a variety of command and staff positions in a career spanning over 27 years. Rob has since written two books – At Ease and It’s Personal, Not Personnel – and found his calling as a business consultant. In this episode, we discuss VETtoCEO’s purpose and mission, advice for transitioning from military to entrepreneurial life, and the mindset shift necessary, as well as why manufacturing is sexy. Michael, John, Monty, and Rob highlight the importance of passion and share the opportunities and struggles with starting a veteran-owned business. They also outline some of their ideas for the future of the VETtoCEO curriculum, and tell listeners and potential investors how to support their cause, even in ways that aren’t monetary. Tune in to find out more about going from veteran to CEO!

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The first episode of Where’s Willie is finally here! In the debut episode, host, William Miller, talks about how this podcast was born out of his love for the magic of manufacturing. He shares a bit about how he got to where he is today, his career at Koganei America International Inc., and what listeners can expect from future episodes!Along his amazing journey, Willie has met many amazing and brilliant leaders that have a story to share, and who give a face to the already fantastic world of product manufacturing! These are the people you will meet on the show, so tune in to join Willie and his incredible guests.Episodes are available to download on iTunes and Podbean. Visit whereswilliepodcast.com for more.Follow along on Facebook @whereswilliepodcast, on Instagram at @whereswilliepodcast, and on Twitter at @whereswilliepod 

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In this week’s episode of Where’s Willie? we have our first interview with Jackie Luciano, the Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at ZaGO Manufacturing in Newark, NJ. ZaGO is a producer of sustainable, high-tech, self-sealing solutions and components that has been in business for almost two decades. Jackie’s story is really inspiring, working her way up through the company from her initial position as a part-time bookkeeper. As her role has grown over the years, she has played an integral part in the company’s growth and evolution. Jackie is highly skilled in management, customer service, sales, strategy planning, business development, lean practices, and continuous improvement practices. ZaGo places a big emphasis on paying it forward and sustainability, something they live out through their different community programs. For a wonderful conversation with a truly inspiring guest, tune in!____________________________________________________________________________Guest, Jackie Luciano Jackie Luciano, Vice President of Manufacturing Operations: Received Bachelors of Science in Business Management 2002 from Rutgers University, Newark New Jersey, in 2017 received Executive MBA in Finance and in 2019 received Green Belt Certification for Lean Six Sigma, both from Rutgers University, Newark New Jersey.  For over 11 years, Jackie Luciano has played an integral role in the growth and evolution of Newark-based ZaGO Manufacturing, a producer of sustainable high-tech sealing solutions and components used globally in industries like robotics, electronics, LED exterior lighting, medical devices, transportation, and others. Jackie started as a part-time bookkeeper re-entering the workforce after having a child and quickly started to learn all the ins and outs of the business.  After 5 years, she was appointed General Manager/Marketing Director and after completing her MBA at Rutgers she was appointed V.P. of Operations.  Jackie is highly skilled in Management, Customer Service, Sales, Strategic Planning, Business Development, LEAN practices and Continuous Improvement practices.  Part of her mission is in paying it forward both internally through training and development opportunities and externally through community service projects. This includes a new endeavor, ZaGO Sustainability 360, which promotes sustainable practices and STEM education and manufacturing as viable pathways for success. ____________________________________________________________________________Connect with Jackie Luciano on LinkedIn and follow ZaGO on Twitter at @ZaGOMfgCo 

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This week on Where’s Willie? we travel to Rockford, Illinois to the home of RJ Link International Inc. to speak to their Vice President of Business Development, Terry McCormick. Terry is a tech-head who admits that he just loves making things, having been in manufacturing, quality, and operational management for the past 30 years. He has spent a lot of that time in gearing and hydraulics. His background has given him a springboard to traverse the areas of strategies and business management. Willie and Terry talk about increasing growth and profitability, how to tie responsiveness and value back to the customer, and aligning a business process to encourage these areas. Terry has a degree in mechanical engineering and since then, has done a lot in the world of manufacturing. The conversation covers some examples of how the company works with customers to meet their custom gearbox needs, their ideal types of customer relationships, Terry’s belief in Lean Six Sigma, and some of the exciting new technologies for the field. Terry also comments on his personal emphasis on learning and listening, sharing how these areas keep him energized on a daily basis. For all this and more, tune in to Episode #3!____________________________________________________________________________For more on RJ Link, visit https://www.rjlink.com/. To connect with Terry McCormick on LinkedIn, click here.____________________________________________________________________________To keep up with your host, William Miller, follow him on Twitter @williekoganei and on Instagram @williekoganei_

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This week on the Where’s Willie? Podcast, Willie travels to Winchester, Virginia to talk to George Hoddinott and his associates from the City of Winchester about the central role of manufacturing and how the city supports this. Recognized by Forbes as the number one place in Virginia for business and careers, the city is resolutely committed to attracting and retaining young talent for its industries. We discuss all the things the city is doing to positively impact lives through manufacturing, including coordination of various departments of local government, the education system, and incentive programs. The panel talks about the way the city views promoting college versus career decisions and also how there is still some work to be done in changing negative connotations of the manufacturing sector. We look at the rise of robotics, virtual and augmented reality, as well as the use of virtual tours for the prospective workforce. For this fascinating conversation about a city that is clearly engaged and dedicated to growing its manufacturing sector in the right way, tune in!____________________________________________________________________________To keep up with your host, William Miller, follow him on Twitter @williekoganei and on Instagram @williekoganei_

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On today’s episode of the Where’s Willie podcast, our travels bring us to the city of Sarasota, Florida to talk with Discovery Technology International Inc. (DTI), a manufacturer of piezo motors. Our guest today is Nic Copley. Nick joined DTI in 2018 as Vice President of Business Development. DTI is an early-stage company bringing an exciting new range of innovative Piezo Motors to the motion and control market. Prior to joining DTI, Nic held a position of Vice President of Innovation and Technology for Parker Hannifin’s Automation Group, which comprised of pneumatic, electromechanical, and fluid control technologies. Nic’s career in the motion and control industry spans 30 years, starting initially with several years designing ventilators and anesthesia control in the medical sector before moving into broad-based industrial pneumatics component level and system engineering roles. Inside this episode, we talk about DTI’s innovative piezo technology and how they help customers from product-design to collaboration. Stay tuned to hear more about how DTI is serving their target marketing and helping OEM’s integrate a piezo solution.

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