Episode
Turn It Up to 11: From YouTube Learning to Aerospace Growth with Nick Preece, 516
- Published
- Apr 6, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3099
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/episodes/turn-it-up-to-11-from-youtube-learning-to-aerospace-growth-with-nick-preece-516/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/turn-it-up-to-11-from-youtube-learning-to-aerospace-growth-with-nick-preece-516.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
What happens when a college engineering student buys a CNC machine just to experiment… and accidentally builds an aerospace machine shop? That's exactly what Nick Preece did. What started as a curiosity fueled by YouTube videos and garage tinkering quickly evolved into Preece Machining & Assembly, a fast-growing shop focused on complex, high-mix aerospace work. In this Gen CNC episode, Nick shares how he bootstrapped the business from a used mill and a $1,200/month goal into a 10+ machine operation. Alongside his brother Tanner, the two built a company rooted in technical problem-solving, disciplined growth, and a willingness to learn everything the hard way, from customer concentration risk to hiring challenges. The conversation dives into how young shops can compete with larger manufacturers by focusing on complex work, building strong customer relationships, and creating positive sales pressure. Nick also explains how painful lessons around diversification forced them to rethink outreach, refine their quoting strategy, and become more intentional about the work they pursue. Nick also discusses scaling a team, investing in five-axis capability, and even bringing on strategic partners to accelerate growth. With a vision of building a full "PMA campus" and a culture built on kindness and urgency, Nick offers a real-world look at what it takes for the next generation of manufacturing leaders to grow fast without losing focus. His advice for anyone starting a shop? Don't just compete, turn it up to 11 and deliver something exceptional every single time. Segments (0:00) Introduction and welcome to Gen CNC featuring Nick Preece (2:24) Preece Machining & Assembly overview and aerospace focus (4:22) Origin story: learning machining on YouTube and starting in a garage (7:40)…