{"podcast":{"title":"Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders","slug":"making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170","podcast_index_feed_id":439170,"rss_url":"https://makingchips.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://makingchips.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/9/6/c/f/96cfb61c4bd36ef1e5bbc093207a2619/making-chips_podcastavatar.jpg","author":"Nick Goellner, Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre","episode_count":531,"summary":"Manufacturing is tough—but you don't have to go it alone. If you're leading a manufacturing business, you face constant pressure: staying competitive, adopting new tech, managing people, and driving growth. MakingChips helps you tackle those challenges head-on. Since 2014, we've been equipping manufacturing leaders with the knowledge and inspiration they need to succeed. With hundreds of episodes and over a million downloads, MakingChips is a top resource for the metalworking nation—covering leadership, operations, technology, and workforce development. If making chips is part of your daily grind, this is your podcast. Join hosts Nick Goellner, Mike Payne, and Paul Van Metre for real talk on the issues that matter most.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T20:20:15.879748+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170"},"episode":{"title":"Workforce Is the Foundation: What New Manufacturers Can Learn from North Carolina, 504","slug":"workforce-is-the-foundation-what-new-manufacturers-can-learn-from-north-carolina-504","published_at":"2026-01-19T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/workforce-is-the-foundation-what-new-manufacturers-can-learn-from-north-carolina-504","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170","url":"https://makingchips.libsyn.com/workforce-is-the-foundation-what-new-manufacturers-can-learn-from-north-carolina-504","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/pscrb.fm/rss/p/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/makingchips/MC_504_Updated_3.mp3?dest-id=237805","summary":"As new manufacturers step into ownership, one challenge shows up faster than almost any other: building a team. Before you can scale production, invest in automation, or grow revenue, you need people — and not just any people, but a workforce that can grow with the business. That's where this conversation fits. In this episode, MakingChips is sharing a powerful discussion from Manufacturing Executive , where host Joe Sullivan sits down with John Loyack , Vice President of Economic Development for the North Carolina Community College System. Together, they explore what happens when workforce development is treated as critical infrastructure — the same way we think about roads, utilities, and power. Using North Carolina as a real-world example, John explains how long-term investment in education, customized training, and public–private collaboration has helped manufacturers start, scale, and stay competitive. These systems didn't appear overnight. They were built intentionally, with the understanding that skilled people are foundational to economic growth. The conversation digs into how workforce ecosystems actually function behind the scenes, from customized training programs to leadership development and upskilling. It also highlights why one-size-fits-all solutions rarely work, and how manufacturers can better engage with state and regional resources to support their teams. As you listen, consider this episode a wide-angle view of what it takes to build a manufacturing business that lasts. For aspiring shop owners and young entrepreneurs, it offers context that often gets overlooked early on — but makes all the difference long term. Segments (0:00) Why we're sharing a Manufacturing Executive episode (1:49) Why workforce should be treated as critical infrastructure (3:…","meta_description":"As new manufacturers step into ownership, one challenge shows up faster than almost any other: building a team. Before you can scale production, invest in…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2081,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/episodes/workforce-is-the-foundation-what-new-manufacturers-can-learn-from-north-carolina-504/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/workforce-is-the-foundation-what-new-manufacturers-can-learn-from-north-carolina-504.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}