Chris Luecke

Mar 18, 2025 | manufacturinghappyhour.com | Chris Luecke

When you imagine a rural versus an urban manufacturing company, that picture might look a bit different. But some things are the same. Both types of manufacturers face challenges, but do they face different ones? The good news is that there are some incredible people and businesses in the industry who are on a mission to bridge connections, build up local communities, and train future talent to solve those challenges.

Mar 4, 2025 | manufacturinghappyhour.com | Chris Luecke

When like-minded entrepreneurs sit down to swap stories, advice, and connections, it’s a major win for everyone. This is one of the great things about manufacturing because this industry thrives on collaboration, not just competition. In this episode, we hear from Russell Winter, Founder of US MFG, who’s on a mission to connect entrepreneurs in the machine shop space together, while also acquiring shops from retiring owners that would have otherwise gone out of business.

Feb 11, 2025 | manufacturinghappyhour.com | Chris Luecke

Take your mind back to five years ago. Many of us were celebrating the start of what we thought would be an exciting decade for automation. And well… it’s certainly been different and not quite how most of us expected. Now, we sit squarely in the middle of a decade that has pushed automation and AI front and center of so many industries now. So how close were our pre-pandemic predictions on automation? And more importantly, where is automation headed next?

Feb 4, 2025 | manufacturinghappyhour.com | Chris Luecke

Is venture capitalism and manufacturing the perfect match for America’s new industry boom? Or will the industry bootstrap its way to success on a slower-but-steady path? It’s going to take a bit of both, and in this episode with Jim Belosic, CEO of SendCutSend, he takes us through the latter approach in detail. Jim shares a down-to-earth take on succeeding as a manufacturing business with a mix of VC and bootstrapping.

Jan 6, 2025 | manufacturinghappyhour.com | Chris Luecke

M&A may look like a numbers game on the surface, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. According to this episode’s guest, selling a business is as much about psychology and emotions as it is about the facts and figures. In this episode, we welcome Clint Bundy, Managing Director at Bundy Group, who shares his experience, advice, and stories on helping people sell their businesses.