Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

This episode of MakingChips is different from most conversations we have on the show, and it needed to be.
In late 2025, the manufacturing community was shaken by the murder of Amber Czech, a welder who was killed by a coworker after reporting harassment multiple times. That tragedy forced many of us to confront an uncomfortable truth: workplace violence and harassment are not abstract issues. They are real, ongoing, and present in the trades today.
In this episode, Paul Van Metre is joined by Nush Ahmed, CEO of Sisterhood of Trades, along with two national experts who work directly on workplace violence and gender justice. Jessica Stender of Equal Rights Advocates and Anna Van Balen of Futures Without Violence bring decades of experience working with employers, workers, and policymakers to help address harassment, escalation, and prevention in real workplaces.
Together, we talk candidly about how harassment often becomes normalized in the trades, why underreporting is so common, and how unchecked behavior can escalate into violence. We also discuss what shop owners and leaders can do today, not just to comply with the law, but to build workplaces that are genuinely safe, respectful, and welcoming.
This conversation is about responsibility. It's about leadership. And it's about recognizing that culture, policies, and daily behavior all play a role in preventing harm. For owners, managers, and anyone who cares about the future of manufacturing, this episode is a call to take workplace safety seriously, before another tragedy forces the issue.
Segments
(0:54) Introducing Nush Ahmed and her work advocating for women in the trades
(2:44) Why the murder of Amber Czech prompted this episode
(4:56) Introducing Anna Van Balen and the work of Futures Without Violence
(6:26) Introducing Jessica Stender and Equal Rights Advocates
(7:28) What Nush hears daily from women in the trades about harassment and safety
(10:12) Why workplace culture must be addressed alongside physical safety
(12:35) The data on harassment prevalence in skilled trades
(15:14) What shop owners can do to begin protecting their teams
(19:14) Why "check-the-box" training fails and what effective training looks like
(21:38) How harassment escalates when early behavior goes unaddressed
(22:50) Why reporting is so difficult and fear of retaliation is real
(25:42) The reality of repeated HR reports and system failure
(28:48) The responsibility of owners to investigate and act, even in small shops
(32:16) Safety planning, allyship, and the role of bystanders
(36:16) Building ally communities and encouraging men to engage constructively
(39:41) What leaders can say and do proactively to create safer workplaces
(41:53) Why respectful workplaces benefit everyone, not just marginalized groups
(42:50) Reviewing policies, audits, training, and reporting structures
(48:50) Practical resources available to employers and workers
(52:10) Sisterhood of Trades resources and community support
(55:06) How to connect with Jessica and Anna's organizations
(56:38) How to engage with Sisterhood of Trades and Next Gen MFG
(58:03) Closing reflections on responsibility, culture, and speaking up
Resources mentioned on this episode
Connect with Anna Van Balen and Futures Without Violence
Connect with Jessica Stender and Equal Rights
Sexual Harassment Response Training and Toolkit
Sexual Assault Response Training and Toolkit
How to create workplace policies
Workplaces Respond National Resource Center 
The California Civil Rights Department 
Email: [email protected]
Tradeswomen Task Force
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Starting a machine shop doesn't always begin with a perfectly laid business plan, a polished facility, or years of hands-on experience. Sometimes it starts in a garage, with curiosity, YouTube videos, and a willingness to figure things out one mistake at a time.
In this episode of MakingChips, we sit down with brothers James and Sean Cerven to talk about how they built their shop from the ground up during COVID. With backgrounds in mechanical engineering but almost no hands-on machining experience, they bought a small CNC, welded their own enclosure, and decided early on to take the business seriously, even when the operation itself was still small.
Their story is a candid look at starting early and learning fast. The Cerven brothers share how financing machines, running jobs out of a garage, hiring quality before machinists, and investing in systems ahead of schedule helped them survive the most fragile years of the business.
Along the way, we talk about learning through online communities, when advice helps and when it hurts, why gut instinct still matters even when mentors are involved, and how discipline, systems, and credibility can allow a very small team to punch far above its weight.
If you're thinking about starting a shop, already in the early stages of ownership, or curious how the next generation is approaching manufacturing, this conversation offers an honest, unfiltered look at what building a CNC business actually takes.
Segments
(0:00) Kicking off the conversation and why this story stood out
(2:00) Engineering backgrounds, COVID lockdowns, and buying the first CNC
(3:33) Why they decided to turn machining into a business to fund tooling
(6:10) Learning machining through YouTube, trial, error, and bad cuts
(7:30) Why we love the SMW Autoblok catalog
(8:00) Parents, neighbors, and running CNCs late at night
(11:34) Early financial discipline and separating personal and business money
(14:20) Exposure to entrepreneurship and learning through podcasts and peers
(18:38) Finding first customers through friends and online communities
(19:35) Building a machining-focused business community online
(22:20) Scaling equipment and deciding when automation actually makes sense
(25:54) Financing machines and managing growing monthly obligations
(29:00) Why bookkeeping, accountants, and financial reviews mattered early
(30:06) Factur: Market intelligence and targeting the right customers
(34:39) Hire MFG Leaders ad: Hiring manufacturing leaders who actually fit
(35:04) Working on the business versus in the business
(40:16) Hiring quality before machinists and why it paid off
(43:45) Investing early in systems and ERP to build credibility
(52:03) Lessons learned from buying too small or cutting corners
(54:18) Mistakes with customers, outsourcing, and trusting the wrong advice
(58:40) Why founders can't outsource strategy or culture
(1:01:40) Why you need to check out Buy the Numbers
(1:02:38) Advice for young founders building their network
(1:07:00) Where to connect with the Cerven brothers
(1:08:00) Final reflections on starting early and thinking long-term
Resources mentioned on this episode
SMW Autoblok catalog
Get a free industry report from Factur at FacturMFG.com/chips
Buy the Numbers podcast
The Third Door
Cerven Solutions on Instagram
Cerven Solutions
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Launching a CNC shop young comes with no shortage of advice — but not all of it comes from experience earned the hard way.
In this episode, we bring in Larry Robbins to speak directly to the next generation of shop owners. Larry has spent decades building companies, leading teams, and navigating growth, failure, and reinvention inside manufacturing. Instead of talking tools or tactics, this conversation focuses on the fundamentals that actually last.
Larry shares lessons on planning before you leap, learning from mistakes without repeating them, and why humility, honesty, and relationships matter more than any single machine or strategy. 
Along the way, we explore how younger founders can use modern tools like AI without losing the human side of business, why budgeting and organization are non-negotiable, and how building value means thinking beyond short-term wins.
This episode serves as a reset for anyone starting early — or starting over — in manufacturing. If you're thinking about ownership, leadership, or legacy, this one is worth slowing down for.
Segments
(1:44) Why we're launching the Generation CNC highlighting founders under 30
(3:02) Larry's first piece of advice: Leverage older generations as resources
(4:45) Why writing a real business plan matters, even if you're not borrowing money
(6:03) Learning by doing, making mistakes early, and why experience compounds over time
(9:00) Imposter syndrome, asking questions, and why no one should aim to be the smartest person in the room
(10:23) Truth, integrity, and why lies always cost more in the long run
(11:14) Mark your calendars and meet us at IMTS 2026!
(12:06) How modern tools like AI can help young founders build better business plans
(14:21) The power of networks and how relationships open doors
(18:25) Holding yourself accountable as a business owner
(20:49) Staying organized, building systems, and why chaos is optional
(28:24) What's Your Method? Transitioning manual machinists to CNC
(35:47) How Factur can help you build consistent sales pipelines through targeted outreach
(36:49) Humility, passion, and why you shouldn't build a business around something you don't care about
(39:21) Generational businesses, entrepreneurship inside family companies, and carrying the torch forward
(44:15) Giving back, mentoring younger leaders, and why relationships outlast transactions
(50:30) Why AI can't replace networks and never will
(55:48) What's happening with workholding that you need to pay attention to
(1:06:09) Why an investment in ProShop ERP is an investment in your business
(1:07:45) Final reflections on leadership, legacy, and building something worth passing on
Resources mentioned on this episode
Mark your calendars and meet us at IMTS 2026!
Check out Methods Machine Tools and connect with [email protected]
Get a free report of opportunities in your industry from Facturmfg.com/chips 
Why an investment in ProShop ERP is an investment in your business
BOOK: Die with Zero
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Manufacturing doesn't always start with a perfectly funded plan or a shop full of machines. Sometimes it starts in a garage, with curiosity, grit, and a willingness to learn by doing.
In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Harris, founder of Covenant Manufacturing, to talk about what it really looks like to start a CNC business at a young age. Caleb didn't inherit a shop or wait until everything felt safe. He learned by working in high-mix job shops, making mistakes, taking calculated risks, and slowly building confidence as both a machinist and a business owner.
We dig into the early decisions that mattered most, from buying the first machine and pricing early jobs to managing cash, handling subcontracting issues, and building trust with customers. Along the way, Caleb shares honest lessons about risk, accountability, and why reputation matters even more when you're small.
This conversation kicks off a new chapter of MakingChips focused on young founders who are stepping into manufacturing early and building businesses with intention. If you're under 30, thinking about ownership, or simply curious what the next generation of shop leaders is learning the hard way, this episode offers a real, unfiltered look at the journey.
Segments
(0:00) Why we're focusing on young founders and early ownership stories
(2:24) Meeting Caleb Harris and how Covenant Manufacturing got its start
(4:12) Get a free demo of Scaylor and finally unify your business data once and for all
(5:25) Growing up homeschooled and discovering a passion for making
(7:28) Knife making, early entrepreneurship, and learning what doesn't scale
(10:01) Caleb's first exposure to CNC machining and seeing a viable business path
(15:47) Working in a job shop to learn programming, setup, and workflow
(20:26) Learning under pressure in a high-mix manufacturing environment
(24:07) Understanding shop economics and thinking like an owner
(31:07) Deciding to start a shop while still employed full time
(32:47) Buying a first machine with limited capital and unloading it solo
(35:32) Landing early jobs and growing through overflow work
(41:32) Why you need to join us at IMTS 2026
(42:21) Managing risk without putting the business in danger
(44:03) A subcontracting mistake and lessons on accountability
(50:12) Building trust, culture, and reputation as a small shop
(53:02) What growth looks like next for Covenant Manufacturing
(57:46) Being young in manufacturing and turning age into an advantage
(1:01:13) Advice for younger founders thinking about starting a shop
(1:04:40) The role of community, mentorship, and industry relationships
(1:07:50) Why we love SMW Autoblok workholding 
(1:09:01) Why these stories matter for the future of manufacturing
Resources mentioned on this episode
Get a free demo of Scaylor at Scaylor.com
Register for IMTS 2026
We love SMW Autoblok workholding
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Covenant Manufacturing
Follow Covenant on Instagram
Connect with Caleb on LinkedIn 
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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
(3:58) Joe introduces John Loyack and North Carolina's manufacturing strategy
(10:33) Defining what "workforce as infrastructure" really means
(13:42) Why we created Hire MFG Leaders: culture-first recruiting for manufacturers
(14:20) How NC EDGE and customized workforce training programs work
(20:51) Gorilla76 — revenue-focused industrial marketing
(22:44) Leadership development as part of workforce strategy
(25:27) Factur: Building consistent sales pipelines for manufacturers
(30:59) Where manufacturers can learn more about NC EDGE
(32:00) IMTS Exhibitor Workshop dates and registration details
Resources mentioned on this episode
Workforce as Critical Infrastructure: Following North Carolina's Model
Connect with John Loyack on LinkedIn
Why we created Hire MFG Leaders: culture-first recruiting for manufacturers
Gorilla76 — revenue-focused industrial marketing
Factur: Building consistent sales pipelines for manufacturers
Why you should join us at the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop
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