Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

What happens when a 26-year-old machine shop kid decides the real bottleneck in American manufacturing isn't machining—it's metal supply?
In this episode, we sit down with Zane Hengsperger, founder and CEO of Knox Metals, to talk about building a modern service center powered by AI, automation, and software. Zane's mission is bold: supply every factory in America in under 24 hours at a fair, transparent price.
Raised in his father's injection molding shop, Zane grew up on shop floors before pivoting into software, startups, and eventually reindustrialization. After publicly sharing his ideas online, Y Combinator reached out—and within 24 hours, he had funding and a flight to San Francisco.
We explore what it takes to modernize the metals supply chain, the friction of accessing domestic mills, the realities of startup logistics, and why focusing exclusively on aluminum plate might be Knox's smartest strategic move yet.
This is a conversation about speed, ownership, risk, and the future of American manufacturing—not just at the machine level, but across the entire supply chain.
Segments
(1:34) Introducing Zane Hengsperger and Knox Metals' mission
(2:46) Growing up in a machine shop and learning manufacturing early
(3:35) Paperless Parts ad — Secure AI for quoting
(4:48) From software startup to reindustrialization
(6:48) Early struggles gaining access to domestic mills
(8:53) Why Knox is narrowing focus to aluminum plate
(10:05) Instant quoting and automated cutting — what makes it different
(11:30) Building a hybrid team: industry veterans + software talent
(13:05) Potential integrations and vertical integration strategy
(16:23) Team structure and rapid early growth
(18:26) How Y Combinator found Zane — and funded Knox in 24 hours
(20:59) Young founders, machine shop resurgence, and generational opportunity
(25:00) How to attract young talent into manufacturing
(27:05) MFG 2026 ad — Executive leadership event
(29:48) The overlooked opportunities in manufacturing careers beyond the shop floor
(30:59) Early lessons: building selection and trying to serve everyone
(32:52) Why narrowing their focus created leverage
(33:42) How Knox manages inventory, mills, and lead times
(36:10) The massive aluminum block story (18,000+ pounds)
(39:21) Mentorship, investors, and surrounding yourself with believers
(41:46) YC's push into reindustrialization
(45:50) Technology vs. tribal knowledge in rebuilding industry
(47:24) Has age been an obstacle? Building trust over time
(49:59) Biggest wins so far — stacking consistent progress
(51:47) Expansion plans: LA, regional giga-factories, and automation
(54:19) ProShop ad — Investing in your own shop first
(55:56) Where to find Knox Metals and connect with Zane
Resources mentioned on this episode
NOX Metals 
Connect with Zane on X and LinkedIn
[email protected]
The Technological Republic 
Y Combinator
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Recorded live from McCormick Place in Chicago, this episode marks the official kickoff of the MakingChips journey toward IMTS 2026. With nine months to go, we sit down with two leaders helping shape the show itself: Michelle Edmondson, Vice President of Exhibitions for IMTS, and Bonnie Gurney, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Industry Relations.
What unfolds is a behind-the-scenes look at how the largest manufacturing technology show in North America is built — from campaign strategy and theme development to visitor planning, education tracks, emerging technologies, and student engagement.
This year's theme, "Achieve the Impossible," paired with the campaign message around "Six Days," reflects what IMTS is really about: momentum. It's not just about buying a machine this year. It's about seeing where the industry is heading five years from now.
We explore how exhibitors should define ROI, why attendees need a strategy before walking the floor, what's new in 2026 (including the Industrial AI Arena and the 20th anniversary of the Emerging Technology Center), and how young people — including our own kids — can get plugged into manufacturing through Smartforce and the Student Summit.
Whether you're an exhibitor, an attendee, or still on the fence, this episode is a practical roadmap for how to get the most out of IMTS — and why it matters more than ever in today's manufacturing climate.
Segments
(0:00) Live from Chicago: Exhibitor Workshop energy and early IMTS planning
(2:17) Hennig's evolving booth strategy and bringing real machines to the floor
(3:43) Why you need to be at the MFG Meeting 2026
(4:38) Introducing Michelle Edmondson and Bonnie Gurney from IMTS
(7:04) The power of long-term partnerships and IMTS' impact on careers
(8:58) Defining ROI for exhibitors: Setting measurable goals before the show begins
(11:16) Planning IMTS as an attendee: short-term shopping list vs. long-term vision
(13:21) IMTS 2026 theme: "Achieve the Impossible" and the Six Days campaign
(14:52) How real visitors shape the ad campaign and messaging
(16:07) Student Summit and engaging the next generation
(17:40) Family business, succession, and getting kids into manufacturing
(21:55) Common exhibitor mistakes — territory gatekeeping and lost opportunities
(23:48) Factur: Building consistent pipeline systems for manufacturers
(24:54) Behind the scenes: how IMTS develops its theme and campaign strategy
(29:25) 20th anniversary of the Emerging Technology Center
(30:04) Launch of the new Industrial AI Arena and AI conference
(30:59) Education tracks, co-located conferences, and specialized programming
(33:56) MakingChips live podcast studio plans at IMTS 2026
(35:47) Rockford IMTS summer party and nonprofit partnership
(37:35) Smartforce, Student Summit, and how schools can get involved
(39:12) What visitors should be doing right now to prepare
(41:19) Housing deadlines and avoiding scam hotel vendors
(43:24) Hire MFG Leaders: Recruiting leaders who understand manufacturing
(43:52) Will IMTS 2026 be the best show ever? Why optimism is high
(45:53) Young founders in manufacturing and the entrepreneurship tailwind
Resources mentioned on this episode
Connect with Michelle Edmondson
Connect with Bonnie Gurney
IMTS 2026
IMTS Smartforce Student Summit
IMTS Show Planner
USMTO Report
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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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