Made in America with Ari Santiago

This episode follows the wide-spanning career of Jason Jarvis, President of Jarvis Airfoil, from his early years as a political reporter to radio broadcasting with his fascinating mom to landing at Jarvis Airfoil 17 years ago.   Jason explains that the key to his career has been his aptitude for and belief in communication as a vital part of good business.   Jason and Ari talk about how airfoils make an aircraft work; the history of how Jarvis got into airfoils; the precision necessary to both make and inspect aircraft in today's manufacturing environment. And so much more!   They even dig deep to discuss a few solutions to the workforce issue. Don't miss this wild ride - it's one hell of an episode!   Company Website: https://jarvisairfoil.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jarvis-airfoil Jason's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-jarvis-2b52a410/     Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com

This episode, with Justin Wolfanger, President of Systems, Electronics, and Controls - Triumph Group, starts off digging into some of Justin's really cool background working on Sikorsky helicopters. But soon, Ari and Justin are discussing the complexity of working as a Tier 1 supplier and the intricate nature of the Aerospace supply chain.  You'll learn a lot from this episode as Justin and Ari really go deep into business culture and leadership. Justin talks about the value he's found in having a business coach, both for himself and his team. He also talks about the importance of giving back to the community and taking care of the families that are all part of his team.    Justin's favorite business book: Start with Why, Simon Sinek Company Website: https://www.triumphgroup.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triumph-group Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TriumphGroup/ Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/triumphgroup Justin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-wol

This week's episode runs through the early (very early!) manufacturing career of George Podlasek, President of Winslow Automatics, through his legal career and back to manufacturing again. In this episode, Ari and George talk about the George's Dad's hard work ethos and how it molded the Podlasek family and business.   George took lessons learned in his youth and through his legal career to continue growing and developing the business his grandfather started in 1956. In fact, he saw a whole new opportunity in evolving the business through technology and engineering. Changing a company culture is no small feat. Listen to George talk to Ari about how he did it and what the future hold for technological advancement at Winslow.  George's favorite business book: Art of War, Sun Tzu Company Website: https://www.winslowautomatics.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/winslow-automatics-inc./ Company Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WinslowAutomatics/ George's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.co

Business is all about relationships, even in specialized tool manufacturing! In this episode, Ari and Jacob Litke talk about the relationships that have grown Skillcraft Machine Tool. Jacob tells Ari about the successful ownership transition from his Father as well as his relationships with employees. He discusses the success of their apprenticeship program as well.  Ari and Jacob also dig into what Lean Manufacturing means in a low-mix, high volume setting - and it's pretty different than what we've heard from a lot of other manufacturers! We learn something new from every podcast episode!   Jacob's favorite business book: Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business, Gino Wickman   Company Website: https://skillcraftmachine.com/  Company LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/skillcraft-machine-tool-company-inc. Company Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063638154652 Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillcraft_machine_tool/  Jacob's LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-

At nearly 150 years old, Penn Globe has both a fascinating history and an exciting future. President and CEO, Marcia LaFemina, covered tons of ground with our host, Ari Santiago, in this fast-paced episode. They talked all about the innovations that have kept Penn Globe strong and steady despite their small stature in the lighting world. Marcia told us all about their sustainability initiatives, refitting classic fixtures with current sustainable lighting sources, building new fixtures out of recycled materials, and fitting current light fixtures with wifi and surveillance    capability. All of this with some lighting education thrown in the mix!     Marica's favorite business book: Beautiful Swimmers, William W. Warner: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay - a unique choice for a business book, this Pulitzer Prize winner brings the humanity back into business   Company Website: https://www.pennglobe.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pennsylvania-globe-gaslight-co-/ Company Facebo

Laura Marasco took a winding path of leadership roles in finance that prepared her, brilliantly, but unwittingly, for a great career in Manufacturing! Listen as she tells Ari her story of going from banking to West-Conn Tool and how all her experiences lined up perfectly to bring her to her current CEO role (a role she took over from her husband, Dave).   Without batting an eye, Laura has helped navigate West-Conn Tool from ISO 9000 certification, through a new ERP system, and then on to high-tech additive manufacturing.   Laura's favorite business books: Infinite Game, Simon Sinek Principles, Ray Dalio   Company Website: https://www.westconntool.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-conn-tool-and-die-inc/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestConnTool/ Company YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLaoVnybs7hHMkmccHsldoQ Laura's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-marasco-45704915/     Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compa

Plastics can get a bad rap, but Bing Carbone, President of Modern Plastics, has a heart-felt way of telling the positive story of the high-tech plastics we count on every day. Bing talks to Ari about staying on top of the latest and greatest, whether it's ISO certification in 1997 or a TikTok account in 2022. Bing learned from his grandfather how to look ahead without fear to see what the future holds. Bing also shares his unique perspective on being acquired by a larger organization, but still maintaining autonomy.   Company Website: https://modernplastics.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-plastics/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernplastics/ Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernplastics_distributor/ Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/Modern_Plastics Company YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBtpOwViht_3Ax79xe3927g Company TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/modern_plastics Bing's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bingjcarbone/   Ari

This episode is jam-packed with great lessons for manufacturers. Henry Siemon talks to Ari about his 5th generation company and their ability to stay relevant and innovative to continue on as a powerful technology manufacturer.   Henry and Ari discuss the challenges of being a new CEO and the benefits of a long transition time.   They round out the conversation talking about i4.0 technology and the benefits of automation. The Siemon Company is able to keep a lot of their manufacturing in the US while giving their workers higher skills and a better livelihood.   Company Website: https://www.siemon.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-siemon-company/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siemoncabling Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/siemon/ Company YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SiemonNetworkCabling Henry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-siemon-73b52710   Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook:

Steel might sound old-school, but Ulbrich Steel is cutting edge!    Jon Ulbrich of Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Special Metals talks to Ari about their 98 year-old company and how they keep it feeling young and fresh. Constantly coming up with new ideas, planning succession to maintain success, and thinking green are just a few of the key topics today. Ari and Jon also talk a ton about the current state of the supply chain and how Ulbrich Steel works with it and around it. Company Website: https://www.ulbrich.com/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ulbrich-stainless-steels-&-special-metals/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UlbrichSteel   Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmericaPodcastwithAri Ari's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asantiago104/   P

This episode with Peter Mirabello, Chairman and CEO of Metal Finishing Technologies, focuses on learning about, valuing, and growing the resources around you - whether it's a previously hidden subset of your business, developing the right leaders, or learning about and taking advantage of the external resources offered in CT.    Peter and Ari talked about travel, leadership, diversification, workforce development, sustainability, and even the periodic table!   Metal Finishing Technologies' Website: https://www.mftech.com/ MFT's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metal-finishing-technologies-llc/ MFT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Metal-Finishing-Technologies-102014982498244 MFT's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mft_plating Peter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-mirabello-94067516/   Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-p

Michael Polo, Founder and President, of ACMT has a unique story leading him to manufacturing and an even better story of building ACMT! In this episode of the podcast, Mike shares his many stories with Ari to show that risk pays off, creativity wins, and trying the impossible can sometimes be your best bet. This rapid fire episode is full of fun and laughter that leads to some great manufacturing wisdom along the way.   ACMT's Website: https://acmt.aero/ ACMT's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adchem-manufacturing-technologies-inc-/ Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-polo-81260912/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmericaPodcastwithAri Ari's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asantiago104/ Podcast produced by Miceli Productions: https://miceli

The Made in America podcast has been around for not 1, not 2, but 3 years! In honor of our 3rd anniversary, we are excited to welcome Mike Ambrose, VP of Enterprise Business Transformation from Sikorsky! Mike joins Ari to share his unique journey into Sikorsky, how artificial intelligence has allowed them to make huge strides, and why collaboration with your workforce is key. He discusses how helicopter technology has allowed them to do business more efficiently and effectively. Mike also stresses the importance of digital transformation and how it helps their team understand how to improve modeling and design processes! Sikorsky's Website: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/sikorsky.html Sikorsky's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sikorsky/ Sikorsky's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SikorskyAircraft Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ambrose-151b56a/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

This week, we have a CT manufacturing advocate, friend, and President and CEO of Microboard, Nicole Russo, joining us on the Made in America podcast! Nicole joins Ari to discuss the 3 C's - credit, culture, and complexity, how they maintain close relationships with customers, and how regional sector partnerships can help workforce development challenges. She's passionate about providing solutions, building an uplifting culture, and growing the business. With technology at the forefront, Nicole and her team, have not only built the only indoor shot-detection system, but are impacting the lives of others around the world! Microboard's Website: https://microboard.com/ Microboard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microboard-processing-inc./ Microboard's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MicroboardToday Nicole's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hoekenga-russo-2436654/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAm

This week's Made in America podcast episode features Bill Smith, President and CEO of Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen! Bill joins Ari to discuss why he enjoys working in the fuel cell industry, how they are using chemistry for space and underwater exploration and attracting talent for their exciting missions.  He also discusses what is powering their growth and how they are addressing climate change challenges. He is confident that green hydrogen can help replace fossil fuels and lead to a more optimistic future! Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen's Website: https://infinityfuel.com/ Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infinity-fuel-cell-&-hydrogen/ Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InfinityFuelCellHydrogen Bill's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-smith-4a79a41a/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: htt

In honor of the July 4th holiday, we are releasing a special edition Made in America episode highlighting some of our previous podcast guests!   With a theme focused around reshoring, our guests discuss what they are doing to address supply chain issues, get closer to customers, and focus on workforce development efforts.  We also explore the ways manufacturers across our state are looking to keep operations and processes close to home. The United States has the capability to compete with those overseas, but we need to be more efficient and effective in order to do so.  Together, we can set our country up for success!  Featured Guests:  • Paul Lavoie - State of Connecticut   • Dave Cremin - Straton industries   • George LaCapra - UniMetal Surface Finishing   • Doug Rose - Aero Gear  • John Joseph - Datanomix  • Greg Bloom - Capewell  • Don Allan - Stanley Black and Decker   • Chris Murphy - U.S. Senate  • George Giering - Giering Metal Finishing  • Sabrina Beck - Altek Electronics  • Mike Lisowski - FuelCell

This week we are welcoming Dave Cremin, President of Straton Industries, onto the Made in America podcast! Dave joins Ari to discuss how they are handling overseas competition, using lights out technology to become more efficient, and using creative recruiting to attract and retain people.  He highlights the importance of peer learning and how you can learn valuable business lessons from others in various industries. Dave also expresses his gratitude for his team and how hiring an HR professional has been one of the best moves they have made! Straton Industries's Website: https://straton.com/ Straton Industries's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/straton-industries/ Dave's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cremin-75b15a12/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmer

This week's Made in America episode showcases the story of BMS Aerospace through the eyes of their President, Tina Bracone! Tina joins Ari for an insightful conversation on business transformation, acquisitional growth, and team communication.  She also explains how her focus on metrics has helped the company make strategic investments. By welcoming ROI opportunities and building up the culture, Tina is confident that they will be successful in the future ahead.  BMS Aerospace's Website: https://bmsaerospace.com/ BMS Aerospace's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bms-aerospace/ Tina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-bracone-05a534124/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmericaPodcastwithAri Ari's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asantiago104/ Podcast prod

This week we welcome Matt Tkac, Founder of Bad Dog Brewing, onto the Made in America podcast!  Matt talks to Ari about finding a building that tells a story, how the town of Torrington helped guide their development, and how they are trying to continuously accommodate customers. Matt discusses the uniqueness of their flavors, historical flare, and family affair. He acknowledges the endless support of his family and community and believes that their involvement has been crucial to the brewery's success.  Bad Dog's Website: https://www.bdbrewco.com/ Bad Dog's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baddogbrewingco/ Bad Dog's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baddogbrewco/?hl=en Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-tkac-esep-0185b22a/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Madei

This week we are welcoming Paul Giangrave, VP of Frasal Tool, onto the Made in America podcast!  Paul talks to Ari about what his manufacturing journey looked like, the collaboration that goes on between their engineers and OEMs, and how to make your employees feel appreciated.  He also explains the company's shift from the bearing industry to aerospace and how they were able to stay competitive. Paul stresses the importance of cybersecurity and continuous improvement and why it's a must for manufacturers around the world!  Frasal Tool's Website: http://www.frasaltool.com/ Frasal Tool's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frasal-tool-co-inc-/ Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-giangrave-48630a71/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmericaPodcastwithAri Ari's

On this week's Made in America podcast, get ready for an insightful conversation with Justin Malley, Director of Economic and Community Development for Bristol, CT!  Justin talks to Ari about what he is doing to engage and support manufacturers, how government plays a role in employment programming, and why marketing is the key to success. He discusses how Bristol is freeing up manufacturers' time by getting them connected to the right people and organizations. Justin also expresses the importance of stabilizing businesses through investments, certifications, grants, and more. There's so much out there! Bristol's Website: http://www.ci.bristol.ct.us/151/Economic-and-Community-Development Justin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-malley-b9613977/ Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/ Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari Company YouTube: https://youtube