In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down a simple, proven framework to grow your shop using Top Line, Bottom Line, and People. Learn how to clarify who your shop really is, cut loser parts, focus on winner work, and pull the lowest-effort, highest-impact levers for growth.

If you want to break through plateaus like the $2M ceiling and build a shop that’s profitable, scalable, and intentional—this episode is for you.

Subscribe to our new 2026 format:
✅ Sales/Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
✅ Operations/Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
✅ Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a quick review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most dangerous habits in manufacturing:

USING PRICE AS YOUR MAIN SALES STRATEGY.

A lot of shops think lowering prices wins more work.
But in reality, it often wins the wrong work.

Mike shares why shops without a niche are forced to compete on price, how underpriced jobs quietly destroy your margins, and why “cheap work” can end up being the most expensive work you ever take on.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why a shop without a niche is always left arguing on price
• How bad pricing creates chaos, burnout, and cash flow pressure
• Why quality and delivery matter more than being the cheapest
• How to find your differentiator and attract better-fit customers
• Why profitable growth starts with disciplined quoting

And here’s the twist:

One of Mike’s shops increased the price on a part by nearly 80%…
 and got the PO back almost immediately.

That moment says a lot about what customers are really buying.

If your shop is constantly busy but still feels squeezed, this episode will help you rethink pricing, quoting, and what it really takes to grow.

Subscribe to our weekly format:
Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps break down how to identify and fix the 20% of machine shop jobs that quietly destroy your profit margin. From legacy pricing and inaccurate burden rates to poor payment terms and customer concentration risk, we unpack the real reasons job shops struggle with profitability.

You’ll learn how to:

• Calculate your true machine shop burden rate
• Identify unprofitable jobs using simple time studies
• Decide when to blend margin vs. renegotiate pricing
• Protect cash flow from long payment terms
• Stay the solution for your customer — even if you don’t machine the part

Many manufacturing businesses think they have a sales problem.
 Often, they have a margin visibility problem.

If you run a machine shop, job shop, or manufacturing business and want to improve profitability without sacrificing customer relationships, this episode gives you a clear, practical framework to follow.

Because being busy isn’t the goal.
Being profitable is.

In this value-packed episode, we bring together our full leadership team—Mike, Kirk, Steve, and Hank—for a high-impact discussion on what it really takes to grow a machine shop.

From the shop floor to your inbox, growth opportunities are everywhere… but most owners feel overwhelmed about where to begin. Should you focus on sales? Marketing? Throughput? A new hire? A new machine?

We break down the confusion and share a clear framework for identifying your starting point.

✅ Learn why “quality and on-time delivery” won’t win you new work
 ✅ Discover how to uncover your real competitive differentiator
✅ Hear why a simple, clear website can be your #1 marketing tool
✅ Get practical SOPs that boost profit—and increase company value
✅ Learn how to shift your team's mindset from day-to-day to growth-driven

Whether you're just getting started or looking to scale efficiently, this episode will help you move forward with clarity.

This is one of our most practical, no-fluff episodes to date—don’t miss it.

In this episode, Mike Fritz sits down with Mike Payne—shop owner, dealmaker, and host of By the Numbers- to pull back the curtain on how real machine shops grow through acquisitions.

From understanding what makes a deal worth it to financing it without millions in the bank. This episode reveals the real-world strategies behind building an empire, one acquisition at a time.

Tune in to learn how to avoid costly mistakes, find the right opportunities, and structure deals that actually make money.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk and I are diving into the 3 biggest challenges shop owners face—things most of us don’t even realize are slowing us down:
1️⃣ Why trying to do it all might be your biggest mistake.
2️⃣ How one simple change could completely transform your workflow.
3️⃣ The surprising reason your shop down the road is growing faster (hint: it’s not their parts).

We’re here to help you break out of the grind, grow your shop, and finally see the profits you’ve been working so hard for.

🎧 Pilot Episode is live now—don’t miss it!

You start it by solving a problem.

In this episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps unpack the reality behind building a machine shop from scratch—and it’s probably different than what most people expect.

Everyone talks about machines.

Very few talk about:

• Cash flow pressure
• Customer concentration risk
• Investors and financing mistakes
• The hidden costs nobody budgets for
• Why your first customer matters more than your first machine

And one statement from this episode flips conventional thinking upside down:

"Don't buy the machine and then go find customers."

If you're dreaming of launching your own shop—or wondering if now is the right time—this episode walks through the real-world decisions that determine whether you grow... or struggle before you ever get started.

PLUS A MAJOR announcement about the future of Machine Shop Growth and the launch of Manufacturing M&A

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

We’re resharing this important discussion from the Making Chips podcast to broaden the discussion and to ensure you’re up-to-date on the latest developments surrounding MEP funding and what it means for your business. It's crucial to understand how these changes could affect your shop and what steps you can take to stay ahead.

Tune in to hear insights from the Making Chips team and learn more about the future of these programs.

More hours. More output. More revenue.

But what if adding a second shift is actually the fastest way to multiply your problems?

In this joint episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps tackle one of the most common ideas floating around machine shops right now:
“Should we add a second shift?”

On paper, it sounds simple.

In reality, it can create more complexity, more liability, more labor pressure, and more process breakdown than most shops are prepared for.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why most sub-$5M shops are not actually ready for a true second shift
• The hidden cost of off-shift management
• Why process refinement should happen before labor expansion
• How automation, fixturing, tooling, and better routing can unlock capacity first
• Why lights-out manufacturing is often a better “second shift” than a manned one
• How bad processes duplicated at night only fail faster

This episode is a must-listen for shop owners who are feeling maxed out, thinking about growth, and wondering whether second shift is the answer—or just a very expensive distraction.

Because sometimes the capacity you need is already sitting inside your current shop...
You just have not uncovered it yet.

Subscribe to our weekly format:
 1st & 3rd Tuesdays: Sales & Marketing
 2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Operations & Engineering
 Joint episodes: Special industry deep-dives with Mike and Kirk

If this episode helps, leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show.

In this episode, Mike and Kirk share their playbook for spotting the signs that it’s time to hire… and the costly mistakes to avoid if you pull the trigger too early. Should you automate first? Push more overtime? Promote from within? Or make that big hire now?

Listen in before you post that job ad—you might be looking at the problem all wrong.

Here’s a hint: it’s not just about offering more money or better hours.

In this episode, Mike and Kirk are joined by Nush Ahmed, a young quality inspector who’s making waves in the manufacturing world—not just on the shop floor, but online too. She shares what helped her stay in the industry, how leaders can better support young workers, and why shops need to rethink how they show up—physically, culturally, and digitally.

We also dive into what it takes to bring more women into manufacturing—and help them thrive. From mentorship and visibility to updating environments and challenging outdated norms, this episode explores how to build a workplace where everyone feels like they belong.

You’ll hear powerful insights about training, inclusion, curiosity, and how to build a culture that actually grows your people—not just expects them to figure it out.

This is one of our most energizing episodes yet—tune in and see manufacturing through a fresh lens.

This week, Mike sits down with Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP to reveal the #1 system that impacts your shop’s top line, bottom line, and people.

From replacing hours of manual tracking to discovering hidden profit leaks. This tool doesn’t just make you more efficient… it makes your entire business more valuable.

Tune in to find out how one software born inside a job shop became the secret weapon for manufacturers everywhere.

In this episode, Kirk Phelps breaks down why most shops misdiagnose growth problems and how operations—not sales—ultimately decide profitability. We dive deep into OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and explain how availability, performance, and quality reveal hidden capacity, wasted margin, and smarter paths to growth.

Learn how to:

• See where capacity is leaking inside your shop
• Stop defaulting to “more people, more machines”
• Use OEE to guide smarter planning, budgeting, and reinvestment
• Grow your bottom line before chasing top-line revenue

If you’re tired of being busy without getting ahead—and want a shop that’s profitable, disciplined, and intentional—this episode is for you.

Subscribe to our new 2026 format:
✅ Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
✅ Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
✅ Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a quick review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

From tooling waste and bloated staff structures to broken quoting systems and inefficient processes, this episode dives deep into real-world strategies to help you keep more of what you already earn.

What you'll learn:

• Why better organization and tooling control can instantly save thousands
• How rethinking cycle times and throughput can double your margins
• The value of third-party engineering audits in uncovering hidden inefficiencies
• When to automate vs. optimize vs. outsource
• How mindset, data, and documentation play into long-term profitability

Whether you’re running a high-mix job shop or a production-driven operation, this episode is packed with practical advice to make every dollar work harder—and stick around longer.

Most machinists start in the same place:

Standing at a machine.
Pushing a green button.
Doing exactly what they're told.

But what separates the people who stay there from the people who become programmers, supervisors, leaders, and shop owners?

In this episode, Kirk Phelps shares the lessons that transformed his own career—from sweeping floors and running manual machines to leading manufacturing operations and helping companies grow.

You'll learn:

✅ Why initiative is the fastest way to earn opportunity

✅ The difference between confidence and arrogance

✅ How fear silently limits career growth

✅ Why humility makes you more valuable than technical skills alone

✅ The mindset that helped Kirk progress from operator to leader

Most people spend their careers waiting for opportunities.

The people who grow create them.

If you're a young machinist wondering what's next—or a shop owner trying to develop future leaders—this episode is for you.

Subscribe to our weekly format:

📈 Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)

⚙️ Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)

🎙️ Bonus episodes when opportunity strikes

If this episode helps, please leave a review and share it with someone starting their manufacturing journey.

In this episode, Kirk Phelps breaks down Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and challenges one of the most ingrained beliefs in machining: that zero scrap equals a high-performing shop.

We unpack Availability, Performance, and Quality—and explain how fear of scrap quietly kills throughput, adds downtime, and limits growth. This isn’t about being careless. It’s about understanding risk, planning for reality, and operating your shop like a system.

You’ll learn how to:

• Rethink scrap as a byproduct of manufacturing—not a failure
•  Identify how perfection erodes availability and throughput
•  Use OEE to see where capacity is really being lost
•  Apply standardization to reduce setup time and improve performance
•  Balance quality with risk management instead of fear

If your shop is busy, clean, and still stuck, this episode will change how you think about OEE—and what “good” really looks like.

Subscribe to our new 2026 weekly format:
Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.

Fix the process.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast: Operations Edition, Kirk Phelps breaks down what shops need to standardize before they ever think about automation, second shift, or lights-out machining.

Because automation sounds exciting.

But if your tooling changes every job, your workholding is inconsistent, your programmers are reinventing the wheel, and your shop floor depends on tribal knowledge…

That robot may just become an expensive decoration.

Kirk covers:

1. How to stop treating every part like a brand-new process
2. Why standardized tooling reduces errors from programming to the floor
3. How workholding can make or break unattended machining
4. Why high-mix, low-volume shops still need repeatable systems
5. The role of CAM standardization and verification software
6. Why lights-out machining comes before full automation

If your shop wants to grow capacity without creating more chaos, this episode gives you the foundation.

Start with standardization.
Then scale.

Subscribe to our weekly format:
 1st & 3rd Tuesdays: Sales & Marketing
 2nd & 4th Tuesdays: Operations & Engineering
 Joint episodes: Special industry deep-dives with Mike and Kirk

If this episode helps, leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show.

From floor operators to future leaders, they discuss how to identify growth potential, build clear progression paths, and overcome common mindset traps like fear of turnover or “doing it all yourself.” Packed with personal stories and proven frameworks, this episode will challenge the way you think about succession, culture, and leadership at every level of your shop.

Because real growth doesn’t happen when you do more—it happens when your people do.

In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down the 5 KPI’s every machine shop should track if they want more control over sales, production, profitability, and long-term growth.

Most shops judge success by whether there’s money in the bank, parts are shipping, and customers seem happy. But that only tells part of the story. Without tracking the right numbers, a shop can miss warning signs like low margins, weak RFQ flow, poor follow-up, or dangerous customer concentration.

Mike walks through the five growth KPIs that reveal what is really happening inside your shop:

You’ll learn how to track:

• RFQ volume from new, current, and dormant customers
• Win rate and why you are winning or losing work
• PO volume and customer concentration risk
• Shipping volume and how it connects sales to the floor
• Margin and how to improve profit without always raising prices

This episode also covers why dormant customers need intentional outreach, why OEMs change vendors, how to use KPIs to drive decisions, and why growth should be measured before it becomes a crisis.

If you want your shop to stop living and dying by the next PO from your biggest customer, this episode will help you start tracking the numbers that actually drive growth.

Subscribe to our 2026 weekly format:
Sales & Marketing — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays
Operations & Engineering — 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review. It helps more shop owners find the show and grow their business.

Very few talk about the costs.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps breaks down what machine shops need to know before pursuing AS9100 certification—and why getting the certificate is actually the easy part.

From inspection equipment and calibrated gauging to ERP systems, cash flow challenges, ITAR requirements, personnel, and expensive aerospace materials, Kirk shares the realities that many shops discover only after they're already committed.

You'll learn:

✅ Why AS9100 is a culture—not a checkbox

✅ The hidden costs most shops underestimate

✅ How to evaluate whether your current equipment is aerospace-ready

✅ Why cash flow can become a major challenge in aerospace manufacturing

✅ How to enter the aerospace market without betting the entire company

If you've ever thought about pursuing aerospace work, this episode could save you from some very expensive mistakes.

And Kirk leaves us with a question:

Are you ready for AS9100—or are you only ready for the certificate?

If you enjoy the show, please leave a review—it helps more machine shop owners find the podcast.

In today’s episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the messy, costly, and sometimes surprising world of hiring in machine shops. From sifting through 100+ job board resumes to building career ladders that keep people around, Mike and Kirk break down what really works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to finding good people.

If you’ve ever asked, ‘Where do I even start?’… this episode might just change how you think about hiring.”

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps digs deeper into standardization—specifically, tool holders, tooling storage, inventory systems, and the 80/20 rule that every machine shop should be using.

Most shops don’t lose efficiency because people aren’t working hard.
They lose efficiency because too many variables are left up to chance.

Different tool holders.
Unclear standards.
Tools scattered across drawers and toolboxes.
Operators searching for what should already be ready.
Setups taking longer than they need to.

Kirk breaks down why standardizing your tooling and tool holders is not about making your shop rigid. It is about removing unnecessary decisions, reducing mistakes, improving repeatability, and giving your team a better system to work from.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Build a master tool list around standard holders
• Reduce setup time by eliminating unnecessary variables
• Choose tool holders based on application, not habit
• Use tooling inventory systems to save time and money
• Track tooling usage by job, part, machine, and operator
• Apply the 80/20 rule to process improvement
• Turn spindle downtime into more production time

Kirk also shares real examples of tool holder decisions that doubled tool life, reduced downtime, and helped shops make better decisions based on data—not guesswork.

If your team spends too much time looking for tools, reworking setups, chasing holders, or saying “this is just how we’ve always done it,” this episode is a practical wake-up call.

Because the fastest ROI in your shop may not come from buying another machine.
It may come from standardizing what you already do every single day.

We built it.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Andrew Skoog of Machinist X to unpack one of the hardest questions in manufacturing:

How did we let the skilled machinist pipeline get this thin — and what do we do now?

They dig into the real causes behind the shortage:

• offshoring and trade shifts
• generational gaps in the shop
• gatekeeping of tribal knowledge
• negative industry messaging
• poor mentorship and broken career paths

But this conversation doesn’t stop at the problem.

It goes into what actually needs to change if manufacturing wants to win the next decade — from how we train and promote people, to how we talk about the trade, to why AI still won’t replace real machinists.

You’ll also hear:

• why the “dying trade” narrative is dead wrong
• what separates operators from skilled machinists
• why effort and initiative still matter more than ever
• how collaboration may be the missing piece in rebuilding the workforce

And here’s the twist:

The shortage may actually create one of the best long-term opportunities this industry has seen in years… but only for the shops and people willing to adapt.

If you care about the future of manufacturing, this is an episode you need to hear.

We’re closing out our 3-part growth series with a deep dive into one of the most asked questions in manufacturing:

 “How do I actually grow revenue?”

In this episode, Mike Fritz and Kirk Phelps sit down with CSO Hank Westerkamp and CRO Steve Mazza to break down what’s really holding shops back from top-line growth—and how to fix it.

You’ll learn:

• Why new customers aren’t always the best starting point
• How to develop outbound systems and inbound strategies that bring in steady leads
• The quoting habits that win (and lose) revenue
• How follow-up and CRM systems drive predictable growth
• A real-world example of doubling throughput and revenue through smart relationship-building

If your shop feels stuck—or you’re ready to take the next leap—this episode lays out the roadmap to drive real, sustainable top-line results.

In this episode, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most important strategic decisions you’ll ever make for your machine shop: defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

Most shops call themselves “job shops” and try to serve everyone. The result?
Price pressure.
Clogged capacity.
Inconsistent margins.

Your ICP changes that.

We cover how to:

• Identify your most profitable work using your last 50–100 jobs
• Stop saying “we make stuff” and start positioning your shop strategically
• Use ICP to filter RFQs and protect your capacity
• Align your marketing, hiring, quoting, and equipment decisions around the right customers

And one of the biggest takeaways:
Your biggest customer is not always your ideal customer.

If you want clearer messaging, stronger margins, and a shop that grows intentionally instead of reactively — this episode is for you.

Subscribe to our weekly format:
Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners find the show.

Aerospace manufacturing is often seen as the ultimate growth opportunity for machine shops. Higher margins, better customers, and long-term contracts.

But here’s the reality:

Aerospace isn’t just another industry. It’s a completely different way of running your shop.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz sits down with Dan Echternkamp of AeroGrowth to break down how machine shops can actually get into aerospace and defense work without overcomplicating the process or making costly mistakes.

We cover:

• How to get aerospace work for your machine shop
• Whether you really need AS9100 certification to start
• Why can many shops enter aerospace industry without 5-axis machining
• The difference between aerospace vs OEM margins
• How to build relationships with aerospace companies
• The importance of GD&T, inspection, and documentation
• Why cash flow (not capability) is the biggest risk
• How to grow into aerospace without overbuilding your business

If you’re a machine shop owner, operator, or manufacturing leader looking to grow your business, increase margins, and break into aerospace machining or defense manufacturing, this episode gives you a clear and practical starting point.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to position your shop for higher-value work.

Most of them simply don’t know it exists as a career path.

In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps sits down with Mike Franz of Shop Floor Coffee to explore why fewer young people are entering the manufacturing industry — and what shop owners can do to change that.

They discuss the real reasons behind the talent gap and how awareness, community engagement, and leadership inside the shop all play a role in attracting the next generation of workers.

You’ll learn:

• Why manufacturing still struggles with outdated perceptions
• How robotics competitions and STEM programs are feeding the future workforce
• Why parents and teachers influence career decisions more than most people realize
• How shop culture impacts whether young employees stay or leave
• Why machine shops need to market to future workers — not just customers

Manufacturing offers incredible career opportunities.

But if the next generation doesn’t see it, they’ll never choose it.

Subscribe to our weekly format:

Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review — it helps more shop owners discover the show.

In Episode 33 of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps gets into the tactical details of how to stop underquoting and make aerospace work actually profitable — from choosing what to chase to pricing it right.

Kirk introduces the Ideal Part Profile framework: a three-tier system to define the work your shop is best at, decent at, and capable of but not built for. He breaks down why variable margins matter — factoring in payment terms, material cost, workload, and critical features — and why your win rate is one of the most honest signals about whether your pricing is right. He also cuts through the noise on ITAR and CMMC, explaining who really needs to worry about each and why spending a quarter million on a cert you don't need is one of the worst strategic moves a shop can make.

Key topics covered:

• Building your Ideal Part Profile (3-tier framework)

• Variable margin strategy for aerospace quoting

• The PITA Factor: pricing high-risk, critical-feature parts

• Why a 30–40% win rate is your target, not your ceiling

• ITAR compliance: what's at stake and what to do

• CMMC: separating policy from fear-mongering

• How lead time and payment terms affect your true margin

"If you're winning over 40% of your quotes, you need to seriously rethink how much you're charging." — Kirk Phelps

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.

In this episode, Mike and Kirk are joined by Greg Knox of Knox Manufacturing Solutions to dig into the real decision-making struggles shop owners face every day.

They cover the critical difference between buying for capacity vs. capability, why conservative vs. entrepreneurial mindsets approach machine buying differently, and how to use strategy—not guesswork—to guide growth. Greg shares hard-earned insights from 40+ years in the industry, including”

• How shops are doubling margin with better machine strategy
• Why many shops plateau—and how to break through
• How automation and accessory upgrades can eliminate the need for a new machine
• When off-shifts actually cost more than they help
• Why machine investment isn’t just about parts—it’s about people, culture, and momentum

Whether you're running a small shop or leading multiple facilities, this episode will challenge how you think about growth—and give you new tools to make smarter investments.

In this episode, Mike Fritz sits down with Nick Goellner to break down what sales actually look like in manufacturing—and why most machine shops stall at the same revenue ceilings.

We cover the real difference between marketing and sales, why prospecting is always important (but rarely urgent), and how to grow without hiring a sales team or chasing bad-fit customers.

You’ll learn how to:

• Build a simple Top 10 target list
• Prospect consistently without sounding salesy
• Reduce customer concentration risk
• Sell like a partner, not a job shop

If your shop is busy but not breaking through, this episode gives you a practical, repeatable approach to growth.

Subscribe to our 2026 weekly format:
Sales & Marketing (1st & 3rd Tuesdays)
Operations & Engineering (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Bonus joint episodes on 5th Tuesdays

If this episode helps, please leave a review—it helps more shop owners find the show.