Carson Morell and Daniel Scott Mitchell, Co-Founders of Takton — a manufacturing technology company building fast, affordable tools for small and mid-sized manufacturers.

Carson and Daniel came into manufacturing from different paths — Carson as a founder and operator, Daniel as an engineer at companies like Tesla and Rivian — but arrived at the same realization: there is a massive gap between the most advanced manufacturing technology and what is actually accessible to the majority of shops across the country.

So they set out to meet manufacturers where they are, got in a car and spent months visiting factories — over a hundred across the U.S. — learning directly from operators, machinists, and owners about how work actually gets done. And along the way, they kept coming back to Cleveland and ultimately decided to build Takton here, in one of the densest manufacturing ecosystems in the country, where proximity to customers and relationships on the shop floor actually matter.

In our conversation, we explore that journey — from their backgrounds and how they came together, to the insights from the road, to what they’re building at Takton today: a catalogue of simple, accessible products designed specifically for the majority long tail of manufacturers that have historically been underserved by technology.

We talk about their first products, their approach to product development grounded in real-world feedback, the importance of industrial density in places like Cleveland and why they chose to build Takton here, and the broader opportunity to rebuild American manufacturing capacity.

I loved learning more about their story, that they’ve chosen to build here and the passion and optimism they have for the future for american manufacturing. Please enjoy our conversation.

00:00 Manufacturing Innovation
10:47 The Roadshow
14:58 Bridging the Gap
21:25 Building Tacton
25:37 Manufacturers
29:01 Cost Efficiency
30:41 In-Person Relationships
35:29 Automation and Labor
40:35 Industrial Cleveland
45:38 Ecosystem
51:35 Small Businesses
54:06 Dynamics and Quality
59:12 Bridging the Gap
59:55 Data-Driven
01:00:51 The Wild West
01:03:17 Automation
01:05:31 Memorable Moments
01:09:50 Passion and Curiosity
01:11:43 Takton's Meaning
01:13:35 Cleveland's Potential
01:14:48 Outro

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdmorell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielscottmitchell/
https://takton.com/about

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#247 Carson Morell & Daniel Scott Mitchell (Takton) — Manufacturing Technology