Podcast
U.S. Manufacturing Today
Hosted by Veryable, Inc. · EN
The US Manufacturing Today show, brought to you by the good folks at Veryable, is a podcast to keep you up to date with what's ahead for U.S. Manufacturers and Distributors. On the podcast, we discuss all things in the industrial space, reindustrialization, how to navigate Trump 2.0, tariffs, domestic manufacturing, supply chain realignment, and much, much more.
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Turning E-Waste Into a Sovereign Metals Supply Chain: Mint Innovation’s Biometallurgy with Matt Bedingfield
3d ago00:30:10Tap to summarizeMatt Horine discusses the roughly 10 million metric tons of US e-waste generated annually, only about 15% of which is formally recycled, and how exporting it sends valuable copper, gold, and silver offshore. Guest Matt Bedingfield, global president of Mint Innovation, argues the US minerals challenge is primarily a processing and infrastructure problem, not mining, and frames e-waste as a national asset or “urban mine.” He outlines his career across metals and recycling and explains Mint’s patented biometallurgical hydrometallurgy process for recovering metals from printed circuit boards with low temperatures, lower capital cost, and traceable output. The episode highlights Mint’s March 2026 closed-loop deal with HP and plans for a first US facility in Longview, Texas, emphasizing faster, lower-permitting expansion, data destruction needs, and manufacturer actions to track end-of-life materials and supplier metal sources.Timestamps00:00 E-Waste Wake Up Call01:35 Matt’s Metals Journey04:59 E-Waste as National Asset06:59 How Mint Recovers Metals08:57 Scaling Beyond Smelters10:56 HP Closed Loop Copper12:27 Copper Shortage Reality14:18 Permitting Energy and Trust16:02 OEM Demand and Data Destruction20:04 Partnering and Collection Network21:22 Longview Texas Plant Plans22:09 Workforce and Metals Cluster24:43 Power Infrastructure and Reshoring26:23 One Action for Manufacturers27:58 What’s Next for Mint29:15 Wrap Up and Where to FollowLinksMint InnovationMatt on LinkedInNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →More Monuments: Building 1,000 New American Monuments and a 500-Foot George Washington with Mo Mahmood
1w ago00:33:39Tap to summarizeOur Host Matt Horine interviews Mohud (“Mo”) Mahmood, founder of the nonprofit More Monuments, whose mission is to build 1,000 new monuments across America honoring American history, industry, and ingenuity. Mo explains his goal of creating a new “world wonder” in the U.S. and describes the group’s first completed project, a 54-foot Spindletop oil gusher replica in the Austin/Lockhart area at Proto Town, including its materials, fabrication steps, plaques, and crowdfunding from 125 supporters. He discusses the skills needed for large-scale monuments, the shortage of top sculptors in America, and the importance of welders and metal fabrication. Mo also shares progress on a 10-foot George Washington statue made in France and plans to scale it to a 500-foot stainless-steel monument using U.S.-made robot-formed metal panels, plus the organization’s funding model (product sales, donations, grants) and where to support the project online.Timestamps00:00 What Are We Building01:50 Why World Wonders Matter03:37 Spindletop Monument Origins06:32 How It Was Fabricated10:35 Skills for Monument Scale14:38 George Washington Arrival16:17 Colossus Plan and Robotics20:13 Why Monuments Inspire23:04 Funding the Mission25:43 Reindustrialization and Beauty28:13 Worlds Fair Revival30:23 Bring Manufacturing Home32:01 How to Support More Monuments32:32 Closing and SubscribeLinksMore MonumentsMo on LinkedInNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →The Last 100 Feet: Fulfillment Reliability and Omnichannel Logistics with River Plate’s Leo Rodriguez
2w ago00:33:51Tap to summarizeIn today's episode, Matt Horine speaks with Leo Rodriguez, VP of Los Angeles-based River Plate Inc., a family business founded in 1992 that evolved from freight coordination into an omni-channel 3PL providing warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment for DTC, Amazon, and wholesale retail. Rodriguez explains how e-commerce shifted operations from linear B2B shipping to multi-channel integration requiring WMS/OMS systems, business rules, and customer education. He defines “reliable” fulfillment through transparent KPIs, fast receiving (now 1–3 days for containers), ASNs, and brand-specific SOPs for QC, serialization, and lot/expiration tracking, plus proactive staging to clear backlogs. He outlines early warning signals for peak-season “fire drills,” emphasizing forecasting, labor planning, and system readiness, and describes strong 3PL relationships as an operating system with testing, portal visibility, and retail/EDI compliance. Rodriguez discusses client red flags, parcel optimization, Southern California port corridor improvements, AI-driven decision support and traceability, River Plate’s international expansion, and growing value-added kitting and bundling services.Timestamps00:00 Show Intro and Guest01:47 River Plate Origin Story04:02 Ecommerce Changed Logistics06:00 What Reliable Means09:24 Preventing Fulfillment Backlogs11:32 3PL as Operating System14:57 Client Red Flags20:39 Scaling Omnichannel Fulfillment23:23 SoCal Corridor Supply Chain26:41 AI and Warehouse Tech28:50 30 Day Fulfillment Fix30:55 River Plate Next Steps32:56 Closing and SubscribeLinksRiver PlateLeo on LinkedInNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →Closing the Exponential Divide: Preparing Manufacturing People and Workflows for the AI Age (with Nikki Barua of Flipwork)
3w ago00:30:43Tap to summarizeUS Manufacturing Today host Matt Horine interviews Nikki Barua, CEO and co-founder of Flipwork.ai, about the human side of AI transformation in manufacturing and why many initiatives stall. Barua argues companies often start by broadly deploying LLM licenses without clarity on job-specific value, structure, or new habits, creating an “exponential divide” as AI advances faster than people adapt. She emphasizes shifting from an industrial-age, hierarchical task model to fast human–machine learning loops, redesigning workflows with AI at the center, and implementing governance and guardrails for agentic systems. Barua discusses worker identity and self-worth concerns, urging leaders to clarify what AI takes from a role versus the higher-value judgment humans should retain. Flipwork uses a diagnostic (Flip Factor) and 90-day sprints to build real workflows and certify “agentic leaders,” and offers a free assessment at flipwork.ai.Timestamps00:00 AI Needs People First01:51 Nikki Barua Origins04:23 Why AI Adoption Stalls07:33 Human Machine Learning Loops10:24 People Squared Framework12:11 Agentic Workflow Redesign15:57 Identity Crisis at Work20:03 Managing Hybrid Teams23:18 Skills for AI Era Careers25:59 Flipwork 90 Day Sprints28:46 Assessment and Closing29:17 Final Takeaways and OutroLinksNikki on LinkedInFlipwork.aiNikki's websiteNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →The Battery Belt Talent Crunch: Recruiting Leaders to Launch America’s EV Gigafactories
Jun 2300:31:05Tap to summarizeHost Matt Horine discusses the “Battery Belt,” where eight states from Michigan to Georgia have attracted over $250B in announced EV and battery investments, and argues the key constraint isn’t permitting or supply chains but experienced people—engineers, operations leaders, and technical executives—to run new greenfield facilities. Guest Michael Chambers of the Chambers Group explains his APEX recruiting process using scientific job profiling and psychometric matching, including benchmarking hiring managers, candidate videos, a 99% one-year retention rate (96% to two years), and a two-year replacement guarantee. They describe intense regional competition for scarce roles (high-voltage, calibration, controls/automation, battery cell engineers, and greenfield plant managers), relocation resistance, and the need for internal academies and partnerships with community colleges. Chambers details how stale salary bands and delayed market data cause missed hires and plant-launch delays, urging early pipeline building and creative offers via clear career pathways and upskilling.Timestamps00:00 Podcast Welcome00:44 Battery Belt Boom01:36 Meet Michael Chambers03:47 APEX Hiring Process05:55 What Is Battery Belt08:10 Why It Matters09:17 Talent Market Reality12:12 Hardest Roles To Fill15:08 Stale Salary Bands19:33 Greenfield Leadership Gap23:12 Hiring Timeline Playbook26:13 Next 18 Months Signals28:37 How To Connect30:10 Wrap Up And SubscribeLinksMichael on LinkedInChambers GroupNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →Reindustrialization Beyond Announcements: Turning Investment Into Real Output with Patrick J. Wolf
Jun 1600:52:03Tap to summarizeThe episode of US Manufacturing Today focuses on whether massive reindustrialization investments translate into real productive output, jobs, and supply chain resilience or become stranded, announcement-driven projects. Host Matt Horine interviews Patrick J. Wolf, executive director and chair of the Institute for American Manufacturing and Technology (IAMT), which conducts research through Aegis (AI/compute governance), Atlas (energy/power infrastructure), and Forge (manufacturing capacity, supply chains, and the defense industrial base), arguing these areas form a dependency chain. Wolf describes his path from industrial engineering and manufacturing to tech and AI, then back to manufacturing policy, emphasizing that small and medium-sized manufacturers lack a policy voice despite being the backbone of industry. Discussion covers community decline from globalization, skepticism of unsupported statistics, why short-term investment mindsets can block long-horizon industrial projects, permitting and bureaucratic barriers, workforce development and labor undercutting, and the grid challenge of meeting simultaneous energy-intensive buildouts, with IAMT positioned as an accessible outlet for practical, publishable solutions.Timestamps00:00 Reindustrialization Reality Check00:56 Meet Patrick Wolf02:12 From Factory to Tech05:49 Connecting Compute Power Industry07:49 SMBs Need a Voice10:29 Community Hollowing Out14:15 Rigor Over Talking Points16:54 Why Investment Misses Output21:20 Permitting Reform Roadblocks26:14 California Fire Bureaucracy27:29 Nonpartisan Truth Seeking28:16 Permitting Leverage Points29:37 Workforce And Labor Rules32:08 Power Grid Bottlenecks35:55 Monopolies Incentives Nuclear38:56 Integrated Industrial Energy Policy42:42 Mindset Culture And Networking43:46 Ten Year Manufacturing Future46:55 How To Engage The Institute50:25 Closing Thanks And TakeawaysInstitute for American Manufacturing & Technology Navigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →Manufacturing and American Independence: From Mercantilism to the American System
Jun 1100:14:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Matt Horine points out that manufacturing was central to American independence and remains vital as the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary. It traces how Britain’s mercantilist policies and acts like the Iron Act (1750) and Wool Act suppressed colonial manufacturing, leaving the Continental Army dangerously dependent on foreign supplies, including gunpowder and basic clothing at Valley Forge. It highlights Ben Franklin’s maker-centered economic philosophy, then explains how the founders enacted the Tariff Act of 1789 to support government, pay debts, and protect manufacturers. Alexander Hamilton’s 1791 Report on Manufactures framed industrial policy as national security and endorsed protective tariffs for “infant industries.” Henry Clay’s 1824 American System integrated tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements, later advanced by Lincoln; the episode contrasts this history with post-1913 shifts toward income tax and lower tariffs and links offshoring and supply-chain vulnerabilities to renewed reindustrialization debates in 2026.Timestamps00:00 America 250 Blueprint01:17 Mercantilism and Suppression01:57 Revolution Supply Crisis03:15 Franklin Maker Ethos05:02 Tariff Act 178905:43 Hamilton Infant Industry07:50 Clay American System10:10 Lincoln and Industrial Rise10:44 Income Tax Tradeoff11:45 Reindustrialization Lessons12:39 Workforce Is the Engine12:59 Closing and ResourcesLinksNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →Maxter Healthcare’s $500M Reshoring Bet: Building America’s First Nitrile Glove Mega-Facility in Brazoria County, Texas
Jun 200:44:37Tap to summarizeMatt Horine interviews Maxter Healthcare leaders Kevin Shutack, Nick Gilman, and Donny Chan about Master Healthcare's $500 million investment to build its first US nitrile glove manufacturing facility in Brazoria County, Texas, aimed at strengthening domestic PPE supply chain resilience after COVID-19 shortages. They explain why the pandemic accelerated a long-held vision, how site selection prioritized water, power, weather, logistics, and community after evaluating locations including Upstate New York and Florida, and why Brazoria County won. The guests describe the 215-acre, highly automated, hurricane- and flood-resilient plant using AI defect detection and producing 180–200 million gloves monthly today, with phase-one capacity rising and long-term plans for up to ~80 lines. They discuss serving healthcare, industrial, and federal government demand, policy signals, tariffs and raw-material challenges, and the push for long-term contracts to reduce import volatility and shortages.00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup01:47 Why Reshore Gloves Now03:36 Site Search Across States06:51 Choosing Brazoria County Texas09:46 Markets and Federal Demand12:25 Policy Tariffs and Supply Risks18:05 Inside the Mega Facility20:44 How Gloves Are Made at Scale26:10 Winning Buyers on Value29:52 Expansion Plans and Contracts34:24 Supply Chain Disruptions Return39:49 Advice for Onshoring Builders42:25 Where to Learn More43:12 Closing Takeaways and OutroLinksMaxter HealthcareNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →Reindustrialization Sensing Session: Supply Chain Cartels, New Factories, Tax Incentives, Freight Tightening, and the Tacit Knowledge Bottleneck
May 2600:16:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Matt Horine aggregates major manufacturing headlines and argues the U.S. industrial rebuild is already underway, with constraints shifting from politics and capital to operations. It highlights a DOJ Sherman Act indictment alleging four container makers controlling ~95% of global dry containers colluded to cap output and double prices during 2019–2021, underscoring supply-chain dependency risks and the reshoring rationale. It covers JetZero’s planned 3M-sq-ft Greensboro, NC aircraft factory ($4.7B investment, 14,500 jobs, AI/digital with Siemens) and SendCutSend’s rapid-growth on-demand manufacturing model, which raised $110M at a $1B+ valuation. The host says tariff-driven inflation fears haven’t materialized in core goods CPI, and reviews the “one big beautiful bill” restoring permanent 100% bonus depreciation, expensing for production property and domestic R&D, and EBITDA-based interest limits. Freight data shows tightening trucking capacity and rising tender rejections, and a Fortune argument that tacit operating knowledge—not equipment—is the key bottleneck, with AI positioned to capture and scale it.Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Format Shift00:56 Trucking Safety Wins01:14 Week’s Big Themes02:08 Container Cartel Exposed03:45 Why Reshoring Matters04:54 JetZero Factory Build06:08 SendCutSend Scales Up07:18 Tariffs vs Inflation Data09:14 Tax Code CapEx Boost11:23 Freight Market Tightening13:36 AI and Tacit Knowledge15:42 Wrap Up and Next StepsLinksNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
Transcribe →The Hidden Crisis in American Trucking: A Conversation with Shannon Everett of American Truckers United (Recast)
May 1900:28:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode of US Manufacturing Today, host Matt Horine welcomes Shannon Everett of American Truckers United (ATU). Shannon shares his deeply personal journey in the trucking industry and exposes systemic issues that threaten the livelihoods of American truck drivers. The discussion covers the alarming rise of non-domicile commercial driver’s licenses, wage dumping, fraud, and the overarching impact of illegal immigration on the trucking sector. Shannon outlines the survival strategies and necessary reforms to protect American truckers, emphasizing the importance of legislative action and public support. The conversation reveals the hidden challenges within the American trucking industry and underscores the broader implications for public safety and national security.Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:10 Guest Introduction: Shannon Everett00:37 Shannon's Journey in the Trucking Industry02:55 Challenges in the Trucking Industry05:02 The Impact of Foreign Commercial Drivers10:36 Investigating CDL Anomalies18:41 Proposed Reforms and Solutions25:48 Call to Action and ConclusionLinksAmerican Truckers UnitedShannon Everett LinkedInNavigating Trump 2.0 Revitalizing US ManufacturingSign Up on the Veryable Platform
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