195: 3 Characteristics of Machine Shops That Adopt Technology and Thrive with Paul Van Metre

Manufacturing Happy Hour

Ever wonder why some machine shops are thriving while others are shutting their doors?

In this episode, we welcome back Manufacturing Happy Hour alumnus Paul Van Metre, Co-Founder of ProShop, to crack open a virtual beer at GRUFF Brewing in Bellingham, Washington.

Paul serves up top notch insights on why some machine shops are thriving while others are closing their doors. He explains that some industries are driving the most success right now, including defense, commercial spaces, aerospace, and medical devices. But it's not only about being in the right industry – Paul emphasizes the need for sales-driven strategies, industry-specific certifications, and the adoption of automation and technology as keys to staying competitive.

We hear how ProShop has tripled its value since Paul was last on the show in 2020, and he shares the secret sauce for ProShop’s amazing growth. He also touches on the culture and mindset necessary for successful technology adoption in machine shops, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement, leadership, and humility.

In this episode, find out:

• Why are some machine shops thriving while others are shutting down in 2024?
• The industries that are booming are in aerospace, medical devices, defense, commercial space and why other industries are struggling in comparison
• Paul explains how a shop can still succeed even if they’re not focused on the top industries by being sales-driven
• Why shops that have optimized their processes with automation tech are doing so well
• Paul outlines detailed advice for a shop that might want to pivot industries
• The moment Paul realized he’d found the secret sauce to growing ProShop
• Why Paul believes in giving back to customers, not just to drive sales but to boost value
• The all-important culture and mindset that a shop that adopts tech has and why “we’ve always done it this way” is such a dangerous statement
• Highly regulated industries are more likely to adopt tech to manage compliance and the greater complexity of the business, but what can those in less regulated industries do to adopt a similar approach?
• Paul explains how he’s been busy since his last guest appearance on the show – tripling the value of ProShop thanks to changing the company’s goals
• Why transparency and customer care are the key things that Paul believes are responsible for ProShop’s success
• Paul explains why he finally began a funding round after seven years of bootstrapping the business
• The benefits of bootstrapping your business like Paul and his advice for those who want to go a similar route
• Paul shares some backstory on his 2 podcasts and why he keeps one entirely separate from his business
• The biggest benefit of running podcasts for Paul

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “The shops that are thriving the most right now are the ones that are specifically targeting and are really sales-driven into industries that are hot."
• “This whole concept of transparency and focusing on client success and sharing their stories and celebrating their wins and, what I like to say, the heroes of the economy as they are, I think is a really important part of our growth story.”
• “You can have the best product in the world and no one's going to buy it if they don't really believe in it and see it and ask if that can be a part of their success as well.”

Links & mentions:

• ProShop ERP, easily store and manage all job and company data. From setup sheets, tool lists, inspection plans, drawings, sales reports, estimating data, inventory, job costing, labor tracking, all QMS records, and more.
• Machine Shop Mastery, hosted by Paul Van Metre, this is the podcast that helps elevate the importance of the machine shop industry and reveal the secrets of success for machine shops while inspiring other shop owners or would-be shop owners to follow their passions
• Manufacturing Transformed, Paul’s other podcast that offers a peek into how companies are benefiting from ProShop
• GRUFF Brewing Co., serving Bellingham, WA delicious craft beer, draft cocktails, and food

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.