Machine Shop Growth
The Machine Shop Growth Podcast gives a fresh perspective to help you grow your shop by focusing on 3 key factors - Sales, Marketing and Efficiency. For decades the machine shop industry was build on a “good-ol-boys” mentality and was full of great machinists and engineers that made great parts. What has been discovered is many of those amazing shops have plateaued or are starting to decline - because they didn’t put enough emphasis on getting more work and making more money with the work they had.
On this podcast you will hear first hand advice from machine owners and mangers how they are getting more work and how they are making more money. Now let’s Grow Your Shop!
Episodes
30 episodes
Episode #29: Tool Holders, Setup Time, and the 80/20 Rule for Machine Shop Growth
Setup time is stealing more money from your shop than you think.In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Kirk Phelps digs deeper into standardization—specifically, tool holders, tooling storage, inventory systems, and t...
Episode #28: The 5 KPI’s to Track for Shop Growth
Your shop may be busy…But is it actually growing?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....
Episode #27: Before You Buy a Robot, Standardize Your Process
Before you buy the robot…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, ...
Episode #26: Should You Start a Second Shift for Growth
A second shift sounds like growth.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...
Episode #25: Your Price Is KILLING You
Your shop isn’t struggling because you’re too expensive.It might be struggling because you’re still pricing like you’re afraid.In this episode of the Machine Shop Growth Podcast, Mike Fritz breaks down one of the most d...
Episode #24: The Skilled Machinist Shortage… And Why It’s Our Fault
The skilled labor shortage didn’t happen by accident.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 ma...
Episode #23: How to Get Aerospace Work for Your Machine Shop (Certification, Margins & Strategy)
The Truth About Aerospace Work for Machine ShopsAerospace 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:
Episode #22: Why Young People Aren’t Choosing Manufacturing — And How to Change That
Young people aren’t avoiding manufacturing because they hate it.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 ...
Episode #21: One of The Most Important Decisions for Your Machine Shop
You don’t need more leads.You need the right customers.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).Mo...
Episode #20: Machine Shop Profit | How to Handle the 20% of Jobs You Lose Money On
Are you losing money on jobs in your machine shop without realizing it?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 quie...
Episode #19: OEE & the Cost of Perfection: Are You Making Enough Scrap?
You don’t have an OEE problem.You have a perfection problem.In this episode, Kirk Phelps breaks down Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and challenges one of the most ingrained beliefs in machining: that zero scrap e...
Episode 18: How to Make More Sales for Your Machine Shop (Without Hiring a Sales Team)
You don’t need more RFQs.You need a better sales system.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 ...
Episode #17: You Don’t Need More Machines —Your OEE Is Telling You the Truth
You don’t need more machines.You need to stop wasting capacity.In this episode, Kirk Phelps breaks down why most shops misdiagnose growth problems and how operations—not sales—ultimately decide profitability. We dive deep i...
Episode #16: How to Make Sure Your Machine Shop WINS in 2026
2026 isn’t about staying busy—it’s about winning on purpose.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...
Episode #15: The #1 Thing that can help ALL Areas of Shop Growth
💡 “It’s not automation. It’s not another machine. It’s one thing that can touch EVERY part of your business.”This week, Mike sits down with Paul Van Metre of ProShop ERP to reveal the #1 system that impacts your shop’s to...
Episode #14: How To Grow Your Shop Through Acquisition
What if your next big customer came with a whole shop attached?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 m...
Episode #13: How To Hire Good People
Need a new operator yesterday? Or wondering if a recruiter’s worth the 20% fee?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+ ...
Episode #12: How Do You Know When to Hire Someone
Hiring can make or break your shop’s growth, but how do you know when it’s the right move? 👀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 t...
Episode #11: How To Get Younger People Involved In Manufacturing
How do you attract the next generation of machinists and inspectors?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 ins...
Episode #10: Is it time to buy a new machine?
When is the right time to invest in new equipment—before the job is booked or after the PO lands? In this episode, Mike and Kirk are joined by Greg Knox of Knox Manufacturing Solutions to dig into the real decis...
Episode #9 : Growing Your Top Line—How to get more customers
Episode 9: Growing Your Top LineWe’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, Mik...
Episode #8: Growing Your Bottom Line
In Part 2 of our three-part growth series, Mike and Kirk tackle the essential—but often neglected—side of machine shop growth: improving your bottom line. Before chasing more revenue, it’s critical to plug the profit leaks that are silen...
Episode #7: Growing Your People
Episode 7: Growing Your People In this episode, Mike and Kirk shine a spotlight on the most powerful—and often untapped—driver of machine shop growth: your team. Kicking off a three-part series on scaling your business, they expl...
Episode #6 : The Quiet Cut That’s Loudly Threatening Small Manufacturing (Featuring Making Chips)
If you’ve been leveraging MEP programs for training, grants, or equipment purchases, there’s a chance that these benefits could be going away. Today, we’re talking about the potential changes to these programs, what it means for your shop, and ...