People in Production Podcast with Ryan Nelson

Episode 9 - Brandon Worrell (Part 1): Transforming Tradition to Precision in Manufacturing

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The episode dives into the transformative journey of KCSP Machine, highlighting the company’s rebranding from Kansas City Screw Products to a modern precision machining entity. We discuss operational strategies, workplace culture, and the importance of networking within the manufacturing sector. Here are some of the topics Brandon shares his wisdom on.

• Importance of rebranding for modern manufacturing 
• Overview of precision machining services 
• Ideal clients and regional versus national partnerships 
• Handling varying production needs: short-run and long-run 
• Consultation with engineers and print-to-part approach 
• Integrating long-term employees with new talent 
• Emphasis on communication and company culture 
• Emotional intelligence in leadership and management 
• Building relationships through community engagement 
• Future aspirations and continued growth through networking

Speaker 1:

All right, Brandon, we are officially recording now. Man, it is great to have you here. Thanks for taking the time to invest in a conversation today.

Speaker 2:

Sure, absolutely happy to do it.

Speaker 1:

So you are with KCSP Machine and that is formerly known as Kansas City Screw Products. Is that correct?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's correct.

Speaker 1:

All right, so you've changed it to KCSP. Let's just start there. Why the name change? Why was that an important transition for your company?

Speaker 2:

transition for your company. Well, you know Kansas City Screw Products. It's been around since 1946. So it was kind of a big decision. But it started out originally as a screw machine shop making screw products. But over the years the previous owner, Steve Leiter, had added CNC machining and I felt like that had become a very big part of the business, yep, and still do some screw machine work and still get that kind of work. But it was really kind of balanced out over time.

Speaker 2:

So I felt like in the future I kind of wanted to upgrade our technology. That was one of our big, one of my big goals was to upgrade our equipment and modernize it, which meant eventually getting away from the screw machines. So I thought, in order to kind of build a foundation for that, rebranding would be a good idea. And as a new owner coming in, that's the time to do it. And I think people understand when that ownership I was going to be talking to all the customers about ownership change. So probably going ahead and making that change change, it was the time to do it.

Speaker 1:

So I wanted to transition to something it was a little more just related to precision machining, which is what we do, rather than specific to you know screw machines and screw products you know it's so important, brandon, that, um, what you say and what you are match each other, and saying things in writing versus in person, it all represents the brand and I really respect what you're saying about. Hey, we are becoming more than this and we don't want to be pigeonholed into this, because then we have to do a whole nother layer of complexity in sales to get past what people think we only do, right?

Speaker 2:

And anytime I talk to somebody about the business, they're all oh so you make screws, you know. So that was a challenge, and so I wanted to get past that. We don't just make screws or more than that.

Speaker 1:

So let's understand the scope of your business and then we're going to go back and learn a little bit about how you got into this business to begin with. So you're a 79-year-old company. You've got some clients that you've had for multiple decades and stuff. Tell us about the services that you provide. Who is your ideal client that you want to serve?

Speaker 2:

Well, we do precision machined parts and we specialize in that. There are a lot of shops similar to ours that might do some fabrication or assembly or welding and things like that. We kind of issue all that. We stick to our core, which is precision machined parts.

Speaker 2:

Now, that may be on the cnc lathe the cnc mill, a swiss machine or a screw machine, but that's really what we stay focused on. That's really what we stay focused on. Yeah, um, so that's number one. What we do. Uh, our ideal customer is uh another manufacturer who has uh machinery of their own, or maybe they're uh they are what I was saying like uh somebody who does more assemblies and they have parts that go in those assemblies or those machines they're into, into products that they either can't do or don't want to do, and so we step in there and we serve that role in their supply chain.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's great man. And so your partners do they tend to be local, or do you do regional, or do you do outside of the region? Where are your ideal clients located?

Speaker 2:

For us it's kind of a combination. Some of our biggest clients are outside of the region, but we do quite a bit of work locally as well.

Speaker 1:

And do you do a lot of short-run stuff or is it more repetitive longer-run stuff?

Speaker 2:

We do it all. So in terms of quantities, we will. We've helped several customers with prototyping. They just want 10 of these to try them out and we might even go through several iterations with them. So we'll do short term, short run stuff, prototyping stuff, and then we'll roll right into the production level stuff. So we might do, you know, five parts, 10 parts, and then turn around and do 5,000.

Speaker 1:

Okay, very good. And do you have engineering in-house or do you work with their company's engineer as the primary lead in the project? We don't do engineering.

Speaker 2:

So we are a print to part shop. So you bring us the part, the print, and we'll turn it around. Now we do lots of consulting with engineers. They'll bring a print to us and we'll help them with machine. You know machinability, uh, can the, can the part be machined and manufactured?

Speaker 2:

um, so we, we do consult in that way and we get some customers that come to us and, uh, maybe they just have a hand drawing or something and we will put a print together according to their specifications for them. Kind of small, low level stuff like that. But we don't really do engineering.

Speaker 1:

Yep, that's great feedback. That's helpful to put that context out there. So tell me about your personnel, tell me about the people that you have in your company. For the record, you've owned the company a little over a year. Is that right company? For the record, you've owned the company a little over a year. Is that right, mm? Hmm, your staff what percentage of them have are new since you've acquired it? How many of them have been here for a couple of years versus? Do you have any long term staff?

Speaker 2:

I do have some long term staff. So we're we are a small shop and I have my plant manager is. One of the reasons I bought this company is I knew I had this guy. I had not had a chance to meet him personally, which is part of that acquisition process, but he's a 40 year guy, just celebrated 40 years in 2024. I just celebrated 40 years in 2024. He's just a top level machinist and human being and he's still going strong and he's the heart of the shop and he's going to help me transition to the future and I'm just kind of humbled to have a guy like that in my service here.

Speaker 1:

And I want to pause there, because sometimes people see older people abilities and all they can think about is the fact that I might not be able to keep that person because they might be getting close to retirement or whatever. But I love your ability to say I know a proven track record and I believe we can create systems to bring other people along. So, even when the day comes for him to leave, if we harness that knowledge that he has and make it replicatable, then we're going to have an organization that can't be stopped even after he leaves.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly, and you know, the thing I'm really grateful for is he understands that himself and he's, you know, wants to help in that transition. You know, keep the shop moving forward and train new people. So, on top of him, I have a couple other guys that are, like, you know, 15, 14, 15 year guys, and then I have some. I have a female, but she has been about three years I actually maybe four years now and then I have added three people, one of which is just starting on Monday, to the shop trying to, you know, and I've gone through that process of hiring, trying to find and hire experienced machinists. It's a challenge, but we've done a pretty decent job of it.

Speaker 1:

That's great. So how do you bring that? The people that have been there 14, 15 years and 40 years? Obviously there's a existing culture there. How do you bring in this new talent and blend them into the culture rather than create two isolated sections that don't see eye to eye on things?

Speaker 2:

Well, I will say that when I purchased the business and got to know the previous owner, who was the third generation owner, his grandfather had started the original Kansas City Screw Products, you know.

Speaker 2:

I just had a really good rapport with him and felt like he was a good guy and I, you know, had a gut feeling that the kind of culture he would have promoted in his shop would be one that I felt like I would be welcoming and positive, that I would, you know, be happy to be a part of. And that turned out to be the case. And so when I recruit, I want to recruit people. You know it's important to recruit people that are going to maintain that culture. So it's as much about their skill sets, their experience, but also, you know, are they going to have the same attitudes we, but also, you know, are they going to have the same attitudes we have here?

Speaker 1:

you know teamwork, positive positivity, and you know yeah, I love that intentionality and I think so many people. We often get so bogged down in filling holes that we don't give the proper regard to that culture piece and anything else that you would want to say Because you're a smaller shop. But what would you say to a shop your size or even a larger shop about why you're protecting that so intentionally?

Speaker 2:

I mean, you know culture means everything. You know, at the end of the day, you've got to have everybody pulling together and I'm not perfect at it, you know, just trying to do my best and I think I've done a pretty decent job, bringing in people who fit in, bringing in people who fit in. Over the year and a half here I have stubbed my toe. It's hard to be disciplined because you do. You're in a production environment, You've got customers with deadlines. At some point you're like gosh, I just need somebody in here. You have to stick to your guns. It's really important because bringing somebody in here, but you have to stick to your guns, it's really important because bringing somebody in who's going to harm your culture is just a big mistake.

Speaker 2:

And it's painful as it is, you got to stick it out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and it's very costly. You know it costs a lot to have an open spot. I've seen some reports where it costs like $14,000 a year to have an empty spot. Obviously, that can go up to $250,000. But when you hire someone that's the wrong person, you lose the time of investment, you lose the material that you lose because it was the wrong person, who couldn't acclimate to what's needed. Plus, you lose the goodwill of the clients that you fall behind on trusting that this person is going to meet it. The cost of a bad hire is much more costly than not hiring while you wait to get the right hire Right.

Speaker 1:

And so I appreciate your discernment and your encouragement. I think that's true. So I'm going to share this. So you've been a part of the free monthly peer advisory group that I host and stuff, and one of the things that I've learned from you is You're such a great listener, and I not only say that because you listen well in our conversations, but when you respond it's very discerning. I remember one time that I had shared something and I said well, and everybody does this. And I asked what do you think, brandon? And you paused for a moment and you said well, I wouldn't say everybody, and I just appreciate how discerning you are in the words that you speak as a shop owner. How important is that? Because so often under the pressure of deadlines you say you stubbed your toe at times and stuff, but under the pressure of deadlines sometimes we bark out the demands without being filtered. Help me understand a little bit of what you've learned in your year plus in your shop.

Speaker 2:

Well, I've learned it not only from my time in my shop, but, uh, you know, I've owned and operated a business before and, uh, you just learned it over time.

Speaker 2:

It is uh it is tough to control your emotion when you're like, uh, you know, for instance, you're just getting so behind in your production schedule and everything is conspiring and you, you feel like you just want to say you know, let's what's going on, you know, let's get this stuff done, why can't we do this, why can't this happen? And you, you have to just be able to take a little pause, realize how destructive that would be, how wrong it would be and unfair, because you have to assume positive intent with your staff, everybody's out there.

Speaker 2:

They're trying their best. Everybody wants to do a good job. Everybody wants to be reliable and get their work done. Mistakes happen.

Speaker 1:

I want to camp on that a little bit, because I love the phrase assume positive intent. I think sometimes as ownership or managers, we start thinking people are just there for the paycheck and we've got to push harder to get more out of that paycheck. That mindset I think it's lacking in a lot of shops. This assume positive intent. How do you, how do you connect the dot for people to understand that what they're doing is more than just exchanging time for a paycheck, but they're actually making a difference in aerospace, or they're making a difference in fuel distribution or whatever field? How do you connect the dots to make it more than changing time for a paycheck?

Speaker 2:

Well, a couple of things. It's about your own organization. It's also about the organizations that you're impacting, like you said. So, as far as like what we do for our customers I do try to make a point to when I'm talking to people on the shop floor, they're working on a particular project or a part. If I know something about that customer, I know something about that part. I'm going to talk to them about it. Hey, do you know who this company is? Do you know what they do? Do you know what this part goes on? Because I'm out there talking to those customers, I'm doing all the research about them.

Speaker 2:

I know that this part goes on this piece of machinery that does this and I think that's pretty cool. I mean, that's one reason I'm here is because I think what we do here is cool, and so I try to impart that to them. Like, hey, this is, you know we do some military stuff. You know this is the part that goes on this piece of machinery, this weapon or whatever. This is the part that goes on this piece of machinery, this weapon or whatever. This is the part that goes on this geotechnical machine. You know it's pretty cool what it does. I think they appreciate that, you know, give them some context, you know.

Speaker 1:

Anyway, I think that's some shops about the importance of understanding that this isn't about what happens in the walls of this building. It's what the things from in the walls in this building go to that make a difference in people's lives. And I try to encourage leaders, try to connect those dots for your people because it makes them feel like they're having an impact, not just doing busy work.

Speaker 2:

Yeah absolutely, and we play an important role in these customers' businesses and, in their end, customers' lives. So, yeah, you do have to impart that. And then, as far as internally I'm not very good at this right now, I will totally admit that, but it's something that's on my radar to be better at is just communicating with people about how the business is going, where the business is going, and you know, I want people to see where I want to take the business, what I want to do for it, and I've been able to communicate that over time not, as I think, consistently, as I need to but you have to sell people on your vision. You have to have a vision and you have to sell people on that vision. It has to be something that they're going to contribute to and benefit from, and you have to be something that they're going to contribute to and benefit from and you have to be telling them about it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and that could be a long conversation, because if your vision changes every week, then your people can't really trust that. But if you've really done the work to create a vision that you're committed to, then your people feel a sense of stability because you keep casting the same vision over and over again and it starts sinking in.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you have to do your part. Like you can't keep selling a vision and the vision's not happening right. You have to see that progress. You have your responsibility. So they know what you're doing to drive the business forward.

Speaker 1:

You know you've got your role to do too. So in a moment I'm going to ask you a little bit about how you got into this industry. But before we jump into that, I would love to hear from you a little bit about you've been a part of KCNTMA now, for the time that you've been there Was the shop a part of KCNTMA before you were there, or did you join KCNTMA?

Speaker 2:

I don't think so. Steve wasn't when I bought the business. He may have joined for a brief period in the past. Yep understood he wasn't actively participating.

Speaker 2:

Yeah so what prompted you to get on board with KCNTMA? Well, when I bought the business, I I did not come from a manufacturing background, so I came, you know, more from a technology background, so I have, like all my network and connections and things are in that industry in Kansas City so and I just knew immediately I needed to, you know, find my people, find my support group, you know other people doing what I was now going to be engaging in and yeah, so that was the main thing it's getting into that community, finding people that I could reach out to if I needed to or return the favor down the road. I think it's just really important. So I joined the NTMA.

Speaker 2:

I've been trying to be as active in that as I can and, you know, was invited to join the board. So that's great. I'm super happy about that. I also joined the Kansas City Manufacturing Network, KCMN, which is run by the Kansas and the Missouri MEPs, and that's been great and yeah, so I get to meet a lot of people and other manufacturers and I get to, you know, the shop tours are amazing and it's just been a real benefit.

Speaker 1:

So, in the year that you've been a part of it, has the value been just in whatever emails you occasionally get, or is the value? Is it the shop tours that are important to you, or is it the networking events? What have you found has helped you understand and grow your business?

Speaker 2:

I mean it's really about people, you know it's really about people.

Speaker 2:

You know it's relationships I've had, you know communities pretty welcoming and that's been great, and so I've just been able to talk to people and get good advice, and now I've got some numbers I can call if I have a question. Yeah, I mean, that's it. It's people relationships and sometimes just having a relationship with somebody who's going through the same experience as you are Maybe they've been doing it a while it's just, I think, healthy psychologically to just know those people and be able to talk to them every once in a while.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's great man, Great insights. I appreciate you sharing that.