Richard Witham: How Motion Dynamics Built a Culture That Precision Demands

Motion Dynamics started as an automotive contract manufacturer in 1992. Today, the majority of what they make goes into medical devices and aerospace components. That kind of shift doesn't happen by accident, and it doesn't hold together without the right people. Richard Witham is a sales engineer at Motion Dynamics and the grandson of its founder. In this episode, host Jason Piasecki talks with Richard about how a West Michigan manufacturer built a culture rooted in communication, ownership, and precision, and why those values are inseparable from the quality their customers depend on. They also get into how Motion Dynamics hires for character over credentials, and why the president sits in on every second interview.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to the Winning Cultures Podcast with Jason Paiseki. Conversations about how great cultures are built and how they show up every day.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Welcome to the Winning Cultures Podcast. I'm Jason Paiseki. Culture is one of the most powerful tools companies have to attract and retain great people. And the companies that understand that tend to win. On this show, we're talking to leaders who are building cultures that people want to be part of. Today I'm joined by Richard Witham, a sales engineer at Motion Dynamics. Welcome to the podcast, Richard. Thanks, Jason. Good to be with you. So uh we're gonna talk about uh four topics today, and we're gonna get into what motion dynamics does. Then we'll talk about your journey to the company, how you got to motion. Uh from there, we'll we'll dive into what makes motion dynamics culture unique, and then we'll wrap up with some advice for business leaders who are looking to build a winning culture. So let's jump into what motion dynamics does.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

So motion dynamics, we are a contract manufacturer mostly focused on the medical device market. Now, that focus is about 92% of our company. Um, we also focus on aerospace and defense markets. It's uh but but that hasn't always been the case. Uh when when Motion started, my grandfather started Motion in 1992, we were a very automotive focused company. And over over that time, uh we've we found our niche, our our specialty in this precision manufacturing for for medical devices.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Yeah, talk about that that shift from automotive, because you're located in Michigan, which is a very automotive state, that intentionality on diversifying your base and really zeroing in on medical device and uh aerospace manufacturing today.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah, it uh I think it really started it what gave us the abilities to be competitive in that precision manufacturing, it really did come down to the people. Um, you know, in the early days and the mid-90s, um we had a couple spring makers, and and those springbreakers, one of which is still with us today, um they they always were pushing um pushing their limits. And oftentimes it it uh it may not have even been necessary for the application being automotive. But over time, um some opportunities presented themselves uh for medical components. And you know what really drove the growth was a relationship that we started to build with an outside sales representative out on the West Coast where a lot of the the RD for medical devices takes place. And um it's it's really just organically built over time. It it hasn't been a uh you know a major marketing effort or or anything like that. It's it's it's been built upon relationships with these RD engineers. And it's it's a it's a tight community, uh, the medical device design um market. It's it's uh it's it's a small world. And um yeah, it's it's we continue to that's what we continue to do today and and be at the tip of of development and innovation.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yeah, what's what's the day-to-day like for your job as a sales engineer and talking about those relationships you have with uh the the RD folks? Um I imagine you do things like you know trade shows and uh you know stuff like that to support your customers. Well, what's a what's a typical day like for you at Motion?

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Yeah, from a marketing perspective, trade shows have historically been um our main form of marketing. And and that really ties into uh the relationship side of of how we do business. Um, those trade shows, they uh the ones we participate in, they take place in these hubs of development. And it we use it as an opportunity to to meet face to face um with these engineers that we're working with. And you know, it's it's it it really is a it you really do build a relationship with these individuals because it's it's not as simple as them coming to motion dynamics and and having a print prepared and saying we need you know this this spring. Typically it's they're they're working to solve a problem. Um there's either a there's not a component that they can purchase over the counter. One of our favorite sayings is you know, it's it's not like going down to the grocery store and buying a gallon of milk. It's uh it's it's really an engineered component. And so these relationships just in in inherently through that that conversation they they develop. And um, so trade shows are always a fun time for us to see those people. But our what I attribute um you know a lot of our a lot of our growth to is is working with outside sales representatives that really understand our culture and what we what we do technically. And because we're a custom manufacturer, we don't have a a library of you know over-the-counter products, um, these sales reps have to be able to have to have that technical level conversation. And um, you know, we we have we work with two two different teams, one in in the Twin Cities and one on the West Coast. And um, you know, we've we've worked with both of them for well over a decade, and and they are um they understand and and embody um the genuine um, you know, it's it's you know, it's not like buying going to a car dealership and and buying a car. It's a it's a true collaboration. And uh that's that's I I really attribute the majority of our success um to the relationships that get that get brought to us uh by these sales reps.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

All right, Richard, let's talk about your journey to motion dynamics because you've got a really unique story. You talked a lot about relationships with as far as the the company, but you've got some deep uh relationships and relations at motion dynamics. So uh talk about uh how you got to the company.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Yeah, I've been uh been around the company from an early age. Uh you know, very quickly I was put to work mowing the lawn and and uh you know one of our one of our best marketing tools is the sample pack. Uh and that was one of my early jobs compiling scrap springs into little bags that we would hand out at trade shows. And um, so I was at at real early exposure um to the company, and you know, that's that's experience that I really do value today in a sales role. Um, you know, having spent my high school years and summers and college, uh, you know, working on the production floor in various departments, it's it's uh it was a good education um to be able to both grow up under in this culture, um, but also to sell the sell our capability. Um so you know, running you know, coilers at at 14 and you know, forming nitinol wire forms as a as a college student and working working with our engineering team, it uh it it helps you um understand and absorb that ownership mentality. Um and that's that's really how I see um the spring makers and a lot of the technicians that have been at motion for decades, they have a ownership mentality. And um that was something I I was exposed to uh from an early age. Feel very fortunate about that.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

You talked about the company being started by your your your grandpa. So uh talk about that family connection and uh you know who's involved with the business today.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Yeah, my uh my grandfather started motion dynamics in 1992. He had had some some spring business experience uh in Muskegon prior to that, but um started motion from scratch with a team of three. Um though it's it's it's funny, those three people are still here today, my my grandfather included. On Mondays and Fridays, uh there's there's three generations uh at the company, my grandfather, my father, and myself, and um and Norm Moss, which is one of my favorite people to see every day. Um Norm's Norm's in his his 80s now and and still still has as much passion for for what we do and and still embodies that ownership mentality. Um yeah, it's uh I I I I do not take it for granted um being able to see my grandfather uh in the office at 87 years old. Um pretty special thing.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Yeah, that's impressive. And you know, you had a unique journey to get to motion dynamics. Uh what did you do prior to coming to the company?

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Yeah, I um you know having that that early experience and exposure into manufacturing was uh uh as I mentioned, a very, very valuable thing for me. But uh, you know, at at uh in your early 20s, um, when that's all you know, um, you know, I I I decided to take a left turn. And uh I I pursued um cooking. I love to cook uh for my family and friends growing up uh and while in school. And so I moved to northern Michigan and and and pursued that. And um, you know, it's it's it's funny how I um make connections to the hospitality kitchen industry and what we do, whether that be a customer-first mentality or um, you know, the nature of some of the operations uh in our plant. Um there's there's a lot more similarities than than one would think. And um yeah, it was uh that was a good experience for me personally. Um helps put everything into perspective, helped me realize how special um motion dynamics is, the team, uh, and what we're capable of. And so I've been I've been back at the company now for uh it was just my nine-year anniversary uh the other week. So um yeah, it's uh that experience served me very well. Um, but I it's it's it's special to to be a part of something that truly has an impact on on people's lives with our focus in the medical device industry.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

Well, now you're talking my language. We gotta we gotta talk about your signature dish. My wife and I were always watching uh TV as Bobby Flay or Andrew Zimmerman or just whatever cooking show is on. So uh what what's your signature dish?

SPEAKER_01 11:46

My my favorite thing to make, and I think my my wife and daughter's favorite thing to eat is uh spaghetti bolognese. Um, you know, uh a cold winter weekend, we'll we'll we'll throw that on in the morning and let it go all day, you know, like you see in uh uh Goodfellas and things like that. There's something um about that dish that is so comforting and and fun to make. You know, the whole house smells good and uh leftovers are always great.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Sounds like motion dynamics and your your culture. What do you feel uh makes motion's culture unique?

SPEAKER_01 12:34

I think the the nature of you know the industries that we participate in, medical, um it it it it carries some inherent significance in that work, importance, uh you know, uh uh just the fact that these little pieces, parts um that we're manufacturing are are either going to go into somebody's body or or be a part of a procedure that could potentially save a person's life, um that that carries weight, unspoken weight. Um and I I I think that um that coupled with the engineering ownership mentality that exists, it has always existed at motion, uh, even back you know when the company started in the 90s. Um that's a that's a special that's a special atmosphere, um, though those things all all considered. Um people take the work they do very seriously. This isn't just you know pressing a button um on a particular operation. It's there's a lot of craft um in the parts that we make. Um it's it it's special and and and people realize that very quickly um when they start here.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

What type of person do you feel thrives in your culture?

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Somebody that has a level of confidence um to carry a to carry a ball, you know, to take that ownership um on a part all the way through its production until it ships out the door. Um, you know, an example of that is is one of our most senior spring makers. Uh he's Norm Morton and um Mort as he's as we call him. Uh he's he was one of the early employees, and you know, Mort's notorious for um he makes a lot of the the components for a devent uh part of our defense market. And um he takes that responsibility very seriously. He will he wants to be the one to perform each operation, both you know, coiling the component uh to some secondary operations. There's just an an exceptional level of of ownership in the responsibility for that component. And um, you know, n Mort's attitude is is contagious. Um uh you know, and and it it really has spread as as we've grown. Um people really embody that.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

What have you done to intentionally build that culture at motion dynamics? What type of rituals or routines reinforce that that type of ownership and care that you're you're sharing?

SPEAKER_01 15:42

A big part of it is is our weekly routine. Um Monday through Friday, 8:30, the core team meets, we and we review every new order that comes in the building. We review um you know anything special that that any one department might be focused on that week. Um and the idea is that there's an open collaboration um that doesn't just fall within a department. Um it truly is a uh a team focus on any particular issue. So those those Monday through Friday routine meetings I I think are are really special. Secondary to that is every Tuesday um at 6 o'clock and 4 o'clock. So I'm sorry, 6 o'clock in the morning for third shift, eight, 8:30 for first shift, and 4 o'clock for second shift. We we get all of those those teams together, and and Chris, our president, he talks about um various things from you know monthly, monthly sales and target and how we're pacing for a particular week. Um some of the metrics I'm really focused on are um on-time delivery. So a commitment we make to a customer meeting that ship date. Um any rejections for quality issues, that's a that's that's one we take very seriously. And um we always talk about any new customers. You know, most many of our new customers are um startups and they're working on prototypes, and it's it's uh typically uh you know uh a very innovative component. Um and so we'll show and and explain a particular procedure and give background to the team on you know you know what you know their influence on a component, what what what that's going into. Um we really try to educate ourselves, educate the whole the whole team about the difference, the difference we're we're trying to make. Um so those those Tuesday meetings, you know, doing that and reinforcing it weekly, um I think it really really brings the team together. Um kind of unifies that that that vision. Um you know, every month we meet our sales plan, we have a company luncheon, um, which is always a lot of fun. And um, you know, I I I just think I think that reinforces the the ownership mentality here. Uh just these these weekly routine things.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Yeah, communication sounds like a big part of the reason your your culture's so strong and communicating that internally. How do you communicate your culture externally you know, to let candidates or people that may be considering uh career change know about what your company does.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

Yeah, that's um that's something that actually Revel, uh the team has been very helpful. You know, that's I think being a team of of engineers and technically you know minded and focused people hasn't always lent itself to uh you know marketing ourselves to the community. Um I think just in in terms of you know motion dynamics general awareness in the community, we we try to participate in um things like Polar Plunge and we sponsor women cycling teams and um the Ragnar race. There's always a group from motion that participates in that. And so there's there's some of these more community, that's some community involvement. But you know, when looking at recruitment, you know, uh marketing our capabilities and what we do and what we participate in is hasn't always been, it just hasn't been something we've we've had to do. But um, you know, our growth in the past past 10 years has really required us to do that. So r Revel has certainly helped us um better understand how how to do that and and you know really uh project ourselves as an advanced manufacturing um company, which is a a unique thing in in the Muskegon area. Um you know, most most people's um you know perception of manufacturing is steel foundries and dirty and dimly lit environments, and you know, motion is is really more of like a laboratory environment. Um so it's it's revel's been really um it's helped really helped enlighten us in in how to how to advertise that.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yeah, well, you're very typical of manufacturers, uh especially ones that are in the you know the Midwest is you like to keep your cards close to your vest and not share about all these great things that a company like yours is doing. And um, so I think really getting out there, and it's it's essential in today's environment, the majority of people that are going to apply for a job are gonna check out your website, they're gonna look at your LinkedIn, your Facebook, your social media. And so being able to uh project that authentic culture is a is a big part of why motion has continued to grow and your culture has thrived. So uh before you talked about metrics. How do how do you know your culture is working? Is it a is it a feeling? Is there numbers that you look at, your leadership, HR? You know, what's how do you how do you know motion dynamics culture is really clicking?

SPEAKER_01 21:29

That's a good question, Jason. Um my guess is if you asked different people here, they they might have different answers for you. Me personally, um I really pay attention to quality. Um because of the uh the tight tolerances and and the real precision requirements of the parts we make, um it it takes a a high level of engagement from any technician or operator, regardless of what capability. Um it uh that's why I pay such close attention to what we call RMAs, which would which would be like a a return uh from the customer. Um I pay really, really close attention to that because to me it tells me um if people are continuing to embody that ownership mentality that that engineering hat uh you know that uh that striving to operate at the highest level to me that's that's what that's what tells me that it it's being managed well in this this growth we're experiencing. You know but separate from that you know I I love seeing communities form within our culture um you know whether that be the group that of probably a dozen people now that that go and and walk at lunchtime together or um you know the mountain bike uh ride that takes place weekly in the summertime that you see people to me that that tells me you know just the the the bond and and close you know family like culture um that continues to build here uh is probably second to um you know the the quality aspect those are those are great traditions uh this is where the rubber meets the road and and what kind of advice would you have for business leaders who are trying to build a a strong culture what matters most it really does start start with the people um you know we've you know we we really focus on character um during our interview process you know because it's you know we're a unique we're in a unique manufacturing company and and typically not hiring people that have experience in the capabilities that we have like laser welding it's uh I don't know that that we've ever had somebody apply to motion dynamics that actually had laser welding experience so we're really looking at people's character who they are um you know their interests outside of work that tell us would they be a better fit in departments that are more fast paced and and there's multitasking or if there's a you know a real focus on on precision. You know we we we try to we try to really focus on the person um in in especially as you get into a a company of of a couple several several hundred people um I I think it's critical that anybody that you're adding to the team have the capability to embody um the existing culture I I I think the pe it really starts at the people because the the um the ownership mentality and things I know those will those will be absorbed naturally from how the existing team operates. So I really really think it starts starts with people. So when you talk you talked a lot about um you know the character and assessing that how do you do that in your interview process so there's uh we always do an initial interview typically with um some of our operations team who has a good understanding of the the skill sets needed to excel in the in their department um but our president uh Chris my my father he he participates in every second interview um you know probably the person that that um culture is one of one of the most important things to him uh he makes sure it's it's both communicated to an applicant and and he's part of that um you know getting to know the applicant to to understand their fit um you know I I I think you you you you have to you have to have those people um that take it so seriously be a part of building it yeah definitely definitely starts at the top and you can see it uh carried through organizations like yours that that strong culture and those values and that alignment uh if if you had to think of one story and you've shared a couple stories as we've we've gone through this conversation but one story uh to someone considering joining your team uh that embodies your culture what would that story be I would um I talked about Norm Morton um one of the spring makers that's that's been here from the beginning um his wife also works at Motion um both of them have worked here for over 25 years now um but Mary Lou Mary Lou Morton is somebody who embodies the essence of our culture she's she's worked in nearly every department and is now a part of the sales team um you know every single day she commutes 40 minutes from Hesperia she's done that for over 25 years and um she hits the ground running she she holds all of us accountable um she embodies she embodies the ownership mentality of um you know from beginning to end of the manufacturing of a component um she wants to operate at the highest standard um and and anybody that's either been a part of Mary Lou's team she should walk by my office right now uh anybody that's ever been a part of her team very quickly understands the the high level um that we want to play at so it's it's been having those people be a part of the culture for decades that's helped us build and maintain it so communication caring ownership are three of the common elements that uh I heard from you today and I think that would embody what makes motion dynamics culture so strong.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Thank you so much Richard for sharing your story and your time uh we appreciate it and uh for everyone listening and watching thanks for tuning in to the Winning Cultures podcast thanks for listening to the Winning Cultures podcast follow and subscribe wherever you listen or watch podcasts for new episodes