by Mike Payne
A deep dive into the financials of running a Manufacturing business.
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/17/2024
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1 available
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April 24, 2025
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tariffs aren’t just a line item buried in your supply chain—they’re a fast-moving, often misunderstood force that could have a massive impact on your profitability, pricing, and even your global strategy. In this eye-opening episode of Buy the Numbers, Jennifer Clement and Leslie Boyd from CLA join me for a masterclass in tariff mitigation strategies. As volatility re-emerges on the global trade front, Jennifer and Leslie offer clarity, practical steps, and a proactive roadmap that manufacturers of all sizes can follow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jennifer and Leslie break down the reality that waiting for the rules to settle is no longer a viable plan. Instead, they introduce a three-bucket framework that helps businesses act now, in six months, and long-term—everything from basic “tariff hygiene” and invoice scrubbing to more advanced strategies like tariff engineering, duty drawback, and setting up foreign trade zones.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The conversation also dives into how manufacturers can hold their vendors accountable, optimize their pricing inputs, and think creatively about global operations in a world where tariffs can change mid-shipment. Whether you’re sourcing machines from overseas or fielding questions from customers about cost projections, this episode equips you to speak the language of tariffs fluently—and use that fluency to your financial advantage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rounding out the discussion is a preview of CLA’s upcoming webinar series, a free, multi-part educational deep dive for manufacturers who want to master cost control in a tariff-heavy environment. This isn’t just about playing defense—it’s about making moves that could shield your margins, even amid economic uncertainty.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...</span></h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(0:00) Understanding why tariffs are urgent now and how they impact manufacturers</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(0:14) Learning how CLA helps manufacturers grow their top and bottom line</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(1:35) Getting to know Leslie Boyd and Jennifer Clemente from CLA</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(4:38) Discovering why a proactive strategy is essential despite tariff volatility</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(6:13) Clarifying common misconceptions about tariffs and pricing strategies</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(10:17) Exploring Bucket #1: “Good tariff hygiene” and how invoice scrubbing can save you</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(17:30) Learning additional compliance strategies like transfer pricing and duty drawback</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(18:38) Hearing about the Lights Out podcast and automation trends in manufacturing</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(20:21) Understanding how currency hedging can protect against cost fluctuations</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(22:16) Breaking down the first sale rule and how it reduces tariff costs</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(24:55) Exploring Bucket #2: Using bonded warehouses and free trade zones to defer tariffs</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(28:19) Learning how tariff engineering can reduce exposure by rethinking product design</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(30:44) Exploring Bucket #3: Re-imagining supply chains and reshoring for long-term gains</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(33:51) Understanding the process and odds of getting tariff relief through exclusions</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(36:10) Getting an overview of CLA’s upcoming webinar series on tariff mitigation strategies</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">(40:24) Completing the Top Shops survey to benchmark your shop against the industry</span></li> </ul> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resources & People Mentioned</span></h2> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.claconnect.com/en/events/2025/tariff-reduction-strategies"> CLA</a> <a href= "https://www.claconnect.com/en/events/2025/tariff-reduction-strategies"> Tackling Tariffs webinar series</a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href= "https://makingchips.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tackling-Tariffs_Making-Chips.ppt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Tackling Tariffs</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> (Deck to accompany episode)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href= "https://gardnerintelligence.research.net/r/MMS25-D" target= "_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Complete the Top Shops survey </span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">and let the numbers tell the story</span></li> </ul> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Connect with Jennifer Clement and Leslie Boyd</span></h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href= "https://www.claconnect.com/en/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Connect with Jennifer on </span><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferclementwi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Connect with Leslie on </span><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-boyd-cpa-cla-manufacturing6b7171127/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> </span></li> </ul> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Connect With Buy the Numbers</span></h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Follow on </span><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/102691966/admin/dashboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Connect with Mike Payne on </span><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/growingvalue/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LinkedIn</span></a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Subscribe to Buy the Numbers</strong></p> <p><strong>on </strong><a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buy-the-numbers/id1774286946" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> + </strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3dCmT5iQXMQR6O4hiicEpG?si=a70dbd82628140a0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Spotify</strong></a></p> <p><br /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Audio Production and Show Notes by - </span><a href="https://www.podcastfasttrack.com" target= "_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PODCAST FAST TRACK</strong></a></p>
April 19, 2025
<p dir="ltr">Most small manufacturers don’t realize they’re being quietly supported by one of the most impactful public-private partnerships in the country. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has long been the hidden backbone behind training programs, grant facilitation, process improvements, and critical tech upgrades for shops across the U.S. But recent Federal decisions to defund these programs—without clear communication or reasoning—have sparked confusion and alarm among industry insiders.</p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode, a passionate roundtable of manufacturers and advocates reveals just how deeply the MEPs have shaped their businesses, supported workforce development, and opened doors to opportunity they couldn’t have accessed alone. From AR-integrated quoting tools to automation investment guidance, these stories show a clear economic impact that extends far beyond individual shops—right into the health of local communities and the national manufacturing strategy.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you're just hearing about MEPs now, you're not alone—but you are at risk. This conversation lays out what’s at stake, why it matters, and what you can do right now to help save a resource that quietly powers tens of thousands of manufacturers nationwide.</p> <p>YouTube: <a href= "https://youtu.be/WNjevmTNUu4">https://youtu.be/WNjevmTNUu4</a></p> <p>VideoAsk: https://www.videoask.com/fiyvfkcdd</p>
April 17, 2025
<p><span style= "font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> If you're still thinking of culture in your manufacturing shop as a side dish instead of the main course, you're already behind. In this episode of </span><span style= "font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Buy the Numbers</span><span style= "font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">, I sat down with Jim Mayer to unpack what shop culture really looks like on the floor—and why we need to start talking about it differently. This isn't about breakroom ping-pong tables or slogans on the wall. Those things are fine, but they don’t build lasting culture. We're talking about turnover, pride, accountability, and results that actually move the needle.</span></p> <p>Jim’s got a fascinating story—he went from falling off roofs to falling in love with manufacturing, and now he’s one of the leading voices on what modern shop leadership needs to look like. He shared how a misstep early in his consulting work (calling himself a “culture consultant”) forced him to reframe his approach completely. What he landed on—hands-on workshops and real-time cultural diagnostics—has quietly transformed how a lot of shops build trust and accountability.</p> <p>What I loved about this conversation is how tactical it got. We talked about the death of command-and-control leadership, the rise of reverse mentorship, and why the youngest people on your team might actually be the cultural glue. We also dove into what I’ve seen firsthand here at Hill—how we went from a stark divide between the office and the shop floor to a culture that’s collaborative, human, and proud.</p> <p>One thing Jim said really stuck with me: “Culture is individual.” That hit hard. It’s not about copying someone else’s approach; it’s about aligning your team to your own values and leading accordingly. We got into the metrics too—how to actually measure culture, and why asking your team if they’re proud of where they work might be the highest-leverage question you can ask this year. If culture feels like a fuzzy concept in your shop, this episode will give you the clarity (and the tools) you’ve been missing.</p> <h2>You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...</h2> <ul> <li>(0:00) Culture is individual: what works for one shop may be toxic to another</li> <li>(1:50) Jim’s path from contractor to manufacturing leadership (and the problem with “consultant”)</li> <li>(06:25) Why shop owners resist cultural evaluations—and what works better</li> <li>(9:35) The generational shift in manufacturing and the death of command-and-control leadership</li> <li>(11:51) Reverse mentorship and how under-35s are leading the cultural charge</li> <li>(16:12) Hill Manufacturing’s office-floor divide and the cultural shift toward collaboration</li> <li>(20:35) What happens to employees when leadership and values change?</li> <li>(22:38) Measuring culture: red-yellow-green vs. specific engagement questions</li> <li>(24:03) Why you should listen to the Machine Shop Mastery podcast </li> <li>(29:27) The power of asking “Are you proud of where you work?”</li> <li>(38:18) Jim’s 2-day process for diagnosing culture with qualitative and quantitative data</li> <li>(42:42) Top five strengths and weaknesses in manufacturing shop cultures</li> <li>(48:08) Learn about Mike’s business, podcasts, and upcoming workshops</li> <li>(54:08) Why you need to take the Modern Machine Shop Top Shops Survey</li> </ul> <h2>Resources & People Mentioned</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://gardnerintelligence.research.net/r/MMS25-D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take the Modern Machine Shop Top Shops Survey</a></li> </ul> <h2>Connect with Jim Mayer</h2> <ul> <li>Connect on <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgmayer/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="https://themfgconnector.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">The Manufacturing Connector</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheMFGConnector" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">The Manufacturing Connector Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://themfgconnector.com/manufacturing-culture-pod" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Manufacturing Culture Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="https://themfgconnector.com/work%2C-but-make-it-human" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Work, But Make it Human</a></li> <li><a href="https://themfgconnector.com/lead-the-change-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim’s “Lead the Change” workshops</a></li> </ul> <h2>Connect With Buy the Numbers</h2> <ul> <li>Follow on <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/102691966/admin/dashboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Connect with Mike Payne on <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/growingvalue/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Subscribe to Buy the Numbers</strong></p> <p><strong>on </strong><a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buy-the-numbers/id1774286946" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> + </strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3dCmT5iQXMQR6O4hiicEpG?si=a70dbd82628140a0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Spotify</strong></a></p> <p><br /> Audio Production by - <a href= "https://www.podcastfasttrack.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><strong>PODCAST FAST TRACK</strong></a></p>
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