Real conversations with the leaders who built this industry.
Hosted by Gilbert Welsford Jr., third-generation owner at ValveMan.
Fully Open shares stories, insights, and lessons from the people who’ve spent decades in industrial manufacturing, engineering, and plant operations — the ones who’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.
It’s not about specs. It’s about perspective.
You’ll hear how top performers make decisions, lead teams, earn trust, and navigate change in high-stakes environments.
What you’ll hear:
Wisdom earned through decades of frontline leadership
Stories from those who shaped the industrial world
Timeless lessons on people, pressure, and performance
Who it’s for:
Industrial leaders, engineers, operators, and anyone who wants to learn from those who’ve actually done the work.
Links.
Follow the show on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/fully-open-podcast (https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/fully-open-podcast)
Newsletter. The Line Doesn’t Lie: https://valveman.com/linkedin-newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7325932731920441345/)
"It's a lot of tribal knowledge that you can never seem to capture at all." That's John Molloy, Training Manager for Fluid and Motion Control at Emerson, on the hardest part of his job: getting 40 years of institutional knowledge out of the people who have it and into the people who just started. John has spent 28 years at Emerson, most of it split between selling valves and training the people who came in after him. He also sits on the VMA education committee. In this episode of the Fully...
3 Mar 2026
How AUMA Actuators Got 35% More Output With Zero New Hires | Matt Thiel
Matt Thiel doesn’t see “employees first” as a slogan — he sees it as the engine for growth. Because in industrial, you don’t get to coast. You either build a culture that unlocks potential, or you fall behind. In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast, host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Matt Thiel, President of AUMA Actuators. Matt walks through the 9-year journey that led to a 35% increase in output with zero new hires, and how it all started with a simple, powerful philosophy. 💡 What you’...
13 Jan 2026
Grow or Die: Jeff Scott on Building NOSHOK for the Long Haul
Jeff Scott doesn’t talk about “growth” like a slogan — he talks about it like a responsibility. Because in industrial, you don’t get to coast. You either build capability, or you fall behind. In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast, host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Jeff Scott of NOSHOK. Jeff has spent 51 years inside the business, starting in shipping and receiving as “the third man” in a 400 sq ft storefront, and helping it grow into a modern operation built for the long haul. 💡 W...
9 Dec 2025
He Bought His Grandfather’s Company — And Built It Into His Own Legacy
He lost the family company. Then he bought it back. Bert Lowden didn’t inherit Aquatrol — he had to fight for it. This is the story of what happens when legacy slips through your fingers… and what it takes to rebuild it from the ground up. 🔊 In this episode of the Fully Open Podcast: • The pain of losing a family business • What it takes to buy back a legacy — with no safety net • The real cost of ownership (when you're the one on the hook) • Why fixing a ...
4 Nov 2025
The Brutal Reality of Running a Family Business | Brian O’Leary (REOTEMP)
Brian OLeary doesn’t just run a family business — he stewards a legacy. And that mindset has guided him through decades of growth, succession, and strategic ownership at REOTEMP Instruments. In this fourth episode of the Fully Open Podcast, host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Brian to explore the generational reality of industrial leadership — and why equity, stewardship, and long-term trust are still the foundation of resilient companies. 💡 What you’ll hear:What “ownership mindset” means...
14 Oct 2025
Sales Isn’t Dead. But the Old Way Is — with Scott Grimes
Scott Grimes doesn’t sell — he solves. And that mindset has carried him through decades in industrial filtration and process sales at Donaldson Company. In this third episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan), host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Scott to explore how sales has evolved — and why curiosity, empathy, and technical understanding are still the real differentiators in industrial markets. 💡 What you’ll hear: Why “listening” is the most underrated skill in modern salesHow to sell by under...
24 Sept 2025
Built It. Bought It. Grew It: Bruce Broxterman on Building a Valve Powerhouse
Bruce Broxterman doesn’t just build companies — he builds billion-dollar exits. In this second episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan), host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Bruce to unpack how he built, bought, and grew one of the biggest names in the valve industry — and how his playbook still drives results today. 💡 What you’ll hear: How Bruce scaled a small business into a billion-dollar exitBuying Richards Industries and building culture through excellenceWhy leadership is about care, trust, ...
27 Aug 2025
How a Vietnam Vet Built a Valve Empire — Rick Wentzel on Legacy, Innovation & Grit
Rick Wentzel doesn’t just sell valves — he helped shape the entire North American valve landscape. In this first episode of Fully Open (by ValveMan), host Gil Welsford Jr. sits down with Rick to talk about his journey from Vietnam platoon sergeant to co-founding Bonomi North America and launching game-changing valve and actuator lines across the country. 💡 What you’ll hear: How Rick pioneered the ball valve movement in the U.S.The Bonomi startup story and engineering principles that built tru...
19 Aug 2025
Trailer: A Life-Changing Call from Aldo Bonomi
“I got robbed on Christmas Eve. That was my first day as a valve salesman.” Rick Wenzel’s story starts in chaos — and turns into a career that helped shape the U.S. valve industry. This is the official trailer for Fully Open (by ValveMan) — a show about the people who keep plants running. We talk to field engineers, plant managers, valve pros, and maintenance leaders. Not about theory. About what it really takes to protect uptime, prevent failures, and spec smarter. 🎧 Subscribe to the s...
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