27. Dedicated to Improvement - Andy Reinwald at Ripley Machine
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Release Date: 04/16/2025
45: Eliminating Chaos: How Ferrera Tooling Streamlined Scheduling, Quality, and Traceability
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
When Cody Joy joined Ferrera Tooling Company in 2020, the shop was growing rapidly but struggling with chaotic systems. Scheduling relied on a single Google Sheet, paper travelers cluttered the floor, and quality records were scattered across uncontrolled spreadsheets. Twice-weekly meetings attempted to manage priorities, but inefficiencies threatened to stall the company’s expansion into aerospace and space exploration. Ferrera’s leadership recognized the need for a paperless ERP solution. After considering building their own system, they adopted ProShop, which consolidated scheduling,...
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44: Massive Transformation with David Pannell of Faircloth Machine
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Faircloth Machine Shop’s journey is one of remarkable transformation. Founded in the late 1960s as a manual machining operation, it was modernized under David Pannell, who joined in 1994 and helped transition the shop into CNC machining. By 2017, Faircloth adopted ProShop ERP, moving away from paper records and embracing digital systems that enabled growth into aerospace manufacturing. ProShop proved pivotal, offering built-in AS9100 compliance and integrated tools for audits, documentation, and quality management. Though the shift was a cultural shock, it allowed Faircloth to expand from 10...
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43: From Multi-National Executive to Machine Shop Owner - Chris Basgall of Catamount
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Some shop owners work their way up from the shop floor. Chris Basgall arrived from the opposite direction. Before buying Catamount Machine Works, he spent decades leading IT, operations, and large-scale transformation inside one of the world’s biggest telecommunications companies, serving 350 million customers across continents. Then he walked away from corporate life, moved his family to Florida, and bought a 15-person machine shop with paper travelers, scattered data, and a tech stack that hadn’t changed much in years. Chris didn’t choose Catamount for what it was. He chose it for what...
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42: Scaling Smart, Leading with Data & Building a Future-Ready Shop at Prosper-Tech Machine & Tool
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Some shops grow fast. But very few grow fast and stay in control. Prosper-Tech is doing both, and doing it with intention. In just two years, Andrew and Gabby Devroy have helped transform the company Andrew’s parents built in a garage into a 30-person aerospace and medical machining powerhouse, all while raising three kids and navigating the complexities of a second-generation business. Their approach isn’t about chasing work, it’s about choosing the right work, building systems that scale, and creating a culture where data drives decisions instead of putting out fires. When they joined...
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41: A Blank Slate Urban Machine Shop Concept - Matt Bruner of APW
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Matt Bruner, co-founder of American Precision Works (APW), shares the journey of launching a modern machine shop in urban Philadelphia with his partner, John Celley. Founded in October 2024, APW was built on a “clean slate” philosophy, emphasizing automation, streamlined systems, and a people-first approach. With complementary backgrounds (John in machining and Matt in sales and operations) they aimed to create a business that could train individuals without prior machining experience, using standardized processes and advanced technology to empower their workforce. Their urban location was...
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40: Shop Transformation Leads to the Largest PO Ever Received - Damon Snider
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Snider Precision began as a garage-based machine shop founded by Damon Snider’s father in 1978, growing organically over decades through grit, bold decisions, and a passion for machining. Damon started helping as a child, deburring parts and learning CNC operations before joining the Navy. After his father fired an unreliable crew, Damon returned to help and eventually took over the business, bringing fresh energy and a vision for modernization. Under Damon’s leadership, the shop transitioned from paper-based workflows to a fully digital system using ProShop ERP. This shift enabled better...
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39: Driving Excellence and Growth with Jeff Justesen of Oakdale Precision
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Oakdale Precision, a manufacturing company, transformed after adopting Pro Shop ERP. Previously reliant on a homegrown software system and tools like spreadsheets, whiteboards, and scattered network drives, the company faced challenges in scheduling, quality control, and tribal knowledge transfer. As the company grew, these limitations became unsustainable, prompting leadership to seek a more structured solution. Jeff Justesen tells how the transition to Pro Shop was facilitated with onboarding across departments. Floor staff quickly adapted to basic functions like scheduling and clocking...
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38: From Job Shop to OEM Manufacturer with Matt from Rise Armament
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Matt Torres is the Founder of Rise Armament, a company that manufactures drop-in triggers, rifles, and other firearm accessories. Rise Armament was founded in 2012 as a job shop specializing in contract work for the oil and gas, as well as aerospace industries. Around 2014 or 2015, Matt began designing a drop-in trigger as a side project, driven more by personal interest than business intent. However, when the oil market collapsed in late 2015, the company pivoted fully into firearms manufacturing, launching its own product line under the Rise Armament brand. By 2016, they had phased out...
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37: The 3rd Generation Takes the Reigns at Gurecky Manufacturing
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Gurecky Manufacturing, a third-generation family-owned machine shop, has evolved from humble beginnings in a garage to a 42,000-square-foot facility with over 60 employees. Founded in 1983 by Kellen Montpetit’s grandfather, the company has long served the oil and gas sector, though recent efforts aim to diversify into aerospace and other industries. Kellen, now part of the ownership group, and Andrew Sulak, a longtime employee who feels like family, share their journey of modernizing the business while preserving its legacy. Despite its size and complexity, the company maintains a...
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36: Accidental Machine Shop Owner-Dan Fifer with Lane4 Precision
Manufacturing Transformed: Real Shops, Real Stories
Dan Fifer, Founder of Lane4 Precision, shares his unconventional journey into manufacturing after a 20-year career in medical device engineering. Frustrated by long lead times in R&D, he set out to build a high-performance machine shop to support fast-paced development cycles. Despite having no prior machining experience, he took a leap of faith, selling his house to buy a Citizen L20 Swiss screw machine after learning his parts required that level of precision. Launching the shop was a risk, but momentum grew quickly. Dan started part-time while still working at his previous job and...
info_outlineRunning a shop often means wearing every hat and holding every answer. For Andy Reinwald at Ripley Machine, that translated to years of nonstop work, nearly no time off, and the weight of every open order living in his head. It was sustainable until it wasn’t.
Things came to a head after a rough year in 2016. Revenue was slipping, customer service was lagging, and the company was running on outdated systems. Andy knew he couldn’t keep leading the shop this way and expect different results.
That realization kicked off a steady climb. Andy pursued ISO certification, leaned into lean thinking, and began to untangle Ripley Machine from manual processes and memory-based management. Still, the tools he had weren’t suited for the kind of shop he wanted to run.
It wasn’t until Andy implemented ProShop that the fundamental transformation took hold.
The team got access to the same information, tooling, and setups became easier to manage, and planning work no longer relied on his constant oversight. Late orders dropped, morale lifted, and quoting, scheduling, and tracking got faster.
Now, Andy runs a growing shop with more efficient systems, higher standards, and the breathing room to take a fully unplugged vacation. His story isn’t about flashy leaps, it’s about what happens when a shop owner truly commits to improving, one decision at a time.
LinkedIn - Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyreinwald/
Ripley Machine - https://www.ripley-machine.com/
Audio and Video Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK