Expanding and Transitioning a Family Business in Manufacturing with Joe Patterson
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Release Date: 07/30/2024
Grow Fast or Go Broke: The Truth About Scaling a Fab Shop
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most fab shops dream of growth. Few are ready when it comes. Jesse Kleiman didn’t just grow JR Metal Works — he scaled it from a garage startup to a 70-person team taking on enterprise-level contracts. In this episode, Jesse opens up about the reality of rapid growth: the cash flow crunches, the leadership pivots, and the culture shifts that come with scaling faster than you planned. It’s not just about welding or expansion. It’s about what happens when your business outgrows you—and how to stay intentional through it all. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to know when it’s...
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The Hanna Golf Story: Building with Grit, Craft, and American-Made Pride
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
Most golf brands take the shortcut: outsource, import, slap on a logo. Jared decided to do it the hard way. ⠀ In this episode, we dig into the Hanna Golf story — how a sales guy became a maker, bought a CNC, and built a boutique putter brand rooted in grit, craft, and American-made pride. From betting on himself to cutting through the noise of big brands, Jared shows what it really takes to build something that lasts. ⠀ It’s not just about golf. It’s about what happens when you actually make the thing you sell. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to stand out in a crowded industry...
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Trial by Fire: How Leadership Finds You on the Shop Floor
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
In this MakingSparks episode, Casey and Matthew talk with Keith — a leader whose career has been shaped by both running a fabrication shop and now serving as General Manager at Fabrication Solutions & Technologies (FST). Keith’s path started with welding in the blazing heat, learning from old-school fabricators, and grinding his way up to shop management. Today, he uses that first-hand production experience to help shops across oil & gas, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and more choose the right equipment, design smarter workflows, and maximize ROI. From process flow...
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Clueless CEO or Culture Genius? When Curiosity Beats Credentials
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What happens when a self-proclaimed “mechanically deficient” leader takes the reins of a 170-person fabrication business? For Brandon Stanchock, it meant leaning into curiosity, asking “dumb” questions, and spending a week in every department—boots on the ground, in the heat of summer. In this episode of Making Sparks, Brandon joins Casey and Matthew to talk about: How imposter syndrome shaped his leadership style Why asking the right questions beats having all the answers His mission to turn culture into a competitive advantage Practical ways he’s using AI and AR to improve...
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Your Process Is Only as Good as Your People
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What do you do when your fab shop isn’t broken—but you know it could be better? In this episode, Alfonso Aramburo joins us from Southern California to talk about the work he does turning around underperforming manufacturing companies. But his approach isn’t about flashy strategy or instant fixes—it’s about people, process, and product, in that order. Alfonso breaks down the three core problems most shops face, why culture is the engine that drives real improvement, and how small, consistent action wins out over big, clunky systems every time. This episode is for the shop owners...
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How to Grow a Small Fabrication Shop without Losing Control
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What does it take to run a fab shop, scale a personal brand, and merge two business models—without losing your mind? In this episode, the Ross Brothers, Rodney Ross & Austin Ross joined us from South Dakota to share how they're navigating their journey of running two different welding businesses. One is rooted in boots on the ground fabrication. The other? A YouTube channel that has turned into a full-blown brand & welding instruction hub. They talk openly about burnout, balancing visionary leadership with structured execution, and the real impact of building your personal brand...
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How to Build a Culture While the Last Generation Lets Go
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
What does it really look like to step in as 2nd Generation & a lead a fabrication shop when the 1st Generation is still helping run it? In this episode, Jason Hayes, President of Top Coat Fabrication, shares his journey as a 2nd generation leader navigating the slow handoff of full responsibility from his parents, while carrying nearly all of the day-to-day load. Jason shares what it's taken to build a culture that people want to return to even AFTER a layoff. This episode covers how even during market shifts & team fluctuations, they have a focus on scaling without losing...
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People Buy from People They Trust with Meaghan Ziemba
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
In this episode, we sit down with Meaghan Ziemba, founder of Mavens of Manufacturing, for a conversation that goes way beyond marketing tactics. We’re talking about what really builds trust in this industry—and spoiler alert: it’s not perfectly polished sales pitches. We get into why showing up as your real self matters, how content can turn customers into loyal fans, and what it means to expand the table instead of trying to replace people in the chairs. Meaghan shares powerful insight on visibility, mentorship, and how women are carving out space—and confidence—in male-dominated...
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After the Merger: Building a Shared Future in the Fab Shop | Part 2
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
In Part 2 of our chat with Parker Huncilman, we get into what happened after the deal was done. From day-one chaos to tough conversations with employees, Parker walks us through what it really looked like to merge two long-standing fab shops. We talk through lessons learned, missteps along the way, and how they worked to bring two teams together without losing what made each one special. If you’re thinking about a merger—or in the middle of one—this is the kind of honest conversation that’s hard to come by. Episode Highlights: [01:35] – Parker shares how he tried to keep the...
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Preparing for a Merger: Hard Decisions to Preserve Legacy in the Fab Shop | Part 1
Making Sparks Podcast for Fabrication Leaders
In this episode of MakingSparks, we dive what went into a first-of-its-kind merger between two 5th generation Metal Fabrication shops: NIX® Industrial and Huncilman Sheet Metal. Hosts Casey and Matthew sit down with Parker Huncilman to unpack the strategic, emotional, and operational decisions that made this merger a win for both sides. From growth limitations to risk mitigation, and from legacy ownership to forward-thinking leadership, this is a real-world case study in smart, respectful consolidation. Episode Highlights: [02:35] – Parker shares Huncilman’s 100+ year history...
info_outlineEvery family business that’s growing and expanding runs into some challenges. From navigating tough conversations with family to determining a centralized versus decentralized model, there are numerous things to consider. Joe Patterson’s family business overcame the challenges that came their way and expanded globally.
However, they had lofty goals for the business and ultimately needed more capital to realize those goals. Joe shares how they expanded their family business and why they sold the majority of their shares to private equity in this episode of MakingSparks. Listen to learn how you can help your family business make sparks, grow, and make money.
Segments
- [1:20] Palo Alto Networks Zero Trust OT Security
- [5:03] Matthew’s dad joke
- [6:20] Learn more about Joe Patterson
- [10:50] Why Joe initially left the family business
- [13:30] Sparks of Knowledge: Host “tryouts”
- [14:33] How to have the conversation with family
- [17:05] How Flanders scaled the family business
- [20:51] Netsuite by Oracle KPI Checklist
- [22:23] The difference between offering services and products
- [24:40] A centralized versus decentralized model
- [31:35] Why the family decided to sell the business
- [40:08] How to join the AMT Community
- [41:00] How to scale your family business
Resources mentioned on this episode
- Palo Alto Zero Trust OT Security
- Netsuite by Oracle KPI Checklist
- Join the AMT Community by reaching out to [email protected] or going to AMT Online
- Connect with Joe Patterson on LinkedIn
- Flanders