78. The Power of Being Mission Driven - Court Durkalski of Truline Industries
Release Date: 05/07/2025
78. The Power of Being Mission Driven - Court Durkalski of Truline Industries
Machine Shop Mastery
Most shop owners I talk to are focused on the usual things: keeping the machines humming, staying profitable, maybe planning for growth or succession. But what if the real unlock for your shop wasn’t more tech or tighter margins—but a completely different way of thinking about why your business exists in the first place? That’s what today’s episode is about. I sat down with Court Durkalski, CEO of Truline Industries, and honestly, this conversation hit me harder than most. Court runs a $23 million aerospace machining company with 120 employees—and they give away 10% of...
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77. Strategy & Execution Wins Customers - Matt Gawlik of 3D Graphite
Machine Shop Mastery
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Machine Shop Mastery
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76. Inside Secrets of a 200+ Machine Shop
Machine Shop Mastery
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Machine Shop Mastery
How do you go from being the kid who couldn’t sit still in class to leading the machine shop for one of Elon Musk’s most ambitious ventures? In this gripping and often jaw-dropping episode, I sit down with Jim Cooney—Head of the Machine Shop at Neuralink—for a raw and refreshingly honest conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the unconventional road to mastery in machining. While Jim isn’t a shop owner (my usual guest profile), his story offers every bit of the leadership lessons, grit, and insight that Machine Shop Mastery is known for. From his humble...
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74. From Employee to Employer - Adam Zimmer from Zimmer Design & Manufacturing
Machine Shop Mastery
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73. A Recipe for Winning High-Volume Work - Marvin Rodriguez of True Precision Machining
Machine Shop Mastery
What if understanding the true cost of every part you produce could be the key to scaling your machine shop? In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Paul Van Metre is joined by Marvin Rodriguez from True Precision Machining to explore the strategies that have driven the company’s remarkable growth. Marvin shares his journey from starting with little formal education to leading a high-performance machine shop that blends cutting-edge technology with a deeply rooted commitment to craftsmanship. The conversation covers essential topics that all machine shop owners and managers should...
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Machine Shop Mastery
In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, Jason Davis, CEO of D&D Enterprises, is back for an insightful conversation on navigating growth and operational expansion in 2025. With nearly 26 years of experience in the machining industry, Jason shares his insights on scaling operations and avoiding the common pitfalls that come with growth. We dig into three main areas crucial for expanding your shop in the coming year: Adding capacity, improving sales and marketing, and managing new customer relationships. Jason dives into the specifics of adding shifts, particularly the challenges and best...
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71. Why Trust Is Essential for Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing per Kirk Phelps
Machine Shop Mastery
Today’s guest is Kirk Phelps from American Precision Partners, a key figure driving the growth and transformation of multiple machine shops. Kirk’s journey into machining began as a teenager in his dad’s shop, where he started on manual machines while attending trade school. After experiencing burnout, Kirk joined the Air Force and served for six years, eventually returning to machining with a fresh perspective. Through programming and a transition into management, Kirk discovered his passion for business development and leadership. Now, as Regional Manager at American Precision...
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70. How NTL Industries Leverages Social Media to Achieve Growth
Machine Shop Mastery
Greg McArthur’s journey in manufacturing began as a child sweeping floors and cleaning mats in his father’s machine shop. Over the years, he gained hands-on experience, evolving from a lathe hand to a skilled CNC machinist, estimator, and engineer. Eventually, Greg took a bold leap, bidding on a machine sight unseen on eBay and figuring out how to transport and operate it—foreshadowing his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2017, Greg founded NTL Industries in his garage while working a full-time job. By carefully building a financial foundation, he transitioned to renting a facility, leasing...
info_outlineMost shop owners I talk to are focused on the usual things: keeping the machines humming, staying profitable, maybe planning for growth or succession. But what if the real unlock for your shop wasn’t more tech or tighter margins—but a completely different way of thinking about why your business exists in the first place? That’s what today’s episode is about.
I sat down with Court Durkalski, CEO of Truline Industries, and honestly, this conversation hit me harder than most. Court runs a $23 million aerospace machining company with 120 employees—and they give away 10% of their gross sales to global charitable causes. Not profits—sales.
That level of generosity is unheard of in manufacturing, and yet their quality metrics, delivery performance, and bottom line are world-class. The kicker? That whole culture came from a very personal place, and a journey that includes addiction, near financial collapse, and walking away from a path to ministry.
I wanted to understand how a shop like Truline stays so focused, so precise, and so mission-aligned. And what I found is that none of it is accidental. From hiring practices to equipment decisions to the way they manage customer relationships, everything at Truline is built around this core belief that doing great work and doing good in the world aren’t at odds—they’re actually the same thing.
If you’re someone who’s always thought values should stay separate from business—or maybe you’ve just never thought about your shop as a force for something bigger—I think this episode will leave you thinking differently. It sure did for me.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
- (0:53) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
- (2:09) The moment I got choked up—and why Court's mission moved me
- (4:12) How Truline evolved from a tax write-off to an aerospace shop
- (12:10) Court’s addiction and the personal crash that nearly ended it all
- (15:26) Leaving the shop behind for Bible college—and the shock that came next
- (17:23) The conference that changed Court’s future and pulled him back to the business
- (19:20) Early steps toward CNC adoption and finding a niche in jet fuel pump parts
- (23:35) The tight tolerances, leaded bronze, and engineering details behind Truline’s work
- (28:19) Ego, submission, and a defining leadership shift between father and son
- (34:05) What it means to run a “God-owned” company—and the cultural transformation it sparked
- (37:01) The 2008 recession, credit line debt, and the bold financial leap toward giving
- (48:42) The ROI of generosity: culture, retention, and $40M+ given away
- (50:39) How Truline earns customer trust—even when mission gets in the way of margins
- (57:04) The two things that are intrinsically tied to delivering excellence
- (1:02:22) Why you need to listen to Making Sparks
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Court Durkalski
- Truline Industries
- Connect with Court on LinkedIn
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Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK