Culture’s Not a Beer Fridge: Rethinking Leadership in Manufacturing, Ep #15
Release Date: 04/17/2025
Cash Flow Power Moves: Pricing, Terms & Tools That Protect Your Business, Ep #33
Buy the Numbers
In this special crossover episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne joins Josh McCain on The Throughput Show for a fully interactive, live conversation about one of the most misunderstood and mission-critical topics in manufacturing: cash flow. Unlike traditional episodes, this one unfolds in real time with audience questions, open dialogue, and the kind of raw, honest examples operators rarely get to hear outside of private masterminds. Josh kicks off the episode with his hallmark energy and levity—complete with an unexpected “musical” intro for guests Mike, Jon Hughes,...
info_outline
The Section 179 Trap: Why Tax Breaks Shouldn’t Drive Your Equipment Purchases, Ep #32
Buy the Numbers
When Section 179 and bonus depreciation come back into play, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of “saving on taxes.” Every year around this time, I start hearing from shop owners who are ready to buy a new machine before the end of Q4—sometimes for the right reasons, but often for the wrong ones. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good deduction as much as anyone. But if you wouldn’t buy that equipment without the tax break, you probably shouldn’t buy it because of it. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with my good friend Ty Willis from Verdant...
info_outline
How Foreign Trade Zones Can Unlock Millions in Working Capital, Ep #31
Buy the Numbers
When tariffs, trade policy, and cash flow collide, manufacturers are forced to think creatively—or risk being crushed by uncertainty. That’s exactly where Mary Buchzeiger, CEO of Lucerne International and Lucerne Global Solutions, found herself. With skyrocketing tariffs on imported automotive components, Mary realized the solution wasn’t to absorb the hit—it was to rewrite the playbook altogether. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, we dig into how Mary leveraged a little-known financial and logistical strategy: the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ). By turning Lucerne’s Michigan...
info_outline
Building a KPI Culture That Drives Real Improvement on the Shop Floor, Ep #30
Buy the Numbers
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, host Mike Payne sits down with continuous improvement coach and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Brian Karp to dig into the metrics that matter most for manufacturing leaders. Together, they explore how data can be used not just to measure performance, but to transform culture, drive engagement, and spark meaningful improvement across every department. For more than a decade, Brian has helped manufacturers simplify their approach to measurement—turning overwhelming spreadsheets and endless KPIs into tools that actually guide better decisions....
info_outline
Inside the Numbers: Roger Atkins’ MTForecast 2025 Preview for Small Manufacturers, Ep #29
Buy the Numbers
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with Roger Atkins, President of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), to talk about the real state of U.S. manufacturing as we close out 2025. Representing more than 1,000 small and medium manufacturers nationwide, Roger brings a boots-on-the-ground perspective to the headwinds, opportunities, and trends shaping the industry right now. The conversation goes well beyond statistics to explore the forces behind them. Roger shares his preview of the MTForecast conference and NTMA’s ENGAGE event, pulling back the curtain on survey...
info_outline
From First Questions to First Deals: Navigating Machine Shop Acquisitions, Ep #28
Buy the Numbers
When you’re buying a machine shop for the first time, it’s easy to feel like you’re lost in the dark. I’ve been through more than 150 transactions in my career, but I still remember what it was like sitting across from my first seller—wondering if I was asking the right questions or if I was missing something important. That’s why I love conversations like this one. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with Jeff Lee, Operations Manager at Hayer Engineering in Singapore. Jeff reached out after listening to some of our episodes on acquisitions, and the quality of his...
info_outline
Top Shops Benchmarking: The Numbers That Separate Leaders from the Rest, Ep #27
Buy the Numbers
In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne sits down with Dave Necessary, Executive Vice President of Products and Markets at Gardner Business Media, to dig into the power of benchmarking and the Top Shops program. For more than a decade, Top Shops has been the definitive survey that shows manufacturers where they stand—highlighting the practices, strategies, and investments that consistently separate the best from everyone else. Dave shares how the survey functions like a business health check-up, providing both an industry-wide benchmarking standards report and a...
info_outline
Beyond the Highest Bid: Selling Your Business with Legacy in Mind, Ep #26
Buy the Numbers
Selling a business is rarely just about the numbers—and in this episode of Buy the Numbers, we explore why. Recorded at the CLA Connect Center in Minnesota, Mike Payne and guest co-host Erin Mickels sit down with two sets of owners who have recently gone through the process of selling their companies. From fielding unsolicited offers to choosing between 26 potential buyers, their stories highlight the strategic, emotional, and deeply personal factors that shape a sale. Joel Bauer of Midsota Manufacturing shares his unlikely journey from part-time welder to co-owner of a thriving...
info_outline
Legacy, Liquidity, and the Long Game: What Really Happens After the LOI (Part II), Ep #25
Buy the Numbers
If you think selling your business is just about getting the highest number, think again. In Part II of my conversation with the all-star team at CLA—Erin Mickels, Mike Britten, and Mike Pohl—we dig into the fine print that can make or break your deal after the handshake. From LOIs to sales price allocations to working capital battles, this is where the real money is won or lost. We start with what seems like a formality—signing the LOI—but as you’ll hear, that’s often the moment your leverage walks out the door. I’ve seen it firsthand: missed tax planning, bad...
info_outline
Legacy, Liquidity, and the Long Game: Building Value Before You Sell, Ep #24
Buy the Numbers
If you’ve ever thought, “I’ll sell when I’m ready”—you’re already behind. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sit down with three powerhouse advisors from CLA—Erin Mickels (owner transition expert), Mike Britten (tax wizard), and Mike Pohl (wealth whisperer)—to unpack what it really takes to set yourself up for a successful exit from your manufacturing business. We talk through the overlooked planning window between “someday I’ll sell” and “it’s time to list.” Whether you're ten years out or just three, this conversation will help...
info_outlineIf 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 Buy the Numbers, 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.
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.
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.
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.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
- (0:00) Culture is individual: what works for one shop may be toxic to another
- (1:50) Jim’s path from contractor to manufacturing leadership (and the problem with “consultant”)
- (06:25) Why shop owners resist cultural evaluations—and what works better
- (9:35) The generational shift in manufacturing and the death of command-and-control leadership
- (11:51) Reverse mentorship and how under-35s are leading the cultural charge
- (16:12) Hill Manufacturing’s office-floor divide and the cultural shift toward collaboration
- (20:35) What happens to employees when leadership and values change?
- (22:38) Measuring culture: red-yellow-green vs. specific engagement questions
- (24:03) Why you should listen to the Machine Shop Mastery podcast
- (29:27) The power of asking “Are you proud of where you work?”
- (38:18) Jim’s 2-day process for diagnosing culture with qualitative and quantitative data
- (42:42) Top five strengths and weaknesses in manufacturing shop cultures
- (48:08) Learn about Mike’s business, podcasts, and upcoming workshops
- (54:08) Why you need to take the Modern Machine Shop Top Shops Survey
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Jim Mayer
- Connect on LinkedIn
- The Manufacturing Connector
- The Manufacturing Connector Podcast
- The Manufacturing Culture Podcast
- Work, But Make it Human
- Jim’s “Lead the Change” workshops
Connect With Buy the Numbers
Subscribe to Buy the Numbers
Audio Production by - PODCAST FAST TRACK