The One Big Beautiful Bill: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now, #23
Release Date: 07/17/2025
The Cost of Quality — Why Getting It Right Is the Fastest Way to Get Paid, Ep #39
Buy the Numbers
Quality is often treated like a cost center in manufacturing. Something we have to do to satisfy customers, auditors, or certifications. But in my experience, quality is much more than that. It’s one of the biggest drivers of cash flow, reputation, and long-term profitability in a shop. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sat down with Mehul from Ground Control to talk through the real, often hidden, cost of quality. Our conversation starts with a simple but critical idea: parts don’t get paid for unless the paperwork is right. You can machine a perfect part, ship it on time, and...
info_outline
Owning the Problem: Why Accountability, Communication, and Culture Drive Throughput, Ep #38
Buy the Numbers
One of the patterns I keep seeing in manufacturing has nothing to do with machines, software, or technology. It shows up in how teams respond when something goes wrong. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sat down again with Josh McKain from Throughput Mastery to talk about the habits that actually drive throughput, especially accountability, communication, and culture. Josh has now hosted more than a dozen live conversations with manufacturing owners and leaders, and what stood out to me is how often completely different topics circle back to the same root issue. Whether the discussion...
info_outline
How a Fourth-Generation Manufacturer Measures Success, Ep #37
Buy the Numbers
What changes when you’re not building a business to sell, but building one to hand down? That’s the question that kept coming up for me in this conversation. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, I sat down with Jack Watson of HFW Industries, a fourth-generation manufacturer whose family has been operating the same business for nearly 80 years. Jack’s story starts with his great-grandfather in 1947, fresh out of World War II, taking a bet on an emerging technology that would eventually become the foundation of HFW’s identity. What struck me wasn’t just the history, but how that...
info_outline
The Inventory Blind Spot: How LIFO Can Unlock Massive Tax Savings, Ep #36
Buy the Numbers
Inventory is one of the most overlooked levers in manufacturing finance, yet it is often the single largest asset sitting on a company’s balance sheet. In this bonus episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne is joined by inventory accounting experts Erica Parra and Cindy Houser from CLA to unpack why inventory accounting methods deserve far more attention than they typically receive. Most manufacturers default to FIFO or weighted average simply because that is how their ERP is set up. But in periods of inflation, tariffs, and volatile raw material pricing, that default choice can quietly...
info_outline
Innovation at the Speed of Trust: Why Real Progress Happens When People Connect, Ep #35
Buy the Numbers
Innovation in manufacturing is often framed as a technology problem. Better machines, faster software, smarter automation. But in this episode of Buy the Numbers, the conversation takes a different turn, one that looks past tools and toward the human systems that actually make innovation stick. Mike Payne is joined once again by Al Whatmough, CEO of Toolpath, for a wide-ranging discussion on why innovation truly happens at the speed of communication and why trust, relationships, and shared experiences matter more than ever in an AI-driven world. From AI-powered productivity to the limitations...
info_outline
QDISC Explained: A 5-KPI System for Smarter, More Profitable Manufacturing, Ep #34
Buy the Numbers
KPIs can feel like a buzzword—every manufacturer knows they should be tracking them, but few feel confident about where to start or what actually matters. In this episode of Buy the Numbers, Mike Payne sits down once again with Jon Hughes of CLA to unpack the real purpose of KPIs, why they’re so misunderstood, and how data-driven decision-making can completely change the way a shop performs. Mike and Jon dive into the QDISC framework—Quality, Delivery, Inventory, Safety, and Cost—and explore how these five buckets give manufacturers a clear, stable foundation for...
info_outline
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_outlineWhen I first heard about the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” I knew we had to break it down for the MakingChips audience. This isn’t just another tax update—it’s a massive, 900-page piece of legislation with real implications for manufacturers like us. Whether you're thinking about buying equipment, expanding your facility, hiring more people, or selling your business down the road, the OBBB touches nearly every part of the decision-making process.
That’s why I called up my friends at CLA—Susan Roberts and Steve Combs—two tax pros who spend every day helping manufacturers figure out what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what you need to do now. In this episode, we sort through what’s “informational” and what’s “actionable”—so you can stop guessing and start planning.
We talk about everything from the return of 100% bonus depreciation, to how you can now expense R&D costs again (finally), to smart moves around entity selection and estate planning. There’s even a little salt cap drama in there. If you want to get ahead before year-end—or avoid getting caught off guard—this episode’s for you.
Let’s get into it and talk about how this “big, beautiful” bill can work for you… not against you.
Segments
- (0:18) Grow your top and bottom-line with CLA
- (1:33) Learn more about Susan Roberts and Steve Combs
- (4:05) What’s “informational” vs. “actionable” in the bill
- (7:42) Bonus depreciation is back—100% write-offs retroactive to Jan 19, 2025
- (10:01) How cost segregation studies unlock more depreciation for recent building purchases
- (12:20) Why you shouldn’t buy machines just for the deduction
- (13:45) QBI deduction (20%) made permanent (and what that means)
- (17:48) Entity selection: Is it time to consider a C Corp?
- (19:30) R&D can now be fully expensed—unlocking credits, cash flow, and retroactive deductions for everyday shop work
- (27:37) Why you should listen to Buy the Numbers
- (30:17) Interest expense deductions get easier for manufacturers in 2025
- (32:00) Limitations on capitalizing interest into inventory coming in 2026
- (33:21) Individual tax deductions: SALT cap increased from $10K to $40K (with phaseout)
- (38:02) Why PTET (pass-through entity tax) strategies still matter
- (40:39) Advanced manufacturing credit for semiconductors increased from 20% to 35%
- (42:09) Clarifying that buying tax credits is still an option for large C Corps
- (46:55) Estate exemption increased to $15M and indexed for inflation
- (48:02) Opportunity Zone deferral extended—now with rolling 10-year plan
- (50:10) Low-hanging fruit for 2025: R&D recapture, bonus depreciation, cost seg studies
- (53:40) The risk of unintended consequences without a tax advisor
- (55:01) Final verdict: Is the One Big Beautiful Bill actually beautiful for manufacturing?
- (1:01:16) Don’t get burned by recruiters who don’t understand manufacturing
Resources mentioned on this episode
- CLA’s Website
- Susan Roberts - Susan.Roberts@CLAConnect.com
- Steve Combs - Steve.Combs@CLAConnect.com
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
- Manufacturing Grants Made Simple
- Hire MFG Leaders