Smart Factory Podcast Series

What if manufacturers could predict how customers will respond to a marketing campaign before spending a single advertising dollar? In this episode of the Smart Factory Podcast, Matt Holjes talks with Akaash Ramakrishnan, co-founder of AdSkate, about how artificial intelligence is transforming marketing through simulated audiences. Developed from research at Carnegie Mellon University, AdSkate's AI platform helps organizations evaluate advertising, messaging, creative content, and customer resonance before campaigns go…

What does it take to modernize a 100-year-old family business without losing what made it successful in the first place? Nick Mancini Hartner of Mancini's Bakery shares how the iconic Pittsburgh bakery is blending artisan breadmaking traditions with smart manufacturing technologies to improve quality, traceability, and operational performance. From hand-twisted loaves and family history to digital transformation, RFID tracking, and data-driven decision-making, this conversation explores how innovation can support…

Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities for manufacturers to improve productivity, preserve workforce knowledge, and streamline operations without major capital investments. In this episode, Adam Marsh of Ledge discusses how manufacturers are using AI to support quality management, quoting, scheduling, contract review, and digital work instructions. The conversation explores strategies for capturing tribal knowledge before experienced workers retire, avoiding common AI implementation pitfalls, and building a practical roadmap that…

From a two-car garage welding business to a manufacturing enterprise serving defense, energy, and data center markets, Bill Polacek shares the leadership principles, workforce strategies, and community commitment that fueled JWF Industries’ growth. Learn why culture, diversification, and investing in people remain the foundation of long-term manufacturing success. To put these human-centric values into practice on your shop floor, leaders often implement structured supervisory programs like Training Within Industry…

In this episode of the Smart Factory Podcast, Petra Mitchell speaks with Doug Gudenburr about the evolution of DMI Companies and the operational decisions shaping modern manufacturing growth in southwestern Pennsylvania. Doug reflects on DMI’s origins in the Mon Valley, the development of Ductmate’s innovative HVAC technologies, and how the company expanded into digital building controls, indoor air quality systems, and energy-efficient solutions.