#76: How COVID, Reshoring & AI Reshaped U.S. Manufacturing in the 2020s

#76: How COVID, Reshoring & AI Reshaped U.S. Manufacturing in the 2020s

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365657/fan_mail/new] Welcome to Factory of the Future, E76, How COVID, Reshoring & AI Reshaped U.S. Manufacturing in the 2020s Join us as we discuss:  - How COVID-19 exposed supply chain vulnerabilities and triggered a reshoring surge—roughly 360,000 jobs returned to the U.S. by 2022, a 53% jump  - On-the-ground pandemic realities: safety protocols inside plants, plus the personal cost and professional growth that came with working through COVID - AI's transformative pull on the factory floor—25% of manufacturers eyeing adoption, and the shift from generative to agentic AI - The workforce question: which jobs AI disrupts (from low-skill service to white-collar legal work) and why partnering with AI is the path forward  And so much more. Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop [https://learnmar.com/product/industry-4-0-workshop/] - Spots are limited!  Connect with A.W. Schultz  Email: aw@awschultz.org  [aw@awschultz.org] Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/ [https://www.awschultz.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured] X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls [https://twitter.com/visual_controls] A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk] Connect with Alexandria Burek Cell Phone: 708-262-2648 Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co [alexandria@vigorinvestments.co] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992] Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria  Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria

**Special Guests** #75: From Food Truck to Robot Barista: How P!ng's Founders Are Automating the Coffee Drive-Through

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365657/fan_mail/new] Welcome to Factory of the Future, E75, From Food Truck to Robot Barista: How P!ng's Founders Are Automating the Coffee Drive-Through Join us as we discuss:  - From iRobot and Amazon Robotics to a food truck rush: how Rob's operator experience exposed the drive-thru bottlenecks p!ng now solves  - Hub-and-spoke model: central kitchens serving multiple pods, plus the Cometeer flash-frozen coffee partnership - Infrastructure and scaling realities—power, water, solar potential, zoning hurdles, and the emerging franchise pipeline  And so much more. Get in touch with our guest: pingthrou.com [http://pingthrou.com] Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop [https://learnmar.com/product/industry-4-0-workshop/] - Spots are limited!  Connect with A.W. Schultz  Email: aw@awschultz.org  [aw@awschultz.org] Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/ [https://www.awschultz.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured] X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls [https://twitter.com/visual_controls] A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk] Connect with Alexandria Burek Cell Phone: 708-262-2648 Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co [alexandria@vigorinvestments.co] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992] Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria  Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria

**Special Guest** #74: Grid-Scale Battery Storage: Inside Inlyte Energy's Iron-Sodium Tech

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365657/fan_mail/new] Welcome to Factory of the Future, E74, Grid-Scale Battery Storage: Inside Inlyte Energy's Iron-Sodium Tech Join us as we discuss:  - Antonio's path from Stanford's Chueh Group and the Activate Fellowship to launching a utility-scale battery company - How Inlyte's iron-sodium battery uses a ceramic membrane and abundant materials like iron powder and table salt to deliver safer, cheaper grid storage than lithium-ion  - The manufacturing differences between iron-sodium and lithium-ion batteries — and why Inlyte is building a U.S.-based, non-Chinese supply chain with New Mexico as a leading site - Real-world applications replacing diesel generators for backup power at hospitals and data centers, with major wins on cost and footprint And so much more. Get in touch with our guest: antonio@inlyteenergy.com [antonio@inlyteenergy.com] Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop [https://learnmar.com/product/industry-4-0-workshop/] - Spots are limited!  Connect with A.W. Schultz  Email: aw@awschultz.org  [aw@awschultz.org] Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/ [https://www.awschultz.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured] X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls [https://twitter.com/visual_controls] A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk] Connect with Alexandria Burek Cell Phone: 708-262-2648 Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co [alexandria@vigorinvestments.co] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992] Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria  Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria

#73: Reinventing the Safe: Oscar Hedaya on Building Smart Security with The Space Safe

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365657/fan_mail/new] Welcome to Factory of the Future, E73, Reinventing the Safe: Oscar Hedaya on Building Smart Security with The Space Safe Join us as we discuss:  - Oscar's "aha moment": why he set out to modernize a product category that hadn't meaningfully evolved in 30 years, and how The Space Safe combines touchscreens, cameras, and connected software  - Inside the build: manufacturing partnerships in Asia, quality control measures, and protecting innovation through utility patents and copyrighted code - Go-to-market strategy: starting with consumers, then retail, then enterprise — including how the notification system can prevent hotel burglaries and open dual-revenue opportunities - Founder lessons: surrounding yourself with supportive people, using AI tools for market research, and the wild story of being stranded in a Middle East war zone And so much more. Get in touch with our guest: oscar@thespacesafe.com [oscar@thespacesafe.com] Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop [https://learnmar.com/product/industry-4-0-workshop/] - Spots are limited!  Connect with A.W. Schultz  Email: aw@awschultz.org  [aw@awschultz.org] Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/ [https://www.awschultz.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured] X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls [https://twitter.com/visual_controls] A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk] Connect with Alexandria Burek Cell Phone: 708-262-2648 Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co [alexandria@vigorinvestments.co] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992] Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria  Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria

**Special Guest** #72: Leading with Character Across Cultures: Björn Vikard on Global Manufacturing Spanning 12 Countries

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365657/fan_mail/new] Welcome to Factory of the Future, E72, Leading with Character Across Cultures: Björn Vikard on Global Manufacturing Spanning 12 Countries Join us as we discuss:  - Managing unionized operations in India  - Stories of how Björn advocates for women in manufacturing  - Building an industrial park in Sri Lanka from scratch - The importance of self-awareness and listening skills required for effective leadership And so much more. Register Now for our Upcoming Industry 4.0 Workshop [https://learnmar.com/product/industry-4-0-workshop/] - Spots are limited!  Connect with A.W. Schultz  Email: aw@awschultz.org  [aw@awschultz.org] Personal Website: https://www.awschultz.org/ [https://www.awschultz.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/awschultz/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured [https://www.youtube.com/@awschultz_Industry5.0/featured] X: https://twitter.com/visual_controls [https://twitter.com/visual_controls] A.W’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcBb6hGFjk] Connect with Alexandria Burek Cell Phone: 708-262-2648 Email: alexandria@vigorinvestments.co [alexandria@vigorinvestments.co] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaburek1992] Instagram: @unapologeticallyalexandria  Threads: @unapologeticallyalexandria