Episode 206: Josh McKnight | Lineage Metallurgical & Cuda Grit

Episode 206: Josh McKnight | Lineage Metallurgical & Cuda Grit

Cliff turns the mic on one of his own — Josh McKnight (Lineage Metallurgical and Cuda Grit). They've shoveled gravel together, worked every corner of the Tungco operation, and now Josh is navigating what might be the strangest sales environment in the company's history: tungsten prices going straight to the stratosphere, quotes that expire in three days, customers starting to explore alternatives, and a thermal spray and grit product line that's pulling from every direction at once. Equal parts business conversation, Kentucky roots, and two guys who know exactly where each other came from.  Hosted by Cliff Nance of Tungco — where hard work meets honest talk about leadership, innovation, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

Episode 205: Bryan Mills of CP Carbide

Cliff sits down with Bryan Mills of CP Carbide — a California-based, three-generation family business that has been privately sourcing and supplying tungsten carbide wear parts since 1995. Bryan breaks down how his dad's 1988 trip to China started it all, why CP Carbide's private-label model means their name almost never appears on the product, and what it's like to watch tungsten prices hit levels that haven't been seen since World War Two. Plus: the honest conversation about polycrystalline diamond as a rising alternative, Trump's critical minerals vault, and what happens when quotes go stale in less than 24 hours. Hosted by Cliff Nance of Tungco — where hard work meets honest talk about leadership, innovation, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

Episode 204: Matthew Keske of Vermeer Corporation

Cliff sits down with Matt Keske, commodity manager for Wear Tools at Vermeer Corporation — one of the most diversified heavy equipment manufacturers in the world — to talk tungsten, supply chain strategy, and what 30 years inside a company that's a mile long actually looks like. Matt breaks down how AI infrastructure and data center build-outs are quietly driving underground drilling demand, why strategic partnerships matter more than spot pricing when metals markets get chaotic, and what it means to be a wear tools buyer navigating today's commodity headwinds. Plus: the tornado that leveled a steel building and left only concrete — and how that rebuilt Plant 7 is now one of the best in Pella. Hosted by Cliff Nance of Tungco — where hard work meets honest talk about leadership, innovation, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

Episode 203: Ashley Hunsaker of HTS Coatings

Cliff sits down with Ashley Hunsaker, co-founder and CEO of HTS Coatings, for one of the most candid conversations about building a business from scratch — eight months pregnant, living in an 800-square-foot house, and saying yes when everyone else was saying no. Ashley breaks down what thermal spray coatings actually do (hint: they're inside the landing gear on the plane you flew here on), how HTS developed a proprietary chrome alternative with near-zero porosity, and why the tungsten price environment is forcing the whole industry to ask hard questions. A family business story that's equal parts grit, strategy, and a husband who briefly said 'I quit' at exactly the wrong moment.  Hosted by Cliff Nance of Tungco — where hard work meets honest talk about leadership, innovation, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

Episode 202: Chris Capps of Tungco Procurement

Cliff sits down with one of Tungco's own — procurement specialist Chris Capps — to talk tungsten markets, trust in volatile times, and what 16-plus years inside a carbide recycling operation actually teaches you. From sorting bits to strategic buying, Chris breaks down why the current tungsten pricing environment is unlike anything the industry has ever seen, and why trust might be the most valuable commodity of all. Plus: boats, baby milestones, and a Rolex with a story behind it. Hosted by Cliff Nance of Tungco — where hard work meets honest talk about leadership, innovation, and what it takes to build something that lasts.