Making Utah
an iMpact Utah Podcast
Making Utah is the voice of Utah manufacturing. It's where you get a behind-the-scenes look at products made in Utah and the people who are making them. Talking with founders and executives, we'll dig into the raw material behind these businesses' histories, failures, successes, and lessons learned.
You'll be surprised to discover what's made in your backyard.
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Top 10 Making Utah Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Making Utah episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Making Utah for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Making Utah episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
08/15/24 • 46 min
Can FUN be one of your company values?
We interviewed Louis Pope, who’s a legendary manufacturing figure in Utah. Not just because he’s the founder of US Synthetic—a now-quarter-billion dollar manufacturing company that makes diamond inserts for down-hole drilling tools—but because of the impactful company culture he built along the way.
US Synthetic is one of the premier providers of diamond-based drill bits in the world. Wherever oil is drilled, you’ll likely find a diamond bit made by US Synthetic. While the company has been acquired multiple times in the past couple of decades, it didn’t take off right away.
Learn how a unique corporate culture and a commitment to continuous improvement helped US Synthetic weather 13 years of what Louis Pope himself called “a slog,” struggling to make payroll before they exploded into one of the most successful manufacturing companies in the diamond insert manufacturing market.
Louis’s perspective on how leaders bear a responsibility to empower and support their employees truly embodies his company motto of “improving lives.”
We’re excited to share with our listeners stories of how Louis inspired his team to lean into their curiosity and their sense of fun, even through tough times, including tales of homemade bowling ball cannons and a human slingshot.
Don’t miss this one!
Ghost Boards: Create Raving Product Fans
Making Utah
10/25/24 • 39 min
When you have a mid-life crisis, you either buy a sports car or start a longboard company.
At least that's what Russ Warner did after 29 years in a white collar job.
Russ Warner is the self-proclaimed Chief Longboarding Officer of Ghost Boards, a company he started in 2017 after stumbling upon something his neighbor made. Ghost Boards makes customizable acrylic longboards, skateboards, and electric longboards. They can be cut into almost any shape and many don LED lights.
Russ was a born manufacturer and entrepreneur. At 8 he started his own chocolate-making business. Later in the life, he started a few different businesses. Some were successful and others faded, but the bulk of his career was spent in the mortgage industry.
It wasn't until he ordered a longboard and realized how bad the quality was that he really started to pursue working with his neighbor who had created this eye-catching longboard Russ wanted to own.
After 6 years, Russ finally convinced his business partner to start making longboards with him, and the rest is history.
Ghost Boards has ten of thousands of followers on TikTok and even more on Instagram. They also make custom branded boards for businesses, which iMpact Utah has taken full advantage of.
Listen to the full episode to learn:
- How Russ has organically grown his business
- How knowing enough about a lot of things has helped his business get off the ground
- What processes have helped Ghost Boards alleviate the challenges that come with manufacturing fully customized boards
- The perks of being willing to jump into the marketing world as a founder
- What gives Russ is youthful spirit and zest for life!
Head to iMpact Utah's YouTube Channel to see what Ghost Boards look like in the video recording of this episode.
Get on iMpact Utah's email list for more episodes and opportunities for Utah manufacturers.
SIGN UP: https://www.impactutah.org/contact-resources
iMpact Utah is the business transformation partner for Utah manufacturers, helping small to large companies optimize performance, increase profits, and scale. iMpact is the only manufacturing consulting and training firm that guarantees results and is held accountable to making a measurable impact in Utah’s economy. Each year, iMpact Utah’s clients report hundreds of millions of dollars in new sales, retained sales, and cost savings as the result of working with the iMpact team. Manufacturers who work with iMpact receive support through boots-on-the-ground coaching, consulting, training, and residencies while also taking advantage of free tools, events, and content from subject matter experts.
10/04/24 • 40 min
With the presidential election quickly approaching, Sun Print Solutions in West Valley City has been ramping up to endure the most chaotic season in their business.
Sun Print is the go-to for printing and mailing of election materials, working with political teams all over the country. The average order for a political piece is 100,000 units, and some of their orders require more than $1 million in postage alone.
Jennifer Pettinger purchased Sun Print Solutions with her business partner Sara Deneau in 2019 and they've been growing ever since. Sun Print was recently awarded an SBA award as a 100% woman-owned business.
While some may argue that Sun Print is a manufacturing company, Jennifer says they absolutely are. They take clients' ideas and make them reality. They are also an essential piece to the manufacturing puzzle, making the boxes many products are packaged in. Brand packaging alone is a highly scientific manufacturing process. Matching Coca-Cola red and Vivint orange isn't as easy as one may think.
When Jennifer purchased Sun Print Solutions, she had an extensive print background. Her parents owned a print shop she ultimately took over, and then merged that business with Sun Print when it was up for sale.
In this episode, Jennifer shares how she rallies her team through busy season, tackles challenges with product quality, and works through the unique circumstances that comes with being a union printer.
Sun Print Solutions offers a variety of printing, mailing, and packaging services, including offset, digital, and lithography printing. The company also offers direct mail printing and services, including political mailings, voter outreach, and cause marketing. Check them out: https://sunprintsolutions.com/
About iMpact Utah
iMpact Utah is the business transformation partner for Utah manufacturers, helping small to large companies optimize performance, increase profits, and scale. iMpact is the only manufacturing consulting and training firm that guarantees results and is held accountable to making a measurable impact in Utah’s economy. Each year, iMpact Utah’s clients report hundreds of millions of dollars in new sales, retained sales, and cost savings as the result of working with the iMpact team. Manufacturers who work with iMpact receive support through boots-on-the-ground coaching, consulting, training, and residencies while also taking advantage of free tools, events, and content from subject matter experts. Connect with the regional director assigned to your area to access the no-cost resources that will address your company’s most pressing needs.
07/10/24 • 31 min
Caroline Chapdelaine is the CEO of one of the most highly technical types of manufacturing companies in the U.S.
Her company Northstar Photonics makes premium, customizable components for navigation systems and sells to aerospace and defense organizations.
Do any of these types of products sound familiar? IOCA phase modulator. PIC detector module. Cerberus 3-channel phase modulator.
Yeah, we didn't know what those terms meant either. Luckily, Caroline translated. She said one of the products Northstar makes is an extremely accurate gyroscope. Every smart phone has a gyroscope that tells your phone your general location. That's what makes map apps work. The gyroscopes Northstar creates is used for precise locations that would help a missile, for example, hit its target exactly.
Pretty cool, right?
Caroline began her defense career as a Captain in the US Army. She then worked for well known defense companies like Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies. She also got into The Wharton School's MBA program where she first started seriously considering purchasing a company vs. starting her own.
The combination of her defense background and itch to lead and grow her own business led her to purchase Northstar Photonics with partners in 2022.
She also shares how she navigates leading a highly technical business and what traits really matter to ensure her success.
09/11/24 • 40 min
After becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst, earning an MBA, and finishing law school, David had the Wall Street career, but couldn't shake being drawn to Main Street businesses.
In 2018, David purchased Lehi Bakery in Lehi, Utah, home of the square doughnut. For many, lining up for a square doughnut every Saturday morning is a tradition. They are THAT good. Thanks to David, even more people can enjoy the sweet, sticky, doughy goodness of these beloved treats because he has significantly improved the company's efficiency and processes, which has led to expansion opportunities.
David's involvement in the Utah food scene doesn't stop there. His company Kensington Asset Management also owns Magleby's and Summit Pizza Co & Ice Cream.
While expanding is exciting, David does it for more than the money or clout. He does it for his people. He is passionate about changing the script on food jobs and offering more opportunities for individuals to advance. The most fulfilling thing he does is give employees the opportunity to flourish the same way someone granted that opportunity to his mom who is a great source of inspiration.
If you've considered purchasing business, need to standardize a business, or just love square Lehi Bakery doughnuts, give this episode a listen!
Learn more about how iMpact Utah helps Utah manufacturers profit more and strengthens Utah's economy at www.impactutah.org.
01/10/24 • 31 min
The legislative session in Utah starts TODAY!
About 1,500 bills have been filed and 150 of those may affect Utah manufacturing in some way.
Naturally, we had to get one of the state's highly knowledgeable manufacturing lobbyists in the hot seat to prepare us for the next 45 days.
Todd is also the President and CEO of the Utah Manufacturers Association and on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers.
He simplifies how the legislative session works, what the pressing issues are, and what manufacturers should be aware of.
We are grateful for Todd, other lobbyists, and manufacturing leaders that give the industry a voice on Capitol Hill.
01/29/24 • 35 min
The larger the business, the more difficult it can be to rebuild workplace culture. However, this company did it in two years and has seen retention increase significantly.
Better Being Co. is a whole-body wellness company in Ogden, Utah that has grown exponentially since its inception in 1993. In 2017, the company went from publicly-traded to private when HGGC purchased them.
It’s currently producing 3,000+ wellness product SKUs under one roof, and has acquired more than 65 wellness brands delivering powders, capsules, tablets, liquids, and other supplement products. Better Being Co. booked $344 million in annual revenue from March 2020 to March 2021 at the height of COVID shutdowns.
Better Being is the largest vertically integrated nutraceutical company in the U.S., which means it’s in control of every stage of product development, from sourcing to labeling to delivering to the end consumer. Despite some supply chain issues, this integration made them extremely competitive through the COVID era. The company’s current strongest distribution channel is Amazon, but Better Being’s products can be also be found in retail stores nationwide.
Andrew Seelos, the company’s VP of liquid manufacturing, began his relationship with the company as an auditor, then worked in Better Being Co.’s finance department for 20 years. In the last six years he has transitioned into an operations role that he said has pushed him to grow more than he did in all of his previous years with the company.
In this episode, he shares why Better Being Co. had to step up their employer brand game and how they did it. Their retention rate stays at all-time highs while turnover remains low.
This is thanks to a combination of
- Competitive maternity and paternity policies
- Competitive entry-level and hourly pay
- An onsite health clinic
- Flex schedules (working four 10-hours shifts vs. eight five-hour shifts)
- Staying committed to their employee’s overall wellness
Better Being Co. is a great example of the payoff that happens when leaders invest in people and lean into a mission, vision, and values that truly means something to its employees.
Need help rebuilding your workplace culture? Connect with Utah's manufacturing transformation partners to see how we can help you multiply performance in months, not years.
Website: https://www.impactutah.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactutah-org
Email: [email protected]
Watch more Making Utah episodes!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf59fz6P61m-Uc-AU_fR9ldDPDbIwL78F
Listen on Spotify for Apple Podcasts!
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/6dCMPKnjuilaEcg1ZcBNdl
APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-utah/id1718789552
WEBSITE: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2279775
11/12/24 • 37 min
Brad Plothow, Chief Growth Officer at Intergalactic—a leading defense and space manufacturing company in Utah, is known for their bold rebranding from "Airborne ECS" to "Intergalactic," inspired by the iconic Beastie Boys song "Intergalactic," Intergalactics forward-thinking company is not only reshaping the landscape of aerospace branding and engineering, they're an example of learning from the old in order to develop the new.
Brad shares insights into the complexities of aerospace manufacturing, including the development of advanced thermal management systems that are essential for high-stakes environments like supersonic flights, space travel, and space tourism. These custom-components represent a breakthrough into modern aerospace technology.
The episode tackles the biggest obstacles faced by aerospace startups, such as overcoming the inertia against innovation, navigating the dreaded “Valley of Death” phase, and securing consistent funding in a volatile industry. Brad highlights how Intergalactic’s creative marketing strategies, especially on LinkedIn, have driven meaningful business relationships and established a standout brand presence.
Podcast Highlights:
- How innovative branding can set aerospace companies apart and drive growth
- The uphill battle of turning groundbreaking ideas into scalable technologies
- Strategies for surviving funding uncertainties and long development timelines
- The resilience needed to thrive in aerospace, with examples like partnerships in electric air taxis and supersonic technologies
- The importance of storytelling and authentic engagement in B2B marketing
This podcast is packed with lessons on creativity, strategic branding, and perseverance that resonate far beyond the aerospace sector. Learn how Intergalactic’s approach to innovation, marketing, and business development has positioned them as a leader in Utah's growing aerospace industry.
Listen now to discover actionable insights and the inspiring journey of Intergalactic’s rise in the competitive world of aerospace.
04/19/24 • 36 min
We are so excited to share our latest podcast featuring Brad Robeson! Brad Robeson is the owner and president of Clean Machine; a precision component machine shop in West Jordan. Brad also serves in the Salt Lake Chamber, the National Tooling and Machining Association, as well as the Utah Manufacturers Association. Before all this, he had a very successful career of 28 years working with The National Cancer Institute.
Brad's experiences in coaching and leadership run deep, and he has the resume to show for it! In this episode, he attributes a lot of his success to the mentors who taught him valuable lessons from a young age that changed the course of his life.
Through these life lessons and all the years spent in the manufacturing industry, Brad is dedicated to his dream of promoting today's manufacturing and tomorrow's technology as early as Kindergarten. This can help set kids on a specific track early on so they can develop the skills necessary to discover what kind of work excites them and better fulfill their role in society.
02/12/24 • 33 min
Daniel Benites is a flavor magician who has been bringing out-of-this-world salsas, dips, and sauces to Utahans for a decade.
After moving to Utah, Daniel was underwhelmed by the salsas he found at restaurants and grocery stores. They were too sweet and didn't have the right flavor balance he was looking for.
So, Daniel started experimenting in his kitchen, and decided to bring his creations to local farmer's markets. They were an immediate hit. At the time, he didn't realize he'd one day be selling in stores like Whole Foods, Harmon's, and more with dozens of recipes, from queso to pesto. Now, Salsa Del Diablo is always one of the busiest stands at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market and is a market sponsor. Their customers not only appreciate how delicious each of their products is, but that Daniel prioritizes sourcing ingredients locally as often as possible.
However, when Salsa Del Diablo started to take off, transitioning from small batches to large batches didn't come without challenges. Learning Good Manufacturing Practices was a big learning curve that made Daniel question if he wanted to continue.
In this episode, Daniel talks about growing into a leader that could hand over his recipes to a capable team, build processes, and dive into the regulatory world, so more people could enjoy his products.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Making Utah have?
Making Utah currently has 23 episodes available.
What topics does Making Utah cover?
The podcast is about Management, Podcasts, Manufacturing and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Making Utah?
The episode title 'Minky Couture: Growth Through Giving' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Making Utah?
The average episode length on Making Utah is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of Making Utah released?
Episodes of Making Utah are typically released every 18 days, 20 hours.
When was the first episode of Making Utah?
The first episode of Making Utah was released on Nov 21, 2023.
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