In this episode of the Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin Goethe sits down with Braydon McCormick, C-suite operator, serial entrepreneur, and Co-Founder & Managing Director of Light Forge Works, to cut through the noise surrounding artificial intelligence in manufacturing.

Rather than dashboards, chatbots, and “AI for AI’s sake,” Braydon brings an operator-first perspective on how AI should actually be deployed inside mid-market and PE-backed organizations — focusing on real bottlenecks, measurable ROI, and execution on the shop floor.

This is a grounded, tactical conversation for leaders who want AI to drive margin, throughput, and enterprise value, not just check a buzzword box.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Why most AI initiatives fail to deliver ROI
• The danger of “AI in search of a problem”
• How AI can connect siloed systems without massive IT projects
• Real examples of communication breakdowns in manufacturing operations
• Using AI to shorten RFP cycles and prevent dropped opportunities
• Why single-purpose AI applications beat large enterprise rollouts
• How AI augments people instead of replacing them
• The economics of modern AI-first software development
• CapEx vs. OpEx thinking for custom AI tools
• What mid-market manufacturers need to know about AI security and data privacy
• Where companies get burned by chatbots and poor AI implementations

🚨 Common AI Mistakes Braydon Sees in Manufacturing

• Deploying chatbots that don’t improve revenue, margin, or service
• Trying to “boil the ocean” instead of solving one clear problem
• Ignoring broken communication flows between sales, engineering, vendors, and the shop floor
• Treating AI as a replacement for people instead of an accelerant
• Rolling out tools without validation, guardrails, or human oversight

💡 Big Takeaway

AI delivers value only when it’s tied to a specific business problem. The real power of AI isn’t flashy interfaces — it’s quietly eliminating friction between systems, people, and processes. When done right, AI dramatically compresses cycle times, reduces errors, and allows teams to operate at a higher level without adding headcount.

As Braydon puts it: Don’t ask what AI can do. Ask what problem you’re trying to solve — then apply AI surgically.

🧠 AI on the Shop Floor (What Actually Works)

The conversation dives deep into how AI can:

• Read drawings and historical data to support faster engineering decisions
• Assist with RFP triage and prioritization
• Reduce handoffs, rework, and miscommunication
• Act as a “gatekeeper” that ensures critical steps aren’t missed
• Enable faster, cleaner execution without massive ERP replacements

Rather than enterprise-wide transformations, Braydon advocates for small, high-impact AI applications that deliver fast wins and compound over time.

👤 About Today’s Guest

Braydon McCormick is a seasoned C-suite operator and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience helping mid-market and PE-backed companies turn advanced technology into real operating results. As Co-Founder & Managing Director of Light Forge Works, Braydon has led companies from zero to exit-ready, built high-margin services businesses, secured FDA approvals, and developed defensible IP through patented innovation.

He specializes in AI-first software development, digital transformation, and operational scaling in complex, regulated environments.

📬 Connect with Braydon & Light Forge Works

• Light Forge Works: https://www.lightforgeworks.com
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dbmcco/

In this episode of the Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin Goethe is joined by Reid Klosowsky and Bill Moroney, co-founders of Freight Think LLC and former senior leaders at Bed Bath & Beyond. Together, they unpack why freight and transportation spend is one of the most misunderstood — and most powerful — levers for improving profitability in today’s supply chains.

With decades of experience spanning transportation, vendor management, and retail supply chain operations, Reid and Bill share practical insights on how companies can move beyond averages, silos, and “default decisions” to truly understand the real cost of moving products.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Why freight data is notoriously messy — and why most companies stop too early
• The hidden cost of “average-based” freight assumptions
• How product decisions and transportation decisions quietly work against each other
• The danger of premium freight becoming the default instead of the exception
• Why e-commerce magnifies freight mistakes (and losses) at scale
• The difference between shipping a truck vs. shipping a SKU
• How incentive structures drive freight behavior — for better or worse
• Where AI is already helping (and where human judgment still matters)
• Early thoughts on blockchain, visibility, and what actually creates value
• Why companies with thin margins feel freight pain the fastest

🚨 Common Freight Mistakes Reid & Bill See All the Time

• Paying for faster service levels that provide zero real benefit
• Treating freight as “someone else’s problem” instead of a total landed cost issue
• Making sourcing decisions that lower unit cost but raise total supply chain cost
• Letting fear of stockouts justify permanent premium freight behavior
• Celebrating sales spikes without realizing they’re losing money per unit

💡 Big Takeaway

Freight isn’t just a logistics problem — it’s a profitability problem. When companies connect freight data to products, forecasts, service levels, and incentives, they unlock opportunities that directly improve the bottom line. As Bill puts it: a dollar is a dollar — whether it’s freight, inventory, or markdowns.

🤖 Freight, AI, and the Road Ahead

Reid and Bill also share a grounded, experience-based perspective on AI in freight and supply chain analytics. While AI can dramatically speed up analysis and surface insights, they emphasize the importance of clean data, context, and human oversight — especially when decisions impact margins at scale.

👥 About Today’s Guests

Reid Klosowsky is Co-Founder of Freight Think LLC and former VP of Global Transportation & Supply Chain Flow at Bed Bath & Beyond, where he led a $10B transportation network through massive disruption and transformation.

Bill Moroney is Co-Founder of Freight Think LLC and former VP of Vendor Management at Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY, with deep expertise in supplier performance, cost-to-serve models, and profitability optimization.

📬 Connect with Freight Think

• Website: https://www.freightthink.com
  
  
• LinkedIn: Bill Maroney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-maroney-07b5a61a1/
• LinkedIn: Reid Klosowsky - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reid-klosowsky-8909831/

Guest:

Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director, LFM Capital
MIT LGO (MBA/MSEE) | Former Dell Plant Manager | Private Equity Operator & Educator

🎙️ Episode Overview

In this powerhouse conversation, Justin sits down with Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director at LFM Capital, a private equity firm uniquely built and led by operators and engineers. Steve shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights on how LFM identifies, acquires, and transforms mid-market manufacturing companies—not through financial engineering, but through people-centric leadership, hands-on operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to long-term value creation.

With decades of experience leading industrial businesses, teaching at Harvard Business School, and mentoring future leaders at MIT, Steve brings a refreshing blend of humility, clarity, and practicality to the world of PE-backed manufacturing.

If you're a manufacturing leader, business owner, aspiring CEO, or private equity stakeholder, this is a must-listen.

1. Why LFM Capital Breaks the Traditional PE Mold

• LFM is one of the only U.S. private equity firms where an operating partner also runs the firm.
• True parity between deal partners and operating partners leads to better diligence, alignment, and execution.
• How LFM avoids the “painted-on operating partner” problem common in the industry.

2. What PE Really Looks for in Mid-Market Manufacturing Deals

• Why LFM invests in companies with $3–$15M EBITDA and fewer than ~250 employees.
• How leadership quality, culture, and values matter more than perfect metrics.
• Why buyers should not pursue “perfect companies”—real value is created where opportunity exists.

3. Leadership: The Make-or-Break Factor in Value Creation

• Arrogance is the enemy of leadership—humility is essential.
• Why effective CEOs must be able to “play the full keyboard”:
  • Shop floor → Board room → Customer meetings.
• LFM’s CEO Development Program: a 5–7 year rotational system creating cross-functional, hands-on, next-generation executives.

4. The First 100 Days After Acquisition

• LFM’s collaborative approach: no “one-size-fits-all” playbook.
• How they co-create an Operational Agenda before closing a deal.
• Why focusing on just three priorities at a time is essential for smaller companies.

5. Implementing Lean in Resource-Constrained Environments

• Why Lean is easier to implement in small companies than large ones.
• The cultural importance of leadership buy-in—especially from the CEO.
• Steve’s take on fractional CI leadership, external facilitation, and when companies should backfill with full-time CI talent.

6. How LFM Navigates Tough Deals & Upholds Values

• The Apollo 13 story: how LFM refused to abandon a distressed deal, preserving jobs, paying back lenders, and honoring the seller’s legacy.
• Why LFM optimizes for a 50-year time horizon, not a 5-year fund cycle.

• Mid-market manufacturing owners considering an exit
• CEOs and plant leaders navigating growth or operational challenges
• Private equity operating partne

In this episode of The Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin sits down with Rob Tykal—former President, COO, and VP of Global Operations at organizations like Danaher, GM, Daimler, and Superior Industries—for a deep, practical conversation on supply chain, materials management, and leadership.

While the video recording unfortunately cuts out around the 29-minute mark (lesson learned on DSLR limits), the insights captured are pure gold. Rob breaks down why forecast-driven systems consistently fail manufacturers, how consumption-based replenishment actually works in practice, and why great operational leaders must live at the gemba—not just in spreadsheets.

From Kanban design levels and safety stock logic to humility in executive leadership, this episode is a masterclass for mid-market manufacturers looking to improve flow, reduce inventory risk, and build sustainable operational cultures.

🎧 Full audio is intact, and Rob will be back for a follow-up episode.

⏱️ Episode Highlights

• Why all forecasts are wrong—and why companies still rely on them
• The grocery store analogy that perfectly explains pull-based replenishment
• How Kanban design levels eliminate the “cut inventory” debate
• Why excess inventory and stockouts usually coexist
• The real cost of expiration dates, obsolete material, and long lead times
• What executives must learn to see on the shop floor
• Why humility is the most underrated leadership trait
• How smaller manufacturers can outperform large enterprises operationally
• The difference between tools, systems, and culture—and why culture wins

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Forecasts are necessary but unreliable—consumption should drive replenishment
• Properly designed pull systems self-regulate inventory levels
• Leaders must understand materials deeply; intelligence cannot be delegated
• Inventory problems are rarely downstream issues—they’re leadership issues
• Smaller companies have agility advantages if they execute correctly

👤 About the Guest

Rob Tykal is a seasoned operational executive with decades of experience leading global manufacturing organizations. He has held senior leadership roles across automotive, industrial, and life sciences sectors and is widely respected for his ability to pair rigorous lean systems with people-centered leadership. Rob is known not just for improving processes—but for building cultures that sustain them.

📌 About the Podcast

The Allied Advisors Podcast is for mid-market manufacturers focused on scaling operations, improving material flow, and driving measurable bottom-line results. Hosted by Justin Goethe, each episode features operators, executives, and investors who’ve been in the trenches—and know what actually works.

🔔 Call to Action

If this episode resonated with you:

• Follow The Allied Advisors Podcast on your favorite platform
• Share this episode with a fellow operator or supply-chain leader
• Reach out to Allied Advisors if you’re ready to rethink inventory, flow, and execution

Guests:

• Kyle Henson, Co-Founder & CEO, ARDA
• Uriel Eisen, President & Co-Founder, ARDA (Forbes 30 Under 30)

Hosted by: Justin Goethe, Allied Advisors

Episode Overview

In this episode, Justin sits down with two of manufacturing's fastest-rising innovators, Kyle Henson and Uriel Eisen, the founders of ARDA—the software platform redefining Kanban, replenishment, and material flow for modern factories.

ARDA recently won Best New Product of the Year at The Assembly Show, and after this conversation, it’s easy to understand why. Kyle and Uriel break down how broken information flow—not labor, not layout, not even equipment—is the root cause behind most operational issues. Their solution: a remarkably simple but powerful way to automate Kanban, eliminate stockouts, and boost throughput using physical cards, dynamic sizing, and AI-driven replenishment.

If you’ve ever battled material shortages, overstuffed supermarkets, lost Kanban cards, or ERP systems that promise clarity but deliver chaos—this is the episode for you.

What We Cover

1. The “Broken Information Flow” Crisis in Manufacturing

Kyle explains why traditional ERPs and MRP forecasting models consistently fail on the shop floor—and how ARDA tackles the root problem by marrying physical cards with digital intelligence.

2. How ARDA Automates the Entire Kanban Lifecycle

Uriel walks through ARDA’s full stack of capabilities:

• Automated Kanban sizing
• AI-driven minimum quantity adjustments as throughput changes
• Digital ordering and scan-triggered replenishment
• Lost-card detection
• Full historical usage tracking
• Integration with ERP systems (SAP, NetSuite… AS/400 if you dare)

Justin notes the pain of doing this manually with Excel, BarTender, Label Matrix, and disconnected scan systems—and how ARDA replaces all of it in one platform.

3. Making Kanban “So Easy, You Want to Do It”

A guiding principle in ARDA’s development:

By attaching useful actions to the scan itself (ordering, printing, triggering the next step), ARDA increases scan compliance without administrative policing. Incentives create behavior.

4. One-Way Kanbans, RFID, and Real-World Chaos

Justin shares war stories implementing RFID replenishment:

• Route runners scanning eight cards at once
• Lines waiting for RFID lights
• Infinite reprinting
• Inventory corruption

The conclusion: incentives beat instructions. ARDA’s system is built entirely around this idea.

5. AI-Driven Dynamic Resizing & Value-Stream Connectivity

Perhaps the most groundbreaking part of ARDA:

• The system learns which Kanbans relate to each other by analyzing velocity patterns
• ARDA automatically resizes supermarkets when mix or volumes change
• If upstream suppliers also use ARDA, Kanban signals can flow between companies

The result: true consumption-based pull across the entire supply chain, not just inside one plant.

6. Why Sequencing Fails (and Lean Pull Wins)

Justin and the ARDA team break down why sequencing—still widely used in automotive—is a ticking time bomb:

• Scheduling is inherently unstable
• Upstream disruptions break downstream kits
• Chaos forces rework, relabeling, and waste

Mature lean organizations attack the root causes (leveling attainment, schedule adherence), not the symptoms.

7. The Power of Starting Small

The team emphasizes that most manufacturers freez

Guest: Drew Lawlor, Managing Partner at Global Chain Consulting
Host: Justin Goethe, Founder & President of Allied Advisors
Audience: Mid-market manufacturers, supply chain leaders, PE operators, CEOs, COOs
Episode Theme: Practical, strategic ways manufacturers can navigate today’s tariff volatility, supply chain complexity, and global risk.

⭐ Episode Overview

In this episode, Justin sits down with longtime friend and supply chain expert Drew Lawlor — a manufacturing transformation leader with deep experience across Glowforge, BorgWarner, Bosch, and dozens of mid-market manufacturing clients through Global Chain Consulting.

With tariff volatility, geopolitical tension, and shifting production landscapes, U.S. manufacturers are facing unprecedented pressure. Drew breaks down what he’s seeing in the market, the common mistakes companies make, and the strategic moves strong operators are making today to stay ahead.

From dual sourcing to regional diversification, from poor-performing suppliers to the limits of overreacting to every tariff headline — this conversation brings clarity to one of the most chaotic policy environments manufacturers have seen in years.

🧭 What You’ll Learn

1. How tariff volatility is reshaping manufacturing strategy

Drew explains why reacting emotionally or tactically to every tariff announcement is a costly mistake — and why a blended, de-risked approach is emerging as best practice.

2. Why supplier strength often outweighs cost

Not all “expensive” suppliers are bad. Not all low-cost regions are stable. Expertise and consistency still matter more than ever.

3. The three types of companies reacting to tariff changes

• Wait-and-see operators
• Aggressive over-reactors
• Strategic planners
  …and which category consistently wins.

4. Why diversification and dual sourcing are returning

Not as a panic move — but as a structured way to buffer risk and build long-term stability.

5. What 50+ conversations with manufacturers reveal

Drew shares patterns emerging across cost-reduction programs, supply chain transfers, and re-shoring decisions.

🔍 Key Quotes

🏭 Who This Episode Is For

• Mid-market manufacturing CEOs & COOs
• PE operating partners
• Supply chain & procurement leaders
• Operations executives navigating production transfers
• Anyone evaluating China-plus-one or diversification strategy

💡 Justin’s Takeaway

Tariff environments may be chaotic — but your strategy doesn’t have to be. The companies winning right now are the ones who pause, assess, and build balanced, flexible supply chains rather than chasing headlines.

🔗 Call to Action

If your manufacturing operation is evaluating:

• supplier diversification
• nearshoring or reshoring
• cost-reduction programs
• production transfers
• supply chain risk strategy

…reach out to Allied Advisors. Our Fractional Continuous Improvement Manager (FCIM) program is built to help mid-market manufacturers scale, stabilize, and execute with confidence.

Connect with Drew

LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lawlor-a23bbb159/

Email: drew@globalchainconsulting.com

In this episode of The Allied Advisors Podcast, Justin Goethe sits down with Dan Krouse — founder and principal of a leading supply chain analytics consulting firm — to unpack one of the most complex issues facing manufacturers today: tariffs and trade policy.

With over 30 years of global supply chain leadership at Hallmark, including time spent in Asia during the early days of China’s industrial rise, Dan brings a rare, seasoned perspective to the table. Together, he and Justin explore:

• How shifting tariff policies and geopolitical tensions are reshaping global trade
• Why mid-market manufacturers must treat tariff strategy as an operational issue, not just a financial one
• Practical ways to build supply chain resilience — from diversification and scenario planning to dual-sourcing and design-for-tariff thinking
• The hidden importance of keeping tariff strategy a C-suite conversation

Dan also breaks down how leaders can assess their organization’s maturity level when managing tariff risk and what steps they can take in the next 30–90 days to strengthen their competitive position.

Whether you’re a CEO, supply chain executive, or manufacturing leader, this episode will help you navigate the uncertainty of global trade — and uncover opportunities hidden within it.

Follow Dan

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-krouse/

Website - http://www.supplychainalytics.ai/

Book an Appointment - https://api.connectionconverter.com/widget/bookings/dan-krouse

Email - daniel.krouse35@gmail.com

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Allied Advisors Podcast, I sit down with Chad Bareither, Founder and Principal of Bareither Consulting Group and author of The Improve Less Improvement System. Chad and I dive deep into what it really takes for mid-market manufacturers to transform their operations — not through tools or slogans, but by leading with principles, discipline, and culture.

Chad shares how his background in the U.S. Army introduced him to process improvement and how that foundation shaped his approach to helping mid-market manufacturers scale sustainably. We talk about the realities of driving change in 300–500-person organizations, why leadership commitment is the single biggest differentiator in successful transformations, and how principles like standardization, accountability, and Kaizen remain the bedrock of continuous improvement.

Memorable Quotes

About Chad Breather

Chad Bareither is the Founder and Principal of Bareither Group Consulting, where he helps mid-market manufacturers optimize operations, recover lost margins, and build healthier, more sustainable businesses. A certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and U.S. Army veteran, Chad brings decades of hands-on experience in process improvement, leadership development, and operational transformation. He’s also the author of The Improve Less Improvement System, a practical guide to making continuous improvement simple, actionable, and effective.

Connect with Chad:

• Website: https://www.bareithergroup.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbareither/