Welcome to the Industrial Executive!

I’m super glad you’re here.

Let’s get to it!

Italian pet food giant Farmina just opened their first U.S. manufacturing facility in Reidsville, North Carolina.

After 50 years of shipping premium pet nutrition products across the Atlantic, they're finally setting up shop stateside.

The North Carolina facility will serve their growing U.S. customer base while creating local manufacturing jobs.

Smart move, especially in an industry where product freshness and shelf life matter.

For manufacturing leaders watching this space: pay attention to how premium brands are prioritizing market proximity over traditional cost optimization. The calculus has shifted, and the companies adapting fastest are the ones positioning themselves for the next decade of growth.

Hoping to see more of this soon.

The hardest part about operational excellence isn't identifying improvements - it's affording the people who can actually implement them.

Here's the problem:

You need senior operations talent to break through to the next level, but your margins can't support senior operations talent yet.

Picture this scenario:

You're running a $25M manufacturing operation with 8% EBITDA.

That's $2M in profit.

The VP of Operations you need to hit $75M costs $180K-220K base, plus bonus structure.

Your options?

Burn 15% of your entire profit on one hire who might not deliver, or keep grinding as the plant manager/operations director/project manager/firefighter all in one.

Both options suck.

Most manufacturing leaders pick Option 3.

But the only way out of that rut is accepting one of those terrible short-term choices.

The smart play is Option 1 - because staying stuck guarantees your competition will eventually eat your lunch.

It still feels risky, but think of that investment as paying down your operational knowledge debt.

Here's what I've learned after 15+ years in this industry: there are proven ways to navigate this transition without betting the farm on the wrong person.

Getting it right can leapfrog you straight past the competition. Getting it wrong can set you back three years and put you in a worse position than when you started.

The manufacturers who break through this ceiling all do one thing differently - they invest in people before they think they can afford to.

And this applies to more than just executives.

Pay your shop floor talent more too.

Let’s get the rockstar high school graduate that can rebuild a 1993 Chevy V8 engine and has hundreds of GitHub commits to work on the centrifuge bearings and rewrite your DCS code.

You can’t do that if you’re paying them the same starting wage as McDonalds.

Your next move matters.

This week’s executive is Vanessa Loiola!

This week, Vanessa, known as "The Robot Queen," is the Founder & CEO of Valoy Automation and one of LinkedIn’s most influential voices in robotics, is in the hot seat.

Let’s just say she knows a few things about being an industrial executive.

Enjoy this Q&A with Vanessa:

1. What's one belief about leadership or operations that you held for years that you now realize was completely wrong?

I used to think leadership meant always having the answers and directing people. But over time, I’ve learned that the best leaders listen more than they speak. They create space for others to contribute, especially on the plant floor where real insights live. Leadership is more about guiding and supporting than controlling.

2. What's the most effective way you've found to get buy-in from plant floor operators when implementing new systems?

The key is involving them from the start. No one likes to have a new system dropped on them without explanation. I explain the “why” behind the change and show how it will actually help them day-to-day — whether that’s less downtime, fewer errors, or making their tasks easier. I also make sure their feedback is taken seriously, not just heard.

3. How do you communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders without losing them or oversimplifying the problem?

I always focus on outcomes first. What problem are we solving? What’s the impact? Then I use simple examples or analogies they can relate to, like explaining robot programming as giving step-by-step instructions, like a recipe. Visuals help too. I avoid jargon unless I’m sure they understand it.

4. You've been in manufacturing for a while. What's one piece of conventional wisdom that's completely wrong in today's environment?

“If it’s working, don’t change it.” I hear this a lot, especially in manufacturing — but in today’s world, it’s risky. Just because something is running doesn’t mean it’s running well. It could be outdated, inefficient, or holding the team back from growing. In automation, staying the same can cost more than upgrading.

5. What's the best way to improve communication breakdowns between siloed groups of people, leadership to operations, etc?

Break the silos by creating regular, informal check-ins. Get leadership, engineering, and operations in the same room — not just for reports, but real conversations. Also make sure everyone understands the bigger picture. When people know how their work connects to the company’s goals, collaboration gets easier.

6. What's your process for staying current with industry trends without getting distracted by every shiny new technology?

I stay curious. I follow thought leaders, watch what major robot brands are doing, attend expos, and test new tools when I can. I also learn a lot just by being hands-on in the field. Speaking to technicians, seeing real-world problems, and figuring out what actually works.

7. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to speak up or take the lead. Even if you’re the only woman in the room, your voice matters. Keep learning, stay close to the work, and trust your instincts. You don’t need to know everything to make an impact, just be willing to grow, show up, and stay curious.

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And that’s all folks!

Till next week,

The Industrial Executive