The U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Podcast Is Now American Made!
Since its launch, The U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Podcast has served as a platform for thoughtful, in-depth conversations with business leaders across manufacturing and the broader industrial economy. Episodes explored how talent availability intersects with production, supply chains, technology, capital investment, and leadership decision-making inside American industry.
American Made carries forward the same mission, perspective, and quality of discussion, with a catchier name and a new co-host! Workforce remains foundational, but it is now framed as part of a much larger story about how U.S. manufacturing operates, grows, and competes in an increasingly constrained and complex environment.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
U.S. manufacturing is entering 2026 facing a convergence of challenges that extend well beyond any single function or department. Labor shortages remain persistent, with demographic shifts, retirements, and skill gaps accelerating faster than training pipelines can respond. At the same time, reshoring momentum, supply chain reconfiguration, smart manufacturing investments, AI adoption, energy transition, and geopolitical pressure are increasing demand for production capacity across nearly every industrial sector.
The result is a reality manufacturing leaders know well: technology may be advancing rapidly, but workforce availability is a limiting factor for growth, throughput, and operational continuity. In many cases, production timelines are dictated not by equipment or capital, but by how quickly qualified people can be mobilized.
These dynamics are explored in depth in MADICORP’s 2026 manufacturing industry outlook, which outlines how labor has shifted from a stable input to a strategic constraint shaping where companies expand, how fast they scale, and whether they can meet delivery commitments. American Made exists to bring those same issues to life through real conversations with the leaders making decisions in the field.
Joel brings a senior executive perspective shaped by decades of experience leading manufacturing organizations through periods of disruption, growth, and labor constraint. His career has been defined by solving workforce challenges at scale, supporting business continuity during critical production periods, and helping manufacturers adapt when labor availability threatens output and delivery performance.
As a co-host, Joel adds a strategic, operator-level lens to the conversations, connecting workforce realities directly to business outcomes, risk management, and leadership decision-making. His perspective complements the podcast’s long-standing focus on people by grounding each discussion in the realities of running and scaling industrial operations in today’s labor environment.
Her approach has always centered on asking the questions manufacturing leaders are wrestling with and discussing solutions to solve them. Michele brings a unique ability to connect workforce trends to broader operational and strategic challenges, making complex labor issues practical, relevant, and actionable for listeners.
Working together for over 18 years, Michele and Joel have a natural co-host dynamic where workforce strategy, operations, and executive perspectives intersect to deliver practical insights and actionable guidance for American manufacturing leaders.
A Name That Fits the Moment
The name American Made reflects what the podcast has always stood for: the people, decisions, and production capacity that power U.S. manufacturing. It speaks to pride, responsibility, and the real work required to revitalize manufacturing.
Same conversations. New perspectives.
Listen and subscribe to American Made on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.