Dr. Karl Hoffower with Failure Prevention Associates

Industrial Talk is onsite at SMRP 2025 and talking to Dr. Karl Hoffower, Executive Director at Failure Prevention Associates about “Industrial Skills Gaps”.

Scott Mackenzie and Dr. Karl Hoffower discuss the importance of asset management and reliability in industrial settings. Dr. Hoffower, former Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehab, now leads Failure Prevention Associates, which provides diagnostic tools and services for asset condition monitoring. They highlight the parallels between healthcare diagnostics and asset monitoring, emphasizing the need for human expertise to interpret AI-generated data. Dr. Hoffower also addresses the skills gap in the labor force, noting a decline in labor participation rates to 63% from 80%. They stress the importance of education and training to inspire the next generation and ensure the success of IoT and wireless sensor technologies.

Lisa Brownlee with Leader’s Imago

Industrial Talk is onsite at SMRP 2025 and talking to Lisa Brownlee, Founder at Leader’s Imago about “Real-world leadership simulation”.

Scott Mackenzie promotes Elevotec’s ERP, EAM, and business intelligence solutions on his industrial podcast. At the SMRP conference, he interviews Lisa Brownlee of Leader’s Imago, who discusses her company’s leadership development program for manufacturing supervisors and managers. The program, a two-and-a-half-day leadership simulation, focuses on real-world challenges and provides high-quality feedback and coaching. Brownlee emphasizes the importance of managers supporting their employees’ growth and the need for vulnerability-based trust. She also highlights the significance of continuous improvement and emotional intelligence in leadership. Brownlee’s contact information is provided for further inquiries.

Amanda Ortiz with Accruent

On this episode of Industrial Talk, we’re onsite at Accruent Insights and chatting with Amanda Ortiz, Training and Development with Accruent about Training, Education, Development are the cornerstones to optimizing your technology. 

Jeannine Kunz and Deb Volzer with SME

Industrial Talk is onsite at FABTECH 23 and talking to Jeannine Kunz and Deb Volzer, Workforce Development Team at SME about “Workforce solutions that inspire the next generation of industrial professionals”.

Ashley Stowe with Y-12 National Security Complex

Industrial Talk is onsite at the OMG Quarterly Standards Meeting and chatting with Ashley Stowe, Director of Enhanced Technology Training Center at Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex about “Improving training outcomes for our First Responders using Virtual Reality”. Tune in and hear more about the importance of the latest in Virtual Reality Standards and Ashley’s unique insights on this Industrial Talk.