Manufacturing

Anthony Tabasso, CEO of KVK Tech, talks with Chief Executive about the challenges in manufacturing a controlled substance, a highly-regulated industry, and manufacturing generic medications with lower price pressure.

America’s trade dispute with China is a morass that threatens to become a tar pit for CEOs of many U.S. manufacturers, even as President Trump’s tariffs provide direct protection of many other companies. Steve Harriott, CEO of Watchfire Signs in Danville, Illinois, is one of the worried ones.

Some people get into their line of work “by accident,” but in Peter Blumenthal’s case, he really did suffer a life-threatening accident that eventually got him to buy Theracycle. He spoke with Chief Executive about it and how he found the company’s niche market.

Mark Gardner and Sappi North America are surviving in a paper and pulp industry that’s been ravaged by global competition from Europe and Asia. Gardner talks about the mindset that has allowed them to stay in business.

John O’Kelly talks about how he’s grown Newcastle Systems from the basement of his home to where it is today and the challenges of having a product that doesn’t have brand recognition.

As a chemical manufacturer, SC Johnson faces a unique hurdle in the era of “all-natural” consumer-packaged goods. CEO Fisk Johnson explains to Chief Executive how they overcome these challenges.

Craig Bouchard, CEO of Braidy Industries, has a unique approach in his attempt to build his fourth billion-dollar company. He shares the details with Chief Executive.

For all their promise, two decades of overblown hype and expensive false starts have clearly demonstrated that robots will not replace humans any time soon. Just ask Elon Musk.

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are in the business of space. What can ordinary, earthbound CEOs learn anything from the other-worldly aspirations of two of the world’s most uncommon titans?

Steven L. Blue, CEO of locomotive and freight car parts manufacturer Miller Ingenuity, has plenty of experience in taking Rust Belt manufacturing operations into the modern age—he’s been doing it for decades now.