In this episode, you'll hear from Jim Gillespie, who is the co-founder and chief growth officer of GrayMatter, a leading OT-focused company that provides consulting, services, and curated technology to transform operations and empower people. 

Since its inception, GrayMatter has grown to over 290 team members and over $80M in revenue. 

Along the way, it also completed 5 acquisitions and achieved national and international recognition.

Listen to find how how and why Jim has grown this company to the size it is today.

This episode is a special one –  content from a recent CSIA members-only presentation – a Virtual Keynote Address by Alex Chaukosky, who is director of analytics and consulting for the Bundy Group.

But that title really does not give you the full picture because he is also a super whiz when it comes to taking economic and labor data and making it understandable, non-partisan, fact based – and more importantly, actionable.

The catch is that this is only a portion of his full presentation and only audio – CSIA members can access the full presentiaotn, including video and slides, at www.controlsys.org/virtual-keynotes.

But, it still includes plenty of interesting insights that will help you make good personal and business decisions.

 

In this episode of Talking Industrial Automation, Kacie Chitwood, an account executive at Miller Resource Group, shares her insights into the job market for controls engineers.

Some tidbits:

• The surprising salary jumps controls engineers can expect in their first five years
• Creative perks companies are using to attract top talent beyond just salary
• Why the "skills gap" is a major challenge and how companies are addressing it
• Tips for candidates on standing out in the job market and negotiating offers
• The future outlook for industrial automation careers and why it's so promising

Whether you're a job seeker looking to advance your career, an employer trying to attract and retain talent, or simply curious about the state of the industry, this episode is packed with actionable advice and insider knowledge. 

 

Andrew Harris shares his journey from participating in a high school robotics program to leading business development and engineering initiatives at ACS.

You'll also hear about ACS's evolution from a spinoff architectural firm to a leader in industrial automation across various industries, as well as the company's holistic approach to project integration, the importance of customer satisfaction, and the challenges and trends in the automation industry. 

The airwaves are blowing up with the potential of AI in industrial automation -- but is it all talk? Not at all, says Bryan DeBois, DIrector of AI at RoviSys, a system integration founded in 1989.

In fact, Autonomous AI is solving unsolvable problems right now -- including the brain drain and labor shortage  --  that are plaquing manufacturing throughout the US.

FInd out how in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.

 From an entry-level job at a sewage plant (spoiler, it's as bad as you think) to writing a science fiction novel to earning four degrees+, Jeromy Peterson has accumulated an unusual mix of experiences over the course of his 25-year career. Hear all about it -- including the 17 years he's spent as CEO and president of Ripple Industries, an automation and control systems integration company -- in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.    

After 30 years of experience in industrial solution leadership -- ranging from greenfield design and engineering to custom specialized solutions -- Alex Pool launched Masked Owl Technologies.

 

As President of this SI startup, he uses his decades of experience in a diverse technology and automation landscape -- from the destruction of WWII-era chemical weapons to sequencing paper into NYC’s local print shops – to inform this latest venture.

 

Alex’s true passion is in problem-solving and building integrated systems that are unmatched elsewhere.

 

Hear all about it in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.

Can we be solving hard problems that make the economy work better? That make the world a more efficient place? Those are the questions that inspired Adam Gluck to leave his engineering job at Uber and found Copia Automation, which brings modern DevOps tooling to industrial automation, standardizing processes to drive quality, efficency, and uptime at scale.

Hear all about the past, present and future of this up and coming start up -- as well as its founder -- in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.

It's not often that an industrial autlomation podcast features a rockstar as a guest -- but it's happening today.  Sandy Gennaro -- former drummer for bands as diverse as The Monkees to Joan Jett to Cyndi Lauper -- is here to tell you about his lessons learned from life on the road and other musings.

Full disclosure: He is also a keynote speaker for the upcoming CSIA Conference, where he will parlay his experience as a drummer in rock band to leading successful teams. 

You also migh be surprised with how much you have in common with Sandy -- all glamour aside.

Meet Ken Hackett, who is Director of Business Development for General Control Systems. In this role, he uses his 30 years of expertise in engineering design, sales, service, and installation of process controls, instrumentation, and electrical systems to partner with clients in the life sciences, industrial, and food beverage sectors.

In addition, for the past three years, he has served as President of the ISA Eastern Chapter. Finally, full disclosure, Ken will be a speaker at the upcoming CSIA Marketing Workshop held in conjunction with the 2024 CSIA Conference in Dallas this April.

Hear how he has moved through the industry and what he's learned along the way in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.

We are doing something a little different with this episode of Talking Industrial Automation because TIA host Lisa Richter was invited to be a guest on the Rivergate Marketing Podcast,  produced by Rivergate Marketing, a full-service digital marketing company and CSIA member. This episode touches on a little bit about a lot of things – from marketing to the CSIA Conference to the upcoming CSIA Makreting workshop. 

Even if you don’t plan to attend the conference, this crossover episode still offers some insights you might be interested in and maybe even a spicy take or two. (RIP Koozie). If this doesn’t sound like something you’d be into, that’s okay. IIA will be back with the regular programming with the next episode.

For more information about Rivergate Marketing, including the podcast, visit www.rivergatemarketing.com.

For more information about the 2024 CSIA Confernece, inlcuding the marketing workshop, visit www.controlsys.org/conference2024.