Most machine shops are built by people who are excellent at making parts. Far fewer are built to run, grow, or sell without the owner.

In this episode of the Manufacturing M&A Podcast, host Mike Fritz talks with Paul Van Metre, former machinist and shop owner, builder of the ProShop ERP system, and author of the new book Precision Manufacturing, Precision Business. Paul shares what he learned from his own exit and from hundreds of conversations with shop owners. Mike adds what he sees from the M&A side, including a shop he recently watched being taken apart because the systems were never put in place.

You'll hear:

- Why technical skill and business skill are two different things
- The revenue ceilings owners hit when they stay in the weeds
- Why getting paper out of the shop and office comes first
- Systems for sales, quoting, contract review, rev control, procurement, and planning
- Delivering invoices that get paid, not just good parts
- Capturing tribal knowledge before experienced people retire
- Putting the right people in the right roles, including the owner
- Where to learn: books, podcasts, other shop owners, and vetted outside experts

The big idea: the systems that make a shop worth buying are the same ones that make it more profitable and a better place to work today.

Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. New episodes publish on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

Connect with Paul Van Metre

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvanmetre/

Grab Paul’s new book Precision Manufacturing, Precision Business (available on Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH3NCD41

Follow the Machine Shop Mastery podcast on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/machine-shop-mastery/home/

Follow the MakingChips podcast on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/makingchips/posts/

Follow the ProShop ERP System on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/proshoperp/home/

Connect with Mike Fritz
Email: mike.fritz@americanprecisionpartners.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefritzinvestor/

Follow the Manufacturing M&A Podcast on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mma-podcast/