Miles Free Director of Industry Affairs, PMPA

PMPA 6 May 2022

Chips — Our Real Product

We don’t make parts. Parts are the result of the chips we make. And the chips can tell you all you need to know.

PMPA 4 Apr 2022

Knowledge Retention — What’s Your Process?

Our processes and work instructions provide the information needed for our performers to understand “the who, what and how” to do the task. But where do we keep the information needed so everyone understands “the why and the reasons behind” our work?

PMPA 4 Mar 2022

Workforce Is Still the Most Important Challenge

It is as true today as it was 10 years ago...workforce is top of mind for precision machining shops.

PMPA 7 Feb 2022

5-S: Ask a Toolmaker

A place for everything and everything in its place. A visit to Fischer Special Tooling during PMPA’s Mastery Program provided a glowing example of the 5-Ss: Sorting, Setting in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

PMPA 24 Jan 2022

Meet PMPA’s New President, Aneesa Muthana

The PMPA installed its new board president, Aneesa Muthana, CEO and co-owner of Pioneer Service Inc., at PMPA’s 88th Annual Meeting held in October 2021 in Charleston, South Carolina. In this interview, Aneesa shares her history, thoughts and goals for the association and the importance of makers/manufacturers and why it is time to shine.

PMPA 10 Jan 2022

Economic Indicators

Miles Free III shares economic indicators that have the closest correlation to the PMPA Index.

PMPA 21 Dec 2021

Supply Chain or Inflation? The Real Question

The precision machined products industry is working overtime and outperforming the rest of the industry to ensure that people have the parts they need.

PMPA 22 Nov 2021

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 101: Audit Certifications

Quality documentation can aid in problem-solving, but only if it is complete.

PMPA 5 Nov 2021

Smith & Richardson — 100 Years of Mastering Change

Miles Free III interviews Smith & Richardson’s co-owners Rich Hoster and Phil Cowen to discover the secret to 100 years of success.

PMPA 25 Oct 2021

What Attendees Experienced on PMPA’s Mastery Program

The PMPA recently hosted its new Mastery Program. The first of three tours was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Where did attendees go and how did they broaden their knowledge?

Workforce Development 11 Oct 2021

Context — The Missing Key to Workforce Development

Upskilling your current workforce is as important as finding new talent. To expose them to experiences that encourage them to become problem-solvers is imperative.