Manufacturing Connected

Three siblings. One company. No drama — just disciplined, values-driven leadership built before crisis ever arrives.

Gretchen Hoffer-Farb, Charlotte Hoffer-Canning and Alex Hoffer, third-generation co-CEOs of Hoffer Plastics, offer a candid look at how shared power actually works in practice.

Their approach centers on several principles that apply well beyond family business:

- Conflict and uncertainty become more manageable when leadership development begins before pressure arrives
- Clear roles and shared values reduce friction at the decision-making level
- Vulnerability is not a weakness — it is a leadership asset
- Succession planning is an organizational discipline, not a one-time event

The conversation covers decision-making under pressure, leading with faith and fairness and why intentional communication across the organization matters as much as strategy at the top.

For managers navigating complex leadership structures or preparing their organizations for transitions, the insights from Hoffer Plastics are grounded, practical and directly applicable.

Read the full conversation to hear how they keep a multigenerational business aligned and moving forward. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/navigating-consensus-in-a-shared-leadership-model

Shared leadership works — but only when it's built with intention.

At Hoffer Plastics, a third-generation custom injection molder in South Elgin, Illinois, three siblings — Gretchen Farb, Charlotte Canning and Alex Hoffer — serve as co-CEOs, each overseeing a distinct domain: finance, people and culture, and operations.

The model didn't emerge by default. Years of pre-transition coaching, structured conflict resolution and values alignment shaped how they lead together under pressure.

When COVID hit just weeks after they assumed leadership, their response was direct: save everyone's job. During the supply chain crisis that followed, they didn't shut down a single customer.

Their framework rests on a few disciplined principles:

- Divide responsibilities by expertise and passion, not hierarchy
- Ground disagreement in facts, not emotion
- Use values — family, integrity, service, trust — as the decision compass
- Maintain ongoing coaching to strengthen the leadership coalition

As Alex Hoffer puts it: "Leadership is always about leading with and through other people."

The full conversation is worth the read for any leader navigating shared authority or crisis decision-making. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/when-leadership-is-shared-inside-a-three-ceo-model-that-works

CMMC compliance carries costs — but also benefits that extend well beyond defense contract eligibility.

For shops pursuing Cybersecurity Maturation Model Certification, the process demands more than technical upgrades. It requires deliberate decisions about which information and systems will live within the compliant environment — decisions that sharpen process ownership across the business.

Preparation also surfaces a less obvious vulnerability: tribal knowledge. As shop leaders revisit and document existing processes to meet compliance requirements, they are compelled to record and maintain what might otherwise remain undocumented institutional knowledge.

There is a workforce dimension as well. As Midway Swiss Turn's Jayme Rahz notes, CMMC preparations provided valuable insight into protecting staff's personal data against cyberattacks — a benefit that reaches beyond the shop floor and into employee safety.

The core takeaway from Win-Tech's Allison Giddens and Rahz: the discipline required for CMMC compliance can strengthen operations in ways that have nothing to do with winning defense work.

Read the full piece for their firsthand perspective. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/why-invest-in-cmmc-the-side-benefits

On November 10, 2026, CMMC Level 2 becomes a contract condition for any shop handling controlled unclassified information on defense work. There is no grace period once a contract clause is in place.

Three early adopters — a shop co-president, a CEO, and a software co-founder — offer a clear-eyed account of what preparation actually requires:

- Scope definition is the primary cost lever. Dragging an entire operation into compliance when only part of it touches CUI is the most common and expensive mistake.
- Certification timelines range from six months for well-prepared shops to 24 months for those with legacy IT, shared logins, and paper-based processes.
- The certification process is not an IT project. It requires alignment across quality, operations, HR, and leadership.
- The gap auditors look for is between what documentation says and what the environment actually does.

One point of consensus: do not wait for a contract to force action. Shops that achieve certification before the deadline compete for the same defense demand against a shrinking field of compliant suppliers.

Read the full Q&A for guidance on scoping, data classification, hidden costs, and selecting assessment partners. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/cmmc-101-how-to-prepare-your-shop

Business leaders often expect artificial intelligence tools to be productive straight out of the box. This expectation is misplaced.

AI does not arrive ready to perform. It becomes effective by learning a specific business over time, including its customers, machines, quoting patterns and judgment calls. Like a new employee, the system requires exposure to operations and ongoing correction to improve.

According to Sunny Han, founder of Fulcrum, the timeline is measured in months rather than days. After 90 days, the tools are useful. After a year, they are valuable.

The distinction matters for any manufacturer considering AI adoption. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/treat-your-ai-like-a-new-hire

Manufacturers adopting AI often question the need for dedicated IT staff and how to meet compliance standards such as CMMC and ITAR.

Fulcrum founder Sunny Han addresses these issues for machine shops and metal fabricators.

- Effective AI tools require no IT department, only curiosity and readiness to review actual shop performance.
- Compliance is maintained when models run inside controlled environments such as Azure Government or AWS GovCloud.
- Quoting improves when AI combines tribal knowledge, capacity and real-time production data.
- Existing job histories and records already contain the knowledge that AI can analyze without new capture programs.
- Adoption succeeds when AI is treated as a new employee that learns shop-specific processes over time.

The full discussion examines these points in detail. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/ai-in-the-shop-answering-manufacturing-leaders-frequently-asked-questions

ESG principles drive innovation, culture and growth in manufacturing when implemented through measurable action, team engagement and customer alignment.

Velosity CEO Dave Hemink describes how environmental, social and governance standards deliver business results at his 600-person company. Closed-loop oil systems reduced material purchases and waste, while focused promotion practices increased representation in leadership roles.

He outlines three practical steps for leaders:

- Start with small, employee-driven ideas for reducing waste or improving processes at individual workstations
- Apply SASB metrics to identify and measure improvements in energy use or material efficiency
- Ask targeted questions about sustainability and ethics during routine decisions on equipment and suppliers

These methods build internal commitment and strengthen customer trust through visible progress.

Velosity’s approach offers a clear example for manufacturing leaders seeking to embed ESG into daily operations. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/sustainability-that-works-how-manufacturing-leaders-embed-esg-into-culture-and-performance

ESG principles function as a catalyst for innovation and growth in manufacturing rather than a trade-off.

Velosity CEO Dave Hemink describes how environmental, social and governance factors have been integrated into company strategy, culture and customer relationships. Employee-driven waste-reduction ideas and closed-loop cutting oil systems saved 33,000 pounds of metal and 5,000 gallons of oil last year. EcoVadis certification has guided internal accountability and opened new customer opportunities. Nearly half of recent promotions went to women and over a third to underrepresented groups.

Grounded in Sustainability Accounting Standards Board metrics, this approach yields measurable efficiency gains and a clearer path for future-focused leadership. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/turning-esg-into-everyday-innovation

Traditional tooling, such as molds and dies, creates barriers for high-mix, low-volume manufacturing with its high costs and long lead times.

Machina Labs addresses this with AI-powered robots that produce parts without tooling. The RoboCraftsman cell uses two robots with forming end effectors to pinch and form sheet metal stock into shape, similar to a potter shaping clay.

This approach alters economics for low-volume and prototype work, with cycle times from 30 minutes to several hours becoming competitive by eliminating tooling time and costs.

- Proprietary software translates designs into robot instructions, leveraging machine learning for optimized tool paths.
- Closed-loop control integrates real-time sensor feedback on force, displacement, and geometry for continuous adjustments and improved consistency.
- Accumulated production data reduces iterations for new parts.

By building factories around robotics and AI, Machina Labs specializes in sheet metal fabrication, scanning, and trimming, with expansions into heat treatment, welding, and 3D printing underway.

Read the full article for details on this manufacturing innovation. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/new-tools-for-tooling-free-manufacturing

Traditional eyewear production via CNC machining and molds can lead to long lead times, high minimum order quantities, overproduction of frames and excess material waste.

Tech Print Industries (TPI) addresses these challenges with an on-demand manufacturing model using additive manufacturing (AM).

Founded in 2016 by eyewear industry insiders, TPI operates as a consortium providing design, manufacturing and distribution services. Its zero-waste, zero-inventory strategy leverages AM for small-batch testing, modularity for repairs or upgrades, and design freedom without tooling costs.

Sustainable practices include collaborating on CAD models and using HP's Multi Jet Fusion technology to print in PA12 nylon or bio-based PA11 from castor beans, reducing carbon footprint. This workflow cuts lead times to 8-12 weeks, enables powder reuse to minimize waste, and optimizes build density for lower energy use per part.

On-demand production avoids unsold stock and minimizes shipping distances through local manufacturing, reducing overproduction and inventory risks. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/zero-waste-zero-inventory-approach-to-eyewear-manufacturing