PODCAST: What Do Rhinos Have to Do with Repair?

United Tool and Mold Owner Scott Phipps recalls “always building something" as a kid, and that continues today as he and his team charge forward with expanding and improving their mold repair and engineering change services business. Who are they and how are they growing this critical segment of mold manufacturing? Listen in to learn.

United Tool and Mold is a successful mold repair and engineering changes service provider, but the journey to this point is anything but easy or boring. It was a blast sitting down for another episode of The Manufacturing Alliance Podcast with Owner Scott Phipps and Patrick Brisson to hear how they got to where they are today and where they see the company in the future. It has a lot to do with risk, reward... and yes, rhinos!

Here is a snapsot of what we talked about to entice you to tune into this 45-minute MoldMaking Technology/The Manufacturing Alliance Podcast.

Conversation tidbits:

Snowmobiling and skydiving.
Risk taking and pushing the limits.
2011 MoldMaking Technology Leadtime Leader Winner
First to be 100-percent repair and engineering changes.
A look at the impact of complacency on competitiveness.
Make a decision to build a new facility with the goal of making it like a Google facility, and help change the whole image of the tool making.
World travel taught Scott the importance of creating processes and a big workflow.
A new 60,000-square foot facility in the facility as 14 cranes up to 60 tons.
The hub set up.
A 3D model of the new facility prevented a disaster.
Lunch, corn hole and grilling; not your typical shop environment.
“I did things I never thought I would do. But it's part of growing. I didn't want to just give up on it all. It’s about people. My goal is to work it to where in the next five years the next generation is trained up to keep it going.”
Probably the the biggest mistakes would be communication and not getting the right people involved in making decisions.
I've learned that I need to be more patient.
Average age is 38.
The new facility is nice packaging; a nice marketing piece, but it's been overwhelming.
Success is sustainability.
Read the book by Scott Alexander. It's about life not having boundaries. Boundaries are only those that we put around ourselves.
Be a rhino charging with two inch thick skin and have a damn the torpedoes attitude.
Doing timeouts at work.
You gotta have a damn the torpedoes attitude. You can learn unless you have challenges.