Building a Skilled Workforce and Rising Through the Ranks with Markus Stolmar, CEO of United Grinding North America

How do you advance your career when the management ladder looks completely blocked? In this episode of Rapid Fire Manufacturing, host Dave Turner sits down with Markus Stolmar, CEO and President of United Grinding North America, at their headquarters in Miamisburg, Ohio.

Markus shares his 26 year journey from starting as a technical draftsman and product manager to leading the organization. He breaks down why running a small, overlooked product line like your own business is the ultimate way to catch the eye of executive leadership.

Dave and Markus also tackle workforce development from a first-principles perspective. Markus details why United Grinding refused to wait around for external programs or government initiatives, choosing instead to build an active, German-style apprenticeship program that trains young adults fresh out of high school in foundational mechanics and CNC machining.

Finally, they discuss the human side of leadership, focusing on why a successful leader must adapt their style to respect and meet the distinct realities of office engineers and veteran shop floor machinists alike. Stick around until the end to find out if Markus can take Andy Chu in an arm wrestling match at IMTS.