Sam Fritz | I Don't Think You Could Take It From Me

About this episode

Sam Fritz shares his unexpected journey into manufacturing and discusses the industry's challenges in attracting new talent.

Sam Fritz didn't plan on ending up in manufacturing. He studied mechanical engineering at Texas A&M, took a sales job at Keyence to get out from behind a desk, and started walking into factories across Illinois. Something in those buildings got him. Four years and hundreds of facilities later, he's Area Sales Manager at Banner Engineering, still walking in doors, still paying attention to what he finds inside. In this conversation, Sam discusses why he entered the industry, what kept him there, and what he thinks manufacturing gets wrong about attracting the next generation. His answer to Jim's question about what it would take to leave: I don't think you could take it from me. Key Takeaways Manufacturing didn't recruit Sam. He stumbled in through a sales job and fell in love with what he found. That's the story the industry needs to tell more of. The lobby tells you everything. Sam looks at what manufacturers put in their lobbies before he says a word. Awards about being a great place to work hit different than industry certifications. Good culture is loud. Bad culture goes quiet. The shops where people trust each other are the ones where grown men are tickling each other in…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Mayer

Guest: Sam Fritz

Topics covered

• manufacturing
• career journey
• industry culture
• talent attraction
• engineering education

Keywords

• manufacturing
• sales
• engineering
• talent shortage
• factory automation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Texas A&M, Keyence, Banner Engineering

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