"We Can't Do This" Almost Sank a 25-Year-Old Manufacturing Business

"We Can't Do This" Almost Sank a 25-Year-Old Manufacturing Business

June 26, 2026 · 15 min · Episode 146

About this episode

Ron Harper discusses how a post-pandemic demand spike challenged his manufacturing team and the contrasting responses to external help.

Episode: 144 A manufacturing leadership team hits a wall during a sudden demand surge, convinced that hitting new production targets simply isn't possible. Bringing in outside expertise exposes a deeper divide: one group treats it as a lifeline, the other as a threat to their competence. The conversation digs into why pride and trust, not capability, are usually what keep teams stuck. ABOUT THE HOST:Jamie Shanks founded Get Levrg after building and scaling three separate agencies, learning firsthand what breaks when growing companies try to do everything in-house. He now hosts Outsource to Profits to unpack how founders and executives build leverage instead of bottlenecks. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestshanks/ ABOUT THE GUEST:Ron Harper spent 18 years as President and CEO of JFE Shoji Power Canada Inc., supplying the electrical steel and components critical to motors and transformers, before recently stepping into semi-retirement. His career spans navigating major demand shifts in the electrical equipment supply chain, including the surge tied to grid expansion and EV growth coming out of the pandemic. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjharper4/ EPISODE…

People in this episode

Host: Jamie Shanks

Guest: Ron Harper

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Get Levrg, JFE Shoji Power Canada Inc.

Places: Canada

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