Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing | Official Podcast Series

Why Manufacturing: Growth, Grit, and Getting Started in the Industry with Levi McKinnon

• The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing • Season 1 • Episode 1

Share episode

Welcome to Why Manufacturing, a podcast series from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, where we share real stories from the people powering our region’s most essential industry.

In this episode, we talk with Levi McKinnon of Real Performance Machinery—a rising talent early in his manufacturing career. Levi walks us through a typical day on the job, shares what surprised him most when entering the industry, and reflects on the mentors, tools, and moments that have shaped his experience so far.

From first-day nerves to proud accomplishments, Levi’s story is proof that manufacturing offers real growth, real skills, and real opportunities—right here in Southwest Virginia.

Whether you're a student, job seeker, parent, or educator, this episode offers a firsthand look at what it’s like to start strong and grow fast in modern manufacturing.

SWVA Manufacturing Careers (open jobs / updated weekly): https://www.swvam.org/mfgcareers

Real Performance Machinery: www.rpmachinery.com

SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome to Why Manufacturing from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing. Yep, we're SVAM, and one of our goals is to spotlight the people, tech, and pathways that keep modern factories humming right here in Southwest Virginia. Today, we're hanging out with someone who's fresh in the field but already leading a team. Levi McKinnon grew up in Marion, Virginia, took a detour or two, and now runs an electrical assembly at Real Performance Machinery. If you're a student, a job seeker, or a manufacturing vet who just loves a good origin story, stick around. Levi, thanks for joining us today. For anyone who hasn't met you, give us a quick snapshot. Tell us who you are, where you're from, and how you landed in manufacturing.

SPEAKER_01:

My name is Levi McKinnon. I grew up in Marion, Virginia. So I went to high school in Marion and went to work right after when I was 18 at a manufacturing place there. and left there and worked a little while at a machine shop and then ended up going back to college when I was 26. Got married, went to college for two years and took instrumentation and control automation at New River Community College and then got a job here at Real Performance Machinery and I've been here for two years now.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so let's rewind to day one on the plant floor. You're 18, you walk into that big place for the first time. What was running through your head?

SPEAKER_01:

It was definitely intimidating as far as going to a big facility like that. I came from working. I got my first job when I was 14 in a convenience store in town, and I'd worked that job for my whole high school career, so four years, and then decided to jump into this full-time manufacturing job. So it was definitely intimidating. I worked with a lot more people. I was used to working with just one other person in the public. It was very intimidating, but it wasn't too terrible. The job itself was just more physical than I was used to. So I was just kind of getting used to that the first couple weeks and to the fast-paced kind of style that manufacturing place was.

SPEAKER_00:

Did you know anything about manufacturing before you walked in the door that first day?

SPEAKER_01:

well i knew a little bit um my dad had worked in manufacturing like this my whole childhood so um i knew just kind of what you know bits and pieces that he had told me throughout his career and so that's what kind of led me to pursuing that any i mean as far as i'd like want to take a i want to take a break from school when I graduated high school. So I didn't want to go to school for a little longer, you know, and so I went to work with him when I was 18. That's how it kind of led me to start my manufacturing career. Did anything surprise you? I would say that, you know, it was surprising, I guess, of what I was doing was definitely so much different than what I came from. But the you know working that slower paced job in high school the days would kind of drag by and time would be real slow but moving into the manufacturing i was always so busy at that first job that i went to that uh you know the days just kind of seemed to fly by and i was just uh so it was always kind of just the days would go by easier and keep me

SPEAKER_00:

busy You mentioned earlier that the pace was way faster than in retail. How long did it take you before you really felt like, yep, I've got this?

SPEAKER_01:

I would probably say maybe two or three months before I kind of really set in stone to what I was doing and kind of used to the work and everything. But I wouldn't say longer than that. After about a couple months, I was kind of set in stone with it and ready to rock and roll.

SPEAKER_00:

course, nobody figures this stuff out alone. Who were the people that showed you the ropes early on and what did they do that really clicked for you?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I've had, when I first started, I would say, you know, transitioning to the manufacturing kind of style. I had just several people that I worked with that, you know, were real kind and as far, and patient as far as getting me to where I needed to be and kind of sit, you know, showing me the ropes as, you What it kind of took to do that job and, you know, there wasn't just like one person. I had several people that I had worked with in my first job. And then through all my other ones, I've had, you know, several different experiences and people lead me that way. I left my first manufacturing job and went to like a machine shop. And it was a smaller operation in Glade Springs, Virginia, a little machine shop called Glade Machine. And I previously had no experience in running any kind of CNC machinery. And the owner there took me in and hired me on with no experience and taught me, you know, a lot about machining and all that stuff and, you know, was very patient with me. So any kind of, any company that'll do that and train you or send you, you know, to college to further your career, I mean, That's always great stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

And it sounds like you're paying that forward now with RPM's high school apprenticeship program. What's one thing you always try to pass along to the students?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, sir. So where we're at now, we do at Real Performance, we do like an apprentice program. So kids in high school can actually come work part-time here and get some experience. So I actually have a young boy that is from Royal Retreat, and he's been here, I would say, close to a year learning some electrical stuff. So, you know, anything that I've learned, I try to instill in anybody that I can that's willing to listen and take the time to understand it all.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, walk us through a typical day, clock in to clock out. What's the rhythm like?

SPEAKER_01:

I would say that every day is a little different in some aspect or another. Usually when I get here, we have the whole assembly department. The department has like a morning meeting, and so we kind of go into the break room and talk about what all needs to be done for the day and kind of delegate tasks. My current role, I'm the electrical lead here, so I have two employees underneath that do most of the electrical work. I spend my day kind of laying out what they need to do and kind of assisting them if they have any questions and getting them parts. I'm a mediator between the assembly department and shipping. And so if anybody in assembly needs any part for any kind of machine they're working on, I'll go retrieve that for them. But usually I'm answering questions and checking over work. And if we have a machine that's finished and ready to test, then I'll take over So that's

SPEAKER_00:

usually what my days consist of. So what's one tool that you just couldn't live without or do your job without?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, with electrical boxes, you know, we use a flat, you know, any kind of electrical work, we use a screwdriver. But I carry a Milwaukee knife that's a razor blade knife. And the other end, it has a Phillips head and a flathead screwdriver and a nut driver on it. And that's probably one of the best tools I can carry around if it's not my pocket Nip-X pliers to tighten any kind of bolt with.

SPEAKER_00:

Every industry has myths. What's one thing you think that people totally get wrong about manufacturing?

SPEAKER_01:

I think it can get a bad rep for maybe being a hard job or a bad job. If you find the right place and the right company and you have a good work ethic and a good attitude, I think that you have a great opportunity to grow. A lot of companies will send you to school if you're eager to do that and pay for your education just to further your career. I think that you have a lot of options if you decide to choose this route.

SPEAKER_00:

We all need a good laugh sometimes. You got any funny or memorable moments from the floor that you could share?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you know, I've had a lot and I really couldn't think of just one. I know that in this line of work, you meet a lot of great people and you make a lot of great friendships. And, you know, there's just always... You know, about every day there's somebody picking with you or just some kind of funny joke. So there's always, you know, usually every day there's something going on that's just comical or, you know, you get a little bit of just relief in any way with your friendships in this kind of industry. Some of my best friendships in life through, you know, working these kind of jobs.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so picture a senior at Marion High School who's not sure about college, but they love working with their hands. What would you tell them about starting in manufacturing?

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, I think that, you know, it's a great choice to tell anybody, especially young, just to go get some experience. And, you know, especially if they like, you know, working with their hands or anything like that, you know, I think it's a great choice just to go see what it's like. And, you know, especially, like I said, if they have a good attitude and a good work ethic, you know, there's... great opportunity to grow. And I think it's good for anybody to have this kind of experience, even if they decide they don't like it. I think it's good for everyone to kind of see what this industry is about, you know, just to learn more about

SPEAKER_00:

it. Levi, thanks so much for sharing your story. Fast-paced, smart tools, and a whole lot of mentorship. Folks, if Levi's journey lit a spark for you, pass this episode along. This has been Why Manufacturing featuring Levi McKinnon from Real Performance Machinery in Independence, Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about careers in manufacturing, check the show notes. There you'll find links to SFAM's career resources, including over 130 current openings with SFAM's member companies. Until next time.