Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing | Official Podcast Series
Welcome to the official podcast feed of the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM)—where we share real stories, regional updates, and industry insights from across Southwest Virginia’s manufacturing landscape.
Our channel features multiple series, including:
🎙️ Made in Southwest Virginia – Spotlighting the companies, innovations, and people powering manufacturing across our region.
🎧 Why Manufacturing – Real conversations with manufacturers at every career stage, from new hires to seasoned experts, revealing what makes this industry so rewarding.
📰 Member News Update – Quick updates and announcements from SVAM members, highlighting local wins, initiatives, and opportunities.
Whether you're a student, educator, job seeker, manufacturer, or community partner, these episodes will keep you informed and inspired about the role of manufacturing in Southwest Virginia’s economy and future.
🔔 Subscribe for new episodes and hear how we’re building the future—right here in SWVA.
#Manufacturing #SWVA #MadeInSWVA #WhyManufacturing #WorkforceDevelopment #IndustryInnovation #CareerPathways #SVAMPodcast
Episodes
63 episodes
SVAM Member News Update—Quarter 3, 2025
In this Q3 2025 edition of SVAM Member News Update, we’re highlighting powerful stories of innovation, leadership, and community from across Southwest Virginia’s manufacturing sector.This episode features:A heartwarm...
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5:34
#MadeInSWVA: Thomas Industrial Fabrication—Custom Solutions Built in Floyd, VA
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we spotlight Thomas Industrial Fabrication, based in Floyd, Virginia—a company known for engineering and fabricating custom machinery and material handling systems that pow...
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3:18
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Why Manufacturing: Pride, Progress, and Purpose with Peyton Spencer at Hitachi Energy
In this episode of Why Manufacturing, a podcast from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), we talk with Peyton Spencer of Hitachi Energy in Bland, Virginia.Peyton shares how she found her place ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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9:48
Tempur Production—Crafting Comfort with Precision in Duffield, VA
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we spotlight Tempur Production USA in Duffield, Virginia, where some of the world’s most recognized sleep products are made with innovation, precision, and care.As a major ...
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3:11
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Why Manufacturing: Barrel Craft, Leadership, and Quality You Can Taste with Josh Chandler (2/2)
In the second of a two-part-episode of Why Manufacturing, a podcast by the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), we head to Atkins, Virginia to explore the art and science behind one of the world’s most icon...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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19:20
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Thomas Automation Management—Engineering Efficiency Through Innovation
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we highlight Thomas Automation Management in Woodlawn, Virginia, a company specializing in advanced automation, engineering, and control systems that drive productivity and...
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3:12
Why Manufacturing: Barrel Craft, Leadership, and Quality You Can Taste with Josh Chandler (1/2)
In this first of a two-part-episode of Why Manufacturing, a podcast by the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), we head to Atkins, Virginia to explore the art and science behind one of the world’s most icon...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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11:54
Tate, Inc.—Elevating Manufacturing Through Innovation and Infrastructure
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we spotlight Tate, Inc. in St. Paul, Virginia—a leading manufacturer known for its innovative raised access flooring and infrastructure solutions that support data centers,...
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3:21
Why Manufacturing: Growth, Leadership, and the Long Game with Jim Allison
In this episode of Why Manufacturing, the podcast from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), we talk with Jim Allison, Business Development leader at Simmons Equipment Company in Lebanon, VA.
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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11:36
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Tadano Mantis—Lifting Innovation and Precision in Richlands, VA
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we spotlight Tadano Mantis, a world-class manufacturer of telescopic boom crawler cranes based in Richlands, Virginia.Known for their engineering excellence, safety ...
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3:05
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Why Manufacturing: Leadership, Safety, and a Legacy of Care with Lisa Jones
In this episode of Why Manufacturing, the podcast from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), we sit down with Lisa Jones, a recently retired HR and safety leader whose 20+ year career left a las...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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16:12
Built to Last: How Strongwell Reinforces America with Composite Innovation
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we visit Strongwell’s headquarters in Bristol, Virginia—home to the world’s leading manufacturer of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Discover how this advanced material i...
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3:17
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From Uniform to Program Manager: Ryan Miller’s Path into Manufacturing
Today on Why Manufacturing, we’re talking with Ryan Miller from General Dynamics Mission Systems in Marion, Virginia. Ryan is a Program Manager supporting advanced communications systems for the U.S. military. He’s relatively new to ma...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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17:32
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From Forest to Flavor: Inside Speyside’s Stave Mill in Glade Spring
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we head to Glade Spring, Virginia, where the Speyside Bourbon Stave Mill transforms white oak logs into precision-cut staves—the building blocks of bourbon barrels. Discover how this facilit...
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3:01
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Barrel by Barrel: The Craft of Bourbon Aging at Speyside Cooperage in Atkins
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we explore the artistry and precision behind bourbon barrel production at Speyside Bourbon Cooperage in Atkins, Virginia. Discover how this facility blends time-honored coopering traditions ...
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2:47
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Why Manufacturing: Seasoned Strength and Leadership with Kelly Boyd
In this episode of Why Manufacturing?, we talk with Kelly Boyd, Second-Shift Supervisor at Woodgrain in Marion, VA. Kelly’s journey began in 2013 as a feeder-stacker, and over the past decade she’s worked nearly every position on the l...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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11:51
#MadeInSWVA: Special T Manufacturing—Precision, Passion, and Local Impact in Meadowview, VA
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we spotlight Special T Manufacturing, a custom machining and fabrication company based in Meadowview, Virginia. Known for their precision, reliability, and commitment to customer ...
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2:31
Why Manufacturing: Pride, Precision, and Welding with Brooke Eskridge
In this episode of Why Manufacturing?, we talk with Brooke Eskridge, a welder at Utility Trailer Manufacturing in Glade Spring, VA. Brooke shares how she found purpose in the welding bay—skipping college, embracing hands-...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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15:37
Underground Innovation: How Simmons Equipment Powers Modern Mining
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we spotlight Simmons Equipment Company, a leader in mining machinery with operations in Tazewell and Lebanon, Virginia. Discover how this innovative manufacturer is designing and building the equipment th...
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3:14
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SVAM Member News Update—Quarter 2, 2025
In this quarterly edition of the SVAM Member News Update, we bring you stories of growth, creativity, and community impact from across Southwest Virginia’s manufacturing sector. Discover how Hapco Pole Products reached the White House,...
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6:54
Why Manufacturing: Problem-Solving, Pride, and Purpose in Modern Manufacturing with Logan Hicks
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 sit down wi...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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7:29
Sealing the Future: SIG’s Flexible Packaging Innovation in Chilhowie
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we explore SIG’s Chilhowie facility, where flexible packaging solutions are engineered for a global market. Learn how this advanced manufacturing site contributes to safer, more sustainable packagi...
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3:20
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Why Manufacturing: Growth, Grit, and Getting Started in the Industry with Levi McKinnon
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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10:17
Crunch Time: Shearer’s Foods and the Snack Industry in Bristol
In this episode of MadeInSWVA, we visit Shearer’s Foods in Bristol, Virginia—one of the region’s leading snack food manufacturers. Learn how this bustling facility produces everything from potato chips to tortilla snacks for homes acro...
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2:46
Samuel Pressure Vessel Group—Engineering Strength and Safety in Southwest Virginia
In this episode of the #MadeInSWVA podcast, we feature Samuel Pressure Vessel Group in Southwest Virginia—a global leader in the design and manufacturing of high-quality pressure vessels and engineered products. Known for t...
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3:14
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