Anton Thomas
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Anton Thomas, Director, Michelin North America, Inc
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Anton Thomas, Director, Michelin North America, Inc
SOUTHEAST Session:
SOUTHEAST Session:
SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers from fabricators to assembly shops are all challenged with workforce woes, the need to boost productivity and the endless quest for quality. Knowing automation is the answer is one thing, but actually finding real success with technology investments can feel challenging and risky. How do you know what will truly bring value to the organization? How do you determine the return? And now with the hype of Artificial Intelligence (AI) seemingly on every product, how do manufacturing leaders determine the right places to invest limited time and capital budgets? In this session, we will delve into the ever-evolving landscape of automation & AI in the factory and take a look at technologies that are having a real impact today across the shop floor. Then we will stare into the crystal ball to look forward at technologies that are on the near horizon that manufacturing leaders should be keeping an eye on. Covering important topics like human-robot collaboration, automated equipment tending, data-driven insights, cobot welding, predictive maintenance, robot guided vision, bin picking, collaborative automation, quality inspections, and much more, attendees should leave this session ready to make value-creating technology investments in their business. Join us as we explore how AI is reshaping the factory floor — one algorithm at a time.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Kenneth Cowan, Vice President, Paperless Parts
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Jamie Goettler, Chief Revenue Officer, BTX Precision
SOUTHEAST Session: Moderated by: Jamie Goettler, BTX Precision Rather than start with a discussion of all the technologies available in the industrial marketplace, this panel session will start by outlining the primary concerns of manufacturing businesses. By first appealing to what the audience (machining businesses) cares about most at the start, the panel will logically ease into a discussion of how available technologies can help achieve greater outcomes for these businesses…in other words, solutions to the preeminent problems. Among the concerns highlighted at the outset will be improving competitiveness (domestically and globally), throughput (business growth), and yes productivity in the face of the manufacturing skills gap. The panel will be represented by industry leaders who either are dealing with these concerns directly, or those that have a “front row seat” to a variety of companies that seek to survive and thrive. Technologies that will be addressed will likely include automation, robotics, workforce training, machining technology, machine monitoring, software and AI to name a few.
SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturing faces an unprecedented workforce transition as the “silver tsunami” of retiring Baby Boomers and Gen X workers accelerates. Decades of institutional knowledge are leaving with them, forcing companies to scramble for ways to preserve expertise while managing increasingly complex operations. Many facilities now schedule critical work around the availability of a single seasoned technician, while others bring retirees back at premium wages just to keep production running. At the same time, new hires arrive with expectations shaped by consumer technology—anticipating smartphone-level intuitiveness—yet encounter manufacturing systems that feel stuck in the 1990s. This presentation will share field-tested insights on how modern manufacturing systems must be transparent, modular, and designed to evolve with their users. It will also explore how manufacturers can fundamentally rethink “experience” for a new era—moving from legacy tools to adaptive, intelligent platforms that empower rather than frustrate. Attendees will see a detailed case study of 3D Glass Solutions, Inc., where strategic MES implementation boosted yield, reduced downtime, and created systems that engaged the workforce instead of alienating it. The conversation will break down the real-world challenges, adoption strategies, and critical success factors that make the difference between results and setbacks. The session concludes with a first look at Project Phoenix, MASS Group’s next-generation platform built for the realities of today’s manufacturing floor—without the complexity of yesterday’s enterprise software.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Rebecca Battle, Director, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
SOUTHEAST Session: Every manufacturing leader wants better results—higher productivity, stronger margins, improved retention. But results don’t just happen. They are outcomes, driven by a chain of causes. If you want to change what your organization is producing, you must first understand—and influence—what’s producing it. In manufacturing, we obsess over KPIs, processes, and performance data. But what if the real leverage point lies deeper? Behind every action is a decision. Behind every decision is a belief. And behind every belief is a mindset. This session takes you beneath the surface of your organization’s performance to uncover the unseen drivers of success: the thinking patterns and belief systems shaping behavior on your shop floor, in your offices, and across your leadership team. Because here's the truth: your organization will never rise above the mindset of its people. If you’re ready to stop reacting to problems and start redesigning outcomes, this session is your roadmap. Learn how to shift beliefs, align behaviors, and build a culture that fuels measurable, sustainable transformation—starting with the end in mind.