Building Industry, Building People: The Apex Way with Ann Ensenbach

Ann Ensenbach is back for her second appearance to share what's happened since moving Apex Group to the Carolinas. The company now has multiple locations and three divisions - manufacturing machining, research and development, and military armor products. What started as one smaller location turned into acquiring a company that was going out of business due to tariff impacts and dependency on outsourced products. Their loss became Apex's gain, allowing them to continue jobs and bring more opportunities to the area. Ann's focus is mass manufacturing with minimum runs of 5,000 units proving that high-volume production doesn't have to be outsourced. Five percent of everything Apex makes goes into a foundation supporting tiny homes for foster kids and scholarships for veteran groups. We talk about culture transformation when acquiring talent, why recognition tied to money works better than public praise, how tribal knowledge and assumptions slowly kill industries, and why leaders need to understand that people who don't feel cared for won't care about company goals.Highlights:How acquiring a workforce from a company going out of business requires clear communication about values and putting the right people in the right places.Why recognition programs that focus on cash bonuses and financial incentives work better than public acknowledgment.The biggest slow killer in industry lack of adaptability and tribal knowledge that assumes things can't change from how they've always been done.How mass manufacturing with runs of 5,000+ units can be done in America despite assumptions it must be outsourced.Why giving employees retirement contributions automatically regardless of 401k participation creates opportunities younger workers can't afford on their own.Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the real gaps between generations in blue collar work and what it takes to lead across different age groups in today's trades. Be the first to hear conversations like this that introduce options you didn't know existed and challenge what you thought was possible in business.Connect with Ann:AAPEXLinkedInGet in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy