EP120: Trade Schools Died and Manufacturing Is Paying the Price

Kevin Stevick, CEO of RH Shepard, shares hard-won wisdom from 40 years in manufacturing: your people aren't a cost center—they're your competitive advantage. In this conversation with Deborah Fell, Kevin breaks down why the most successful private equity leaders treat workforce investment exactly like capital equipment purchases. Clean up the shop floor. Improve benefits. Increase wages. These aren't feel-good initiatives—they're strategic moves that lower turnover, boost productivity, and create a pipeline of candidates eager to work for you. The challenge? Most MBA programs don't teach this. Most leaders still view people through a purely financial lens. And the skilled labor shortage isn't going away. Kevin's approach is refreshingly direct: listen first, provide guardrails not micromanagement, and give people room to succeed and fail. He challenges the myth that younger generations don't want to get their hands dirty and explains how AI and robotics don't replace workers—they transform their roles from manual labor to skilled technicians. This episode is essential listening for CEOs wrestling with hiring challenges, retention issues, or leaders who've never been taught to view human resources as a strategic imperative. Kevin proves that being the employer of choice isn't just good ethics—it's good business. About Deborah's guest, Kevin Stevick: Currently the CEO of RH Sheppard, a steering gear manufacturer for commercial vehicles, Kevin has over 40 years of leadership in metals manufacturing, including 25 years as CEO of private equity-owned portfolio companies. He has successfully led turnarounds and growth strategies for various mid-market metals related companies for multiple private equity firms. This has been achieved by driving operational excellence, strategic acquisitions, and significant EBITDA improvements. Kevin holds a BS in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a MS Business Analytics.  Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn About RH Sheppard: R.H. Sheppard is an 88-year-old, American-manufactured leader in heavy-duty commercial vehicle steering. Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, it is the only US based manufacturer of power steering gears for the global trucking and transportation industry. What truly sets Sheppard apart is its fully integrated model—engineering, machining, heat treating, remanufacturing, and service—all under one roof. Sheppard partners closely with OEMs and fleets to solve complex challenges, reduce lifecycle cost, and deliver unmatched reliability, performance, and technical support. When steering performance and uptime matter, customers choose Sheppard. Visit rhsheppard.com/ to learn more.