From Garage Startup to Growing Job Shop | Machining Summit

In this Chairlift Conversations episode of The Radical Job Shop Show, host Emily Joann Wilkins rides up Mammoth Mountain with Patrick Lee and Keith Lee of Liberty Manufacturing, Teak Ackman, Jesse Randall, and Will Whitman of Seven Star Machine Engineering to talk about building a machine shop from scratch, growing into contract manufacturing, and finding opportunity in machining.The conversation covers marine repair work, reverse engineering obsolete parts, starting a shop in a garage, scaling a machining business, and why manufacturing still feels like one of the most straightforward ways to build something tangible.Patrick and Keith also share the story behind Liberty Manufacturing — how they went from a small garage setup with a mill and lathe to a growing shop with four machines, niche pharmaceutical tooling work, and customers in automation and machine building.Marketing Metal also recently helped Liberty Manufacturing sharpen their brand and website as part of our Radical Job Shops case study series. Check out the full Liberty Manufacturing case study here:https://www.marketingmetal.com/radica...This episode explores:– Starting a CNC machine shop from the ground up– Reverse engineering and repair manufacturing– Marine industry machining challenges– Contract manufacturing and job shop growth– Building a manufacturing business with family– Branding and websites for machine shops– Scaling from garage startup to professional operationWhether you're running a small machine shop, building a manufacturing startup, or trying to grow your customer base, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it takes to build momentum in manufacturing.Thanks to our friends at Toolpath for bringing the Machining Summit to life and inviting us to capture these conversations from the chairlift at Mammoth Mountain, California.🚀 Want a brand that attracts better-fit customers?Start with The Setup:https://www.marketingmetal.com/the-setupExplore more at:https://www.marketingmetal.comTimestamps00:00 – Intro: Chairlift Conversations at the Machining Summit00:58 – Meet the crew from Liberty Manufacturing and Sunny Starland01:42 – Marine repair, fabrication, and machining work02:16 – Ice boat nozzles and large welded structures03:00 – Expanding into contract machining and job shop work03:44 – Reverse engineering obsolete parts04:18 – New Jersey roots and moving operations to Pennsylvania05:02 – Wanting to “make stuff” and build something of their own05:48 – Why manufacturing feels foundational06:16 – Meet Patrick and Keith of Liberty Manufacturing06:34 – Launching Liberty Manufacturing from the ground up06:58 – Branding, websites, and working with Marketing Metal07:57 – Starting in a garage with a mill and lathe08:18 – Growing to four machines in under a year08:33 – Pharmaceutical tooling and automation customers08:51 – Building parts for robot integrators and testing systems09:11 – Closing thoughts from the chairlift