Built With A-State

Northeast Arkansas didn’t just attract a few big employers; it quietly became one of the most important steel corridors in the country. I’m Todd Shields, Chancellor at Arkansas State University, and I sit down with Zach Moon, Vice President at Nucor Yamato, to talk about how Mississippi County transformed into the largest steel manufacturing county in the US and what that means for families who want great careers without leaving home.Zach walks through his own path from starting in the melt shop in 1998 to leading teams in South Carolina, Mexico, Kentucky, Alabama, California, and back home to Arkansas. Along the way, we dig into what makes modern steelmaking different than the old stereotypes: “green steel” powered by recycling, electric arc furnaces, and a culture where the best innovation often comes from the people closest to the process. We also unpack why steel is never just “steel,” from structural beams to sheet steel, with specialized chemistry, testing, and end uses, including data centers.We keep coming back to a practical idea: a workforce continuum. From entry-level training to upskilling, safety engineering, ergonomics, lab-ready testing skills, internships, and applied research, we want education to stay aligned with what the industry actually needs. If you care about workforce development, manufacturing jobs, supply chain and logistics, or building stronger university-industry partnerships in Arkansas, this conversation is for you.Subscribe, share this with someone exploring careers in modern manufacturing, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. @arkansasstatemedianetwork0:00 - Welcome And Zach’s Career Path0:43 - Mississippi County’s Steel Boom4:16 - Partnering with ANC and the Crest Center5:12 - Building A Workforce Continuum Together8:29 - Tech Shifts and Constant Learning9:48 - Safety Culture And Health Partnerships11:05 - Closing the Skill Gap in Metallurgy12:11 - Ken Iverson And Pay For Performance14:36 - Ownership and Trust in the Shop Floor15:38 - Green Steel Recycling And Innovation18:08 - How Scrap Metal Becomes Infrastructure19:08 - Steel Products, Data Centers, and Logistics24:08 - Real-World Labs, Internships, and Hiring28:48 - Career Advice And Local Opportunity33:13 - Reflecting on the 30-Year Journey34:01 - Closing Thanks And Subscribe

Seventy-five percent of the journey from “Add to Cart” to your front door can run through conveyor and material handling systems built in Arkansas, and that single fact opens up a much bigger conversation about jobs, skills, and the future of advanced manufacturing. We talk with Phillip Poston, Chief Development Officer at Hytrol, about how Hytrol’s work connects to global logistics and why long-term leadership means investing in capacity, culture, and people even when the payoff takes years.We also get personal about what shapes a career. Phillip shares how Arkansas State University mentors pushed him toward professionalism, how campus involvement built real leadership reps, and why relationships with professors and alumni still matter decades later. From there, we dig into workforce development through Hytrol’s DRIVE Academy and the CREST partnership (Career Readiness Education and Skills Training), including stackable credentials, technical certificates, associate degrees, and micro-credentials that can evolve as fast as technology does.The hardest part of preparing talent in 2026 isn’t just teaching technical skills; it’s building durable skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and communication while automation and AI tools keep changing the rules. We also cover internship strategy, why early applications matter, and why cybersecurity now touches everything from phishing emails to internet-connected building systems. If you care about manufacturing careers, higher education innovation, and economic growth in Northeast Arkansas, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review with the one skill you think every graduate should have. Make sure to follow socials @arkansasstatemedianetwork.

A university can hand you a diploma, but can it hand you a future? From a brand new podcast studio at Arkansas State University, we talk with Chancellor Todd Shields about a builder’s approach to higher education and why he believes students deserve a direct line from learning to a real career.We get into the engine behind that promise: industry partnerships that tell the truth about today’s skills gap. Shields explains how A-State listens to employers, pressure-tests what students still need, and then updates programs without losing the rigor of accreditation. That can mean reworking curriculum, adding hands-on experiences, or embedding micro-credentials and industry certifications, such as IBM or Microsoft certificates so graduates stand out in hiring.Along the way, we explore what makes A-State and Northeast Arkansas bigger than most people realize, including major regional industries and distinctive pathways that connect students to advanced health careers. If you care about workforce development, career-ready education, and talent pipelines that actually work, this conversation lays out a practical blueprint built around feedback, flexibility, and outcomes.Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping Arkansas State, share this with someone choosing a college or hiring grads, and leave a review. What’s one skill you wish every graduate had on day one?