{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Steel City Growth","title":"Sink or Swim: The Leadership Lessons That Built JWF Industries. Book release Oct 1,2026","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2606,"description":"What does it take to build a company that can survive loss, recessions, massive growth and an\nindustry that never stops changing?\nIn this episode of Steel City Growth, Bill Ilgenfritz sits down with Bill Polacek, CEO and\nChairman of JWF Industries, for a conversation about leadership, resilience, faith, family and\nthe decisions that shaped his journey as an entrepreneur.\nBill shares how his father’s small welding business became the foundation for what would\neventually grow into JWF Industries—and how losing his father at just 25 years old forced him\nto decide whether he would “sink or swim.”  Book release Oct 1, 2026.\nHe explains how a $6,280 Bethlehem Steel project became an early turning point, how JWF\nentered the defense industry and helped develop lighter armor for military vehicles, and why\ntaking care of employees has remained at the center of his leadership philosophy.\nBill also opens up about one of the most difficult periods in the company’s history, when the\nrecession forced JWF to lay off employees. Rather than viewing layoffs as numbers on a\nspreadsheet, he made the decision to continue paying health insurance for affected employees\nwhile working to bring them back.\nIn this conversation, you’ll learn:\n• How Bill Polacek turned difficult circumstances into opportunities\n• Why servant leadership is central to JWF Industries\n• What “sink or swim” means in business and in life\n• How JWF moved from welding and fabrication into defense manufacturing\n• Why leaders reveal their true character during difficult times\n• How JWF built a culture around trust, respect and employee development\n• Why businesses must adapt to changing markets instead of only selling what they already\noffer\n• How Bill thinks about AI, robotics and the future of manufacturing\n• The biggest leadership mistake Bill made while growing the company\n• Why community investment matters to the long-term health of a business\n• How Bill is preparing the next generation of leadership at JWF\n• The...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/V0CheHndWkKlBCcuwtYFg74Z6cBqg5vB7Qdiou6t8_A/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zOTQz/OTZlYWYwNjhiNTkz/YzY0NzMzNGNiMjA2/MjIwNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}