{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"LOAD IT OR LEAVE IT","title":"Building the Skilled Trades Workforce for the Future of Material Handling","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1463,"description":"Camp Jennings and Scott Smith sit down for a conversation about the growth of Henry North and the launch of American Automation Techs and American Forklift Techs, two new divisions focused on one of the material handling industry's most pressing challenges: finding the skilled technical talent required to keep increasingly complex equipment running. As Henry North has grown from a small startup into a team of more than a dozen people, Camp and Scott reflect on what they have learned about scaling a business, building culture, and experiencing firsthand many of the same talent challenges their clients face.\n \nIn this conversation, Camp and Scott discuss why technician recruiting has become one of the fastest growing parts of Henry North's business and why the shortage of skilled tradespeople is creating challenges throughout material handling and industrial automation. With experienced technicians retiring, fewer young people entering the trades, and equipment becoming more technologically advanced, companies are increasingly competing for a limited pool of people who possess both mechanical ability and sophisticated technical expertise.\n \nThe discussion also explores how American Automation Techs and American Forklift Techs are designed to connect employers with the specialized talent they need. Camp and Scott explain why aftermarket service and support are essential to the success of equipment manufacturers, dealers, integrators, and end users, and why technician shortages can directly limit growth, customer service, and revenue. They also discuss the expanding role of automation technicians, who increasingly need to combine hands on mechanical skills with advanced knowledge of controls, software, and complex automated systems.\n \nAlong the way, Camp and Scott reflect candidly on the challenges of entrepreneurship, hiring, and scaling Henry North while outlining their ambition to build dedicated communities for the technicians, engineers, installers, and other...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/rfVJWGSiGSSwnv9QI-vAjgMKxPu5GTpeGgIRwllf0qE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80ZjBm/MzcyYzk4NmM0Njdh/NDMxYjZiYjY1YTRh/MzM3MS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}