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Join NABR in partnership with Corp! Magazine for our CEO & Executive Thought Leadership Series, where Jennifer Kluge sits down with C-Suite Leaders to get their insight and expertise.
NABR is a service organization igniting greatness in companies and their people.
00:00:00:03 - 00:00:37:10
Jennifer
Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of CEO and Executive Thought Leadership. I am your host, Jennifer Kluge, and today we have a very special guest. Kelly Springer is the CEO and President of Metaflow Corporation, a leading automotive manufacturing company specializing in precision metal stamping and deep drawn components. With a background in public accounting. Kelly joined Metaflow as CFO in 2013, before being named the CEO and president in 2017.
00:00:37:12 - 00:00:57:09
Jennifer
Under Kelly's leadership, she has helped lead major investments in automation, workforce development, and global operations while building a people first culture in an industry undergoing rapid change in transformation. It's a pleasure to have you on the program, Kelly.
00:00:57:11 - 00:01:01:00
Kelly
Well, it's great to be here. Jennifer. Thank you for having me.
00:01:01:02 - 00:01:09:18
Jennifer
For those that don't know, can you give us a feel for what's happening right now, in top of mind at Metaflow?
00:01:09:20 - 00:01:34:02
Kelly
Well, obviously it's a period of lots of change in the automotive industry. So I think for us, you know, our focus is really kind of in three distinct and key areas. You know, we've we've been around for almost 49 years. So protecting and strengthening that core business and really a dynamic time for all types of business but specific in the automotive market.
00:01:34:08 - 00:02:05:13
Kelly
We're also continuing to invest. You mentioned automation, advanced manufacturing capabilities, operational efficiencies, all things that help us compete globally. And third, you know, workforce, making sure that our workforce is ready for where the industry is going. And we're launching some new, exciting new programs that are tied to mobility and energy applications. And so with that new automotive and non product offerings, we want to make sure our workforce is ready.
00:02:05:13 - 00:02:09:19
Kelly
So all of those are areas of key focus for us.
00:02:09:21 - 00:02:41:10
Jennifer
That's exciting. It's a lot. It's exciting. We'll probably dive into that a little bit more on the program. But let's let's just chat a little bit about your leadership style. I know you have a background in accounting and finance, and many CEOs come with financial background and it shapes their leadership style. But for you. How would you describe your leadership style and did the finance world have a part in that?
00:02:41:12 - 00:02:44:18
Jennifer
Yeah. Let's just talk about how you lead.
00:02:44:20 - 00:03:16:22
Kelly
I think when you start in public accounting for myself personally, and I'm sure for others, it gives you, I think, deep respect for financial discipline and for data and the importance for myself of asking hard questions and asking those hard questions early on. I also think it taught me to look beneath the surface of a problem, and maybe to understand what are those numbers really saying, and how to make decisions with a long term lens.
00:03:16:22 - 00:03:44:07
Kelly
And manufacturing leadership, I think also teach teaches you to something that maybe is equally important. And while numbers matter, people really make the difference. And you can have the right strategy on paper, can fit into a spreadsheet, and quite candidly, it can still fail. If your team doesn't understand the why and isn't aligned or doesn't feel the ownership to it.
00:03:44:08 - 00:04:17:14
Kelly
So I think today my leadership style is really a combination of those two worlds analytical, disciplined on one hand, but also very people centered. And we have really built our our core philosophy and vision around believing that clarity in our leadership, not just mine, but our whole leadership team really matters. And when we're consistent, we build trust with our team.
00:04:17:14 - 00:04:49:18
Kelly
And leadership is really about creating an environment and the conditions for others to succeed. And I think that is shown through over and over again in some of the successes that we've had. And I think one of the biggest lessons that we've had, and for myself, in making that transition from the financial side into the manufacturing portion of the business is you have to be on the floor, you have to ask questions, you have to listen.
00:04:49:18 - 00:05:09:05
Kelly
You have to learn. And understanding how a decision that gets made, potentially on a spreadsheet or in an office, really translates and affects the people who are doing the work in a manufacturing environment. That's really the key. And all of that is influenced my style and how I lead today.
00:05:09:06 - 00:05:32:04
Jennifer
Oh that's great. You know, they call that walking the four corners. So you touched upon two really important things communication, understanding the why. Why are we doing this and listening. You know, we have two years or one month for a reason. Right. And you listen to your team. For those that don't know, Kelly leads her team in an amazing way.
00:05:32:06 - 00:06:02:23
Jennifer
Culture is very important. People is very important. Is award winning culture. Really focus on workforce development and employee retention, which is hard to do in two worlds that you're in manufacturing as well as rapid change environments. Can you talk a little bit more or swim a little bit more into what your role is as a leader, and workforce development and employee retention, and how you make sure that it doesn't falter?
00:06:03:00 - 00:06:09:21
Jennifer
Yeah, the numbers are important, as you mentioned, but the people are more important. So can you swim in that a little bit more for us, Kelly.
00:06:09:23 - 00:06:49:05
Kelly
Absolutely. You know manufacturing is very asset heavy right? Equipment matters, systems matter, strategy matters. But ultimately we refer to our people as our greatest asset. And so my role starts from making sure we have systems and the right people in place to attract, develop and keep people who fit that culture, a culture that's engaged and is growing. So we think about our mission statement and our culture as a key component of that strategy, and how we use it as a decision tree.
00:06:49:07 - 00:07:20:05
Kelly
We we add benefits and think through benefits that meet the needs of our team members, where they are and in our workforce. Today, we have team members who are, you know, it's important to them that maybe they're seeking to get that GED, that that that's an important component to them. They're entry level operators for us, but we also have PhD metallurgists, and every type of skill set in between all make up the success and dynamic that is our workforce culture.
00:07:20:06 - 00:07:47:22
Kelly
So when we think about the needs of that workforce, we have to keep that in mind and recognize that our culture requires us to think about that dynamic of all different skill sets and all different requirements to meet that. And so when we think about cultural needs, it has to have a wide range of applicability. And so we've launched several benefits.
00:07:47:22 - 00:08:18:24
Kelly
And I use that term broadly benefits as part of our culture to fit into things that have super wide applicability. One of them would be a cultural change we made around wellness. We had coming out of, you know, the Covid environment, you know, recognizing that our team members needed more in in the wellness space. And we chose to broadly define wellness for the individual team member.
00:08:18:24 - 00:08:47:16
Kelly
So we have a benefit that provides you a wellness benefit, but that wellness can be personally defined for you in a very broad way. For some, it's wellness means they enjoy getting out on a golf course outside of work. For others, it could be I want to take and go have a cooking class. For some, it's I need wellness for me as support for my hunting and just a wide variety of creative ways that all support wellness.
00:08:47:16 - 00:09:21:01
Kelly
And so we've chosen to really think about it from a cultural perspective and recognize that it isn't one size fits all when it comes to helping support the wellness activities of our team members. And so that broad definition of of what that means, I think has really helped influence that. And so I think part of my role in the leadership teams role is to remind ourselves that we can't let those biases creep in, and we have to broadly define the needs of our workforce.
00:09:21:03 - 00:09:44:04
Jennifer
That's excellent. In in the thing is, is many leaders don't know to customize by the individual and to mentor and coach at an individual level and provide them what they need individually. And that is that creates engagement. So that is well said. And if there's any takeaway from from this program today, that should be it for all leaders.
00:09:44:04 - 00:10:07:16
Jennifer
Do you know your team? Do you know what motivates them? Are you paying for a round of golf? Are you giving them a day off to go hunting, whatever it may be? Joining a book club, whatever it may be, those go so much further than traditional leaders think. So thank you for giving that example. Let's shift and talk about the industry.
00:10:07:16 - 00:10:33:21
Jennifer
There's so much going on right now. Every industry has key indicators that we can all learn from that signals market conditions, future trends, the economy. So this can be two part. What key indicators are you seeing right now into the future that you can share with others to learn from? And then we'll talk a little bit more about how to navigate those.
00:10:33:23 - 00:11:06:00
Kelly
Sure. So obviously at the market level we're in the automotive space. So North American vehicle production forecasts are key for us. We watch global vehicle production forecasts because we provide product throughout the globe. And so that's important to us. Tariffs we have product that participate in the tariff space and trade developments clear for us raw material pricing. We have commodity based pricing on a number of our products.
00:11:06:00 - 00:11:33:12
Kelly
The majority of our raw material is commodity based brace. And then most recently, as a result of the trade developments, the automotive OEMs and all of that supply chain is going through a localization effort. So understanding those key things at a market level is where we're spending time. And I spend time understanding those key indicators at a company level.
00:11:33:14 - 00:12:02:22
Kelly
I obviously want to know where we're quoting new work. Again, looking at that long game for us, launch timing for us is important. The product launch cycle for us can be very long. And you know, I mentioned the commodity pricing. Are we passing that through onto our customers effectively to protect that margin and understand how that works, our labor productivity clearly, how we're utilizing our workforce.
00:12:03:01 - 00:12:32:11
Kelly
You know, automation is is, you know, sounds great. But, you know, our workforce productivity and safety continues to be number one for us. Quality and our reputation is always key. And we all want to drive safe automotive transportation. So a zero defect mindset is key in terms of what we bring to the market. And we track that at a company level in great detail.
00:12:32:12 - 00:13:08:13
Kelly
And then how quickly can we translate new capabilities, new investments that we're making into our customer programs. And so all of those trends have significant volatility. So geopolitical volatility impacts the economics that we're dealing with in terms of our markets and our customers. And so we're navigating all of that. And I think sorting out the pace in the automotive space of electrification and legacy vehicles.
00:13:08:13 - 00:13:35:19
Kelly
So I think the challenge from a supplier perspective is to understand where to make capital decisions and have good customer strategies, but also understand the talent side and what talent and training do we need to offer to our team members, so that we're positioned to combine the smart automation that we're investing in with the workforce development that our team members are looking for.
00:13:35:24 - 00:13:58:17
Kelly
I also like to say we can only control what we can control, and we talk a lot from a communication perspective in that our team members and our workforce can hear about all these trends and all these concerns from a media perspective, and we want them to know that we're monitoring it, that we understand it. And here's how it impacts our business.
00:13:58:17 - 00:14:23:01
Kelly
And it goes back to the communication side that we talked about earlier and and explaining the why and being fairly transparent about what we're doing to navigate some of those market trends and how we, from an organizational perspective, monitor it. But I don't want our team members to be out in a production environment and living in fear based on something they hear in the media.
00:14:23:01 - 00:14:46:20
Kelly
So we we try and overcommunicate some of that information to know, yes, this is an economic impact to our business, but here's what we're doing to understand it and and to get ahead of it. And here's where you fit into that and what we're doing to support you in growing your skills and talents. And that's a transition. And that's a change culturally that we've gone through.
00:14:46:20 - 00:15:09:20
Kelly
And I think the manufacturers specifically that are doing that in the land of, you know, AI and and concerns about will that replace my, my work in the future? I think if you don't communicate on it, in the absence of that information, I don't want our team members to live in fear around that. So we've we've spent a lot of time talking about it, for sure.
00:15:09:22 - 00:15:49:00
Jennifer
You can't talk enough as a leader. And the why is very, very important. And that was a nice, detailed explanation of uncertainty and the stressors on leadership these days. And it continues. It's not a one and done. It's just it's this plus this plus this. And they all kind of work together like a puzzle. So looking ahead next year to two years, what decisions or capabilities will most separate companies that grow from those that merely endure?
00:15:49:06 - 00:16:26:15
Kelly
Well, certainly, you know, technology is a key component of that. And you it's it's easy to say, can you buy the technology? Right. It's out there, and there's no shortage of companies out there that are willing to sell you new technology. So I think for us, we've got an internal process that we go through to say, you know, should we does this new technology, does this new investment strengthen our core capabilities, improve our competitiveness, serve a need that our customer has, but also position us for future demand?
00:16:26:16 - 00:16:55:03
Kelly
There's there's the the cool factor, right, that we've all seen, you know, it's great. It does. You know, here's all the cool things it can do. But what really does it do to position us for future demand in our industry? And I think that's how we've approached expansion automation. I think that's how we look at when we expanded our footprint in Holland with buildings.
00:16:55:04 - 00:17:24:14
Kelly
It's how we think about configuring our manufacturing space when we invest in new presses, all of that, we look and think about it for long term scalability. It can't just be, wow, this is the new cool thing, right? I think otherwise, you know, it's certainly out there. There's plenty of new cool things, but it's got to have a return on that investment and it's got to serve a need for the business in the future.
00:17:24:14 - 00:17:51:19
Kelly
And we've got to be able to bring along that change right from an execution risk perspective. So, you know, I started off talking about an investment or an idea can look good on paper. But if we're not ready to absorb it as a team, as an organization, I think, I think we we consider our workforce readiness for it as well.
00:17:52:00 - 00:18:18:00
Kelly
You know, do we have the engineering capacity? Will it impact our quality? And so how does that fit into what I think of as our total overall operating system? So we're evaluating lots of new technology, but we don't just evaluate it simply like, oh it's the new latest and greatest and everyone should just jump in. It doesn't mean we're not making investments.
00:18:18:00 - 00:18:24:10
Kelly
We certainly are. But we're very well thought out in terms of how to make those investments for sure.
00:18:24:11 - 00:18:52:12
Jennifer
Sorry to interrupt. You know, it sounds like there's a decision tree process that you have internally. Risk, scalability, workforce readiness opportunity with clients. And it sounds like it's a well-oiled machine because you have been growing and you have implemented automated automation and you have expanded. So whatever you're doing, keep doing it. And I think a lot of other folks can learn from it.
00:18:52:13 - 00:19:14:01
Jennifer
You know, everyone in their careers has a monumental moment. So this is about you as a leader. And all of us have had a moment where, oh my gosh, I'm not sure we're going to get through this or holy smokes, this is a huge opportunity. Am I willing to put the effort in? Am I capable to do it right?
00:19:14:03 - 00:19:26:06
Jennifer
As leaders, what are some of your monumental moments, or do you want to share a story with us of what that monumental moment was in your career, and how you overcame it, or what you learned from it?
00:19:26:08 - 00:20:04:04
Kelly
Yeah, I think for myself personally, obviously we all, we all can think back in the recent one that we all talk about, you know, certainly was leading organizations through through Covid is certainly one. But for me, it wasn't just the uncertainty of that time. I think it was the key thing that I learned from that moment was in addition to the uncertainty, our team, what I found was we needed a strategic project to complement the the the period of uncertainty and change that we were all experiencing.
00:20:04:04 - 00:20:30:09
Kelly
And for us, we took on a large expansion project and kicked that off in the middle of Covid. So a large building expansion project it had been on the back burner for for a period of time. And we took that, you know, uncertainty and a little bit of the pause to say it's now's the time to do it.
00:20:30:10 - 00:21:00:14
Kelly
And it was somewhat of a a bold move or a monumental time. It could have gone horribly wrong potentially. But we made that, you know, I made and along with the support for my team, made the decision. And it was it was a time of great uncertainty. But what I learned from that is we had to again understand and share why we were doing it.
00:21:00:14 - 00:21:37:07
Kelly
But what I proved to our team is in series of at a time of great growth, with this very exciting strategic project that we executed at the exact same time. And those two things complemented each other extremely well. And, and I think that proved to our team we could be super athletic in making decisions in a period of uncertainty and layer that into this strategic project.
00:21:37:08 - 00:22:24:08
Kelly
And we ended up executing a very large expansion project that came in on time, under budget, with much more creative ideas at a time when as a team, we could have been the sky is falling doom and gloom. And I learned a lot from a from a leadership perspective about in those times of great uncertainty, it's also a time to really kind of take advantage of that uncertainty, whether it's a business cycle, a talent transition in our case, a major expansion decision, and use those moments to reinforce, you know, your mission, your vision, and reinforce that clarity really matters.
00:22:24:08 - 00:22:51:18
Kelly
And it doesn't mean you have to have the perfect answer, right when you grow up consistently and listen well and do, you know, have a plan? I think it helped us as an organization move forward with confidence. And it it was a monumental moment, I think, for not just myself, but our team and for our organization. We look different because of it.
00:22:51:19 - 00:23:21:13
Jennifer
The yeah, you saw the opportunity in the storm and you went for it. That takes courage, takes courage. Congratulations on your success there. Let's talk about Kelly the young leader, and Kelly, the current leader. What is someone did you have about leadership? And was it wrong? Was it right? How is it different than what you thought it was going to be?
00:23:21:13 - 00:23:23:06
Jennifer
And what did you have to unlearn?
00:23:23:11 - 00:23:50:21
Kelly
Well, I think early in my career, I think something that I've had to learn about is that when you're looking to grow in your career, that that always is about doing more right, that you're always going to do more. And I think I've had to unlearn that. You can you can create a lot of activity by doing more, certainly in a business and for yourself personally, without creating real progress.
00:23:50:21 - 00:24:27:04
Kelly
Busy doesn't mean you're growing. And I think growth for yourself personally. Sustainable growth for a business, it requires focus sequencing, alignment. But it more isn't more work. More busy doesn't necessarily equate to value. And I think early in my career I thought just more hours, more time, more everything that that equated to growth. And I think that's an assumption that I have unlearned over time for sure.
00:24:27:05 - 00:24:27:20
Jennifer
Well said.
00:24:27:23 - 00:24:35:01
Kelly
A great to share with you. Early in career and emerging leaders. Yeah, they don't have to do that.
00:24:35:02 - 00:24:39:23
Jennifer
Work smarter, not harder. Right. Work smarter and.
00:24:40:00 - 00:24:46:05
Kelly
See it. One thing to say it, it's another thing to to model it quite candidly. Right.
00:24:46:07 - 00:25:11:09
Jennifer
But that doesn't replace grit though either. So some of the younger folks listening right now, you still have to work hard. You just have to be focused in a in a direction. Right? Absolutely. We're going to shift gears a little bit. I think, you know, team members can be a little intimidated by titles, and they don't realize there's a human behind the title.
00:25:11:10 - 00:25:24:19
Jennifer
So we like to demystify the seat of of a CEO and a leader like you. Kelly, let's let's do some rapid fire questions here. What is a daily ritual that keeps you motivated?
00:25:24:23 - 00:25:47:24
Kelly
Well, for me, I love to walk the floor in a production environment and talk to the people who make our parts right there. They're keeping us, touching the parts that support our customers. And I think that keeps us grounded and why we do. And it it takes what the strategy that we talk about and brings it to reality.
00:25:47:24 - 00:26:12:10
Kelly
And so if you're in a business environment and you're disconnected from the actual business that you're doing, for me that's a huge motivator. Or, you know, it goes back to people are our greatest assets. And if I'm sitting in my office and not touching the parts that we make, then that's a huge disconnect. And so that's something that keeps me very motivated and focused.
00:26:12:12 - 00:26:18:01
Jennifer
Oh that's great. Is there a book or speaker that made a huge imprint on you?
00:26:18:04 - 00:26:47:07
Kelly
Well, I have been a long Mitch Albom fan. I read Tuesdays with Morrie back, you know, years and years and years ago. And I'm a follower of all of his books. And, so the longtime fan. So I would say, yes, it's made a lasting impact on me. It's a book that I've probably, you know, probably read 20 times, if I'm being honest and doesn't necessarily it isn't a business book.
00:26:47:07 - 00:27:11:06
Kelly
Right, that I but I think it's about, you know, human condition. And I think, you know, we're all humans. We all come into the workplace as humans. And it's always been a great reminder for me and something that I've, you know, a book that I have multiple copies of have given as gifts. And I just it's yes, definitely made a lasting impact in.
00:27:11:06 - 00:27:32:02
Jennifer
And I think that's a great example of especially with Mitch Albom is we have an impact on others, whether we know it or not. And that book is a testament to that. And it's about this world is about who we touch, rather how much money we make. Right?
00:27:32:04 - 00:27:35:01
Kelly
100%. 100%.
00:27:35:04 - 00:27:37:17
Jennifer
What do you do for fun?
00:27:37:19 - 00:28:01:19
Kelly
Well, I am a relatively new grandma, so I have leaned into that role and enjoy the fun of being able to spoil and do all things grandma related and sent home. But I have a great family, great circle of friends, and I enjoy when you're in an environment that I am, that work wise requires me to be inside.
00:28:01:19 - 00:28:18:10
Kelly
I love things that are outside. So and that's throughout the the four seasons. So I'm an outdoor person. Whether it's hiking, riding bikes, enjoy being outside. So enjoy that a great deal. So great deal of fun.
00:28:18:11 - 00:28:43:12
Jennifer
Good for the soul being outside there's you literally get grounded. You know the whole scientific of grounding. Not not the full philosophical grounding, but the the energy that the earth has when you touch it or when you're in the environment of the outside world. It helps scientifically with your body. So good for you. Plus this one, this one, you be out.
00:28:43:13 - 00:28:58:10
Kelly
Right now. Fresh air for me. Fresh air outside is yeah, it's a great stress reliever for sure. And and I find it extremely fun to just be outside and enjoy nature and enjoy it a great deal.
00:28:58:12 - 00:29:01:16
Jennifer
As a human, do you have bad habits?
00:29:01:18 - 00:29:28:20
Kelly
Oh, of course, of course I yeah. I think if you looked at the, you know, amount of caffeine that a human could consume through coffee in a day, I definitely exceed that. I start in the morning. And, you know, it's not unusual that I would have a cup of coffee at 9:00 at night, so. Oh, wow. I definitely consume more than would be the recommended amount.
00:29:28:20 - 00:29:37:09
Kelly
I'm not a a pop or soda drinker, but I am a coffee consumer and love a great cup of coffee. So what's.
00:29:37:09 - 00:29:42:01
Jennifer
Your go to coffee? What would you do? You order it. Do you make it? What do you got going on with your coffee?
00:29:42:02 - 00:30:10:04
Kelly
I got both going on. I have quite the coffee system. Love my good beans. I'm a madcap fan. If you're familiar with Grand Rapids. Madcap. So, Yes. So. But, you know, growing my beings at home in the morning, consume throughout the day. Love a good pour over. But yes, I'm a big coffee fan, but consume probably way more than I should on any given day.
00:30:10:06 - 00:30:12:20
Jennifer
Definitely have the same illness.
00:30:12:24 - 00:30:17:17
Kelly
Very, very much exceed the daily recommended amount, I'm sure.
00:30:17:23 - 00:30:22:07
Jennifer
And our last question of the day who inspires you?
00:30:22:09 - 00:30:51:11
Kelly
Yeah, when I think about who inspires me, I am not one to be, you know, wild by a celebrity or, you know, I'm inspired and have long been inspired by people who who quietly do hard things well and probably without needing credit. And and that would be hard jobs, right? Jobs that, like they do well every single day and they don't need credit for it.
00:30:51:11 - 00:31:16:03
Kelly
And when you think about all the jobs that exist, a variety of workforce jobs, certainly we have exciting jobs here at Metal Flow, but there are so many roles and jobs that, you know, people show up and they do them every single day. And I'm always interested in like, who made this? How did this get made? There are so many things that people do.
00:31:16:04 - 00:31:40:00
Kelly
They do them every day. They do them quietly. And I've always been inspired by people who do those types of roles. And so, you know, public service officers, lots of different health care workers, but just anyone who quietly, quietly does hard things well, I can say is kind of been always on my list of inspiration for me.
00:31:40:02 - 00:32:10:02
Jennifer
Wonderful, wonderful. Well said. Well, Kelly, it's been wonderful having you on the program. Lots of very important takeaways from from today talking about the why, the process or decision tree, communicating with your team members, making sure you take care of them at an individual customized level to keep them engaged, and not being scared to take risks when there's a lot at stake.
00:32:10:02 - 00:32:19:21
Jennifer
So congratulations on your success. Thank you for being on the program. And that's a wrap everybody. We'll see you next time. Keep shining bright.