Building an Automation Company on Ambition and Hustle with Malachi Greb

Manufacturing Happy Hour

We’ve got a bit of a different Manufacturing Happy Hour episode this time – it’s one of our first long-form episode at a trade show. Joined by co-host Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial, we recorded this at the 2022 The Vision Show AMR & Logistics Conference in Boston.

Our guest is Malachi Greb, Owner of Elite Automation – a frequent trade show attendee with the goal of leading the “biggest automation company in the world.” An ambitious target, no doubt, but Malachi knows exactly how he’s going to achieve it.

We talk about how Malachi first got into the automation space, his guerrilla marketing tactics, why he’s on a hiring kick, and what it was like venturing into his first international project. We cover a lot of ground with some great actionable tips, especially around trade shows, so don’t miss it!

In this episode, find out:

• How Malachi first got started in automation
• How Elite Automation is creating growth
• Why Elite Automation is on a hiring kick
• Why guerrilla marketing strategies are the way to go
• Why companies should always aim to add value in marketing
• Elite Automation’s winning business strategy
• What the manufacturing industry is like in the Midwest
• What it was like leading Elite Automation’s first international project in India
• How Malachi plans to run the biggest automation company in the world
• The advantages of being young in this industry

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “Where a business is successful is when it adds value to another company or individuals.”
• “Why are people spending $10,000-$20,000 on a booth when you can send 10 employees, spend a quarter the amount of money and have them just run around?”
• “We probably do at least five interviews a week, every single week, no matter if we’re hiring or not. And we're doing that because we're building a backlog of individuals.”

Links & mentions:

• Elite Automation, a robotics and automation solutions company specializing in robotic weld cells, palletizing, material handling, and AMR deployment
• The Manufacturing Come Up, an industry interview podcast hosted by Elite Automation
• Bud’s Rockin’ Country Bar & Grill, a Nashville-inspired bar located on Franklin Street in Evansville, IN in the former location of a Harley-Davidson dealership

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.