Coye Harrett

President, Van Hise Companies | Prairie Rivet & Akey Manufacturing | Acquiring legacy enterprises | Made in America

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

@SBA_Matthias Come on over to Footville, WI. See a shop in action. Used 7a to acquire via same NAICS code, signed a reshoring contract and refi’d business unit conventional

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

@mattripkey @mattbramanti 💪🏼

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Domestic fasteners now within 7% of overseas pricing on high volumes. Add in lead time and cash flow. The math points local - reshore with confidence

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Consistency in the good years is what builds resilience for the hard ones.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Clear expectations are more valuable than motivational speeches. Every time.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

@unusual_whales Why? 🤨

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Reliability is the most underrated competitive advantage in manufacturing. Everyone claims it. Few earn it consistently. #VanHiseCompanies

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Evaluating existing ERP systems for our shop versus our vibe coded Claude platform from scratch.

Any recommendations? Or ones to stay away from?

Looking at:

Netsuite
Fulcrum
RealTrac

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Cash flow is the oxygen of a manufacturing business. You can fix almost anything except running out of it.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Companies that rely on one person's tribal knowledge to run well aren't companies. They're risks.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Manufacturing rewards people who focus on details. Small adjustments in setup, maintenance, or communication can dramatically improve output over time. Those improvements often look small individually but add up to major operational gains.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

ISO 9001 isn't a plaque. It's a process that makes quality predictable across every run, every operator, every day.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Skilled operators are the backbone of manufacturing businesses. Their experience, discipline, and pride in the work they produce keeps companies competitive. Investing in those people is one of the most important things a company can do.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Clear accountability. Repeatable processes. People who care. That's the whole formula.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Trades and skilled manufacturing careers deserve far more recognition than they often receive. Many industries depend on people who know how to run machines, fabricate components, and maintain equipment. Without those skills, the entire industrial economy slows down.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Discipline isn't the opposite of culture. It is the culture.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

The best manufacturing businesses I’ve seen are run by operators who truly understand the details of their processes. They know their machines, materials, and workflows intimately. That knowledge leads to better decisions.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Many production problems are solved by experienced operators long before management even hears about them. Good operators understand their machines and processes deeply. That knowledge keeps production moving even when challenges appear.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

Slow down on people decisions. Speed kills here more than anywhere else.

Hire slow, fire fast.

[Coye Harrett @CoyeHarrett]

The biggest lie in manufacturing: "we'll fix that when things slow down." They never slow down. Fix it now.