What Makes a Top Shop?

Speakers and sessions have been announced for Modern Machine Shop’s Top Shops Conference, which runs September 9-11 in Cincinnati. The program features general sessions, panel discussions and breakout presentations that provide an in-depth look at tools, technologies and strategies for running and growing a manufacturing business.

The program includes current and previous Top Shops Award nominees. The awards are given every year to shops that excel in one of the four core categories: machining technology, business strategies, shopfloor practices and human resources. The 2019 winners will be announced during the grand reception at this year’s event. The winners will bo on hand for a Q&A with the audience during the 2019 Top Shops winners panel discussion.

Now in its third year, the event still focuses on being “for shops, by shops.” Panelists and speakers are hand-picked by the Modern Machine Shop staff to represent the best in the industry. These experts will discuss topics such as five-axis machining, automation, lean implementation, machine monitoring, workforce development, tax credits, marketing and much more.

“Regardless of end market or location, job shops have a lot in common and the path to their success has many of the same hurdles,” says the event’s marketing manager Justin Combs. “Top Shops allows them to share and learn what technologies and best practices are working and connects them with a community that can help them succeed.”

The event will also present findings from this year’s benchmarking survey as well as trends identified over the history of the survey data.

Attendees will all receive a complete Top Shops Survey report that gives benchmarking data for job shops across the country.