Expert Interview: Michael Stewart, Vice President of Manufacturing
Host: Jen Little, Director of Commercial Operations
Manufacturing excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through disciplined processes, skilled people, smart investments, and a culture that refuses to settle for “good enough.” At ProcessBarron, excellence isn’t just a goal; it’s the standard that guides how work gets done every day.
That commitment was recently recognized with the Birmingham Business Journal’s Excellence in Manufacturing Award, an honor that reflects the collective efforts of teams across the organization. From engineering and manufacturing to safety, quality, and workforce development, manufacturing excellence at ProcessBarron is the result of alignment at every level.
Managing Manufacturing at Scale
With more than 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space across two facilities, managing day-to-day operations requires structure, accountability, and clear communication. ProcessBarron operates using a cellular manufacturing approach, with plant managers and lead personnel responsible for specific areas and workflows.
Daily shift huddles play a critical role in keeping teams aligned. These touchpoints ensure everyone understands short- and long-term goals and how their work directly impacts customer delivery and quality. In large-scale, engineer-to-order manufacturing environments, that alignment is essential to maintaining consistency and performance.
Defining Manufacturing Excellence
At its core, manufacturing excellence is about alignment between people, processes, and purpose. It starts with engineering precision, because if designs aren’t right upfront, downstream processes suffer. From there, excellence is built into every step of fabrication, assembly, and inspection.
Quality at ProcessBarron is non-negotiable. It’s not something checked at the end of a job; it’s embedded throughout the process. Teams take pride in knowing the equipment they build supports critical industrial operations, where reliability and performance truly matter.
What the Award Represents
While the Excellence in Manufacturing Award carries that name, it represents far more than shop-floor success alone. It reflects coordination across engineering, sales, pricing, planning, execution, and communication. External recognition validates the company’s focus on delivering high-quality, reliable equipment and motivates teams to continue improving.
Embracing Automation and Robotic Welding
One of the most impactful innovations at ProcessBarron has been the introduction of robotic welding. Alongside upgraded manual welding equipment, robotics has brought greater consistency and repeatability to specific applications.
Because ProcessBarron operates in an engineer-to-order environment, not high-volume production, the company adopted no-code robotic systems. These systems allow robots to learn directly from operators, enabling fast deployment for custom work without complex programming. The result is improved efficiency, consistency, and weld quality.
Cobots, Flexibility, and Workforce Impact
ProcessBarron utilizes both traditional industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots). Cobots are portable, flexible, and can be programmed directly on the shop floor, making them ideal for large components such as ductwork and fan housings.
While there were initial concerns that automation might replace jobs, the reality has been the opposite. Robotics has increased capacity and allowed skilled welders to focus on more complex, technical tasks. Automation has become another tool, one that strengthens both productivity and craftsmanship.
Quality, Safety, and Accountability
Whether welds are completed manually or robotically, they are held to the same rigorous standards. Certified Welding Inspectors (CWIs) evaluate penetration, adhesion, and integrity to ensure consistency across every job.
Equally important is a strong safety culture. Safety is a core value at ProcessBarron, reinforced through regular meetings, mentoring, and a stop-work authority policy that empowers every employee, from new hires to executives, to pause work if conditions aren’t safe. In an environment handling large, heavy equipment, shared responsibility is critical.
Developing the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent
Manufacturing excellence depends on people, and ProcessBarron invests heavily in mentorship, training, and workforce development. Experienced employees are paired with newer team members to pass on skills, knowledge, and craftsmanship.
The company also partners with local community colleges and operates apprenticeship programs in welding and machining, including both Department of Labor–recognized programs and internal tuition-supported pathways. These efforts help build a skilled workforce ready to support the future of American manufacturing.
Continuous Improvement: The Work Never Stops
Beyond automation, one of the biggest drivers of improved performance has been process discipline. By focusing on process flow, waste reduction, and continuous improvement, ProcessBarron has strengthened quality, efficiency, and on-time delivery.
Winning an award is a milestone, but not a finish line. Manufacturing excellence means constantly improving, adapting, and staying competitive while remaining a trusted partner that customers can rely on for decades.
ProcessBarron’s Commitment to Excellence
At ProcessBarron, manufacturing excellence is built on precision, accountability, innovation, and people. It’s reflected in award-winning operations, advanced technologies, strong safety practices, and a culture committed to doing things the right way, every time.
Because in industrial manufacturing, excellence isn’t optional. It’s essential.
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