Jake Olsen, CEO of SMACNA Silver Associate Member Stratus, joins Angie for the latest episode of Let's Talk Shop. We talk to Jake about his industry journey, talk about how Stratus helps SMACNA members reach their goals, and how Stratus (and the construction space as a whole) is working to adapt to attract the next generation of workers.
Oct 21, 2025
29 min
Seth Lennon hosts a special episode of Let's Talk Shop featuring a discussion between Angie Simon, Past SMACNA President and Co-Founder, and President of Heavy Metal Summer Experience, and William Chaney, the CEO of SMACNA Silver Associate Member ServiceTrade. The panel discusses the challenges and opportunities in building a workforce, highlighting how private firms and organizations like Heavy Metal Summer Experience are paving the way to bring younger generations into our industry.
Sep 9, 2025
24 min
In the latest episode of Let's Talk Shop, Angie sits down with Ron Palmerick, Vice President of AABCO Sheet Metal Company. Angie and Ron discuss Ron's years in the industry, detailing his journey from the beginning to becoming an essential member of the SMACNA community. Ron takes a moment to share his years of experience in the industry, including his work in National Leadership (such as serving as SMACNA President), securing industry funds, and advocating on the political front for our indu...
May 6, 2025
35 min
SMACNA President Tom Martin joins Angie Simon for the latest Let's Talk Shop episode! Angie and Tom talk about his upbringing and listen to his story about how he came through the industry and his inspiration to serve SMACNA. They also take a moment to talk about his priorities for the presidency and early observations about his term.
Apr 2, 2025
29 min
Angie Simon is joined by Kevin Gill, Sr. and Kevin Gill Jr. from Boston-based McCusker-Gill. The panel talks about the history of the company, it's family-based approach and how the firm has evolved. The upcoming 2025 Fab Forum is also discussed as the Kevins talk about how excited they are to participate in this event and what SMACNA contractors should be excited about.
Mar 14, 2025
33 min
Angie sits down with Jason Galoozis, Safety Director with Premistar. Angie and Jason talk about his rise through the industry as a safety professional and outline some of the best practices that companies can employ to ensure that everyone gets home safely.
Apr 5, 2024
34 min
In this episode of Let's Talk Shop, Angie Simon chats with Chris Hronek of Tweet/Garot Mechanical and SMACNA's 2024 Innovator of the Year. Angie and Chris talk about his expierience with pushing the envelope with technological integration in a shop setting, and reflect on Chris' career path and how he got to where he is today.
Mar 15, 2024
20 min
In the latest episode of Lets Talk Shop, Angie sits down with Steve Zahm, President and Chief Culture Officer with SMACNA Premier Partner Procore. During their converation, Angie and Steve talk about the origins of Procore and the work they are doing within the industry, along with outlining how to build a strong company culture that encourages innovation through collaboration.
Sep 28, 2023
45 min
In the latest Let's Talk Shop installment, Angie Simon sits down with Robert Beck, the CEO of the John W. Danforth Company and the National President of MCAA. During their conversation, Angie and Robert talk about his rise through the ranks of John W. Danforth, his priorities for his term as MCAA's National President, and how he seeks to collaborate with SMACNA and NECA on initiatives such as the MEP Innovation Conference. The two also dive into John W. Danforth's work with the Heavy Metal Su...
Jul 28, 2023
36 min
Angie Simon is joined by Chris Walker, Executive Vice President of CAL SMACNA. Angie and Chris discuss how he started with SMACNA, outline some of his legislative work on behalf of the industry in California, and talk about his ongoing initative to improve awareness about the need for enhanced indoor air quality.
Jun 9, 2023
37 min
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