Host Jen Little is joined by Joe Waite, Vice President of Air Handling and Material Handling Products, to explore how pulp and paper mills operate, the biggest maintenance and efficiency challenges plants face, and how modern upgrades are helping mills stay productive, sustainable, and compliant.

This episode covers:
• How the pulp and paper industry evolved in the digital age
• Why containerboard and packaging demand are booming
• How power boilers, dust collectors, and fans impact plant efficiency
• The hidden cost of particulate and equipment erosion in industrial facilities
• A real-world case study that eliminated millions in downtime
• Preventive maintenance strategies that reduce shutdown risk
• How mills meet environmental regulations and emissions standards
• Career advice for engineers and professionals entering industrial manufacturing

Whether you work in manufacturing, engineering, plant operations, maintenance, or industrial sales, or you’re simply curious about how everyday products are made, this episode delivers practical insights from inside the plant.

Subscribe to Powering the Process for weekly conversations about industrial manufacturing, plant reliability, process engineering, and real-world solutions that keep production running with ProcessBarron's support.

From highways and bridges to homes and skyscrapers, cement is one of the most essential building materials in the world. But producing it requires precision, reliability, and equipment that can survive one of the most abrasive industrial environments. In this conversation, we break down how cement plants operate, the biggest challenges they face today, and how ProcessBarron helps plants improve performance, efficiency, and reliability.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

•  Why cement is vital to America’s infrastructure 
•  The key systems required to keep cement plants running at peak performance 
•  How fans, drag chain conveyors, and material handling equipment support the cement process 
•  A behind-the-scenes look at a massive 320-ft downcomer duct project delivered on an extremely tight timeline 
•  Common operational challenges in cement plants, including dust control and plugged cyclones 
•  How fan efficiency upgrades can reduce energy usage and improve plant performance 
•  How environmental regulations and carbon capture are shaping the future of the cement industry 
•  Why durability and wear protection are essential for equipment that must survive year-long campaigns 
•  Advice for young engineers and sales professionals interested in heavy industrial careers 

Brian also shares insights into how the cement industry is evolving, why most work today focuses on maintenance and upgrades rather than new plants, and how ProcessBarron supports customers as a “one-stop shop” for equipment feeding the kiln and handling material downstream.

If you’re involved in cement, heavy manufacturing, or industrial operations, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply to keep your process moving.

👉 Learn more about ProcessBarron and how we help plants handle everything better.

In this episode of Powering the Process, host Jen Little sits down with Joey Taylor, Field Service Superintendent, and Levi Taylor, Field Service General Foreman, to take you inside the world of field service crews. From early morning safety protocols to high-stakes equipment installations, they share what it takes to perform precision work under pressure.

You’ll hear firsthand how millwrights operate within thousandths of an inch, why safety is more than just a checklist, and what separates a good crew from a great one. Whether you're in manufacturing, considering a skilled trades career, or just curious about what happens behind the scenes during plant outages, this episode delivers real-world insight from the field.

Key Topics Covered

• What a typical day looks like for a field service crew
• The critical role of safety, training, and lockout/tagout procedures
• Precision alignment and why millwright work demands accuracy
• Real-world challenges of heavy equipment installation and rigging
• How technology (like wireless alignment tools and digital reporting) is changing the field
• The realities of travel, long hours, and working on industrial job sites
• What makes a strong field service team, and what to look for in new hires
• Why skilled trades careers offer opportunity, growth, and stability

Guests
Joey Taylor, Field Service Superintendent
 With 15+ years of experience, Joey brings deep knowledge of field operations, safety, and leadership. He’s spent his career managing crews, solving complex challenges, and ensuring work gets done right the first time.

Levi Taylor, Field Service General Foreman
 Levi leads crews in the field with a focus on precision work and hands-on execution. With a background rooted in skilled trades, he brings practical insight into what it takes to succeed in industrial maintenance.

Want to learn more about field service, industrial maintenance, or careers in manufacturing? Stay tuned for more episodes of Powering the Process. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone in the industry.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What ash is and how it’s created from coal, biomass, and waste-to-energy fuels
• Why ash management is critical for environmental compliance and plant efficiency
• How recycling ash reduces landfill waste and lowers overall CO₂ impact
• The economic value of ash in cement, agriculture, and emerging biochar/plastics applications
• The differences between pneumatic and mechanical conveying, and why system design matters
• How modern ash handling systems reduce fire risk, fugitive dust, and community impact
• Why every ash handling solution must be custom-engineered to fit a plant’s footprint and budget
• The future of ash recycling as industries shift toward biomass and alternative fuels

Featured Guest

David Cantu, Director of Material Handling at ProcessBarron

With nearly 14 years at ProcessBarron, David specializes in ash handling system design, mechanical conveying solutions, and large-scale material handling upgrades for power and industrial facilities. His experience spans site assessments, troubleshooting, custom engineering, and full-system implementation.

With nearly 26 years in the field, Josh shares how hard hats go far beyond safety compliance. They tell a story of experience earned, miles traveled, skills learned, and the culture that defines ProcessBarron crews.

Listeners will hear how hard hat stickers become visual badges of honor, marking outages completed, training achieved, and years of dedication in the field. From the pride of a fully covered hard hat to the humbling feeling of starting fresh with a new one, Josh explains how this small detail reflects professionalism, mentorship, and trust on job sites.

The conversation also dives into the realities of field life,  long stretches away from home, the importance of safety training, building strong crews, and how experienced workers mentor the next generation.

At its core, this episode highlights how something as simple as a hard hat represents responsibility, craftsmanship, teamwork, and the shared commitment to protecting people above all else.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why hard hats represent more than PPE
• The meaning behind hard hat stickers
• How experience is recognized in the field
• Building culture and mentorship within crews
• The realities of life on the road for field teams
• Safety training and career growth opportunities
• How professionalism shows up on job sites

In this episode of Powering the Process, host Jen Little sits down with Ashley Doyal, Vice President of the South Region and Central & South America at ProcessBarron, to explore the role of waste-to-energy in modern industrial manufacturing.

Ashley breaks down how waste-to-energy plants convert everyday household garbage into usable electricity, reduce landfill dependency, and help municipalities manage waste more sustainably. The conversation dives into plant operations, environmental regulations, air pollution control systems, and the engineering solutions that keep these facilities running efficiently.

With the U.S. producing more waste than any other country, waste-to-energy is becoming a critical part of the circular economy. This episode explains why and how ProcessBarron is helping lead the way.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What waste-to-energy is and how it works
• How waste-to-energy reduces landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions
• Common misconceptions about emissions and environmental impact
• The role of air handling, ash handling, and pollution control systems
• Why waste-to-energy plants are heavily regulated and closely monitored
• How ProcessBarron supports waste-to-energy facilities through engineering and maintenance
• The future of waste-to-energy and its role in the circular economy

Featured Guest

Ashley Doyal
Vice President – South Region & Central and South America

ProcessBarron

With nearly 32 years at ProcessBarron, Ashley brings deep experience in waste-to-energy systems, air pollution control, and large-scale industrial plant operations.

About the Podcast

Powering the Process is a podcast by ProcessBarron that explores the systems, equipment, and strategies behind industrial manufacturing. Each episode delivers practical insights from industry experts to help plants run safer, cleaner, and more efficiently.

From emergency shutdowns to precision balancing in harsh environments, Roy shares real-world insights into diagnosing fan imbalance, foundation issues, vibration problems, and the evolution of diagnostic technology. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the expertise required to prevent downtime, protect assets, and keep industrial operations moving.

Key Topics Covered

• Common causes of industrial fan imbalance
• Differences between clean-air and dirty-air fan applications
• How structural and foundation issues can mimic imbalance
• Step-by-step on-site fan troubleshooting process
• Advances in fan balancing and vibration analysis technology
• Real-world field service stories from power plants and paper mills
• What life is really like as a field service technician
• Technician training, safety, and long-term skill development
• Building customer trust through integrity and responsiveness
• Preventive maintenance strategies for critical rotating equipment
• How Digital Fan Guardian enables predictive maintenance using wireless sensors

Why This Episode Matters

Industrial fans are mission-critical assets in power generation, pulp and paper, steel, and manufacturing facilities. When imbalance, vibration, or structural issues go undetected, the result can be catastrophic downtime and costly repairs.

This episode explains:

• How early diagnostics prevent major failures
• Why annual inspections and continuous monitoring matter
• How modern analyzers provide deeper insight into equipment health
• What separates experienced technicians from reactive maintenance

If you’re responsible for plant reliability, maintenance planning, or rotating equipment performance, this conversation provides practical, field-tested knowledge you can apply immediately.

Steel is foundational to modern life, from bridges and buildings to vehicles, appliances, and energy systems, but producing it requires massive amounts of energy, precision engineering, and tightly regulated environmental controls. Joe explains how ProcessBarron supports steel producers by designing, manufacturing, installing, and servicing heavy custom industrial equipment that keeps operations running safely, efficiently, and in compliance.

The conversation explores how airflow, draft systems, industrial fans, ductwork, and gas-cleaning equipment directly impact steel plant performance. Joe shares real-world examples of how ProcessBarron has helped steel mills reduce energy consumption, improve fan efficiency, extend equipment life, and save millions in operating costs through system optimization.

Key Topics Covered

• Why is steel production a strong indicator of economic health
• How inefficient draft systems increase energy costs and operational risk
• The importance of emissions control and regulatory compliance in steel plants
• How engineering-led problem solving improves reliability and uptime
• Preventive maintenance cycles and outage planning in steel manufacturing
• Common maintenance challenges caused by particulate-heavy gas streams
• Where the steel industry is headed over the next decade

This episode highlights the systems, expertise, and partnerships required to keep steel plants operating, and why ProcessBarron’s work behind the scenes plays a critical role in supporting the backbone of America’s economy.

In this episode of Powering the Process℠, host Jen Little sits down with Michael Stewart, Vice President of Manufacturing at ProcessBarron, to explore what manufacturing excellence truly looks like inside a custom, engineer-to-order environment, and why it’s foundational to delivering reliable industrial equipment.

Michael shares how ProcessBarron’s manufacturing operations support critical industries by aligning people, process, and technology to deliver high-quality equipment on time. From managing over 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space to coordinating engineering, production, quality, and safety, manufacturing excellence at ProcessBarron is driven by precision, consistency, and accountability at every stage.

The conversation dives into:

• What manufacturing excellence means in a custom equipment, engineer-to-order operation
• How robotic welding and cobots improve consistency while empowering skilled welders to focus on complex work
• The role of no-code robotic programming in increasing speed and flexibility on the shop floor
• Why “quality at the source” is critical to delivering reliable equipment that customers depend on
• Maintaining rigorous safety standards through stop-work authority and daily safety engagement
• Developing skilled talent through mentoring, apprenticeships, and community college partnerships
• How continuous improvement, automation, and process discipline drive long-term manufacturing performance

This episode highlights how manufacturing excellence is built through people, technology, and culture, and how ProcessBarron continues to raise the standard by investing in innovation, workforce development, and continuous improvement.

Michael Stewart, Vice President of Manufacturing

Michael Stewart serves as Vice President of Manufacturing at ProcessBarron, where he leads production operations, quality, safety, and continuous improvement initiatives across the organization. With nearly nine years at ProcessBarron, Michael brings extensive experience in custom equipment manufacturing, automation, and workforce development.

His leadership focuses on integrating advanced manufacturing technologies, such as robotic welding and precision machining, while maintaining rigorous quality and safety standards. Michael is deeply committed to developing skilled talent through mentorship, apprenticeships, and partnerships with local community colleges, ensuring ProcessBarron continues to deliver reliable, high-quality equipment for critical industrial applications.

Tim shares how ProcessBarron supports the backbone industries that keep the economy moving, including pulp and paper, cement, steel, utilities, biomass, waste-to-energy, and emerging data center infrastructure. From air handling and material handling to environmental systems and steam turbines, ProcessBarron delivers turnkey solutions that reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and solve complex operational challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• Why domestic manufacturing is essential to national resilience and supply chain confidence
• How ProcessBarron’s design–manufacture–install–service model creates a competitive advantage
• A real-world example of reducing fan replacement lead times through proactive engineering and inventory strategy
• The role of advanced manufacturing technologies, including CNC machining, robotic welding, and CFD-driven engineering
• Developing the next generation of engineers and skilled trades through internships, co-ops, and apprenticeships
• Key challenges facing American manufacturing, and where the greatest growth opportunities lie over the next decade

This episode sets the foundation for Powering the Process℠ by highlighting the systems, people, and strategies behind reliable industrial operations, and the resilient culture that drives ProcessBarron forward.

Tim Iori, President & Chief Executive Officer

Tim Iori joined ProcessBarron as our Chief Operating Officer in 2020.  He was promoted to President in 2022. Tim has many years of expertise in global business operations, integration, cultural change management, product line strategies, and global growth strategy. Tim started his career at GE in the Operations Management Leadership Program. After graduating from this program, Tim served in operations, quality control, engineering, and plant and general management roles across the globe.

His technical and business background enables him to effectively align ProcessBarron’s operations with our goals, culture, and vision. 

Tim received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University and an MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

Hosted by ProcessBarron industry leaders and subject-matter experts, this podcast explores the systems, people, and innovations that keep critical industries running. From material handling and air & gas handling systems to plant optimization, field services, and manufacturing excellence, each episode delivers practical insights you can apply on the plant floor and beyond.

Designed for engineers, plant managers, maintenance leaders, and operations professionals, Powering the Process℠ explores the challenges facing modern manufacturing and the solutions that drive efficiency, reliability, and uptime. You’ll hear firsthand perspectives from industry leaders, field experts, and decision-makers shaping the future of manufacturing, energy, steel, cement, pulp & paper, and more.

If your focus is on reducing downtime, improving performance, and building resilient operations, this podcast is built for you.

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