Roboticist Chronicles
It doesn’t matter how innovative your product is if your potential customers don’t know about it or understand why they should buy it. Johnny Tyler, Marketing and Design Specialist at Arc Specialties, has seen many companies adopt an unambitious marketing strategy – or, worse, not even draw out a strategy at all – rather…
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Engineering & Construction
The Roboticist Chronicles: Robots Aren’t Stealing Your Jobs, They’re Creating Them
As technology advances at an exponential rate, a common fearful sentiment among Americans is that robots are stealing human jobs. But, this long standing rumor couldn’t be farther from the truth. Robots actually create jobs, save humans from harm, and open up opportunities for new industry growth. The Roboticist Chronicles unpacks how robots are…
Articles Engineering & Construction
Why Collaboration is King at Fabtech 2019 with Dan Allford
It takes multiple companies to make robot automation come to life in metal forming, fabricating, welding or finishing. At Fabtech 2019, Dan Allford of Arc Specialties provided a picture of why collaboration and cooperation between companies in different segments of the industry is so important. “People that come to this show typically come with…
Engineering & Construction
The Roboticist Chronicles: Talking Tariffs, Subsidies, and Free Market Capitalism
Tariffs and subsidies are a hot topic at the moment, with global trade affecting the market each day. But who exactly are tariffs hurting and helping? Dan Allford, president and founder of ARC Specialties, delivers his perspective on this episode of The Roboticist Chronicles. Allford, a proponent of a global free market, described how…
Engineering & Construction
The Roboticist Chronicles: Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” Business Philosophy in Practice
Every business approaches how they work in a unique way. Each has a philosophy and culture, and each unique approach has its wins; some successful than others. But why? On this episode of The Roboticist Chronicles, we spoke business philosophy with Dan Allford, president of ARC Specialties. ARC Specialties has sound technology, but they…
AEC
From a Small Garage to Big Success: The Story of Arc Specialties
From its inception in 1983 to now, ARC Specialties has become a case study in the growth of an American entrepreneurial endeavor. Company President Dan Allford took the business out of a garage and has since turned the automated manufacturing systems provider into an international enterprise. On the first episode of The Roboticist Chronicles,…
AEC
Should We Tax Robots on the Factory Floor?
Have you heard of the concept of robot taxation? It’s an idea that pushes for more taxes on companies that use robots over human labor, and supporters have a fierce advocate in their corner: Bill Gates. But does it make sense in the modern world, one in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution…
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Scaling Experiential Learning in the Curriculum: How Iron Range Engineering Transformed Engineering Education
Engineering has transformed nearly every part of modern life, from the phones in our pockets to the systems powering global industry. But the way engineers are educated has often moved far more slowly than the profession itself. Employers are asking for graduates who can navigate ambiguity, communicate across teams, and contribute meaningfully from the…
When Geography Meets Purpose: How One Move Reshaped a Vascular Surgeon’s Career
Medicine isn’t what it used to be—not for the people practicing it. Independent physicians are becoming the exception, not the norm, as more doctors move into hospital systems, corporate groups, and academic networks. At the same time, the pipeline of specialists isn’t keeping pace with growing patient needs, particularly in complex fields like vascular…
From Second Chances to Stronger Teams: Bradley Henderson on Structure, Culture, and Trades-Based Redemption
The trades have always demanded grit, but grit alone doesn’t build a strong workforce. People need structure, clear expectations, and a sense that their work is taking them somewhere. That’s especially true in HVAC and mechanical services, where employers are trying to hire, retain, and develop talent in a labor market that feels tighter and…
Creative Confidence and Moral Courage: The Leadership Traits Business Schools Should Be Betting On
What students need from higher education is becoming harder to pin down than it once was. As higher education faces mounting pressure—from student disengagement to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence—institutions are being forced to rethink not just what students learn, but who they become. New research and industry signals suggest that technical knowledge…