29. Mold Making, Skilled Trades & ProShop

Plenty of people still picture manufacturing as dark, dirty, and dangerous. That image sticks, even though the real day-to-day inside many shops couldn’t look more different. But when perception lags behind reality, it’s no wonder few young people see themselves in roles like toolmaker or machinist.

Darryl Gratrix didn’t grow up knowing he’d land in the trades. He went the university route first. Nearly three decades into his career today, he's running production at Molded Precision Components and doing everything he can to ensure the next generation sees what’s possible.

That includes opening the shop doors to students, teachers, and guidance counselors, people who’ve rarely had a reason to set foot in a modern manufacturing facility. For many, a single tour flips a switch. One teacher left inspired enough to organize an event that brought 300 students face to face with local vendors.

While he’s helping shift the narrative around skilled trades, Darryl’s also keeping a 15-person toolroom running at full tilt. And that got easier with a new ERP system, ProShop, that replaced clunky interfaces and manual entry with faster, clearer processes. It didn’t just save time; it gave the team better data to manage and improve.

So yes, this is a story about skilled trades. But it’s also about what happens when one person decides to be visible in an often hidden industry, on the shop floor, in the school system, and in young people's choices about their future.

LinkedIn - Darryl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-gratrix-373827309

Molded Precision Components - https://www.mpccomponents.com/

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