Building the Next Generation of Skilled Trades: My Conversation with Dan Walker
On Maintenance & Manufacturing Insights, Dan Walker — Plant Manager at Mako International with 40+ years in manufacturing — shares how his 331,000 sq ft plant runs on skilled people, why maintenance and automation talent is so hard to find, and how an apprenticeship with Macomb Community College is growing it.
One of the biggest challenges in manufacturing today isn't always the equipment — it's finding the skilled people needed to keep that equipment running. On this episode of Maintenance & Manufacturing Insights, I sat down with Dan Walker, Plant Manager for Mako International in Shelby Township, Michigan, who brought more than four decades of manufacturing experience to the conversation.
Running a Modern Manufacturing Operation
Dan oversees a 331,000-square-foot facility with 46 molding machines, 112 pieces of secondary equipment, and roughly 340 employees — producing around 50,000 parts a day, including injection-molded interior components for the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. Those numbers are impressive, but what really caught my attention was Dan's focus on people. The plant leans heavily on robotics, sonic and vibration welders, heat staking, and camera systems — all of which need skilled people to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair. And those people can be hard to find.
Developing Talent Instead of Waiting for It
Dan explained that maintenance technicians, process technicians, and automation professionals are among the toughest roles to fill. So his team is taking a different approach: Mako International partnered with Macomb Community College to build an apprenticeship program focused on those technical skills.
I especially enjoyed hearing Dan talk about developing people, because his own career shows what's possible — he started as a machine operator more than 40 years ago and worked his way up to plant manager. Now he wants to help others find the chance to learn, advance, and build their own careers.
Why Skilled Trades Still Matter
Dan's advice for young people entering the workforce was straightforward: don't overlook the skilled trades. Electrical, hydraulics, HVAC, maintenance, automation — hands-on technical skills are needed across manufacturing and far beyond it, and they can create career opportunities that last for decades.
Watch & Listen
Hear my full conversation with Dan Walker:
