How one supplier doubled revenue without adding a single new customer In the mid-1930s, as aircraft became more sophisticated, American manufacturers faced a strategic choice. They could continue operating as assemblers, buying machined parts, castings, forgings, and...

How chasing revenue without understanding margin killed a profitable shop in eighteen months In 1944, a small Cleveland machine shop won what looked like the opportunity of a lifetime. They landed a massive contract from North American Aviation to produce hydraulic...

How one invisible cost destroys more margin than any shop owner will admit In November 1943, Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt production line faced a crisis that wasn't showing up in any of their reports. Output looked strong. The factory floor hummed with...

How breaking the rules of quote turnaround became the fastest path to revenue growth In the spring of 1942, Henry Kaiser's shipyards faced a problem that should have been impossible to solve. The U.S. Navy needed Liberty ships faster than any shipyard in history had...