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Operator to Architect: The Six Stages of Growing a Manufacturing Business w/ Paul Van Metre
20 October 2026

Operator to Architect: The Six Stages of Growing a Manufacturing Business w/ Paul Van Metre

The Manufacturing Executive

About
ProShop ERP co-founder Paul Van Metre will tell you that very few manufacturers bring the precision they put into their parts to the rest of their business. In his new book, Precision Manufacturing, Precision Business, he lays out six stages an owner moves through, from doing the work as Operator to setting long-term strategy as Architect. We’ll walk through each stage and what the owner gives up along the way. You’ll hear why mastering the craft isn’t the same as running the business, how to fix causes instead of symptoms, and why every stage asks you to look at how you show up with people.