When most people think about cybersecurity, they think of stolen passwords and data breaches. But what happens when the targets are the systems that keep buildings running, water flowing and energy moving?

In this episode of the Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Podcast, hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil sit down with Danielle “DJ” Jablanski, a leading OT cybersecurity strategist at STV. Together, we move past the awareness stage and dive deep into the high-stakes world of cyber-physical risk.

DJ breaks down why securing the built environment is one of the biggest challenges hiding in plain sight. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss theater dreams, food trucks, why you don’t need an engineering degree to be an OT security champion, the myth of the perfect security framework and why network segmentation is a constant process rather than a one-time project.

This episode explores:

• The "Always/Never" Principle: Lessons borrowed from nuclear weapons policy for industrial safety.
• Capability vs. Awareness: Why technical maturity, not more education, is the real bottleneck in OT.
• The Vendor Dilemma: Balancing the risks of vendor consolidation against point solution fatigue.
• Audacious Goals: Why the biggest risk to your organization is standing still for the next six years.

Whether you're an engineer on the shop floor or a leader in the C-suite, this episode is a masterclass in building resilience into the very infrastructure we rely on every day.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Cyber-Physical Security Challenges

07:11 The Importance of Operational Technology Security

13:33 Danielle Jablanski's Journey into Cybersecurity

16:29 Understanding the Critical Nature of OT Security

19:57 The Growing Gap in Operational Technology (OT) Security

23:55 Understanding Network Segmentation in OT

27:29 The Importance of Securing the Built Environment

31:32 The Role of EPC Firms in Cybersecurity

34:36 Navigating Cyber-Physical Risks

37:41 Assets vs. Functions in Cybersecurity

39:43 Evolving Threat Models in Critical Infrastructure

43:35 Advice for Infrastructure Owners on Cybersecurity

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to Cyber-Physical Security Challenges
• (00:07:11) - Introduction to Cyber-Physical Security Challenges
• (00:13:33) - Danielle Jablanski's Journey into Cybersecurity
• (00:16:29) - Understanding the Critical Nature of OT Security
• (00:19:57) - The Growing Gap in Operational Technology (OT) Security
• (00:23:55) - Understanding Network Segmentation in OT
• (00:27:29) - The Importance of Securing the Built Environment
• (00:31:32) - The Role of EPC Firms in Cybersecurity
• (00:34:36) - Navigating Cyber-Physical Risks
• (00:37:41) - Assets vs. Functions in Cybersecurity
• (00:39:43) - Evolving Threat Models in Critical Infrastructure
• (00:43:35) - Advice for Infrastructure Owners on Cybersecurity

Everyone wants seamless industrial data. Fewer people talk about the tradeoffs beneath it.

Recorded live at the CSIA Conference in Baltimore, Gary Cohen sits down with Skkynet CEO Gary Tillery to discuss industrial connectivity, cybersecurity, system integrator partnerships and the future of manufacturing technology.

Tillery shares insights from more than 30 years in industrial automation, including why system integrators remain critical to digital transformation, how cybersecurity has become a business risk and why manufacturers should think carefully about where and how data moves between the edge, OT networks and the cloud.

The conversation also explores AI's growing role in industrial operations, channel partner relationships and Skkynet's perspective on the industry's push toward unified namespace architectures.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Navigating Industrial Data Challenges

02:25 Gary Tillery's Journey to Skkynet

08:42 The Role of System Integrators

14:05 Managing Channel Conflicts

17:14 Positioning Skkynet in a Competitive Landscape

19:02 Global Partner Management Strategies

21:47 Onboarding New System Integrators

24:17 Cybersecurity in Industrial Operations

27:31 Future of System Integrators

30:17 Data Hub and the Fractal UNS Model

35:07 Innovative Marketing Strategies

• (00:00:00) - Navigating Industrial Data Challenges
• (00:02:25) - Gary Tillery's Journey to Skkynet
• (00:08:42) - The Role of System Integrators
• (00:14:05) - Managing Channel Conflicts
• (00:17:14) - Positioning Skkynet in a Competitive Landscape
• (00:19:02) - Global Partner Management Strategies
• (00:21:47) - Onboarding New System Integrators
• (00:24:17) - Cybersecurity in Industrial Operations
• (00:27:31) - Future of System Integrators
• (00:30:17) - Data Hub and the Fractal UNS Model
• (00:35:07) - Innovative Marketing Strategies

What does it take to grow from a controls engineer in the plant to the CEO of a global system integrator, all while the definition of automation project keeps changing?

Recorded live at the CSIA conference in Baltimore, this Ctrl+Alt+Mfg episode features Daniel Gomez, CEO of Omnicon, recognized as a 2026 System Integrator of the Year. Gomez shares the playbook behind scaling delivery across regions, building disciplined (but adaptable) engineering frameworks and shifting from point solutions to architectures that can roll out across multiple sites.

The conversation also gets practical about where system integrators create value today — especially as data, cybersecurity and AI reshape industrial work — and what SIs should be doing now to prepare their teams for the next five years.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
• (00:02:48) - Daniel Gomez's Journey in Manufacturing
• (00:05:55) - Recognition and Achievements of Omnicon
• (00:08:43) - Challenges in Scaling a Global Organization
• (00:11:36) - Evolving Customer Expectations in Automation
• (00:14:53) - The Importance of Long-Term Relationships
• (00:17:50) - Future of System Integrators in Industrial Transformation

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Josh Peeno, P.E., joins the conversation to explore why so many digital transformation and AI initiatives in manufacturing fall short. It’s not because the technology isn’t powerful; it’s because it often isn’t built for the realities of the plant floor. Drawing on his experience in heavy manufacturing and industrial AI, Peeno explains why successful transformation requires operator trust, practical deployment strategies and a deep understanding of how factories actually run.

Peeno also discusses the concept of “machine teaching,” using human expertise to train autonomous AI systems in a way that supports operators rather than replaces them. He shares lessons from applying AI in glass manufacturing, talks about the value of fractional technical leadership for mid-sized manufacturers and explains why the industry’s looming skills gap may be one of the biggest drivers for smarter automation.

• (00:00:00) - The Reality of AI in Manufacturing
• (00:04:55) - Understanding Digital Transformation Challenges
• (00:09:05) - Bridging the Gap in Manufacturing
• (00:14:36) - The Human Element in Digital Transformation
• (00:18:34) - AI: Fear and Resistance on the Plant Floor
• (00:21:23) - AI as the Apprentice in Manufacturing
• (00:30:43) - Fractional Leadership: A New Approach
• (00:33:35) - Teaching the Next Generation of Engineers
• (00:35:50) - Global Competitiveness in Manufacturing

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neal sit down with John Dyck, CEO of CESMII, and John Harrington, chief product officer at HighByte, to talk about why interoperability is one of the biggest barriers to smart manufacturing.

As manufacturers invest in connected systems, cloud platforms, analytics and AI, many are still struggling to turn that technology into real business value because their data remains trapped in silos. Dyck and Harrington explain why interoperability has become more than just a technical challenge, how legacy systems and one-off integrations have slowed progress and why a more open, standardized approach is critical for scaling digital transformation across the enterprise.

The conversation also dives into CESMII’s Industrial Information Interoperability Exchange (i3X), the role of collaboration between manufacturers and software providers and why interoperability could be the foundation for the next generation of industrial AI.

• (00:00:00) - The Importance of Interoperability in Manufacturing
• (00:04:20) - Introduction to Smart Manufacturing Institute
• (00:10:55) - Understanding Smart Manufacturing vs Digital Transformation
• (00:12:33) - High Byte's Role in Data Integration
• (00:18:01) - Challenges of Data Silos in Manufacturing
• (00:20:03) - Industrial Information Interoperability Exchange Initiative
• (00:21:24) - Collaboration Among Competitors
• (00:23:11) - Integrating Industrial Data
• (00:24:59) - Advancements in Specification Implementation
• (00:26:47) - The Importance of Abstraction in Technology
• (00:29:09) - Shifting Mindsets in Technology Providers
• (00:30:37) - Ecosystem of Specialists in Manufacturing
• (00:33:09) - AI's Role in Scaling Manufacturing Operations
• (00:34:35) - An Inflection Point in Manufacturing Innovation
• (00:36:27) - Interoperability as an Accelerator
• (00:38:47) - The Future of Smart Factories
• (00:45:00) - The Human Element

What’s really holding manufacturers back from smarter maintenance? While many point the finger at AI or automation, bad data might be the real culprit.

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Paul Ross of Limble and Ross Fergerson of RBC Bearings about why so many plants are still stuck in reactive maintenance mode and what it takes to move toward more proactive, data-driven operations.

They explore the maintenance maturity curve, the role of modern CMMS platforms and why technician-friendly tools are essential for adoption. Fergerson also shares how RBC Bearings replaced a legacy system and rolled out a new CMMS in just eight months, improving visibility, reducing paperwork and building trust across the organization.

The conversation looks at how better maintenance data can preserve tribal knowledge, improve planning and make AI more practical on the plant floor.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to Smarter Manufacturing
• (00:03:44) - The Importance of Maintenance Data
• (00:07:32) - Understanding CMMS and Its Role
• (00:11:41) - Transitioning from Legacy Systems
• (00:18:12) - Accelerating Adoption of New Technologies
• (00:20:23) - The Role of AI in Maintenance
• (00:23:00) - Addressing Common Maintenance Challenges
• (00:27:04) - Transforming Maintenance from Cost Center to Profit Center
• (00:28:52) - Operational Changes Post-Implementation
• (00:31:59) - Advice for Modernizing Maintenance

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil talk with Adrienne Meyer, CEO of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), about why system integrators are becoming more essential than ever in modern manufacturing. As companies push ahead with AI, digital transformation, robotics and smarter automation, integrators are the ones connecting systems, software and operations to make those investments actually work.

Meyer shares how the role of the system integrator is evolving beyond traditional controls work into data-centric, networked and AI-aligned solutions. She also discusses the biggest trends shaping the market right now, including workforce shortages, brownfield upgrades, cybersecurity demands and the growing opportunities in data centers, semiconductors and defense.

The conversation also looks at the value CSIA brings to the integration community, why collaboration remains so important in a competitive market and what attendees can expect from the 2026 CSIA Conference in Baltimore.

• (00:00:00) - System Integrators: Driving the Future of Manufacturing
• (00:07:01) - Meet Adrienne Meyer: New CEO of CSIA
• (00:09:50) - The Role of CSIA and System Integrators
• (00:17:47) - Current Trends and Opportunities in System Integration
• (00:22:34) - Upcoming CSIA Conference Highlights
• (00:25:41) - Navigating Change in System Integration
• (00:30:02) - Addressing Workforce Shortages and AI Adoption
• (00:31:49) - Technological Opportunities and Disruptions
• (00:35:58) - Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

Manufacturing may be stabilizing but its workforce is at a turning point.

In this episode of Ctrl+Alt+Mfg, Amara Rozgus, editor-in-chief of Plant Engineering, breaks down insights from the 2026 Plant Engineering Salary Survey. The data shows a highly experienced, well-paid and satisfied workforce, but one that’s rapidly nearing retirement, with too few junior engineers coming up behind them.

We discuss the growing skills gap, declining entry-level salaries, the risk of institutional knowledge loss and how AI is being viewed on the plant floor. Is it a helpful tool or a potential threat?

If you’re thinking about workforce strategy, digital transformation or the future of manufacturing talent, this episode is for you.

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to Manufacturing Challenges
• (00:01:29) - Stephanie Gets Catfished Over a Dog
• (00:05:12) - The State of the Plant Engineering Workforce
• (00:07:12) - Insights from the 2026 Salary Survey
• (00:10:25) - The State of Manufacturing Engineering
• (00:15:15) - The Aging Workforce and Skills Gap
• (00:23:13) - The Role of AI in Manufacturing
• (00:27:08) - Conclusion and Future Outlook