The Real Work

There’s a growing tension in the industrial world that’s becoming harder to ignore.

Fewer people. More jobs. And a quiet reckoning in the trades that no one’s really talking about loud enough.

Recently, I had the chance to talk with Robert Martichenko and Matt Melrose, the founders of Trail Path, a platform focused on creating what they call “Meaningful Employment Environments.” These guys have been deep in the trenches of operational excellence for decades—Robert literally helped Toyota stand up their North American supply chain—and now they’re focused on people.

Not tech.

Not process.

People.

And that’s what stuck with me after the call.

Robert shared a simple, but powerful framework that manufacturing leaders should use when deciding what to automate:

• Dangerous - Priority 1
• Dirty - Priority 2
• Dark - Priority 2
• Dull - Priority 3

Start there, he said. Don’t just automate because you can. Automate where it makes a meaningful difference.

Our conversation quickly transitioned from talk of automation to people “We have a shrinking workforce. This isn’t opinion—it’s demographics. For decades, we haven’t been replacing our workforce at sustainable rates. So we’re left with 5 jobs and only 4 people to fill them.”

In many cases it’s much worse than that as well. Let that sink in.

That’s not just a labor problem—it’s a business survival problem.

‍

We’re Not Just Talking About Robots Here

Trail Path is applying software to help solve this problem—helping leaders create systems that retain, grow, and dignify their teams. At Only Co., we’re working through storytelling and business positioning—building brands and culture that attract the right people in the first place, both customers and team members

And we both agree: the problem of “lack of talent” doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Companies struggling with attracting and retaining great people most typically have an issue with engaging their team intentionally and productively. People are looking for purpose, stability, belonging and growth. Through leadership, story and dignifying process enhancements many of these things can be solved.

From my perspective too many companies have a great culture inside the building or shop—but no one knows it. Their websites, their social presence, their reputation—they don’t reflect the real experience.

It’s not that they’re lying. It’s that they’re silent.

And silence, in this labor market, is deadly.

‍

The Gap That’s Costing You

Robert and Matt talked about “the gap between what companies say and what they actually do.” That gap—between your website and your shop floor, between your values and your day-to-day behavior—either builds trust or burns it.

We see the same thing.

A lot of industrial companies are terrified of looking too polished. “I don’t want to look like we’re pretending to be something we’re not,” they say. That’s fair. But authenticity and professionalism aren’t opposites. In fact, the best stories—the ones that attract A-players—are the real ones.

That’s why the work we’re doing with companies like Ryan Bros., WYDot, and Excal matters. We’re helping them tell a story that actually matches who they are. Not just to look better, but to grow better. To hire better. To lead better.

‍

If This Resonates, You’re Not Alone

The leaders we love working with are the ones who say:

• “We want to be a better version of ourselves.”
• “We care about people, but we don’t know how to show it.”
• “We’ve got something special inside, and we need help telling that story outside.”

Sound familiar? That’s probably not an accident.

Trail Path is helping fix that through technology and deep ‘people insight’. Only Co. is helping fix the story, culture and leadership  And together, we believe the future of industrial business isn’t just lean. It’s human.

If that’s a future you’re trying to build, we should talk.

‍