What does a truly dialed-in machine shop look like behind the scenes? In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, I sit down with Jayme Rahz of Midway Swiss Turn, one of the most intentional and well-run shops I've come across. I met Jayme at the Top Shops Conference, where Midway Swiss Turn was recognized for Shop Floor Best Practices, and after this conversation, it's easy to see why.
Jayme shares the full origin story of the business, which started in a garage with her father-in-law and grew into a highly automated Swiss-focused operation in Ohio. Over more than two decades, the shop has evolved from manual machining and tool and die work into a diversified, precision manufacturing business serving a wide range of industries, from aerospace and defense to oil and gas and medical.
We dig deep into the decisions that shaped that evolution, including early investments in Swiss machining, hard-earned lessons from customer bankruptcies, and how risk, technology, and relationships intersect in long-term growth. Jayme offers a candid look at what it really takes to adopt new technology, build a resilient customer mix, and make automation work in a small shop environment.
This conversation also explores culture, transparency, and leadership. From flexible schedules and people-first policies to data-driven quoting, machine monitoring, and ERP systems, Jayme explains how Midway Swiss Turn balances efficiency with trust. If you want an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how a Top Shop actually operates day to day, this episode is packed with practical insight.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
- (0:00) Introduction to Jayme Rahz and why Midway Swiss Turn earned Top Shops recognition
- (2:41) The family origins of the business and starting in a garage
- (4:40) Diversification across industries and why it's a risk-management strategy, not a nice-to-have
- (10:23) A snapshot of the team and how roles like sales actually function in a small shop
- (11:05) Early hard lessons from the tool-and-die era and what forced them to adapt
- (15:53) Quality expectations, inspection discipline, and brand protection
- (16:56) The reasoning behind rebranding around Swiss turning is explained
- (18:35) Building a family-oriented culture, recruiting philosophy, and workforce development
- (22:41) Automation is discussed as a long-term stability play, not just efficiency
- (25:06) Systems that support automation, visibility, and decision-making are outlined
- (26:14) Harmoni machine monitoring and its impact on daily operations
- (28:35) How leadership communicates transparently during uncertainty
- (31:42) Unlock Real Sales Opportunities in Your Market with Factur
- (33:35) Margin discipline, quoting accuracy, and protecting profitability
- (39:32) Why hiring a machinist-turned-salesperson made sense
- (45:54) Managing growth and balancing it on the floor
- (47:19) How decisions are made around when automation actually makes sense
- (51:07) Jayme's advice for taking the leap and embracing automation
- (54:12) Making the move from a garage to 10,000 square feet
- (58:10) How do you ensure longevity and success
- (1:00:28) Where to connect with Jayme and learn more about Midway Swiss Turn
- (1:01:53) Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding
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