Can strong manufacturing leadership really fix a toxic work culture?In this full episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, I sit down with Jim Chew, CEO and President of JenFab Cleaning Solutions, to explore a real manufacturing turnaround—where a factory rebuilt its culture by leading without fear, yelling, or point systems.What if the future of manufacturing isn’t about machines…but about how we treat people?Jim Chew is a former Army officer, West Point graduate, and longtime manufacturing leader who walked into a broken factory culture—and rebuilt it into one of the most people-centered leadership models in modern manufacturing.Jim runs a shop where:• People feel safe• Leadership has their back• Skill growth leads to real pay growth• Culture matters more than controlAnd here’s the part that stops most leaders cold:99% of his workforce is made up of second-chance employees—formerly incarcerated men and people in recovery.Most leaders wouldn’t touch that model.Jim built his entire culture around it.From Old-School Fear to Modern Leadership:When Jim walked into this company, it looked like too many factories still do:• Yelling and screaming• Point systems• Break buzzers• HR write-ups instead of leadership• People leaving for $1 more an hourTurnover was massive.Safety was broken.Trust didn’t exist.So he changed everything—not with fear, but with people.The Second-Chance Factory:Jim believes you can’t lead people shaped by trauma, addiction, or incarceration the same way you lead spreadsheets.So he studied:• Neuro-leadership• Brain science• Trauma and behavior• Learning under pressureAnd built a shop with:• No yelling• No point systems• No fear-based control• Only accountability, safety, and respectThe result?Safety incidents dropped to world-class levels.Turnover nearly disappeared.People started believing leadership actually cared.💰 He Chose People Over ProfitWhen the company was losing money, the easy move was:• Freeze pay• Cut people• Slash benefitsJim did the opposite.⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Morning + quick opener00:13 – Celtics / Rhode Island small talk00:38 – “Manufacturing is dirty, boring, dying” (misconception)00:44 – What this channel is really about00:56 – Why Jim + JenFab is a story worth telling01:16 – West Point → Army → business leadership01:49 – Private equity world + running a manufacturing company02:22 – COVID shock + “rational fear mode” decisions03:06 – Values-first leadership: people at the center03:26 – The breaking point: messing with 401(k) for shop-floor workers04:20 – Why firing people around the holidays is toxic05:19 – Old-school factory culture: yelling, points, write-ups05:50 – The bombshell: 99% second-chance workforce06:46 – Safety turnaround: TRIR 12 → world-class (without threats)08:00 – Pay tied to skill growth + fairness systems08:35 – The financial turnaround: $3M swing + cutting losing products09:46 – Turnover 40%/month → nearly zero resignations11:16 – “Wednesday Workouts”: leadership training that sticks11:59 – Better pay, better benefits + lean improvement12:33 – Final thoughts: people over profitA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.🔹 Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.com🔹 GSC – 3D & AutomationGSC is one of the nation’s leading resellers of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers and manufacturers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing solutions.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, automation, and leadership alive. Thank you for investing in the future of industry.