A look at the only American company ranked among the world's top 10 solar manufacturers, First Solar. First Solar's headquarters is in Tempe, Arizona, but its roots are in Ohio, where it operates the largest solar manufacturing footprint in the western hemisphere. Assembly Audible welcomes Mike Koralewski, Chief Manufacturing Operations Officer at First Solar, to learn more about the renowned responsible company and its products.

Manufacturers are becoming increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of their assembly operations and the products they churn out. They are evaluating the environmental effects of their products across their entire life cycles, from raw material production to use and obsolescence. 

In this episode of Assembly Audible, we speak with Douglas Schuster, vice president and general manager for global systems at Johnson Controls International. Johnson Controls International is one of the world's leading fire, HVAC, and security equipment manufacturers for buildings. The company operates 29 manufacturing facilities worldwide, including several award-winning assembly plants in the U.S. Take a look inside JCI's award-winning operation.

Tune in to an Assembly Audible discussion with Rob Threlkeld, senior global manager of energy strategy at GM. In "GM's Energy and Carbon Footprint Strategy," we gain insight into how GM plans to reach its renewable energy goal ahead of schedule by following the company's four-pillar strategy.

Listen in as we delve into contemporary manufacturing workforce challenges and discuss solutions with recognized industry expert Jeannine Kunz. Jeannine has recently been appointed to the newly created Chief Workforce Development Officer position at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers or SME. Her role includes leadership responsibility for Tooling U-SME, the learning, and development arm of SME. Jeannine is at the forefront of workforce management issues, providing forward-thinking learning and development solutions for companies, academia, and individuals.

Joining the Industry 4.0 movement is easier than you think. Join Dan McKiernan, President and Co-founder of eFlex Systems as he explores how three companies from different industries and sizes, at different stages in their digital transformation got started.

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We connect with Tali Rosman, Vice President and General Manager of Xerox Elem Additive Solutions, to discuss the benefits of Xerox's new liquid-metal printing technology, ElemX. ElemX uses metal wire instead of metal powders to make parts. As a result, the technology promises to be easier to use and implement.