How AI and E-Commerce Are Transforming a Manufacturing Business

How AI and E-Commerce Are Transforming a Manufacturing Business.

Manufacturing is changing — and the leaders who adapt are the ones who win.

In this episode of The Shoppe Podcast, Maxime Morel sits down with Kelly Riddle, CEO of SP Performance, to talk about her journey from working inside her family’s machine shop to building a scalable, product-driven manufacturing business.

Kelly shares how moving away from job shop work toward a focused product line helped improve margins, forecasting, and growth. She explains why e-commerce became a critical strategy, how her team is using AI to improve operations, and how SP Performance is building a brand that will compete in the next generation of manufacturing.

We also discuss leadership, navigating a male-dominated industry, and why embracing technology is no longer optional for modern manufacturers.
In this episode, you’ll learn:

-Why job shops struggle with profitability
-How a product-based strategy creates stability and scale
-Why e-commerce is critical for manufacturing growth
-How AI is already changing manufacturing operations
-What it takes to build a modern manufacturing brand

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Kelly Riddle
01:00 From Family Business to CEO
05:04 Navigating Gender Dynamics
06:31 From Job Shop to Product Line
09:52 E-Commerce and Growth
13:22 AI in Manufacturing
18:24 What’s Next for SP Performance

👉 Learn more about SP Performance
https://www.sp-performance.com

👉 Learn more about our Company SHOP AI LLC
https://shopaillc.com