Takeaways Learned from the A3 Business Forum on Future of Automation

Welcome to Advanced Automation, a podcast by Calvary Robotics, where you'll find industry leaders and experts sharing their thoughts on the world of automation. Hello, everyone, and thanks for listening. I'm Josh Covell, your host for this installment of advanced automation. Today, we have with us Mike Marsiglia, our very own VP of sales and business development. Thanks, Josh. For joining us, Mike. Yeah. Morning or good afternoon, actually, by now. Yeah. Or anytime you're listening to this. Almost an hour based on the amount of time it took us to get this technology working here. With the power of magic, no one will know the difference. Right? Exactly. Yes. And, I mean, you are just back, well, recently from the a three business forum, and that's why we wanted to talk to you today. You had a brush with an alligator. You talked to a lot of great people. Tell us all about it. But, actually, before we do that, could you just for the maybe two or three people out there listening that don't know you, could you give us a little bit of a background about yourself? Sure. Be happy to. Yeah. My name is Mike Marceglia, long time registered New York resident. Came here as a young man. I grew up here. I've been in the industry literally since I exited high school, not knowing what I wanted to do in life and started out working for an automation integrator right on the floor building machines. Went to school at the same time. And I'll fast forward to today after a long history, basically working on every job in automation. Currently the VP of sales and business development at Calvary Robotics. Been with Calvary about fifteen years now. Been involved in the in the automation industry literally since I was a young man, and, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Absolutely love it. I've never lost my, I'll say, my excitement for what what's coming next. So it's a wonderful thing to be in. And I can I can back that up one hundred percent? You've been a mentor to me. I'm in the marketing field here at Calvary department, but you've been great in showing me the way. I knew nothing about automation, so it's been a powerhouse of information, tribal knowledge, and industry wide knowledge just being able to know you and listen to everything you have to say. So and your enthusiasm is just is bursting. It's probably from the same as day one. Pretty much, I could say. I'm sure there's there I hit my days, but absolutely, you know, it's a challenging industry, but we, you know, every day get up and are excited to be in it. I'm thankful that, we have these opportunities. Yeah. It's a fun it's very fun industry. So one of the kinda industry standards is, you know, a three. Right? And they had their business form in Florida. So what was it like? Can take us through. Yeah. Funny talking about Florida while the snow is coming down outside here. It's always the best time to talk about it. Yeah. I mentioned it there. It's great. I think my first experience with a three was about, let's say, six or seven years ago, and I really had no idea what to expect. I was actually a last minute fill in for our CEO who couldn't make it, and I've fallen kind of fallen in love with that event ever since. I think I'm really, inspired by the the people I meet there, some of the presentations that I've seen and witnessed there firsthand. And, actually, most importantly is, like, some of the connections that I've made in the industry of people. I'll say, you know, decision makers, difference makers, direction makers, you know, people who have stepped off the edge, so to speak, and gone off and paved the way for everyone. And, you know, you get to go elbow to elbow with them and meet them, speak with them, get their ideas, get their, you know, and under understand that what makes them tick. And also make some very, very good industry connections to help us down along the way and and just doing our everyday business here at Calvert. Yeah. So it's an industry. There's a lot of, events, and then there you know, it's a lot of networking. So more formal presentations and things, and then just kinda let let's get together and have a little fun to talk. And Yeah. Let me be let let me be more specific. Maybe there's some people that know don't know a three. A three, actually, soon to be it should be a four plus one or a three plus one, actually, if my math is right. But, you know, a three is originally, it was is robotics, vision, and motion control. Those are all experts in groups that are specific groups that address those areas of automation. And then just recently, and if you watch the news every day, you know, if you don't if you haven't heard about this, then you live in in in in an under a rock somewhere. It's you know, AI has now joined the mix because it's, it's gone from from just lab testing to to word processing, to some futuristic talk, to actually things that we're integrating, every day in automation as well. Again, it just makes perfect sense that it's gone that's gone that way. So, yeah, so a a three plus one, AI as well, was introduced this year for the first year. It's officially, part of a a three Oh, wow. Which I don't know if they're ever gonna change it to a four, but it's right now a three. Yeah. And they'll say, you know, getting there, it was, you know, half the battle of getting there, down to down a three this year. Oh, sounds nice going to Florida in January until that stressful day before you leave, and you're trying to pack and realize that you haven't looked at anything that has to do with warm weather gear in quite a while already. It's been five months. But It's all packed away. Yeah. That aside, you know, luckily, this year didn't get too much. It was cooler down in Florida than in Rochester when I landed. So You brought the cold air with you. Exactly. You know, again, it's primarily in the beginning of the a social event to get to to get people together and get the industry leaders connected and and to understand each other's business and to be able to help each other out. It's an enabler. Right? An enabling event. Yeah. At the same time, you know, for me, like I said, I started back in about seven years ago going to a three. I've met some ministry people that I they're perennial attendees, that I meet with every year, and it's maybe my one opportunity to meet them face to face on a yearly basis, which is really important. And the other thing that's above all, it's incredibly important this year is the is the huge growth that there's been in the event. Every year, and they do a really good job at this, they did this to me the first year I went to in order to pull I'll say they call them newbies, to pull newbies in, or rookies. Even though if you have thirty years in the business, the first time you've there, you're a rookie. Gotcha. They, will issue you a badge as a there's a a newbie, opening event to to introduce everybody and to get everybody used to how the event works. And everyone that's a newbie gets a red dot on their badge. So as they walk around during the day, all of us, I'll say veterans, one year or more, can spot them and actually make them feel welcome and and pull them in and and help them be part of the activities and not feel like they're on the outside of something. Oh, that's really nice idea. I like that. Yeah. And then this year, the amazing part is that there was actually over six hundred attendees and two hundred of them, one third of them were were newbies. So literally everywhere I looked, there was a red dot and a badge, and, and I had an opportunity to meet someone that I hadn't met before or maybe someone that I knew, but just attending for the first time. But it was very good, and the people are very well received here. Wonderful. Yep. You said this, I think, and I missed it. How many people in the total attended roughly? There was, over six hundred, I think. My my numbers may be wrong, but it's not that hard. But six hundred plus. Definitely six hundred plus. Lot. So it's a huge event. One and it's it's a four day event? Three days. Three full days. Yeah. Yep. Starting on a Monday and and finishing on a Wednesday with closing closing comments. And, you know, again, a host of speakers. You You can pick your own agenda. There's an app. You know, there's there's an attendance app that allows you to pick the events that you're interested in that are more relevant to your, area of expertise, your area of interest, and, you know, I try to spread it around a little bit and and to understand what's going on in all all all of the areas. But they do a very good job. They, and they have very strong sponsors that make sure that everything runs without a hitch. Awesome. What do you think is, one of your highlights or some of your highlights then? Yeah. I guess I'd be remiss to not say the, the, I'll say the economic outlook, and I think that's probably the most highly attended, presentation every single year without fail from the first year I've been there, from, I think and I won't be, I won't I won't try to pronounce Alan's name. Alan b. Alan, I call him Bulow, but he's from ITR Economics. ITR Economics has a very, very high accuracy rate in terms of predictions, and they, they were able to, tailor an economic forecast that very, very specifically addressed, what we as in the automation industry would be interested in, you know, the trends, things that are gonna affect our industry either today, over the next coming years, and even out until, I think, past beyond twenty thirty. Actually, even addressed that. So Wow. So, yeah, they also do some more just social events like you spoke of. Can you speak about some of those you did? Like like I alluded to earlier with the the beast that you Yeah. And Tuesday night, that that second night is usually, there's a a reception, and, it's a sports night. You know, everybody wears their their favorite sports team's apparel or paraphernalia, whether it's a hat, a jersey, the colors, whatever it might be, you know, whatever college teams, it doesn't matter what the sport is. People from all different walks of life that, that will be supporting their teams. It's a great way to just meet people, and it's more dressed down, relaxed, jeans, T shirts, whatever it is. A lot of events. I think you might have they caught me playing foosball, which I don't think I've done in, like, probably fifteen years. And I've and I and I you get to see the competitive nature of some of the some of these, I'll call them a type personalities that sent you attend these events. Yeah. Playing foosball, pulling handles off of levers, you know, when they're trying to play. So It got real. It got real. I mean It got very real, very fast. Yeah. So yeah. I saw one of my favorites, Cornhole. I would've I love that game. I saw that was They had they had, probably about ten lanes of Cornhole Cornhole, and that was a very, very packed area. There's a lot of bats going on there. What about what about the reptile? What about that? Yeah. And, there's, there's usually something interesting going around. I got to meet someone. It's, it's funny. It's probably would have been good in sales, but it had tape around its mouth, so it couldn't really do anything. Yeah. It was a very gentle gentle because it's there was tape around its mouth. I got to hold a an alligator, a nice Florida gator. It's very cute about, about almost three feet long. Yeah. And, and his name was Willie. Willie. And, I inquired as to why you know, how they named him Willie. Uh-huh. And the lady smiled and said, because everyone walks up. When they first grab him, they say willy bite. That's good. I like I like that. That's appropriate. Wow. So you talked about the economic kinda outlook. Any in a AI, what in this technology aspect then, whether it be just more in AI, but could you elaborate on that? In terms of AI, yeah. Well, in just of what they're talking about, it's kinda future of the the industry and the essential technology. Yeah. Yeah. I don't I I guess what I won't do is I don't wanna I don't wanna pretend to rehash, Alan's economic outlook. It's I think, actually, it's actually available on the, a three website. Yeah. You can find all of the presentations that were done there. I know that he predicted, the current recession that's that we've we find ourselves in. And, one very interesting part of this, the recession that he predicted that we're sort of in the middle of, it's a recession that's not a that's not a recession. That is a recession. That's not a recession. So I've seen it Yeah. On its way and it's long slow decline towards something maybe potentially more serious. There's little recessionary dips and recoveries along the way. So, almost like a pot of water boiling very slowly when you don't really realize that it's boiling yet because as it's doing, it's there's many recoveries along the way. So he's able to to to talk and and I'll I'd rather have, you know, anyone listening that that's, should definitely go and look at his presentation and and look deeper into some of these things. He did more, warn about those areas. He did, discuss how to, evaluate your business and look at where you are, whether you're trending upward, trending downward, recovery in a recovery phase and a recession phase yourself, and just in terms of your own clientele, your own business, and your own business practices, and and, you know, where you stand financially. It was a good way to look at, you know, where you are going into these these situations and how to actually weather those situations. And then, you know, point it to some of the industries that maybe, I'll call it recession or even depression proof, that are actually going to benefit during those times and and survive, you know, out unscathed. So it was quite quite, informative. Wonderful. I would assume heading over to automate dot org, you can look up, how to get the rest of that information right from from the source. Yeah. Yeah. Technology wise, you talked about AI. What else it was there that kinda sparked something of interest for you? I'm gonna say if not, I'm gonna say mainly the AI. I think it was it was the product. You know? And in terms of, robotics, and not a whole lot new to to talk about. And it was the application of AI to robotics, that, you know, expanded the capabilities of of systems of predictive analytics, even in in, in running your own business and and it's a higher level of business management as well. But, very, very interesting. I think, you know, one of the very interesting things, there's a lot of, I'll say, attention given to team building and, you know, keeping and making your business strong, keeping employees engaged, and and feeling, like they've been like their efforts are worth something. They're realizing their their true potential. There was, oddly enough, there was a one of the there was always some type of a comedy act or or something a little bit more lighthearted, but which always gives you a good message as well. And I think, there's a couple of jugglers that came on, that was one of the acts. And, these gentlemen, I've actually seen them before on America's Got Talent. Right? Oh, wow. And this and actually a couple of years ago. But, come to find out after long involved and sometimes funny, sometimes serious act, you know, some of the things that they focused on, you imagine two two men or, you know, college educated in technical fields that decided they were gonna be jugglers. Happens every day. I mean Right. And the things the lessons that they gave that they talked along the way, I feel how do these people they are a team. They are a business. They're an entity that that survived thirty years together. You know, what types of things do you does a business do for longevity? Right? You know, the of how to be a long lasting company, how to stay relevant, trust. Right? Trust of each other, trust of the people that you you have to put trust in your team members, even when they when they fail, you know, picking each other up, helping each other recover. There were a lot of good messages there and and that were very relevant to running a business and building a a strong team and a good culture at your company. And you wouldn't have expected that out of two guys juggling and making jokes. Right? So Yeah. That's nice to have a little under the hood up for that. What anything else that you wanna mention that I might not be thinking about? Yeah. I'll say and I'll go back to the the, the AI part of it. It's something that I remember, as a young engineer coming, you know, going through school. I actually bought a book out that was on on fuzzy logic that still exists today. I believe it's it's basically a collection of of white papers from universities all about the potential for AI, which they never called it AI. They just called it fuzzy logic, at that time. Wow. And, I remember reading those reading that book for being interested in it. And over the course of my career, watching as things were slowly emerging that, that that book predicted and some of the methodology that they talked about. And, I was very happy to see some of those things come to fruition and being truly applied, you know, to machine, machine learning and whether it's, you know, visual, defect detection when you're which is a very, very big application for AI. And then for, you know, for actually identifying objects while you're palletizing and depalletizing in real real industry, inside the factory. And then the other applications outside the factory walls, which are things that, Calgary's being is getting involved in as well over the last few years. So, good to see that it's become mainstream and and real. Yeah. And it's gotten a seat at the table, so to speak. That's wonderful. Yeah. And for I mean, later this year, May twenty second to the twenty fifth, in Detroit, Michigan, USA is automate the trade show. Right? So it's another great. For the a three business forum, I believe you have to be a member of a three. That's right. For automate, though, you can come sign up and come to the show. Correct? Absolutely. All are welcome, and, it's been and that is a show I think this is the first year that's gone back to back years. It's usually been in every other year, and this, it's the attendance was so great last year in the last couple of efforts and especially coming out of out of, COVID, where the world kinda stretched their legs and woke up again and started to travel. I think it's, it it was it definitely called for another event this year, and we're very excited to be participating and and having a booth there as well. Yeah. So I would say go sign up today. You can come meet Mike. I can't promise you will have an alligator, though. But you will be there. I, in theory, will be there too. Right? So it'd be great to meet some people, and we can, you know, talk automation and talk the industry right there in person. Yeah. We're looking forward to it. Very much looking forward to it. And, yep. A lot of, people that, we met at a three are definitely the same people who'll be attending automate plus, very, very many more customers that, of ours of all of ours. I mean, that's, that what makes it's what makes makes us all tick. Right? Yeah. There's so many great, booths and everything, you know, exhibits to see there. It's it's a lot, and it goes for a few days. So it's it's worth the trip, I think. Absolutely. Anything else, Mike, you wanna add, do you think? Or No. I think I think, I will add one thing. It's kind of interesting that comes out of this. I mean, you just talk about being in the street in the industry for so long and and, you know, mentoring young folks along the way just like I was mentored and given opportunities, you know, on my way home, of all things, there's that. And you this always happens, and it's kind of something unique. And if you've gone to any event before, you know, when you're traveling out of a major city and so many people attend an event, you're very, very likely to to run into someone someone else at the airport that was at your same event. There's that classic that classic, meeting when two people are near each other. They know they might have seen each other there or maybe not, but you have that look that you're going home from somewhere. And you look at each other and you go, a three? That's a good question. Like, code word? Exactly. A three and you nod and the first instance is, yeah, then you start another conversation. So there's all all types of opportunities that come out of there. And, actually, this did occur, to me. This happened again as usual, at the airport, way at my gate, and somebody looked at me. A young man looked at me and said, a three. And I said, yes. I said, you? And we started talking, and it turns out that, he's somebody. Again, what an opportunity. They have a company that sells, you know, linear actuators, that are still that's something that we use quite often, and they had some pretty unique applications. And I said, hey. Let's just get them in front of our engineers. So there you go. There's one totally chance that encounter that that could pay off this. So Yeah. You never know unless you go kinda thing. Right? Exactly. That's awesome. Yeah. Well well, thanks for talking to us about it. It's great to hear what the man on the ground saw or, you know, got to hold. Alright. Thanks, Jeff. Oh, this has been great. Appreciate the night. And, yeah, looking forward to the next time. Yeah. I'll post that, picture if you let me of the you holding the alligator. I'm sure the listeners would love to see that. I think sometimes people like to see me with that tape on my mouth as well. So I don't know about that. Alright. Well, thanks, Mike. Alright. Take care. And thank you to all the listeners for your time. Make sure to subscribe to Advanced Automation wherever you get your podcasts. Head over to calvary robotics dot com to listen to other episodes, watch our series, Calvary TV, and lots of other great content about Calvary Robotics. Have a great day.