Minco Joins Manufacturing Panel at Houston District Export Council Conference

On October 22, 2026, I had the honor of representing Minco as a panelist on the Manufacturing panel at the Houston District Export Council's 3rd Annual Export Conference in Houston.

The conference brought together manufacturers, exporters, logistics providers, and federal trade officials for a full day of discussion on trade, supply chains, tariffs, financing, and technology. Our panel, moderated by Rami Touma of CECA Supply and Services, focused on what matters most to manufacturers today.

Our Story

Minco was founded in Conroe, Texas in 1978 by my father, Jim Cheatham, to serve the oil and gas wellhead equipment market through contract machining and fabrication. Forty-eight years later, we still serve those markets, along with industrial bridge components and more. Today our shop is fully CNC, and our welding and fabrication capability continues to grow.

The Topic That Matters Most: People

We covered a lot of ground on the panel, from tariffs and reshoring to cash flow and the impact of AI on small manufacturers. But the topic I care about most is people.

The biggest constraint on growing a manufacturing business today isn't machines or orders. It's talented people.

So I left the audience with one simple ask: talk to your children and grandchildren about careers in manufacturing. These are skilled, well-paying, rewarding careers that build real things the world depends on. The technology is exciting, the opportunities are real, and our industry needs the next generation.

Thank You

Thank you to Rami Touma for moderating, to my fellow panelists Vaughn Griffin, Bart Taylor, William Russell, and Denny Banks, and to the Houston District Export Council for a great event.

Interested in a Career at Minco?

If you or someone you know is interested in a career in machining, welding, or fabrication, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us to learn more.