Nate Valentin is VP of Innovation at Adams Corp, a 65-year-old, third-generation family business that straddles two very different worlds: industrial hardware distribution and cutting-edge automation. Sitting at the intersection of IT, marketing, and engineering, Nate has had to build trust, overhaul internal systems, and create new products while also acting as an innovation partner for Adams’ manufacturing clients.

In this conversation, Nate shares how his team identifies opportunities on factory floors, develops homegrown solutions like Datapulse, and balances the constant tension between what is technically possible and what actually creates value. He explains how Adams bakes innovation into its culture through core values like “learn, do, teach” and “raise the bar,” and why building comfort with uncertainty is non-negotiable if you want to solve problems no one has solved before.

If you are trying to drive innovation inside an established organization, or figure out how to turn customer pain points into marketable products, this episode is packed with lessons you can use immediately.

Still not sold? Here’s a teaser…

Find Nate on Linkedin

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