Listening to the Customer: Inside Okuma Americas

In this episode, Lynn Daniel sits down with Annette Carroll, Director of Marketing for Okuma Americas, a global leader in CNC metal-cutting machine tools and automation systems.

From the company’s surprising noodle-making roots to their modern innovations in robotics, service, and customer engagement—this conversation covers it all. Annette shares how customer feedback, gathered through tools like Net Promoter Score (NPS), has driven strategic improvements across Okuma’s operations. She highlights the evolving expectations of manufacturers, the critical role of responsive service, and how both Okuma and its distributor network are adapting to meet customers where they are—digitally and operationally.

You’ll learn:

• How Okuma’s CX efforts have shaped product quality and service models
• Why transparency and digital access are becoming essential in manufacturing
• How Okuma’s distributor partners use customer feedback to improve
• What the future holds for digital self-service and customer portals

This is a must-watch for anyone in B2B manufacturing, industrial marketing, or customer experience strategy. Stick around for a fun detail about making Darth Vader masks with precision equipment—yes, really.

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Introduction 01:05
• Okuma’s evolution & product innovation 03:45
• Using NPS to drive change 08:10
• Meeting modern customer expectations 13:00
• Distributor feedback & recognition 17:00
• Post-COVID CX challenges 21:00 – The future of digital CX in manufacturing