Today on the WAM podcast, Frances Brunelle welcomes guest Sue Nordman, President of Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc., situated in Rockford, Illinois. Obsidian is a multi-brand manufacturer and grind shop which owns the Magna Lock, Magna Lift, and Arter brands. Sue is passionate about social media marketing, brand awareness, and business management. In this episode, we talk to Sue about how she became President at Obsidian where she gets into the different roles her husband and herself perform at the company. Next, we dive into her SEO and content marketing expertise and the benefits this is having for the business. Sue highlights some of the strategies she is using to keep her company top of mind online and in the manufacturing community, getting into the benefits of blogging, Twitter chats, and more. We also hear Sue’s thoughts about the two acquisitions she navigated shortly after stepping into her role and discuss some of the challenges of performing such a feat during a pandemic. Wrapping up our conversation, we take a closer look at the different functions of the Magna Lock, Magna Lift, and Arter brands, and hear Sue’s thoughts about her plans for the future of the company. Tune in today! 
Meet Our Guest, Sue Nordman
Sue Nordman is the president of Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc., a multi-brand manufacturer and grind shop located in Rockford, IL. Sue uses her strong leadership skills to lead her team in the best direction each day, with high-quality manufacturing with integrity and value for the customer motivating her each day. Sue thrives in an organized atmosphere that challenges her need for new ideas and growth within a company. By being directly involved in the marketing at Obsidian she can draw on her creative and communication skills daily while business planning, development, and strategies all being tasks that she also enjoys in her role at Obsidian. Her passion for business management has pushed her to new endeavors in just a short time after taking the lead role and majority ownership of Obsidian in 2018. Since her advancement, she has been a key player in the acquisition of Arter Precision Grinding Machines brand and the purchase of the assets of Stieg Grinding Corporation. Obsidian also owns the Magna-Lock USA work holding brand and MagnaLift and magnetic Power-Grip lifting magnet brands. Manufacturing always has been close to Sue’s heart with her family having established strong roots in the industry years before her. Her father and husband created the foundation she centers her leadership style on daily. Having lived in her hometown her whole life, she attributes her midwestern lifestyle to her ability to face the day-to-day grind of manufacturing.