In this episode of Built to Last, Colby and Levi sit down with Nick MacGregor, General Manager of McGregor’s Industrial Group.

Nick shares a grounded look at what it takes to lead a traditional, hands-on business through growth, succession, technology adoption, and changing market realities.

https://www.ironhousepro.com

00:00 – Introduction
• Levi and Colby introduce the episode and how they connected with Nick.

02:03 – Meet Nick MacGregor
• Nick introduces himself and McGregor’s Industrial Group.

03:18 – Growing Up in the Family Business
• Nick shares early memories of sweeping floors and helping around the shop.

06:40 – Transitioning Leadership Across Generations
• Nick talks about his father’s semi-retirement and the human side of succession.

12:22 – What Changes in the Top Seat
• Nick reflects on the surprises of becoming general manager.

14:19 – What McGregor’s Industrial Group Does
• Nick explains the company’s four main business units.

16:31 – Bringing Technology Into a Traditional Business
• The group discusses how digital change started inside the company.

21:56 – Building Custom Software and Learning the Hard Way
• Nick shares the story of trying to build an operations management system.

24:58 – Why ERP Projects Are So Difficult
• Nick explains why larger software implementations require serious time, money, and support.

28:25 – Payroll, CRM, and Other Technology Lessons
• Nick shares more examples of software challenges and lessons learned.

30:39 – Why Iteration Matters
• Nick explains why tools rarely work perfectly on day one.

32:51 – Training and Leadership Development
• Nick talks about courses, industry associations, and learning in smaller chunks.

35:25 – Building Culture Across Four Generations
• Nick discusses culture, visibility, and staying connected to employees.

37:20 – Making Hard Strategic Decisions
• Nick shares the decision to exit a major market that no longer made sense.

41:35 – Opportunities in the Maritimes
• Nick explains why he is optimistic about regional industrial growth.

43:59 – Staying Hands-On With Customers
• Nick talks about the “get it done” attitude and helping customers directly.

48:30 – Getting Stronger Before Growing Again
• Nick explains the choice to strengthen the foundation of the business.

50:52 – Letting People Fail and Learn
• Nick shares why mistakes are part of skill development.

52:31 – Hiring and Retaining Skilled Trades
• Nick talks about apprenticeship pathways, retention, and the labour market.

55:44 – Advice for Emerging Leaders
• Nick shares the value of hard work, ownership, and passion.

58:41 – Family, Work, and Raising Kids
• Nick talks about family life, support, and the realities of balancing responsibilities.

1:04:06 – AI Adoption and Automation
• Nick shares how his view on AI has changed and where automation may help.

1:07:45 – Finding Better Ways to Work
• Nick reflects on manual labour, burnout, and rethinking old processes.

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