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Add Element The Story of Moe Davis
A good man, a good shop—and a moment that changed everything.
Moe Davis runs a fab shop in Southfield. It’s called Davis Precision Works, and it started in his uncle’s barn with a single bridgeport mill, a welder from Craigslist, and a prayer.
Moe’s a blue-collar guy. Grew up in Taylor. His dad worked at Ford for 33 years. His mom was a church secretary and could stretch a casserole like nobody’s business.
Moe was the youngest of three brothers—always scrapping, always fixing things. He wasn’t built for college, but he could rebuild a carburetor blindfolded by the time he was 16.
He married his high school sweetheart, Melissa. They’ve been together 20 years now. She teaches third grade at the elementary school down the road. On Sundays, they sit in the same pew at Southpoint Community Church, shake the same hands, sing the same hymns. They’ve got two kids—Emma, 13, and Luke, 9. They ride bikes, raise chickens, and eat dinner together most nights, even if it’s late.
Moe wakes up before the sun. Grabs coffee from the Speedway by 6:15. By 7:00, he’s at the shop unlocking the gate, saying good morning to the guys on the floor. The business is up to 16 employees, two shifts, and just under $9 million in revenue. But lately, Moe’s been feeling it. The weight. The wear. Quotes going out late. Jobs piling up. Reps scrambling. Forecasts that feel like finger-crossing. He’s doing the same things he always did—but it’s not working like it used to.
When AI tools started popping up—automated quoting, forecasting, follow-up software—he didn’t want to hear it. “We don’t need that stuff. That’s for the Googles and Amazons of the world.” “We’re a fab shop. We work with our hands.” Even when his son showed him how ChatGPT could draft a customer follow-up in 10 seconds, Moe laughed and said, “That thing doesn’t know my business.”
Then came the big job. A huge RFQ from a Tier 1 EV supplier—38 parts, 9 assemblies. It was the kind of job you tell your wife about when you walk in the door grinning. The kind of job that can buy new machines, pay off the line of credit, maybe even take a breath. But they quoted it the old way. Manual inputs. Back-and-forth emails. Missed follow-ups. 19 days. Two errors. No response.
The job went to a younger shop down the road—leaner, faster, using AI quoting tools and automated follow-ups. Moe found out on a Wednesday. $2.7 million. Gone. That night, he didn’t say much. Melissa made spaghetti. Luke showed him a drawing from school. Emma needed help with math. He smiled. Said all the right things. But when everyone went to bed, Moe sat at the kitchen table with a notebook and a pen. Just staring. Not angry. Not even surprised. Just... still. He knew what happened. He didn’t get beat by better welds or better pricing. He got beat because he didn’t adapt.
Why Does Moe’s Story Matter
Because Moe is real. He’s a father. A husband. A boss people count on. He built something with calloused hands and long days. He didn’t fail because he didn’t care. He failed because the world moved—and he didn’t want to believe it was moving that fast.
AI isn’t about replacing guys like Moe. It’s about protecting them. Giving them the tools to compete. To stay in the game. To keep the business they built from slipping through their fingers.
Because when revenue goes out the door, it’s not just money. It’s time. It’s peace of mind. It’s dinners with the family instead of staring at a laptop until midnight. It’s not just lost deals. It’s lost moments.
And Moe? He deserves better than that.
Detroit was built on grit, hustle, and relentless execution—not excuses. The business world today isn’t any different. Companies are either harnessing AI to blow past their competition or they’re sitting in the rearview mirror wondering what the hell happened.
Forget the Hype—This is About Results
AI isn’t some shiny toy for tech geeks—it’s a straight-up weapon for businesses that want to win. Imagine having X-ray vision on your market: knowing which deals will close, which customers are about to churn, and which campaigns will actually move the needle. That’s what AI does—it cuts the guesswork, eliminates wasted motion, and drives growth at speed.
Grinders Get Paid, Sleepwalkers Get Left Behind
The slow, manual, “let’s have another meeting about it” approach is dead. AI handles the grunt work while you focus on the big plays—the ones that drive revenue and crush competitors. Businesses leaning on outdated processes aren’t just behind—they’re roadkill on the highway of progress.
The Truth? You Can’t Afford to Ignore It
AI isn’t the future. It’s now. The companies using it are stacking wins and grabbing market share. The ones dragging their feet are on borrowed time. Detroit taught us one thing: you can’t fake hustle. AI doesn’t replace it—it amplifies it.
As Herb Brooks said in Miracle, “Great moments are born from great opportunity.” This is your opportunity. Either grab the wheel and floor it with AI—or watch someone else lap you.
Contact Info:
Linkedin profile -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkalusniak/
Website – https://kaluzconsultinggroup.com/
Connect with me -- https://calendly.com/john-kaluzconsultinggroup
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