In this episode of U.S. Manufacturing Today (powered by Veryable), host Matt Horine talks with Ryan Arends and Brett Kronick, co-founders of Origin8 Advisory, about supply chain traceability, defensible documentation, and supply chain security as reshoring accelerates. Drawing on their US Army backgrounds, they connect military accountability practices to corporate needs to prove—not just claim—country of origin and compliance. They explain how Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements are tightening as the grace period ends, waivers decline, and enforcement expands, creating risks such as funding delays, clawbacks, and potential False Claims Act exposure that can cascade from primes to subcontractors. Origin8’s AI-powered platform automates document extraction, matching across multi-tier BOMs and records, and compliance scoring (red/yellow/green), reducing fire-drill audits. They recommend baseline readiness assessments, clear ownership of evidence, and validating traceability continuously. Timestamps 00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:19 Military Backgrounds 02:31 Accountability Mindset 05:16 Founding Origin8 08:30 Visible vs Defensible 12:56 BABA Rules Tighten 16:41 Cascading Audit Risk 21:23 Origin8 Platform Demo 25:50 Competitive Advantage 30:46 Getting Started Process 34:31 Closing Thanks 35:13 Podcast Outro Links Origin8 Website Ryan on linkedin Brett on linkedin Origin8 on Linkedin Revitalizing US Manufacturing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign Up on the Veryable Platform

Visible Supply Chains: Traceability, BABA Compliance & AI with Origin8 Advisory 

U.S. Manufacturing Today

Welcome to the U.S. Manufacturing Today podcast, your hub of information about the U.S. manufacturing and distribution industry. Brought to you by Variable, the on-demand labor solution revitalizing and optimizing your operation, enabling just-in-time response to demand, more efficient production, and lower cost per unit. And now your host and head of re-industrialization at Variable, Matt Harine.

Welcome back to U.S. Manufacturing Today, the podcast powered by Variable, where we talk with the leaders, innovators, and changemakers shaping the future of American industry. Today's episode addresses reshoring in one of the most strategic and tactical conversations we can have about supply chain today, traceability and supply chain security. This show, however, is a bit unique as both of my guests and myself on this call spent time in the U.S. Army before we spent a day in supply chain.

And I think that matters because the conversation we're about to have is really one about instincts that can be applied in corporate America. And most importantly, to be able to prove things and not just claim it. My guests today are Ryan Ahrens and Brett Kronick, co-founders of Origin 8 Advisory, a supply chain traceability firm built around an AI powered platform. Ryan and Brett, welcome to U.S. Manufacturing Today. Thanks, Matt. It's been a pleasure to be here. We are excited to have you.

And I think it's important to frame this conversation a little bit with your background before we jump into Origin 8, but talking more about your origin stories and the unique applications and lessons from the military that can be applied in corporate America today. Ryan, we'll start with you first. Where did you all serve and how did your paths cross? Absolutely.

Visible Supply Chains: Traceability, BABA Compliance & AI with Origin8 Advisory

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Visible Supply Chains: Traceability, BABA Compliance & AI with Origin8 Advisory

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.