The Control Amplified podcast offers in-depth interviews and discussions with industry experts about important topics in the process control and automation field, exploring underlying issues affecting users, system integrators, suppliers and others in these industries.
11 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion shared his thoughts on this year's Plant of the Year honoree, selected by FieldComm Group: Tianxin Pharmaceutical's Jiangxi Leping Factory.
27 min
Tariffs, supply chain disruptions and war in the Middle East haven’t stopped automation suppliers from growing. On this episode of Control Amplified, Larry O’Brien, vice president of research at ARC Advisory Group, talks about what’s behind that resilience and what the October Top 50 rankings reveal. O’Brien calls this “the most significant shift of our lifetimes” for the automation market. He covers AI’s move from hype to real deployments, a record year of mergers and spinoffs, and why the industry may be headed for a long stretch of stronger growth. Key takeaways AI is delivering real value. O’Brien says the industry is past the peak of the hype curve. Most automation software now has AI built in, from cybersecurity tools to operator copilots that flag abnormal situations early. The hard part is getting your data ready for it. A record year for deals. Emerson completed its Aspen Tech acquisition, ABB bought Rotork, Schneider bought Cognite, and Siemens bought Altair and Dotmatics. Honeywell also reorganized to focus on automation. Hear which moves matter most and why software is driving the shopping. Sustainability isn’t going away. Most new power capacity in North America is still wind and solar. High energy prices and the power demand from AI data centers are adding momentum, and growth in industrial cybersecurity is accelerating alongside them. Autonomous operations are the endgame. O’Brien says AI could finally deliver on long-promised capabilities like autonomous operations, and he explains where humans will stay in the loop. Listen for: O’Brien’s view that AI won’t replace automation workers, but people who know how to use it may replace those who don’t. Find the full Top 50 list at controlglobal.com. Don’t forget: ARC Industry Leadership Forum will be held Feb. 22–25 in Orlando.
26 min
Every manufacturer, every system integrator, every process plant operator I talk to says the same thing: we can’t find enough technicians, we can’t find enough engineers, and we can’t find enough people for sales and support. We talk about that shortage a lot. What we talk about less is what anyone’s doing about it, and when. Editor in chief Len Vermillion took a drive to Edgmont, Pennsylvania, to get a first-hand look at what two companies are doing to inspire and inform students, parents and teachers about all the future career opportunities in process control and automation, and why it’s an important outreach for the industry. There, he spoke to Kevin Lavelle, general manager of Eastern Controls; Nicole Otte, director of workforce development at Endress+Hauser; and Dan McGrath, Eastern Controls’ new workforce development specialist. Here's what they had to say.
11 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion shared his thoughts on this year's Plant of the Year honoree, selected by FieldComm Group: Tianxin Pharmaceutical's Jiangxi Leping Factory.
27 min
Tariffs, supply chain disruptions and war in the Middle East haven’t stopped automation suppliers from growing. On this episode of Control Amplified, Larry O’Brien, vice president of research at ARC Advisory Group, talks about what’s behind that resilience and what the October Top 50 rankings reveal. O’Brien calls this “the most significant shift of our lifetimes” for the automation market. He covers AI’s move from hype to real deployments, a record year of mergers and spinoffs, and why the industry may be headed for a long stretch of stronger growth. Key takeaways AI is delivering real value. O’Brien says the industry is past the peak of the hype curve. Most automation software now has AI built in, from cybersecurity tools to operator copilots that flag abnormal situations early. The hard part is getting your data ready for it. A record year for deals. Emerson completed its Aspen Tech acquisition, ABB bought Rotork, Schneider bought Cognite, and Siemens bought Altair and Dotmatics. Honeywell also reorganized to focus on automation. Hear which moves matter most and why software is driving the shopping. Sustainability isn’t going away. Most new power capacity in North America is still wind and solar. High energy prices and the power demand from AI data centers are adding momentum, and growth in industrial cybersecurity is accelerating alongside them. Autonomous operations are the endgame. O’Brien says AI could finally deliver on long-promised capabilities like autonomous operations, and he explains where humans will stay in the loop. Listen for: O’Brien’s view that AI won’t replace automation workers, but people who know how to use it may replace those who don’t. Find the full Top 50 list at controlglobal.com. Don’t forget: ARC Industry Leadership Forum will be held Feb. 22–25 in Orlando.
26 min
Every manufacturer, every system integrator, every process plant operator I talk to says the same thing: we can’t find enough technicians, we can’t find enough engineers, and we can’t find enough people for sales and support. We talk about that shortage a lot. What we talk about less is what anyone’s doing about it, and when. Editor in chief Len Vermillion took a drive to Edgmont, Pennsylvania, to get a first-hand look at what two companies are doing to inspire and inform students, parents and teachers about all the future career opportunities in process control and automation, and why it’s an important outreach for the industry. There, he spoke to Kevin Lavelle, general manager of Eastern Controls; Nicole Otte, director of workforce development at Endress+Hauser; and Dan McGrath, Eastern Controls’ new workforce development specialist. Here's what they had to say.
24 min
Every control engineer knows measurement noise is a problem, but not all noise is the same, and the wrong fix can make things worse. This episode digs into how noise distorts what you think your process is doing, and what to do about it.
14 min
Editor in chief Len Vermillion reflects on his time in New Orleans at Yokogawa's YNOW2026 event, which took place Sept. 1-4. From delicious gumbo to the AI bubble, everything you need to know about the conference is here. Plus, check out all the articles from the event, written by Vermillion, Control Design's Mike Bacidore, Machine Design's Rehana Begg and Automation World's Chris McNamara.
17 min
At the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Keith Larson was joined by Honeywell's Rick Stopf and Paul Hodge, product management leaders for the company's Experion PKS process automation system to discuss major trends impacting OT infrastructure today.
18 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, Honeywell's Marcos Detilio, global vertical lead for Honeywell's LNG and gas processing business, talks about the role liquified natural gas is playing across a dynamic energy landscape.
22 min
Honeywell's Colin Hams, offering manager for the company's Experion Process Knowledge System, joined Control Amplified at the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, to talk more about Experion Cognition, which puts the Knowledge into PKS.
24 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, Keith Larson is joined by Vishal Mehta, vice president and general manager for Honeywell Connected Industrial Solutions and Autonomy X enterprise consulting practice, to talk about how energy companies are adopting a new framework for resilient operations.
22 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague spoke with Brian Romano, technology development director of Arthur G. Russell. They discussed engineering workforce development issues, the ensuing brain drain, and how to build, recruit and retain operators and engineers.
16 min
In this Solutions Spotlight episode of Control Amplified, sponsored by Honeywell Process Automation, Keith Larson reports from the 50th Anniversary Honeywell Users Group meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. He was joined by Russ Ford, Honeywell president of projects and automation solutions, to discuss modular approaches to energy resilience and how they can help industrial organizations protect themselves from production interruptions.
30 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague spoke to Christopher Hudson, operations manager at independent system integrator Applied Control Engineering.
25 min
Fifteen months after its acquisition by Emerson, AspenTech’s biannual Optimize 26 event on May 11-14 in Houston had a definite Emersonian flavor. Its keynotes and presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions and exhibits retained AspenTech’s cornerstones of innovation, software development, talented personnel and customer focus, but this time they also paralleled the structure and style of Emerson Exchange events. In this episode of Control Amplified, executive editor Jim Montague discusses what he saw at Optimize 26.
21 min
In keeping with its informal motto of “giving back 10 ideas for every one presented,” the Control System Integrators Association provided mass quantities of useful content to almost 500 visitors at its 2026 conference on May 4-8 in Baltimore. The event’s 15 educational sessions covered wide range of technical, economic, workforce and other skills that system integrators can take advantage of to run their businesses more effectively. Control editor in chief Len Vermillion sat down with executive editor Jim Montague, who attended the conference, to learn about the insights gleaned from the event.
15 min
Now in his second year as leader of the global process instrumentation powerhouse, Selders talks with Control's Keith Larson about the innovations, investments and company values that support the company's trust-based relationships with process manufacturers.
31 min
There are engineers who fall into their careers, and there are engineers who seem destined for them. Peter Morgan—newly inducted member of the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame is, by his own cheerful admission, somewhere in between. Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morgan in the next podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.
33 min
When Manfred Morari learned of his election to the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame, his first reaction wasn’t triumph, but humility. The list of past inductees includes several colleagues, whose work he admires and whose advice shaped his own career. Editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke with Morari in this first podcast from the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame podcast and video series.
17 min
In this episode of the Control Amplified podcast, you will hear an informative discussion about industrial relays and their role in automation and manufacturing. Hosted by Len Vermillion, Editor-in-Chief of Control Global/Control Magazine at Endeavor Business Media, the conversation features Patrick Casey, Senior Offer Manager for Control and Signaling at Schneider Electric. Together, they explain what relays do, why solid-state relays are gaining popularity, and how modern relay design is evolving. The episode covers key trade-offs such as heat, cost, lifespan, and speed, while also highlighting newer trends like slim relays, smarter connected relays with NFC programming, and improved wire management. Len and Patrick also compare relays with controllers and contactors, and discuss environmental considerations, such as hazardous-location and hermetically sealed relays for harsh industrial settings. This episode provides a practical look at how relays continue to support reliable, space-saving, and increasingly intelligent industrial control systems.
25 min
Can't wait for the April edition of Control? Have no fear, because editor in chief Len Vermillion spoke to executive editor Jim Montague in this podcast about one of the biggest topics being covered in the upcoming issue: agentic AI. How are controls engineers using it? And what are the implications for the automation workforce going forward? Montague gives a sneak preview of those questions and answers in this episode of Control Amplified.
15 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion talks to executive editor Jim Montague about February 2026's ISA Will-DuPage Chapter Tabletop Show and Technical Conference. Jim learned about effective ways to protect instrumentation from freezing temperatures and more at this show on Feb. 26 in Joliet, Illinois.
21 min
In a second conversation with Control editor in chief Len Vermillion and executive editor Jim Montague following ARC Advisory Group's February Industry Leadership Forum, the editors delve more in depth into the conference's most intriguing highlights: not just how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented into control systems, but also what it will mean for processing engineers; how O-PAS members are testing applications; what new innovations caught their eye; and more.
29 min
Control's editor in chief, Len Vermillion, and executive editor, Jim Montague, attended ARC Advisory Group's February Industry Leadership Forum in Orlando, Florida. There, attendees heard industry experts discuss the most pressing issues in the process industries, from artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity to large-language models (LLMs) and system design. For even more information on the conference, visit https://www.arcweb.com/events/arc-industry-leadership-forum-orlando.
16 min
Liquified natural gas (LNG) occupies an essential role in the energy transition, and integrated digital solutions--from process technology through advanced control and cybersecurity--are essential to optimizing its production while also minimizing its carbon footprint. In this Solutions Spotlight podcast, Control's Keith Larson talks with Srikanth Venkat, director of consulting for Honeywell Connected Industrials, about industry's transition from isolated point solutions to a comprehensive digital approach.
11 min
The concept of the digital twin is perhaps the centerpiece of digital transformation when it comes to the industrial enterprise. Think about it: What if the same digital model used to optimize the design of an industrial facility or other complex machine lived on in the form of a continuously current simulation that could optimize the real-time performance of the system over its entire lifecycle? According to Christian Salazar, portfolio manager for Honeywell Process Solutions, such is the promise of Honeywell's Digital Prime offering. Control's Keith Larson caught up with Salazar at the company's recent users group meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss how Digital Prime brings together all of the connected offerings within Honeywell Process Solutions to deliver real-time performance insights to its customers.
19 min
The emergence of artificial intelligence in the industrial automation space is elevating the role of the control system from simply executing operator commands to providing expert guidance to human operators. At Honeywell, they call this Digital Cognition, and at the company's recent users group meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, Control's Keith Larson had a chance to talk with Jason Urso, chief technology officer for industrial automation, as well as Peter Davis, director of engineering for Honeywell Process Solutions, about how today's control systems are helping even relatively inexperienced operators achieve their facilities' best performance yet.
19 min
SRF is a global producer of chemicals and specialty chemicals with locations not only in India, but also Thailand, South Africa and Hungary. It maintains a long and storied history of growth and innovation dating back more than a century. In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion discusses the 2025 Plant of the Year pick, SRF Dahej.
15 min
Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Joe Bastone, growth initiative leader for Honeywell Process Solutions, at the company’s recent user group meeting in San Antonio to discuss how the company is transitioning users away from monolithic, ground-up upgrades to a more modular, flexible approach to digital transformation. This episode is sponsored by Honeywell.
17 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion sits down with Cade Shipek, senior HMI solutions expert for Proface by Schneider Electric, to discuss the state of control and I/O integration.
22 min
Among the most significant impacts of the latest generation of artificial intelligence tools is the ability to quickly make better decisions with the data industrial enterprises already have on hand. They’s also helping to fill the human resource gap, effectively replacing years of on-the-job experience. One company leading the way in this charge is Honeywell Process Solutions, and Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Sharan Ragarajan, offering manager for the company’s Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence capabilities to learn more about the unprecedented responsiveness the tool is making possible.
7 min
In today’s world of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, there’s a growing need to share operational technology (OT) data from supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and integrate it with the business information typically found in information technology (IT) systems. Much of this data originates from legacy control hardware performing dedicated functions that aren’t directly compatible with evolving IT environments supporting AI and other initiatives. What are the key considerations for bridging this data divide to enable new applications in a safe, efficient and economical way? Control Amplified spoke with Barry Baker, vice president of Trihedral Engineering, about the benefits of adopting edge-based solutions for existing applications. This episode is sponsored by Trihedral Engineering.
36 min
If there's one trend underlying the ongoing energy transition, it's the emergence of electricity as a primary global standard of generation, exchange—and storage as well. In this podcast, Control's Keith Larson talks with Jill Pestana, founder and CEO, Pestana Solutions; JR Klein, battery manufacturing engineer, Honeywell Process Solutions; and Mike Sanders, senior advisor at Avicenne Energy, about how battery manufacturers are responding to the rapidly growing demand.
9 min
Variable frequency drives, or VFDs, have long offered the opportunity to boost the energy efficiency of rotating equipment such as pumps and fans. But when VFDs are fully integrated into a plant’s control system architecture, new levels of plantwide optimization are possible. Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Chad White, leader of the North America sales organization for Danfoss, and Raj Nara Yanan, product manager for Honeywell Process Solutions, at the recent Honeywell Users Group meeting in San Antonio to discuss how Honeywell’s partnership with Danfoss is unlocking new possibilities.
11 min
Highly accurate and versatile, Coriolis flowmeters have become standouts for mass flow measurement, particularly for complex applications in the chemical, energy, life sciences and oil and gas industries. Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flowmeters have been continually redefining what’s possible for flow measurement, and Control talked with Jana Andreas, Senior Global Product Manager at Emerson, about how they’re reinvigorating the possibilities for industrial processing.
15 min
By their very nature, the metals, minerals and mining industries have often set the standard for jobs that are at once remote, dirty and dangerous, and as such are facing a particularly acute shortage of workers as Baby Boomers retire. But new cutting-edge technologies such as AI are poised to change that outlook, according to Derain Pillay, global vertical lead for the MM&M markets with Honeywell Process Solutions. Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Derain at the company’s recent Honeywell Users Group meeting in San Antonio to discuss how technology is reshaping how work gets done in this essential global industry.
10 min
Supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) play a critical role in collecting process data from across distributed systems and making it available across an organization. But what if you need to share that data beyond your firewall? What are the keys to doing so efficiently and safely? In this episode of Control Amplified, editor in chief Len Vermillion talked with Chris Little, media relations director for VTScada by Trihedral, about new and not-so-new ways to share data on a massive scale.
16 min
Control’s Keith Larson caught up with Rahul Negi, director of digital and autonomous operations for Honeywell Process Solutions, to discuss AI’s rapidly evolving capabilities: from assisting human-decision makers to manifesting aspects of true autonomy.
17 min
It's hard to escape artificial intelligence (AI) these days - the industrial sector is both enamored and perplexed on how to best apply it to process control. While there's no shortage of questions that need answering, Curtis Thompson, DeltaV product marketing manager of AI at Emerson, spoke with editor in chief Len Vermillion to tackle some of them in this episode of Control Amplified.
16 min
Control’s Keith Larson talks with ExxonMobil’s David Patin and Brian Reynolds and Alicia Kempf of Honeywell Process Solutions in this episode of Control Amplified.
15 min
Most proprietary and closed automation systems are 20-30 years old and quickly becoming obsolete. However, by bridging information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), open automation can help lead industry into a more secure future. A collaboration between Schneider Electric and Intel focuses on the integration of Intel Policy Engine technology with Schneider’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert. The collaboration is an example of how industry can move from proprietary systems to open automation and avoid hitting the brick walls of obsolescence and experience. To learn more, Control Amplified spoke with Andre Babineau, director of strategic initiatives at Schneider Electric, and Stan Woody, senior manager of product and business development at Intel.
13 min
SCADA applications are responsible for far more than facilitating real-time process monitoring and alarm management. The process history they compile over time is critical to providing the data-driven insights that industry relies on when optimizing their systems to control costs, maximize uptime and increase the life of infrastructure. Modern SCADA systems must ensure data is safe, relevant and easily shareable with a company’s own team or third-party reporting solutions, business systems and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. Control Amplified talked to Chris Little, media relations director, Trihedral Engineering, about straightforward principles to ensure that your SCADA data is ready to go to work.
14 min
Every control system on the factory floor needs reliable monitors, touchscreens and related products to keep their operation running efficiently. For the last 25 years, Hope Industrial Systems (HIS), based in Atlanta, Ga., has been at the forefront of manufacturing monitors and supplying them quickly to customers all over the world. How did the company succeed, so it can celebrate its 25th anniversary? Mike McGraw, president of Hope Industrial Systems, talked with Control's editor-in-chief, Len Vermillion, to explain what sets the company and its products apart from the field.
39 min
Editor in chief Len Vermillion is chatting with the newest inductees for 2025's Process Automation Hall of Fame in this Control Amplified mini-series. In his final interview of the series, he and industry legend Sandy Vasser discuss a lifetime in process control.
26 min
Editor in chief Len Vermillion speaks to Felix Dozzi, customer services supervisor for Pro-face America, Schneider Electric, about how coordinating HMI with other devices and customizing the applications in smart factories can create more effective workplace solutions.
23 min
Editor in chief Len Vermillion is chatting with the newest inductees for 2025's Process Automation Hall of Fame in this Control Amplified mini-series. In this interview with John Hedenglen, they discuss how working with fellow Hall-of-Famer Thomas Edgar on process dynamics and controls kickstarted Hedenglen's career of academia, prestigious accolades and eventual induction into the Hall of Fame's class of 2025.
31 min
Editor in chief Len Vermillion is chatting with the newest inductees for 2025's Process Automation Hall of Fame in this Control Amplified mini-series. First up: Duncan Schleiss. From pioneering Emerson's DeltaV technologies to teaching at Louisiana State University, Schleiss continually recognizes the help and support of his colleagues amid all his successes.
21 min
It’s often said that good things come in small packages, and that adage seems especially apt in describing Rockwell Automation’s new M100 Electronic Motor Starter. In this special Solutions Spotlight episode of Control Amplified, group publisher Keith Larson speaks to Bill Meindl, Jr., business manager for industrial components at Rockwell on the M100 functionality and highlights.
25 min
While uncertainty over tariffs and inflation confuses the industrial sector, we wondered how the industrial processing market is affected. To get answers, Control editor in chief Len Vermillion talked with Connor Lokar, senior forecaster for ITR Economics, to try to make heads or tails of the situation. While some processing business might be fretting over the escalating trade war the U.S. has engaged in with Canada, Mexico and China, others are may have reasons to be more hopeful. But many are still awaiting leading indicators to catch up to the whirlwinds of activity from the government before deciding how to react. In the meantime, we check in with ITR Economics to get their thoughts on the outlook for 2025 as it pertains to industrial processing, instrumentation and more.
21 min
The only constant in today's industrial landscape is the rapid evolution fueled by digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). It is estimated that more than 90% of businesses engage in some form of digital activity. While innovation and adaptability are keys to staying ahead, the digital transformation journey for industrial organizations is by no means an easy one, particularly in water and wastewater. Control talked with Alejandro Trejo, Offer Manager for Digital Services, and James Redmond, Global Offer Manager for SCADA and Telemetry, of Schneider Electric to get further insight into the challenges and solutions for operators.
17 min
Control Editor-in-Chief Len Vermillion recaps his thoughts from ARC Forum 2025 in Orlando. While winning with artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the conversation, the migration of Foundation Fieldbus to Ethernet APL is also on the minds of CEOs these days.
14 min
In this episode of Control Amplified, Editor in Chief Len Vermillion looks at the journey of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial operations. He gets help from the words of Dustin Johnson, chief technology officer at Seeq; Tathagata Basu, global head and general of sustainable fuels and chemicals at Honeywell; and John Rezabek, process controls specialist, Ashland Inc. Among the topics: Strategic planning for generative AI (GenAI) Efficient data analytics Human-AI interaction Technical training challenges
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