Articles

Case Studies

Sunset’s Rising Star

Sunset’s Rising Star

When Lindsey Graves joined Sunset Transportation in 2006, the founder and CEO—who happens to be her father—asked her to learn the business by spending some time in every possible role. As the years progressed, that didn’t mean dealing just with the company’s freight operations. MORE TO THE STORY: No Glass Ceiling Here “I was always […]

Read More
Joel Kamp: Never Out of Gas

Joel Kamp: Never Out of Gas

Joel Kamp is head of the bulk scheduling center, Americas region, with The Linde Group, a leading gases and engineering company operating in more than 100 countries. He oversees the transportation and delivery of liquefied gases such as oxygen and nitrogen to plants and depots in this region. Responsibilities: Directs the bulk scheduling center for […]

Read More
Fueling Transportation Breakthroughs

Fueling Transportation Breakthroughs

Doug Mueller was enjoying a long, happy career at Schneider National when Craig Dickman, a former colleague, proposed Mueller join him in a new kind of business. MORE TO THE STORY: On Becoming Breakthrough Fuel would help shippers save money on fuel surcharges, allowing them to base those charges not on a nationwide index, but […]

Read More
Michele van Krieken: Formulating Supply Chain Clarity

Michele van Krieken: Formulating Supply Chain Clarity

Michele van Krieken is global supply chain manager with The Chemours Company, a $1.5-billion global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts, and chemical solutions. Responsibilities Manage global supply chain for the fluoroproducts business, driving both day-to-day execution and improvements, and developing career paths for supply chain employees. Work closely with business […]

Read More
Running a Global Organization Like Family 

Running a Global Organization Like Family 

When Frank Guenzerodt joined Dachser USA as its president and CEO in 2004, this U.S. unit of the German-based global logistics firm was bringing in $11 million annually. By 2016, annual revenues had ballooned to $181 million. MORE TO THE STORY: Get Your Passport Ready That strong growth has continued, and Guenzerodt expects to see […]

Read More
Mike Parsley: Supply Chains Suits Him Well

Mike Parsley: Supply Chains Suits Him Well

Responsibilities E-commerce and retail distribution, transportation and logistics; national tailoring service and tuxedo distribution. Experience Vice president, operations, Macy’s; senior director, distribution, Men’s Wearhouse; senior operations manager, Amazon; director, operations, Vistaprint; president and operational roles, H.P. Reid; instructor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Education M.S., aerospace engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1992; B.S., chemistry and mathematics, Cumberland College, […]

Read More
Average Is for Other People

Average Is for Other People

Derek Leathers embarked on his first big business venture when he was 12 years old. The scene was the circus, where his stepfather helped him get a job selling popcorn up and down the aisles. MORE TO THE STORY: Call Him Coach “They weren’t able to employ me officially, but I got to keep whatever […]

Read More
Howie Mann: Helping to Train a New Generation

Howie Mann: Helping to Train a New Generation

Howie Mann is a founder and board member with the Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce in New York City, which provides opportunities for economic mobility through access to college and career pathways in supply chain management and freight logistics. Responsibilities Helping to guide the school in its CTE (career and technical education) program, including […]

Read More
Steve Ahern: Supply Chain Strategist

Steve Ahern: Supply Chain Strategist

Steve Ahern is manager of supply chain operational design with BASF, a leading chemical company with global sales of $67.8 billion. He has held this position since October 2014. Responsibilities Optimizing BASF’s North American network of 100-plus warehouses and distribution centers, and designing supply chain services and upgrades to its transportation process and system. Experience […]

Read More
The Son Also Rises

The Son Also Rises

Chuck Wall never pressured his son Ryan to enter the family business, FHI (Freight Handlers, Inc.). But in 1998, as the young man’s college graduation drew near, he asked his father for advice about the future. Chuck Wall painted a tempting picture: “If you apply yourself, within a year or two you could be a […]

Read More
Tim Miller: Serving It Up Fresh, Fast, and Casual

Tim Miller: Serving It Up Fresh, Fast, and Casual

Tim Miller is vice president of supply chain with Smashburger, a fast-casual burger restaurant. Based in Denver, Smashburger has more than 350 locations in 38 states and nine countries. Responsibilities: Commodity management, relationships with suppliers and third-party distributors, contract negotiations, program management; item changes, price validations, and distributor service to the restaurants, including on-time delivery […]

Read More
From Top Waffle to Top Rhino

From Top Waffle to Top Rhino

MORE TO THE STORY: Racing to Make A Difference Kevin Nolan fell in love with the excitement of the freight brokerage floor the day he walked into a C.H. Robinson office, as a college senior, to interview for a job. “I loved the energy, the camaraderie among teammates,” he says. Having played lots of team […]

Read More
Billy Duty: Formulating a World-Class Supply Chain

Billy Duty: Formulating a World-Class Supply Chain

Billy Duty is is head of North American supply chain with BYK USA Inc., a division of Altana, a specialty chemicals company. He has held this position since January 2016. Responsibilities: Production and replenishment planning, forecasting, customer service, warehousing, and logistics. Experience: Director, supply chain center of excellence, director, SIOP, Momentive; global supply chain manager, […]

Read More