Articles
Case Studies
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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Sourcing Packaging Globally Boxes Up Savings
Hungry to reduce food packaging costs, Church’s Chicken flies the domestic coop and finds an economic supplier on the other side of the world.
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Fashion Icon Designs Supply Chain Solution
As its main distribution center neared capacity, fashion company Michael Kors redesigned operations without cramping its style by fashioning a digital model of its supply chain.
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Outsourcing Distribution: Good For What Ales You
Thirsty to sell regional craft beer on a global scale, Velour Imports partners with a 3PL and hops to it.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Online Purveyor of Artisanal Goods Finds Uncommon Solution
Online retailer UncommonGoods needed a way to provide extraordinarily fast shipping times to sell and transport goods to the other side of the country.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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Better Routing Takes Root
By switching from a manual to an automated routing and scheduling system, flowering plant seller Weatherford Farms puts the petals to the medal.
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New Pallet Program Better by Half
Fun food manufacturer Jel Sert finds pooled half-pallets provide full supply chain benefits.
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Leadership: Fashion Leader
How does a retail supply chain resemble the infrastructure of a nuclear submarine? We don’t know, but Brent Beabout sure does. He spent 13 years as an active-duty U.S. naval officer, a career that culminated in the role of engineering officer on one of those powerful undersea vessels. Then he moved on to some major […]
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Marianne McDonald: Stand and Deliver
Marianne McDonald is vice president, global transportation for Avnet, a $17.4-billion global technology distributor headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Responsibilities: Global transportation services, carrier selection, contracts supporting 40 warehouse locations (owned and 3PL), day-to-day global trade compliance operations, and import/export execution. Experience: Global transportation leader, Avnet; director of global logistics for Coca Cola, Toys “R” Us, […]
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Finding the Right Strategy for Each Situation
Denis Reilly’s father worked in distribution for 38 years. So when Reilly started college at the University of Tennessee, it was no surprise that he was drawn toward that school’s renowned logistics program. “It was a natural fit,” he says. “Even some of my summer jobs were in logistics, with Union Carbide.” MORE TO THE […]
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Tim O’Brien: Exuding Star Power
Tim O’Brien is senior director, supply chain, with Purchasing Power, a specialty e-commerce retailer that provides goods and services to customers who make payments through payroll deductions. He has held this position since October 2012. Responsibilities: Transportation and logistics, including carrier and 3PL relationships, vendor compliance, and onboarding. Experience: Director, e-commerce shipping strategies and vendor […]
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Yone Dewberry: Engineering the Supply Chain
Yone Dewberry is chief supply chain officer with Land O’Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative with operations ranging from agricultural production to consumer foods. Based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, Land O’Lakes had 2016 sales of $13 billion. Responsibilities Supply chain strategy, operations, and talent management. Experience Executive positions in supply chain with Land O’Lakes; managing director, […]
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BluJay Solutions CEO Doug Braun:
Leading with Compassion and Conviction
It has been a busy year at BluJay Solutions. In 2016, the supply chain software company, known then as Kewill, acquired another technology player, LeanLogistics. In March 2017, the combined companies rebranded as BluJay Solutions and debuted an innovative new software platform model, the BluJay Global Trade Network. Soon after, BluJay acquired Blackbay, a provider […]
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