Articles
Case Studies

Mary Foster’s Excellent Adventure
Mary Foster has served as vice president, supply chain management, at Inteva Products in Troy, Mich., since 2007. Inteva is a major global supplier of automotive closure systems, interiors systems, motors, electronics, and roof systems. Responsibilities: Direct and indirect material purchasing, logistics. Experience: Capacity planning, purchasing, Ford Tractor Operations; various positions in purchasing and production […]
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Supporting a Glass Act
When Mexican automotive glassmaker Vitro opened a distribution center in the United States, it became crystal clear that the site would need a logistics-savvy workforce.
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Materials Handling: A Better View
Visual technologies manufacturer Christie sees clear benefits from its new storage and retrieval system.
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Michael Gilbert: A Fresh Start
Michael Gilbert is director of logistics and facilities at Indianapolis Fruit Company, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables to grocery stores and restaurants in eight midwestern states. He joined the company in 2011. Responsibilities: Supervising a team of four managers who run the warehouse’s shipping department, the facilities maintenance and sanitation department, and regional inbound […]
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A New Recipe for Effective Warehouse Management
Hungry to improve order fulfillment, Tastefully Simple orders a highly customizable WMS and savors a 20-percent improvement in pick rates.
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John Snider Does It Best
John Snider joined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1985, and has served as vice president of retail logistics since 2000. A buying cooperative that serves more than 4,000 independent member stores in the hardware, lumber, and building materials industry, Do it Best offers approximately 67,000 items. Responsibilities: Warehousing, inbound and outbound transportation, […]
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Cross-Border Shipping: The Road Now Taken
Electronics manufacturer Siemens switches from air freight to over-the-road transport for shipments from Mexico to the United States and Canada and lights up savings.
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Capt. Kazimir Kostrubala: Winging It
Capt. Kazimir Kostrubala, USAF, is squadron operations officer and installation deployment officer with the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 19th Airlift, at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB) in Arkansas. He received the 2011 Beyond the Call of Duty: Logistician of the Year award for his work with the Institute for Defense and Business. Responsibilities: Supervising 550 […]
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Trying on a Tailor-made TMS
Ralph Lauren dresses up supply chain operations with a custom-fitted international airfreight transportation management system.
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Don Riley: Building for the Future
Don Riley joined Denver-based ProBuild Holdings as executive vice president of supply chain and technology in November 2011. ProBuild is a leading supplier of building materials, with more than 430 locations nationwide. Responsibilities: Supply chain, manufacturing, information technology, enterprise resource planning (ERP) deployment. Experience: Developer, Singer-Link Flight Simulation; various positions culminating in account executive, Electronic […]
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John Hodge: Feeding a Need
John Hodge is director of supply chain at Prince Agri Products, a global manufacturer and marketer of trace minerals and specialty feed ingredients to the animal nutrition industry. Based in Quincy, Ill., Prince Agri, a division of Phibro Animal Health Corporation, serves manufacturers, large integrated producers, and distributors/blenders in the livestock, poultry, and pet food […]
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Transporting Wind Turbines: An Oversized Challenge
Faced with moving enormous wind turbines hundreds of miles, energy giant enXco made waves—and saved on freight costs—with an innovative barge transport strategy.
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The Scoop on Route Accounting Automation
Ice cream distributor Berliner finds sweet savings with an automated direct store delivery solution.
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High-Reach Lift Trucks: Moving On Up
A new high-reach forklift gives Interstate Warehousing’s temperature-controlled facilities a capacity boost.
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Jill Hesselroth: Opportunity Knocks
Jill Hesselroth is vice president, global supply chain at Nortech Systems in Wayzata, Minn. An electronics manufacturing services provider, Nortech Systems produces wire and cable assemblies and printed circuit board assemblies, and provides diagnostic repair and integration services. Responsibilities: Analyzing the company’s supply chain to identify opportunities for improvement, then implementing those improvements. Experience: Various […]
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Managing Inbound Transportation: All On Board FOB
Tire importer TBC Corporation converts its inbound transportation to free-on-board terms and rolls out a supply chain transformation.
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Ryan Gellert: Climbing High
Ryan Gellert is vice president, supply chain management at Black Diamond Equipment, a mountain sports products company. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Black Diamond operates manufacturing and distribution facilities there and in Southeast China; a sewing plant in Calexico, Calif.; a marketing office in Yokohama, Japan; and a sales, marketing, and distribution operation near […]
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Getting a Handle on Transportation Costs
Plumbing fixture manufacturer TOTO Global Group taps a third-party logistics provider to benchmark freight spend.
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Katie Reuland: Down to Business
Katie Reuland is operations director at Down, Etc., a San Francisco-based firm that makes and markets bedding items such as down comforters, pillows, featherbeds, and robes. The company markets its products primarily to upscale and boutique hotels in the United States, Ireland, France, Italy, and Panama. Responsibilities: Maintaining inventory; managing a third-party distribution partner; working […]
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CSA Compliance Through TMS: A Beauty of an Idea
To comply with CSA 2010 regulations, global cosmetics company L’Oreal USA makes up a qualification program that holds carriers to high safety standards.
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