Echo's recent acquisition of Command Transportation will grow its revenue by 50 percent and strengthen its presence in the truckload brokerage market, says Echo CEO Doug Waggoner. He explains the role of acquisitions in Echo's growth strategy and his view on 3PL consolidation trends.
Retailers increasingly are using customized packaging to meet the preferences of customers in specific stores, regions or channels, says Jason Tham, CEO of Nulogy. This work often is outsourced by brand manufacturers and Nulogy has developed software to link and streamline the process.
Tim Brown, managing director of the Supply Chain & Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, describes how supply chain education has evolved over the past two decades and highlights how the Institute is employing internet and hybrid classes to expand its continuing education program.
Steve Lovejoy, senior vice president for the Starbucks global supply chain, discusses initiatives that the company has under way to meet the "whenever, wherever" demands of today's consumers as well as projects aimed at understanding the consumer of tomorrow.
A supplier review process at Chick-Fil-A has grown from a simple, manual exercise to a robust collaborative initiative involving numerous internal departments and high-level sit-down meetings with suppliers. Mike Walpole, senior manager of distribution and logistics, explains how the process has evolved and where it is going.
Redbox has an unusual supply chain, with 10 new product introductions a week and no replenishments. An algorithm effectively allocates new DVD's among 43,000 kiosks, but this allocation is quickly skewed when customers use different kiosks to rent and return. Matt James, vice president, explains how the company solves this problem.
Stage Stores' vision is to have no compliance violations on orders from suppliers and zero chargebacks, says Ken Lettre, vice president of compliance and supplier relations. Barring that, it wants any violation to occur only once. Lettre explains how Stage Stores is working to achieve those goals.
The shift of most U.S. furniture manufacturing to offshore locations has extended lead times by 90 days for furniture retailer Haverty's. John Gross, eastern regional manager, says a policy of "trust but verify" is essential to ensure that suppliers deliver on time.
Stage Stores operates 850 small-footprint department stores across the country, including the Peebles, Bealls and Goodys chains. Gough Grubbs, senior vice president for distribution and logistics, explains why the company adopted a centralized distribution strategy and how that strategy is supporting corporate growth.
Industrial giant Tyco has embraced a philosophy of "zero harm" in terms of its impact on the environment and the safety of employees. David Haley, director of distribution, explains how this commitment is being implemented at the company’s fulfillment centers.