Supply Chain Now
Episode 412

Episode Summary

The ‘This Week in Business History’ Series on Supply Chain Now shares some of the most relevant business and global supply chain events from years past. It will shine a light on some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and even lessons learned from our collective business history.

In this episode of ‘This Week in Business History,’ Supply Chain Now Host Scott Luton shares some background on one of the largest growing industries in the U.S.: the $12.4 Billion cannabis industry.

On August 2nd, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 into law. Prior to this, cannabis products had been commonly sold throughout the country, and in some states they are again today, but since the federal government has made no change in its stance on cannabis, some unique considerations still govern businesses in this industry:

· A prohibition on cross-state sales and supply chains, from “seed to sale”

· The division of cannabis regulation between medical and recreational use

· The role that technology is playing in the innovation and growth of this industry

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):

[inaudible]

Scott Luton (00:12):

Good morning, Scott Luton here with you on this edition of this week in business history. Welcome to today’s show on this program, which is part of the supply chain. Now family of programming. We take a look back at the upcoming week, and then we share some of the most relevant events and milestones from years past, of course, mostly business focused with a little dab global supply chain. And occasionally we might just throw in a good story outside of our primary realm. So I invite you to join me on this. Look back in history to identify some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and perhaps lessons learned in our collective business journey. Now let’s dive in to this week in business history.

Scott Luton (01:16):

Hello, and thanks for joining us on this week in business history. I’m your host Scott Luton. And today we are focused on the week of July 27th, but Hey, let’s pause for one quick programming note this week in business history, we’ll be moving over into its own channel next week. So to continue to get this weekly podcast, you’ll need to search for this week in business history, wherever you get your podcasts and click to subscribe. And for that, we are greatly appreciative. Thanks so much for listening. Now back to the week of July 27th in business history today, we’re going to dive into one of the busiest sectors in global business cannabis. And if you think you know everything about cannabis, think again, stay tuned and join me. As we learn a lot more about what has become a $12.4 billion industry in the United States alone. That’s what we’ll focus on today.

Scott Luton (02:14):

On this week in business history, powered by our team here at supply chain. Now on August 2nd, 1937, Franklin D Roosevelt signed into law. The marijuana tax act of 1937 prior to this becoming the law of the land here in the United States, cannabis products were commonly sold throughout the country. Of course, they were regulated in many States in 1905, the United States department of agriculture listed 29 States that each had laws regulating cannabis in some way, shape or form. During this period in American history, there was not a hardened opposition to the usage of cannabis. In fact, even the American medical association one, or to protect the ability of physicians to prescribe cannabis amongst other things. This was all set to change in the 1930s, and certainly with passage of the marijuana tax act of 1937, that act was drafted by one Harry J Anslinger. Let’s learn more about what some call the first leader in the U S war on drugs, Anslinger, his family immigrated to the United States in 1881.

Scott Luton (03:31):

His father Robert had been born in Bern, Switzerland. His mother Rosa was from Germany. The Pennsylvania railroad would bring the Anslinger family to Altoona Pennsylvania. In fact, Altoona had been founded by the Pennsylvania railroad to serve as a rail yard and maintenance hub. Harry J Anslinger was born now tuna in 1892 at 14. Harry would begin working with his father, Robert at the railroad. And by the time Harry was in his mid twenties, Harry J Anslinger was making quite a name for himself. In fact, due to his investigation, Anslinger helped the Pennsylvania railroad avoid a $50,000 fraudulent claim. Big money back then his investigative skills were getting noticed the enforcement of prohibition amongst other things would fuel the next portion of his career. Working for a variety of police organizations, Anslinger would travel internationally to battle illegal trafficking activities. In 1930, Harry J Anslinger would be named the first commissioner of the federal Bureau of narcotics, a role he’d keep for 32 years.

Scott Luton (04:50):

And it was this role where Anslinger would begin his long and largely effective campaign against all things cannabis, but also in 1930, he would marry the niece of Andrew Mellon, who was the secretary of the U S treasury at the time Andrew Mellon was also one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Back then. What’s interesting about Harry Jay and Anslinger and cannabis is this prior to being named commissioner of the federal Bureau of narcotics Anslinger was on record downplaying the threat posed by cannabis, but that position would significantly change as just seven years into the role. Anslinger would use an assortment of propaganda, Washington relationships and politics to get the marijuana tax act of 1937 passed and signed by MTR. Anslinger is 180 degree shift on cannabis is rather inarguable, but other components related to his shift and actions is more arguable and a bit murky.

Scott Luton (06:00):

Some have claimed that Anslinger, his position was changed by his new relationship to Andrew Mellon. In a nutshell, hemp was gaining in popularity as a cheaper alternative to paper pulp. So naturally anyone was significant temper holdings like Andrew Mellon would see him and the greater cannabis industry as competition. Others have claimed there was a connection between Andrew Mellon and DuPont, which had introduced nylon to the world, which also competed with him. There are a variety of theories as to what motivated and slander still some would claim that Anslinger needed a new mission in his position at the federal Bureau of narcotics, a new conflict that would help give him ammunition to realize his ambitions for power and notoriety. But what is fact is Anslinger is assault on all things, cannabis related, starting in 1930, he would say, quote, if the hideous monster Frankenstein came face to face with the monster marijuana, he would drop dead of fright in quote, Anslinger would leverage sometimes xenophobic, propaganda, questionable news stories, and Washington relationships, and much more to turn the tide of political and popular opinion to get the marijuana tax act of 1937 passed.

Scott Luton (07:24):

So how did that change the U S cannabis industry? Well, let’s turn to how the U S customs and border protection agency phrases it quote in principle, their marijuana tax act of 1937 stopped only the use of the plant as a recreational drug in practice though industrial hint was caught up in antidote legislation, making hemp importation and commercial production in this country, less economical, scientific research and medical testing of marijuana. Also virtually disappeared by 1970 marijuana was classified and restricted on par with narcotics and new tighter laws were enacted in quote, clearly the policy hamstrung the entire cannabis industry for decades. Harry J Anslinger would serve as commissioner of the federal Bureau of narcotics until 1962, seven years after Anslinger slit stepped down, the United States, Congress would replace the marijuana tax act of 1937 after Timothy Leary won a court case versus the U S in the Supreme court.

Scott Luton (08:32):

The controlled substances act has been the law of the land here in the U S since 1970. And under this legislation, cannabis has been effectively banned at the federal level. So given all of these restrictions and regulations, just how has the cannabis industry grown to a $12.4 billion industry in the U S or it can’t do it justice in the time we have here in a nutshell I’d point to four things, one evolving public opinion in general, as it relates to cannabis, no cannabis products, too, more and more commonly accepted usage of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, three federal measures and policy embracing medical and industrial use of cannabis. And for state driven acceptance of cannabis and cannabis products beginning with California in 1996, 33 States in Washington, D C have all legalized medical marijuana for that matter. At least 10 States have legalized recreational marijuana.

Scott Luton (09:39):

Our neighbor to the North Canada legalized recreational marijuana Countrywide in 2018, amazingly, despite the mix of regulatory environments and policies here in the U S according to data from BDSA, the cannabis industry here is poised to reach $33.9 billion in 2025. Let’s spend some time uncovering what makes up the cannabis industry. You can break down the cannabis industry into four large buckets, recreational marijuana, and depending on what data you look at, that’s about a $3 billion market in and of itself medical marijuana, approximately a $5 billion market right now, CBD, which stands for cannabidiol. Say that three times fast cannabidiol, an estimated $200 million market for CBD and finally hump, which is estimated to be about an $820 million market. Once simple clarification, two plants are critical to the cannabis industry, the marijuana plant for obvious reasons, and its cousin, the hemp plant, which provides both CBD and the valuable hemp fibers, what might not.

Scott Luton (10:56):

So be interesting to look at would be the cannabis supply chain, which is commonly referred to in industry as seed to sale. Keep in mind in the current environment here in the U S there’s one big factor that governs cannabis, supply chains, cannabis products can only be sold and consumed within the state where the original plant was grown. That is a pretty big restriction. Isn’t it? As you might imagine, each state has its own licensing and enforcement mint infrastructure. So let’s look at a generalized version of a cannabis supply chain. First, you have farms that focus on growing quality seeds, either indoors or outdoors. In some States, these activities may be called growing or cultivating. Secondly, the growers will then send the harvest flowers to a processor and here they’ll trim and dry and cure the plants. The next step, which may be done by the same processor or a second processor in that step is the finishing process that transforms a raw material into the final product itself.

Scott Luton (12:02):

Perhaps a final product will be buds or maybe edibles, such as chocolate spake goods, beverage, mixes, candy, et cetera, all products must be tested for potency. And that data is reported to the appropriate local authority. And for that matter, all nodes in any particular cannabis supply chain must be licensed. So, okay, the final products are then shipped to distributors and the distributors will then ship them out as needed to dispensaries, retail outlets, et cetera. Finally, let’s look at some ways that technology is playing a big part in the cannabis industry, CRM technology, and we all love our acronyms that’s customer relationship management has proliferated far and wide lately, and it’s no different in the cannabis industry. We’ve got companies like Baker offering customized CRM platforms specifically for the industry. Baker is now part of tilt holdings, a vertically integrated infrastructure and tech platform specifically serving the cannabis industry, although it has no shortage of challenges, depending on the geographic market home delivery of cannabis products is a burgeoning industry.

Scott Luton (13:12):

Take ease. For example, spelt E a Z E they’ve made over 5 million deliveries to 600,000 registered customers in recent years across their California based footprint. And how about CDOT an automated home grow device that helps make it easy for consumers to grow and enjoy their preferred cannabis products and home. It’s all self contained and it allows for you to plant the seed and not deal with it again until it’s ready for harvest. Speaking of the cannabis industry and technology, we should give a shout out to a friend of the show. Colton Griffin is founder and CEO of flourish software, a technology firm in the cannabis industry that has been growing dramatically over the past few years, flourish software offers a platform that tracks product from the proverbial seed to sale, helping clients to optimize all key activities, including purchasing inventory management, uh, cultivation tracking, order fulfillment, et cetera.

Scott Luton (14:12):

And the organization is working in a variety of States across the country. One last thought they look ahead for the cannabis industry, despite a variety of unique hurdles. There’s a lot like about growth in the years to come. In fact, the industry has attracted a wide variety of investors. Constellation brands, owner of Corona has invested heavily in the sector as has the Altria group owner of Marlboro cigarettes. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. According to Veridian capital advisors, cannabis companies raise over $116 billion in capital in 2019. So there’s clearly a ton of bonafide interest in growing the industry and what would also be added tailwinds, some industry analysts project, a slew of additional States here in the U S that will be easing restrictions. In fact, we’ve seen recent strides here in Georgia. One huge development that keep your own here in the, in the United States banking reform, the cannabis industry is hindered in large part due to an uncertain banking environment.

Scott Luton (15:19):

Big banks are largely reluctant to get involved in the cannabis industry because of the somewhat ambiguous legal status that the industry finds itself in the us house of representatives has passed legislation and titled the safe banking act that would address some of these concerns. However, the Senate has not passed similar legislation as of late July, 2022. We’ll see how that goes in the months ahead. Overall, there seems to be a ton of upside and room to grow for the thriving cannabis industry enough, you would think to make Harry J Anslinger turn in his grave. That wraps up our look at the week ahead from a business history standpoint, the growing cannabis industry, including legislation that held the industry back for decades really stood out to us. But what do you think there were certainly no shortage of big stories during the week of July 27th in business history.

Scott Luton (16:19):

What stands out to you? Tell us, shoot us a note to Amanda at supply chain. Now radio.com or join our supply chain. Now insider’s group own LinkedIn and share your feedback and perspective there. We’re here to listen. I hope you’ve enjoyed our latest edition of this week in business history focused on the week of July 27th. Own that note, check us out and check out a wide variety of industry thought leadership at supply chain. Now radio.com Fondas and subscribe. Wherever you get your podcasts from, Hey, friendly reminder, you can now find this week in business history, wherever you get your podcasts from based on all the feedback we’ve received. Our team here at supply chain now chose to create its own channel search for it. Wherever you get your regular podcast from on behalf of the entire team here at this week in business history and supply chain. Now this is Scott Luton wishing all of our listeners, nothing but the best do good gift forward and be the chain just needed on that note. We’ll see. Next time here on this week in business history. Thanks everybody.

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Hosts

Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.

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Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more.  In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys.  She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.

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Vicki White

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Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.

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Katherine Hintz

Creative Director, Producer, Host

Katherine Hintz, MBA is a marketing professional who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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Kim Reuter

Host, The Freight Insider

From humble beginnings working the import docks, representing Fortune 500 giants, Ford, Michelin Tire, and Black & Decker; to Amazon technology patent holder and Nordstrom Change Leader, Kimberly Reuter has designed, implemented, and optimized best-in-class, highly scalable global logistics and retail operations all over the world. Kimberly’s ability to set strategic vision supported by bomb-proof processes, built on decades of hands-on experience, has elevated her to legendary status. Sought after by her peers and executives for her intellectual capital and keen insights, Kimberly is a thought leader in the retail logistics industry.

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Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.

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Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.

He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics.  He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.

She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.

An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.

A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts "The Winning Link," a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network. As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release "The Winning Link" book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.

A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute "The Nobel Prize of Operations" and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME); two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning.  He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board, a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.

Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.

Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.

He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog.  He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community.  Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include CiscoMicrosoft, Citrix and IBM.  Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane UniversityO’Reilly MediaLinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight.  Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems EngineeringCarrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.

Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.

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Greg White

Principal & CMO, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain Now and TECHquila Sunrise

When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.

Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.

From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.

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