In this episode of The Buzz, powered by APL Logistics, Scott Luton and Kim Reuter are joined by Edmund Zagorin, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Arkestro, for a timely conversation on the latest supply chain and business news shaping the second half of 2026. From U.S. manufacturing trends and Prime Day consumer behavior to AI’s growing role in sourcing and supplier management, this episode explores how procurement is evolving from a cost-focused function into a strategic driver of resilience, speed, and value. Edmund shares practical insight into predictive procurement, why supplier relationships still matter in an AI-powered world, and how procurement leaders can prepare their teams for the future. Key Takeaways AI can support procurement teams, but humans still need to lead relationship-driven decisions. Predictive procurement helps teams move from reactive buying to proactive supplier engagement. Speed is becoming a major competitive advantage in uncertain supply chain environments. Supplier relationships, long-term agreements, and guaranteed access are becoming more important than lowest cost. Procurement teams must rethink how success is measured, moving from compliance to value creation. Culture, people, and execution remain critical, even as technology continues to advance. Tune in to hear how supply chain and procurement leaders can…

Everybody’s favorite socks come with quite the impact. Operating from a one-purchased, one-donated model, Bombas has made 50 million donations to homeless shelters since their start in 2013. They’ve also got 3,500 giving partners across the U.S – and another 4,000 on the waitlist. So who better to give pointers on how to get up and running with charitable giving than Bombas VP of Giving Kelly Cobb? As we look forward to the 100th episode of Logistics with Purpose, tune into this crossover episode and learn more about the Bombas mission and how it has evolved – and stay for the invaluable best practices that can help you activate your company’s charitable purpose.