Madison Dober

Special Guest Blog Post written by Bernadine Henderson Ms. Henderson, senior director of procurement at Protolabs, lifts the lid on buying in manufacturing and why relationships are central to it.   Simply put, the job of a buyer is really about buying the right thing at the right time for the right price. It sounds simple, but it really is very complicated because everything that’s going on in the world impacts the timing, the availability, and the price of the product. This means that buying has recently got a lot more complicated. World events have very real consequences on global supply chains. Just one example is the way in which buyers have responded to tariffs in the U.S. by re-routing sourcing locations. It takes a certain amount of agility to be a buyer in 2025, and this quick responsiveness is helped along by one key ingredient, and that is strong relationships with suppliers. Relationships Built on Trust A widely held misconception is that buyers are only interested in getting to the lowest price possible. In fact, the most important thing to a buyer is for suppliers to bring solutions that deliver overall value. In my experience, a really strong supplier…

Supply Chain Now Founder and CEO Scott Luton announced that its “Veteran Voices” podcast will re-launch this year in partnership with two non-profit organizations: The Guam Human Rights Initiative and the Military Women’s Collective. “We’re proud to promote the efforts of these two organizations, as we are all highly aligned in our dedicated mission to serve our veteran community. Both organizations are veteran-led, start-up nonprofits that are doing big things out in the market. They are the perfect partners for ‘Veteran Voices,’” said Luton. As noted on its website, the Guam Human Rights Initiative “is a collaborative research nonprofit seeking to advance human rights on Guam and throughout the Pacific through meaningful and impactful research efforts.” Since its founding in 2021, the Military Women’s Collective is determined “to make an impact in the military nonprofit space by focusing on our women veteran population.” Its mission focuses on empowering homeless and food-insecure women veterans as well as providing coaching, mentorship and support for women veterans who are transitioning out of the military. Mary Kate Soliva, host of “Veteran Voices,” said that she has a special place in her heart for both organizations and the good works they do. She is excited…