Food Logistics

MAR 2015

Food Logistics serves the entire food supply chain industry with targeted content for manufacturers, retailers, and distributors.

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www.foodlogistics.com FOOD LOGISTICS • MARCH 2015 15 partnerships, innovative thinking and high performance operations. Under her guidance, DSC has become one of the leading sup- ply chain management firms in the U.S. and one of the top woman-owned businesses in the Chicago area. Ann's vision for future growth is centered around forging strong partnerships with new and existing customers, opening new logistics centers while continually improving operations, broadening the utilization of lead- ing-edge technology and the application of that technology to customers' strategic objectives, and further expansion of DSC's professional services and consulting capabilities. According to Ann, "Now is an exciting, challenging time— the right time—for the supply chain industry. The world is discovering the supply chain—and discovering the value of partnerships and col- laboration." Don Durm, Director of Strategic Customer Solutions, PLM Trailer Leasing In order to translate knowledge into action- able advice for the company's customers, Don developed the Food Trailer Needs Analysis (FTNA). The FTNA covers all aspects of the refrigerated trailer operations from loading to final delivery, and Don spends days riding with drivers to observe various conditions in the field, from how the trailer is working to maintaining product integrity and regulatory compliance. He has completed over 1,000 studies, impact- ing the operations of over 500,000 refrigerated trailers and identifying over $135 million in cost savings. As a law enforcement investigator, Don learned that "you must live in someone's world if you want to understand their world. It is important for me to understand the world of the food distributor's role within the supply chain and learn the impact of the trailer on all aspects of the business. That was the purpose of creating the FTNA." Elliot Grant, Founder & CTO, HarvestMark Elliot's technology enabled Har- vestMark to become the industry leader in fresh supply chain traceability and analytics. He also invented the Voice Pick Code technology, which was adopted by the Product Traceability Initiative, and now helps millions of cases of perishables flow smoothly through the supply chain. Elliot earned his Ph.D. in Engi- neering from Cambridge University, and cur- rently holds 23 U.S. patents. "The irony of 'big data' is that its power is in making lots of little decisions that add up. No one says, 'I wish I had tons more data'—what they want is help with the decisions they make every day," he notes. Jeffrey R. Haushalter, Partner, Chicago Consulting Jeff has pioneered the develop- ment of the firm's Optimal Packaging technol- ogy to optimize packaging decisions and mini- mize supply costs. This technology is applied in dozens of CPG and food supply chains and was a CSCMP Innovation Award finalist in 2008. "Packaging is an overlooked strategic investment in an organization, not a cost element," says Jeff. "Successful packaging decisions need to be made in the context of reducing total supply chain costs. Double-digit savings are a reality in today's inflationary environment." Louise Hemstead, COO, CROPP Cooperative/ Organic Valley Louise is a native Wisconsinite and graduate of University of Wisconsin – Madison with a degree in agricul- ture. For the past 22 years, she has dedicated her efforts to developing and overseeing all of the operational aspects of CROPP Cooperative's unique farm to table supply chain. Louise pro- vided the mindset and know-how to grow the cooperative from a local $1 million organization based in two counties in western Wisconsin to a national cooperative boasting over $950 million in sales that supports farmers in over 30 states as well as Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia. Don Hsieh, Director of Commercial and Industrial Marketing, Tyco Integrated Security Don is a commercial industrial business leader and sound advisor who anticipates the need for operational improvement and is a staunch advocate for proactive planning based on actionable business intelligence. Several years ago, Don created a methodology for ensuring successful food defense called the 4As—assess, access, alert and audit. Since then, it has been the cornerstone of Tyco Integrated Security's food defense practice and helps the company monitor more than 5,000 facilities of its food and beverage clients to ensure their food supply chains are secure. Michael D. Johnson, President & CEO, Elite Transit Solutions (ETS) After spending three years in a corporate position with a contracted logistics company, Michael quickly found out that he was in an industry eager for updates. Relying on his industry experience and supply chain management degree from Auburn University, he created one of the youngest, fastest-growing, solutions-based companies in North America— Elite Transit Solutions (ETS). Michael has a passion for helping others reach their ultimate potential, in and out of the office. He personally mentors all new hires during their beginning months at ETS and pushes them to be the best version of themselves. Neil Johnson, President & Founder, Highridge Provender LLC In mid-2014, Neil launched Highridge Provender ("HP"), which has since raised $400 million of capital to acquire food grade buildings in California's infill industrial markets—a market Neil believes is underserved. He is truly contributing to the growth of Cali- fornia's food logistics network, targeting food warehouses, freezer/cooler buildings, food pro- cessing facilities, and/or conditioned warehouse buildings. HP's portfolio currently consists of three properties totaling 360,000-square-feet and over $40 million of gross asset value. HP has several other properties in contract and expects to close on an additional $45 million of property before mid-year 2015. Prior to HP, Neil was an active investor and manager of Industrial, Office, R&D; and Retail assets in major U.S. West Coast markets. During his career, he has com- pleted approximately $4 billion in acquisitions and dispositions in nearly 200 transactions. Charles G. Kiolbasa, Chairman & CEO, Layer Saver Layer Saver manufactures steel shipping frames that allow shippers to double- or triple-stack prod- uct in a truck trailer, rail car or ocean container without damaging the goods, thereby filling the trailer, car or container to capacity and reduc- ing fuel costs and emissions. Charlie's invention addresses the "squish problem" so often encoun- tered in the food transportation sector, which results in damaged product and lost sales for both buyers and sellers. The company sources the steel used to manufacture the Layer Saver from Cleve- land, Ohio. Dan Labell, President, Westfalia Technologies, Inc. Under Dan's leadership, West- falia is transforming supply chains through the power of warehouse automation, with many clients within the food and beverage industry. He understands that customer satisfac- tion and trust are the key ingredients for success in this industry. Dan also knows that in order to deliver high-quality, fresh products, companies in the food and beverage industry must ensure that goods are moving through their warehouse or distribution center with maximum efficiency and traceability. To that end, Dan views West- falia as a partner, not a vendor, in every project the company undertakes.

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