By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
As ETSU hopes to produce the next generation of supply chain and logistics leaders, there is no substitute for hands-on, practical experience.
The campus therefore hosted the second annual Appalachian Highlands Supply Chain and Digital Technology Summit Nov. 15 at the Martin Center. The summit’s theme, “Understanding and Optimizing the Supply Chain Ecosystem (SCE),” focused on the role of SCE in regional development and how technology can drive innovation and economic progress.
The SCE integrates suppliers, manufacturers, government entities and more within a geographic region to bring products and services to the global market.
Approximately 100 people — a mix of students, academics and business leaders — attended. Speakers included leaders from Honeywell International, Bell Textron Inc., Eastman Chemical Company and several ETSU faculty members.
The second half of the summit dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, featuring a session focused on the economic impact felt across the region this fall. It’s noted that a massive disruption and billions in damage like the hurricane have an interdependent nature and cause “cascading effects” throughout the supply chain.
“What stood out to me was the emphasis on how the Appalachian Highlands is evolving into a hub for supply chain innovation,” Kyle Kramer, Digital Strategy Manager with Aberdeen Advisors, told the Business Journal after the event. “The collaboration between large manufacturers, like Honeywell and Eastman, and the growing network of SMEs showcased the region’s commitment to advancing the supply chain ecosystem through technology and partnerships. It was inspiring to see how homegrown innovation and shared expertise are propelling our local economy onto the global stage.”
Matthew Jenkins, ETSU assistant professor of supply chain management, highlighted how the rerouting of trucks for hurricane relief efforts “created a ripple effect, influencing logistics networks nationwide.” He stressed the need for creating robust supply chains, especially after a natural disaster.
“This has global impacts because of what happened in our region,” Jenkins explained during his presentation, then added, “Supply chains are very complex multi-tiered and multi-directional networks. It’s not what we see in our textbooks and not what has been historically taught to college students — the nice clean supplier, manufacturer, distributor model — this is not reality.”
Jenkins argued that the recent hurricane and flooding could lead to fundamental shifts of inventory to smaller facilities instead of centralized ones.
He and other presenters noted the challenges faced by healthcare providers across the country in recent months.
Baxter International, for example, halted production due to severe flooding that damaged its western North Carolina plant. The facility produces nearly two-thirds of IV fluids in U.S. hospitals, or 1.5 million IV bags each day. Suddenly in October, nearly 90% of healthcare providers across the country reported experiencing shortages of IV fluids.
These are issues for supply chain and logistics experts current and future will face. But the benefits of this field are vast. Data indicate that supply chain management programs lead to a nearly 100% job placement rate, and most students coming out of these programs have multiple high-paying job offers prior to graduating.
This is the only the third school year that ETSU has offered a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in supply chain management to equip students with tools to combat real-world problems. They now have 110 students. Within the major, students can pursue a concentration in either supply chain marketing, supply chain leadership or supply chain operations and analytics.
“We were excited to bring back the Appalachian Highlands Supply Chain and Digital Technology Summit for its second year. Our great presenters did a deep dive into the impacts of Hurricane Helene, digital technologies in the supply chain, and sustainability,” Jenkins said to the Business Journal. “Participants had a valuable opportunity to network with each other and make connections, which we believe was a significant part of the Summit’s success. This community event is designed to promote building relationships across our region and support economic development, and that mission was undoubtedly accomplished this year. Some exciting changes are planned for next year’s Summit, including interactive sessions and targeted workshops.”
