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Three-day Florida Supply Chain Summit Set for March 21

By Elizabeth L. Brown

TAMPA (February 14, 2022) 鈥� Stroll down any grocery store aisle and the continued impacts from the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions are clear. One week the cat food shelf is wiped out. Another week the pancake mix or the cream cheese is in short supply.

These scant shelves, while intermittent, are just a snapshot of why it鈥檚 important to maintain a stable global supply chain.

The intricacies of connecting goods to consumers and the major role industry partners and technology play in supply chain management will be among the topics at the Florida Supply Chain Summit scheduled for March 21-23 at Hotel Alba in Tampa.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to bring together statewide stakeholders and provide the platform where leaders from Florida鈥檚 key industries can collaborate and engage in meaningful solutions addressing the complex issues surrounding supply chain management,鈥� said Elaine Singleton, co-director of the Monica Wooden Center for Supply Chain Management and Sustainability at the USF Muma College of Business.

The college is helping to host the annual event which brings together some of the state鈥檚 leading supply chain management experts in industry, local and state government, economic development agencies, and academia for the purpose of advancing the state of Florida as a global trade hub. The list of speakers includes Florida鈥檚 port directors, cross-industry supply chain leaders, and representatives from airports, railways, spaceports, transportation, and logistics groups.

On tap are discussions surrounding ambient distribution center automation and robotics, the global digital supply chain revolution, Space Florida, the state鈥檚 cold chain distribution, manufacturing, supply chain growth, and how technology is saving time, money, and jobs in Florida.

This year鈥檚 event marks the return to an in-person summit since the pandemic began and organizers are anticipating more than 250 people. Last year鈥檚 summit was held online.

The three-day summit will have speakers and panelists discussing some of the complex issues facing the state鈥檚 supply chain management and sustainability industry, including:

• A Fireside Chat: The Digitization Age 鈥� How Technology is Booming in the Global Supply Chain with Jett McCandless, CEO, and founder of Project 44, and Monica Wooden, co-founder of MercuryGate International.
• How Walmart is Leveraging Automation to Transform Their Supply Chain with Justin Miller, senior director of automation at Walmart.
• Ease of Access to the World: An Update from Florida鈥檚 Largest Ports with port directors and representatives from the Florida Ports Council, Port Everglades, JAXPORT, Port Miami, and Port Tampa Bay.
• Navigating the Pandemic and Supply Chain Disruptions: Exporters and Importers Share Their Experiences with Michal Nau, vice president of merchandising at City Furniture; Colt McCay, the manager of supply chain for The Mosaic Company; Victor Castillo, the director of transportation at Fanatics; and Richard Easterwood, the vice president of logistics at Amalie Oil Company.
• Florida鈥檚 Capacity for Growth with Alix Miller, president, and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association; Al Stimac, president of Manufacturers Association of Florida; and Kris Courier, first vice president of industrial real estate firm CBRE.

The summit is being organized by a steering committee that includes representatives from Florida Economic Council, FloridaMakes, Florida Ports Council, Datex, Port Tampa Bay, and the USF Muma College of Business.

For more information about the summit and the schedule of events, go to the summit鈥檚 registration . Registration fees start at $195 to attend the summit. 哔咔漫画 supply chain management students can attend the summit for free by entering a special code. Contact Singleton at elaines@usf.edu for more information.