Supply Chain Now – The Buzz: Counting Down to Manifest

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Scott Luton (B), Jake Barr (C)
Special Guest: Tanzel Udden (D), SVP Content & Partnership, Manifest

Episode Overview

This edition of "The Buzz" brings together supply chain leaders to explore the most urgent trends and news at the start of 2026, with a live check-in as Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas approaches. The episode covers shifting supply chain priorities (from tariffs to food waste and nuclear energy), the sector’s role in combatting human trafficking, and offers a dynamic preview of what’s in store at the Manifest event. Special guest Tanzel Udden shares insights from his vantage point building best-in-class supply chain content, with discussion ranging from AI’s real impacts to operational flexibility, and an emphasis on actionable, cross-disciplinary learning.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off 2026: Turbulence, Tariffs & Trends

• Supply chain priorities remain in flux: Geopolitical risk, shifting trade policies, and economic instability (“the new never normal”) are top of mind for CSCOs and other executives.

  • “They’re all going absolutely bonkers at the moment because the level of instability has ratcheted up once again.” (Jake Barr, 06:44)

• Supreme Court Tariff Decision: Uncertainty reigns over the possible ruling on administration tariffs and its cascading effects.

  • “It’s fool’s gold if you’re expecting the ruling to come and reverse everything...in today’s age, you’ve actually got to be running literally 10, 12, 15 different scenarios.” (Jake Barr, 20:41)

• Economic considerations: Many companies are caught in a “dog’s breakfast” situation, balancing cost recovery and pricing strategy.

  • “It’s a dog’s breakfast of issues right now for those that are running the C suites.” (Jake Barr, 08:53)

2. Supply Chain Trends for 2026

(Sourced from SupplyChainDot coverage and panel reflections, 15:35)

• Fragmentation & Diversification: Geopolitical risks drive multi-sourcing and network reconfiguration.

• Economic Turbulence: Inescapable, ongoing pressure.

• Cost Optimization: Remains the watchword.

• AI Hype Recalibration: Leaders moving from hype to practical deployment.

• Workforce Challenges: Upskilling and reskilling are essentials.

  • “It’s not just about adopting new tools, but how do you pair them with smart cost management and workforce upskilling?” (Tanzel Udden, 16:29)
  • “Advancing automation is helping provide additional agility...it’s not your grandmother’s supply chain.” (Jake Barr, 16:37)

3. Human Trafficking Prevention – Supply Chain’s Responsibility

• Industry’s unique position: Logistics moves goods—and, unfortunately, can enable trafficking; awareness and training are critical.
  • “At its very essence, we’re at the core of this. We move everything around the world–if this is going to exist, people are going to be moved. So we're at the heart of it.” (Jake Barr, 29:21)
• Organizations making an impact:
  • Inland Kenworth’s action-based leadership (with staff training, truck wraps raising awareness, and $500k+ fundraising for Truckers Against Trafficking) (B, 27:50 & 29:06)

4. Energy & Innovation: The Rise of SMRs

• UK advances modular nuclear reactors to meet surging energy demand, especially from data and AI centers (24:00–25:15).
  • “We need all and more, Scott… Wind, solar, fossil fuel, nuclear. We need it all.” (Jake Barr, 25:00)
  • SMRs as a supply chain standardization strategy in Europe vs. US innovation (Tanzel Udden, 24:03)

Manifest 2026: Preview & Content Strategy

Manifest Highlights (33:07)

• Expanded Content: New full procurement stage (“procurement really is top of mind”), cold chain pavilion (life sciences, perishables).

• Networking at Scale: 7,200+ attendees, 400+ speakers, app-driven pre-event networking.

  • “We’ve evolved to become this show that encompasses really the full ecosystem across plan, source, make and deliver.” (Tanzel Udden, 33:07)
  • “You can get insights and intel about what your peer group across verticals are doing in the area of physical distrib[ution]… This is it.” (Jake Barr, 10:13)

Approach to Curating Content

• Storytelling and ecosystem perspective at the core—panels emphasize cross-disciplinary learning and take-home action.
  • “I really love content that tells a story… Are we bringing an ecosystem perspective to every single discussion… with action you can take next week, not just next year?” (Tanzel Udden, 37:13)
• Intentional diversity—outside-the-four-walls inspiration.
  • “The best thing you can do is look outside your four walls for ideas… it just rewires your brain to think differently.” (Jake Barr, 39:16)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “The new never normal.” (Jake Barr, 06:44)
• “If you ever have the opportunity to go to an event [about human trafficking]… it will change your life.” (Jake Barr, 04:50)
• “See something, say something is really vital.” (Jake Barr, 29:21)
• “If you’re leading your supply chains with spreadsheets—oh boy, you might be in trouble.” (Scott Luton, 20:33)
• “Logistics isn’t just about moving goods… it can be a key channel for safeguarding human rights.” (Tanzel Udden, 28:32)
• “You must have just incredible control—not only control, but then the added AI on top of it to be able to manage that flow and predict whether it’s going to be good or not [re: cold chain for rare disease med].” (Jake Barr, 34:44)
• “Our problems are constantly changing. Even using AI, it is going to be this sweet marriage of people and technology to actually drive us forward.” (Jake Barr, 40:44)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:37] Introduction: Major topics & what's ahead in the episode
• [03:48] Human Trafficking Prevention Month—Opening discussion
• [06:44] Supply Chain Leadership Pulse Check: The “New Never Normal”
• [10:13] Manifest 2026 Preview: Why attend & what’s new
• [13:09] Guest Warmup: Long-haul flights and routines
• [15:35] Top Five 2026 Supply Chain Trends
• [19:38] Deep Dive: Supreme Court Tariff Decision
• [24:00] Nuclear Power, SMRs & Energy Futures
• [27:50] Human Trafficking: Inland Kenworth’s year-round action
• [33:07] Manifest 2026—Programming, Content, and Strategies
• [40:44] Preview: The Marriage Between Supply Chain & Technology panel
• [47:36] Local Impact: Food waste solutions (lastmilefood.org, Goodr)
• [49:39] Closing thoughts & call to action

Action Items & Resources Shared

• For anti-trafficking involvement:
  • tatnonprofit.org (Truckers Against Trafficking), hopeforjustice.org
• Industry Case Studies & Webinars:
  • Voice picking/automation: EPG & Outdoor Cap
• Food Waste Nonprofits:
  • lastmilefood.org, Goodr (Atlanta)
• Manifest 2026 Registration:
  • Link provided; register before Jan 23 for discounts & networking app access

Tone & Atmosphere

Conversational, collegial, and practical—mixing humor (e.g., “dog’s breakfast,” “ugly ducklings running everywhere”) with urgency on key issues. Real talk on challenges but a can-do focus on solutions, networking, and collaborative industry progress.

Summary: Why Listen?

This episode offers a rich, on-the-pulse round-up of the supply chain sector’s challenges and opportunities as 2026 dawns, from the macro (tariffs, labor, energy innovation) to the practical (anti-trafficking efforts, waste reduction, conference content that leads to real action). Standout voices from both practice (Jake Barr) and event curation (Tanzel Udden) provide actionable insights—whether you’re prepping for Manifest or strategizing for a turbulent, never-normal year.

Connect with:

• Manifest event & app: manifestcon.com
• Tanzel Udden: LinkedIn
• Jake Barr: LinkedIn
• Supply Chain Now: supplychainnow.com