The NOW Generation: Discovering Hidden Opportunities in Supply Chain Management

Summary

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Supply Chain Now – Episode Summary

The NOW Generation: Discovering Hidden Opportunities in Supply Chain Management

Podcast: Supply Chain Now
Host: Scott Luton
Date: March 5, 2025
Guests:

• Kevin Lawton (Adjunct Professor, Rider University; Host, The New Warehouse Podcast)
• Aiden Clements (Junior, Rider University, Supply Chain & Accounting)
• Chase Tomlinson (Junior, Rider University, Global Supply Chain & Business Data Analytics)

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Overview

This episode, part of the “NOW Generation” series, spotlights the rising stars of supply chain. Host Scott Luton welcomes Rider University’s Kevin Lawton (educator and industry practitioner), and standout students Aiden Clements and Chase Tomlinson. The conversation explores how the next generation is forging new paths, uncovering hidden opportunities, and elevating both the efficacy and sustainability of global supply chains.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Background

• Kevin Lawton’s Journey (09:07–12:58)
  • From Rider University student (entrepreneurial studies major) to warehousing practitioner, eventual fulfillment entrepreneur, podcast founder, and adjunct professor.
  • “I started in the supply chain side, actually as a temp...Worked there in inventory control...really enjoyed it—all the problem solving and figuring out inventory discrepancies…” (Kevin Lawton, 09:30)
• Student Intros & Local Flavor (04:02–08:18)
  • Aiden hails from Jim Thorpe, PA (“the small Switzerland of America”).
  • Chase is from Monroe Township, NJ (“dead center” of the state, “ton of warehouses”).

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2. Hidden Concentrations & Opportunities in Supply Chain (15:43–20:07)

• Chase’s Perspective:
  • Fascination with the breadth of roles (“hidden concentrations”)—from warehousing to procurement, sourcing, and beyond.
  • “Once again, those concentrations: If you’re in warehouse, are you going to stay in warehousing, or do you move over to procurement or sourcing? And it’s just how you’re able to bounce around.” (Chase, 15:43)
• Kevin’s Response:
  • Emphasizes interconnectedness and diversity of opportunities: “There’s so many different directions you can go in...once you’re in supply chain, it’s pretty easy to shift to another part...there’s a lot of interconnectedness.” (Kevin, 17:01–18:13)
• Packaging as a Hidden Field:
  • Scott notes how packaging, with its role in sustainability and consumer experience, remains underexposed.

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3. The Growing Importance of Sustainability (20:56–25:05)

• Aiden’s Insight:
  • Sustainability as essential: Reducing waste equals cutting costs; intrigued by CHEP’s circular pallet system.
  • “If you reduce waste, you’re reducing costs as well. And a big part of this sustainability, like something specifically that interested me was this company called CHEP…” (Aiden, 20:56)
• Kevin’s Take:
  • Modern sustainability as cost-saving, not just ethics. Smaller packaging = fewer trucks = less air shipped.
  • “Steps towards sustainability allow you to also decrease cost and be more efficient...reducing that air inside the shipping boxes...ultimately use less trucks because you’re shipping less air.” (Kevin, 21:59)
• Energy Reckoning with AI:
  • Scott and Kevin discuss the environmental impact of AI’s growing power consumption on supply chain and broader industries.

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4. Consumer Mindset & Sustainability Choices (27:35–30:51)

• Do Students Factor Sustainability into Purchases?
  • Aiden: “If it’s only a couple cents higher...that’ll have me pick that product over something else...If it’s a couple bucks though, now we’re kind of pushing it.”
  • Chase: Praises Amazon’s order grouping and options to consolidate shipments for sustainability.
• Kevin’s Observation:
  • Applauds user agency in Amazon’s model: “Giving the power to the consumer...is a great way to start to not just do it as a business, but then start that consumer thinking a little bit differently as well.” (Kevin, 29:33)
• Call for Consumer Mindset Shift:
  • Scott: “I bet...do we really need that new pair of socks in two hours?...That’s the mindset I think we got to shift...”

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5. Student Career Aspirations & The Change They Hope to Drive (31:42–37:58)

• Aiden:
  • Split between international sourcing/procurement and process improvement roles.
  • “I love solving problems...I would love to do something targeted towards sustainability—try to think of new ways to lower those costs, increase efficiency, but also do more for the environment.” (Aiden, 32:35)
• Chase:
  • Leveraging business data analytics in customer demand planning.
  • “One of the things that I’ve been really interested in is definitely customer demand...using the numbers to support and help thrive the rest of the processes.” (Chase, 34:57)
• Kevin’s Advice:
  • “Coming into the supply chain world today and not having any reference of analytics or the importance of data...is not necessarily the best position to start in.” (Kevin, 36:15)

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6. The Rider University Supply Chain Experience (38:36–43:16)

• Kevin on Experiential Learning:
  • Value of seeing former students return as employers, full-circle impact.
• Chase’s Take:
  • Post-COVID era presents diverse student body and robust opportunities; values peer and faculty engagement, and resilience from “losing 10 elections” but gaining wide experience.
• Aiden on Curriculum:
  • Business foundation: “They make you take a whole course of just every single function within business...accounting, supply chain, marketing, data analytics...”
  • Required internships/co-ops give essential real-world experience: “Internships will absolutely kickstart your career in college.”

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7. Eye-Opening Discussion: Returns & Reverse Logistics (44:13–46:03)

• Kevin’s Teaching Moment:
  • The outsized waste and cost of product returns often shocks students.
  • “A lot of times companies...either just going to donate it or it’s going to end up in the landfill somewhere...you get something and it’s not right and the company just says like, ‘Oh, we’ll keep it...’ because it costs them less to allow you to keep it than it’s going to cost them to bring it back, process it and get it through the return process.” (Kevin, 44:13–46:03)

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8. Looking Ahead: Networking, Conferences & The Value of Community (46:46–50:18)

• Kevin’s Excitement:
  • Conferences and networking: American Supply Chain Summit, Promat, and the “Warehousing After Dark” series.
  • “That’s always exciting...continuing to pump out that next 560 episodes...Warehousing After Dark...in person at Promat...” (Kevin, 46:46–47:42)
• Scott’s Advice:
  • The power of networking is essential—“You gotta dig your well before you’re thirsty.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you reduce waste, you’re reducing costs as well.” —Aiden Clements, 20:56
• “There’s so many different directions you can go in [in supply chain]...once you’re in, it’s pretty easy to shift to another part...there’s a lot of interconnectedness.” —Kevin Lawton, 17:01
• “Giving the power to the consumer...is a great way to not just do it as a business, but start that consumer thinking a little bit differently.” —Kevin Lawton, 29:33
• “Internships will absolutely kickstart your career in college.” —Aiden Clements, 43:11
• “You gotta dig your well before you’re thirsty. And that really applies to networking, because you’re going to need it sooner than you think...” —Scott Luton, 48:18

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kevin’s background & podcasting journey — 09:07–12:58
• Student intros and local pride — 04:02–08:18
• Hidden concentrations in supply chain — 15:43–20:07
• Sustainability focus and innovations — 20:56–25:05
• Consumer mindset on sustainability — 27:35–30:51
• Student aspirations & impact — 31:42–37:58
• Returns and reverse logistics — 44:13–46:03
• Rider University’s program highlights — 38:36–43:16
• Advice on networking and career growth — 46:46–50:18

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Conclusion

This episode is a rich, candid exploration of where supply chain is headed, as seen through the eyes of those inheriting its future. With an emphasis on adaptability, sustainability, and the power of hands-on learning, the panel underscores that the “NOW Generation” is ready—and already making waves.

Call to Action:
Support, empower, and engage the upcoming generation of supply chain professionals—they’re poised to transform the industry.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Welcome to Supply Chain now, the number one voice of supply chain. Join us as we share critical news, key insights and real supply chain leadership from across the globe, one conversation at a time. Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you might be. Scott Lewton with you here on Supply Chain Now. Welcome to today's show, folks. Today we're continuing one of my personal favorite series, one that we like to call the Now Generation, where we sit down with students and professional educators from some of the leading supply chain management programs around the world. Today we've got a great show teed up as we meet with not only a couple of incredibly bright supply chain students, but also a professional educator, a practitioner and a media star of global supply chain. We're gonna be talking with folks from Rider University, a private university based up in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, where their supply chain program has been churning out incredible leadership talent for years. So stay tuned for a great conversation featuring brilliant minds that will be setting out to change how Supply Chain is done now and in the years ahead. All right, let me introduce first a special friend of the show and my official co host, kind of a guest star and co host here today. So Kevin Lawton is an educator, a national speaker, an entrepreneur, practitioner and a supply chain rock and roll star. He serves as adjunct professor with the business department at Rider University where he focuses on, you guessed it, supply chain management. He's also founder of the popular podcast the New Warehouse Podcast, which he created to give individuals, especially in the logistics, distribution and transportation space, a platform to share their ideas and insights on the industry. Hey Kevin, great to have you on the show today, my friend. How you doing?

[A]

I'm doing well. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here and definitely happy to talk about this topic and get some of these students involved for sure.

[B]

I'm with you. It is going to be excellent. Appreciate your facilitation and you know, we didn't get a chance. I think you had a lot of work going on and man, my dogs were barking by the time I left the show. Floor at Manifest. Right. But we're going to make sure, since we miss each other there in person, we're going to hook up at Promat. Right?

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. Definitely. We're going to, we're going to be there and we'll definitely connect out there and you know, talk some supply chain. Just have some fun. I'm sure.

[B]

That's right. That's right. With 50,000 goodness of our industry friends. Okay, well, Kevin, it'd be one heck of a show if it was you and me, but it's going to be even better because you brought a couple of dynamos with you. And I'm going to introduce them really quick. Starting with Aidan Clements, a third year student, AKA junior at Rider University where he is pursuing a bachelor's in supply chain and accounting. How about that? It's going to be a dangerous supply chain high finance guru. Now Aiden, Aiden's also an intern at GE Aerospace where he's worked in sourcing during 2024 and he's returning this year for a new role in manufacturing engineering and supply chain operations. How about that? But get this, he has spent time. I like your, your smooth jazz. Nice, nice there, Kevin. We need more of that. Get this though. Aiden has spent time at Oxford University and then in Tokyo, Japan where he studied entrepreneurship, chain structuring and a whole bunch more. Aidan, welcome in. How you doing?

[C]

I'm doing fantastic, thank you for asking. It's a real pleasure to be on here and be a part of the show. I'm really excited to talk more.

[B]

We are too. I'm ready to learn from you both. We got one, two punch here, Kevin. Right. We got aid in the one in. And the number two, Chase Tomlinson, a junior at Ryder where he's pursuing a double major, global supply chain and business data analytics with. With. As if that's not enough. With a minor in information systems, I bet he studies all the time. Chase also serves, get this, President of the newly refounded Global Supply Chain Association. And this coming summer, Chase is going to be serving as an area manager intern with the Big A. That's right, Amazon. Excellent stuff. Chase, welcome in. How you doing? Hi.

[D]

I'm doing fantastic. I'm very excited to be here.

[B]

Well, great to see you as well. All right, Kevin, great to finally have you here and I'm so glad you brought Chase and Aiden, but you know, I like starting with some fun warm up questions. Is that an okay approach with you?

[A]

Yeah, it's okay with me. Let's, let's warm it up.

[B]

Okay, let's Warm it up, warm it up. Okay, so, Aiden, we learned in the pre show that you're from a really unique town in Pennsylvania. So give us that town and give us why it's so special. And I got a little food question for you too.

[C]

Okay, so my town is Jim Thorpe, P.A. so our town is named after the famous athlete Jim Thorpe. We have his body. And we're really known for being the small Switzerland of America. Very tiny population, old buildings, mountains everywhere. And within a 17 square mile area, we have 4,200 people. So very tiny, but a large area.

[B]

Big heart, too. Big heart.

[C]

Very big heart.

[B]

You know, Kevin, when folks say we have his body, that can also be interpreted as he's buried in our hometown.

[A]

We have his body and. Well, what are you going to do with it? You know, beautiful area. I'll say. I've, I've been there. And there's like a train, right, With a glass roof. I've been on the train. Highly recommend, highly recommend.

[C]

Especially in the fall time. It's gorgeous, man.

[B]

Glass roof, train. And that foliage up there, I bet it is gorgeous. So let me ask you this, Aiden. We love talking food around here. Love it, love it, love it. So make us hungry. Where's the best place to eat in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania?

[C]

I would say as a local, my recommendation is a small restaurant called Marion Ho's, and they serve a lot of really just pretty outlandish kind of food. I mean, my favorite thing to get there is probably called the Pig Lebowski with the croissant, kielbata, stone ground mustard, a lot of really good stuff in there. And sour.

[B]

You had me at the name the Pig Lebowski. Kevin, that is pretty, pretty good. Pretty good name.

[A]

It's a good name. I like that.

[B]

Oh, you know, it reminds me and any of our listeners know I've worn this out, but it's true. I had a high school colleague that ended up getting a pot bellied pig as a pet. Yeah. Something I guess in South Carolina maybe. And he called it the notorious Pig.

[A]

Got a lot of, a lot of.

[B]

Good stuff out of that. Okay, Chase, now you're from Monroe Township, New Jersey, and geographically, where is that in the state?

[D]

So I would say dead center, if you believe in central. I know it's been going on for a while.

[A]

I'm a believer. I'm a believer.

[D]

But if you throw a dart, you hit right in the middle of New Jersey, you'll find us, really. And unfortunately, we don't have a falcon's body.

[B]

No glass and no Glass roofed train probably in Monroe Township. But that's okay. You do have great places to eat. What's one of your favorite places to eat there in Monroe Township?

[D]

One of my favorite places, Monroe Township, I would have to say they have just amazing pizza spots. Ooh, amazing.

[B]

Kevin, I can eat pizza all day, every day and it doesn't jive with this diet I've been on. This year when I meet you at Promat, I'm going to be hopefully about 20 pounds lighter, Kevin. And struggle is real, but pizza, I'm.

[A]

Not going to recognize you.

[B]

I'll probably still have these big cheeks, Kevin, is my hunch. They're a little tougher to get rid of, but. Kevin, pizza in Monroe Township. Ever been there?

[A]

Monroe Township? I have been there. I have worked there. There are a ton of warehouses in that area. So I've certainly spent a lot of time around there and I've had some pizza around there too before. Really? Actually, yeah.

[B]

If there is somewhere that has a warehouse in it, Kevin I'm sure knows about it. So we're going to dive into that here in just a second. Kevin, as we're getting to know each other here before we get into supply chain stuff, I want to get to know you a little better. So you are the pride of Princeton, New Jersey, I believe, right?

[A]

I don't know about the pride, but I'll take it.

[B]

No. Well then someone's got to rework the Princeton website. We got to add your name to the distinguished luminaries. So tell us a little bit if you would, about your background and, and your current roles and you know, your practitioner journey.

[A]

Sure, absolutely. I grew up in New Jersey, hence why I know a little bit about Monroe and that area. And I went to school at Ryder University, so it was in the seats that Chase and Aiden are in now as well. But actually majored in entrepreneurial studies and minored in event planning and arts administration.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

Yes, yes. And then didn't know what I wanted to do so I just decided to stay at school and got my MBA from Ryder as well. And then I needed to work so I had to find something and I started in the supply chain side. I started actually as a temp in inventory control department at Simon and Schuster, the book publisher. Worked there in inventory control. Kind of really enjoyed it, I will say. Kind of all the problem solving and figuring out inventory discrepancies between systems and troubleshooting, root causing, all that stuff. And then decided to kind of embrace that and started my, I would say the, the real journey of the career in warehousing there and been working in warehousing now for about 12, 13 years. And around the time where I decided to embrace that is also when I decided I wanted to learn more about the industry. Couldn't find anything that was particularly interesting at the time to learn from as a younger person then. And this was, you know, probably like 2016 or so. Right. So I decided to start something and I was going to do a, a blog initially, but it morphed into being a podcast and that's how the new warehouse podcast came about. Been doing that since 2019, so we're about six years since the first episode released now. Did that on the side for a long time as I was also working as an inventory control manager, plant manager for a couple different companies and then got the opportunity to open my own fulfillment center on a contract with somebody. So I decided to take the full leap on entrepreneurial journey and I guess was 2021, beginning of 22, something like that. And then at the same time also got the opportunity to teach at Ryder University. So started teaching there as an adjunct professor the fall of 21 and I'm now in my 8th semester and full time focus is the podcast and growing that as a media company and being involved there and do some consulting, some advisory work and then also the teaching as well. And I will say, Jason, Aiden, are actually in my class currently. So we're going to see how they do today and that'll, you know, that'll have some sway on their, their final grade potentially. So we'll see what happens today. They didn't know. Well, yeah, they didn't know this was a test.

[B]

So, Kevin, I got a feeling that they are going to pass the test with flying colors is my hunch.

[A]

I think so too. I think so.

[B]

I'll tell you though, I never had an opportunity way back in the stone ages when I was in college to get on a podcast with one of my professors. So they've got standards right here as part of the conversation. So we'll see. You know, it's interesting, Kevin, I don't know about y', all, but I could kind of picture that journey that Kevin walked us through right there. Right. And a lot of different elements of supply chain management of course dominated with warehouse management. And I'm so glad that you resisted, Kevin, the urge to do another blog and to do the new warehouse podcast. Because warehousing needs love and amplification and, and insights and best practices and technologies being shared, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'd say the real reason why I didn't do the blog is because writing and editing was much more time consuming than just sitting down and talking on the microphone. And when I decided to start, I was in the middle of, like, a huge project. New distribution center, startup, and putting in all these systems and everything. So, yeah, there was not very much time to think about editing something very closely.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so you keeping it real, that's one of my favorite aspects of what I would consider the best podcast. Right. You keep it real. Humanity on full display. And I'm like you. I hate editing too. It's not my superpower. All right, one quick surprise question for Chase and Aiden before we start picking their brain on supply chain. So, beyond the new Warehouse podcast, what is one of your favorite podcasts? Or if you don't do podcasts as much, you know, streaming shows or. You name it. Aiden, let's start with you.

[C]

Oh, that's a tough question. You know, I don't really watch too much in my free time, to be honest. I mainly read.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I've been into the Lord of Rings currently. I've been reading through all the books.

[B]

Yeah, you're gonna read all the. There's like, 27 of them, right.

[C]

Luckily, I only have four. I'm on currently.

[B]

Okay. You're gonna have to give us a review. I definitely will.

[A]

You could do a podcast about that.

[C]

Oh, yeah, really go into the Lord of the Rings.

[B]

Yeah, I hear that as a big thing. All right, Chase, same question for you. Favorite pod, podcast or show, or you name it.

[D]

So from Aiden, I am actually the opposite. I am more of an audio person, so I love audiobooks. I feel like it's a great way to learn while being active. I would say in preparation for this podcast, I did get to watch a lot of your other episodes. So if I had to pick a favorite, it would be this.

[B]

Ooh, okay. You didn't grade or evaluate too tough on those other episodes, did you, Chase?

[D]

No, not at all.

[B]

Okay, I hope I. I hope I cut the mustard. Kevin, one final question. Kevin, for you, I say this a lot, and I bet, as a fellow creator, I hope it resonates with you too. No one in the world cares about episode numbers other than the folks that create them. Right. It's like a badge of honor, though, because you can almost think back through each one. So now that the new Warehouse podcast is six years running, roughly how many episodes have you done?

[A]

The regular podcast, normal release, cadence. I think we're at episode 563.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Somewhere around there. Yeah.

[B]

Joy here, he said he thinks he knows it's 563 on the nose, I bet.

[A]

Trying to remember what was the number we released yesterday on Wednesday? Oh, 566 actually.

[B]

Okay. As a bunch of tough questions, good questions, great times, informative conversations. It's a feat. Really is a feat. So I'm looking forward to the next 566. Kevin Lawton. Okay, let's get into supply chain stuff. Kevin, Aidan and Chase, let's do it with this. And Kevin, I can't wait to get your take on what we hear from Chase and Aiden here. And I want to start with this. And Chase, to start with you, we're going to reverse the order here. What's one topic or trend issue development, you name it, across global supply chain that really has got your interest and attention right now, I would say through.

[D]

My experience in just trying to find different internships. One topic that I've been really interested in is I would say almost the hidden concentrations that's in supply chain because supply chain covers a lot of different roles, a lot of different responsibilities. And so in my experience, I started out in warehouse management and right now I'm moving over slightly to other fields. But I feel like once again, those concentrations of if you're in warehouse, are you going to stay in warehousing or do you move over to like procurement or sourcing and it's just how you're able to bounce around.

[B]

That's a great answer. And Kevin, we have probably done about just kind of rough, probably 50 episodes of the now generation where we're interviewing students like this one. And that hidden concentration answer is the first to that question. And Kevin, I think that's a really, I think it's interesting because prior to the pandemic, it's like the whole industry was almost hidden. Right. Especially for consumers that weren't in supply chain. And even now, after supply chains kind of gone through this golden age of sorts where more consumers are connecting the dots with how they get stuff in two hours or whatever. It's interesting to hear Chase talk about the hidden concentrations, especially as the industry evolves.

[D]

Right.

[B]

And how do we do supply chain in 2025 to meet, you know, highly evolving customer demands, you know, and expectations. Your thoughts on his response there, Kevin?

[A]

Yeah, I love the response. I think it's a great response. I think typically in the position that I'm in as an adjunct and, you know, we also do some things from like a mentoring perspective through ASCM too, with some of the universities and, you know, one of the questions often get asked or, you know, students are looking for internships. Right. And, you know, one of the first questions I asked him was like, what part of the supply chain do you want to work in? They're like, oh, I don't know, just supply chain. Right. But you don't do Chase's answer. I mean, there's so many different facets of that in those. Those individual concentrations. And I think it's great that he's recognizing that. And I think it also, you know, shows the potential amount of opportunities there are in supply chain. Right. There's so many different directions you can go in, and I think they'll lend themselves to each other. Right. I mean, if you have some warehouse management experience, like, you certainly probably are touching a little bit of procurement or planning or dealing with that side of the supply chain, too. So I think no matter where you enter, like, you can certainly weave your way around to all these kind of different parts. And I think to your point, too, Scott, I mean, there's so much more of a spotlight and awareness on supply chain now. Supply chain now. See what I did there?

[B]

Nice.

[A]

You know, unintentional. But I think there is, like, that attention on it, which is awesome for us. Right. Who are working in the field and doing things around it. But it's also kind of highlights, you know, just how many different things need to be accomplished and need to be done in the supply chain that ultimately support the business. At the end of the day, I think that it's great that Chase is recognizing there's all these different parts. And, you know, to any students, I would say that, you know, there's many different avenues, different ways that you can go down the supply chain. And once you're in the supply chain, it's pretty easy to, you know, shift to another part of the supply chain and figure that out, because there's a lot of interconnectedness there.

[B]

Yes. Excellent points. Interconnectedness. I'm gonna steal that word from you, if I can say it. Two additional thoughts there. And, Chase, I'm gonna circle back to you before I go to Aiden. I love the internship. And clearly, Chase and Aiden are taking full advantage and probably one of the many, many benefits they're getting from their internship, and we may learn more, is uncovering all the different paths and these hidden concentrations so that they can better answer the question what they want to do in global supply chain. And secondly, we're gonna touch on one of these aspects of global supply chain towards the end of today's show. But I would like packaging. You know, I know warehouses. Kevin always been sexy, right? To use your mantra. But packaging, packaging is really cool and how it impacts like our decisions as consumers beyond the sustainability plays and just like the consumer experience I'll call it. I mean it impacts, you know, things we pick up off the shelf whenever we are in brick and mortar. And I would argue packaging science, well, what's made some strides is still a bit more hidden of a concentration than it needs to be. Chase, before I go to Aiden, do you have one concentration or one skill set or one role in global supply chain that you've uncovered here in the last couple of years that you're like, huh, this is a thing. I might need to take a look closer look at this.

[D]

I couldn't say there's just one. Like we said with global supply chain, there's just so much to learn from. I would say with each internship I've been able to pick up a different piece of supply chain. Almost like solving a puzzle Right now I'm currently working with Fastenal where I work with product sourcing and procurement. So I really get to like interact with all these different companies, see what they make and all the steps that it takes to get it from point A to point B. And I also really liked how the warehouse management. I'm a people person. I was able to interact with people to get a task done.

[B]

Love that you got one of those really cool blue shirts yet from the fine folks at Fastenal.

[D]

Yes, I do.

[B]

Okay. All right. All right, Kevin, good stuff. Let's get Aiden in here and then I'm get Kevin's thoughts on Aiden too. So Aiden, same question, one topic, trend issue development, you name it across global supply chain, this is the top of your intrigue list.

[C]

It's funny because I was having this conversation with my girlfriend's dad who also is a supply chain professional and he said the biggest thing that he's noticed over the past couple years is this increasing awareness and importance of sustainability within supply chain. I mean it's not even just helping the environment, but also reducing waste, which I think is really important because if you reduce waste, you're reducing costs as well. And a big part of this sustainability, like something specifically that interested me was this company called Chep and they use plastic pallets and they rent it out to companies. So they developed this circular supply chain where it's just constantly reusing it, it's reducing this waste and it's increasing the efficiency as well. And I think this gives A lot of it's a big problem and it really allows the good constraints for you to think outside the box of how you're going to solve this problem to increase efficiency, reduce costs, but also to help the environment in a specific way. That's just, you know, fascinating to me.

[B]

It is good stuff. And Kevin, blue might be a theme here because CHEP is also well known for blue pallets.

[A]

Right, yeah, good point there. Yeah, I mean, I think that's a great call out there. Aidan, is that from, you know, supply chain perspective, there is so much potential for waste if you look at everything we do. I mean, you know, from a warehouse perspective, packaging there, right. A lot of packaging is just used temporarily. You know, you look at like pallet wrap, shrink wrap, it's. You might just wrap it pallet just to move it from one side of the warehouse to the other and then you cut it off and throw it out, right? It's, it's kind of like a waste of plastic there. So there's a lot of opportunity there. But to your point, which I think is great, that you recognize is not only, you know, is there an opportunity to do something for the environment, but there's also an opportunity to be more sustainable from a cost perspective too. Like, I think that, you know, when this first kind of discussion around going green, right, and being green came about, people were like, oh, that's going to cost more money because we're going to have to do things differently. We're going to have to add all these other steps or, or systems or whatever the case may be. But I think over time what we've seen, especially on the supply chain is a lot of steps towards sustainability allow you to also decrease cost and be more efficient with a lot of things. Right. I mean, you talked about packaging, Scott. I mean, one big one, right. Is on the packaging side, reducing that air inside the shipping boxes, right. Not only use less corget and less packaging material, but then also ultimately use less trucks because you're shipping less air, right? So I think that's great, great that you're, you're recognizing that. And I think there is huge opportunity there still as well because you know, we just, we just have so much waste and missions too, from all the transportation, trucking and all that stuff. There's, there's tons of opportunity there.

[B]

Tons of opportunity. Excellent points there. I love your call. Out on empty miles, the scourge of so many organizations everywhere, there's a lot more focus on eliminating empty miles, which is wonderful. But to your point, you know, there's a reason why we call it continuous improvement and in this case it applies to sustainability. There's always options and, and to piggyback on what Aiden and Kevin both said. And it's interesting because for years a lot of consumers have at least answered to polls that they're willing to vote with their wallets in terms of more sustainable products, right. That has more proven sustainability in them. In the last couple years I've seen more and more where there is a growing divide between what they say and what actually happens. I don't know if I subscribe to that or not. It's interesting debate, but to Kevin, to one of your points you made the great things to your point is we can take cost out and that's always a great thing, right? And then in many, many cases a lot of organizations will put out RFPs where they're looking for companies that have vibrant sustainability outcomes. So that might bring top line revenue. And of course when we get more top line revenue and we can also add to the margin and the bottom line, that's a great thing. And then sustainability becomes a wonderful, more holistic business play. Kevin, before I circle back to Aidan, give you the last thought on what we're seeing sustainability wise. And then one last thing. AI. We're in this golden age of AI and it's such a fascinating, intriguing thing. However, it takes so much power and energy, you know, I wish I was in the server farm industry building those things because man, folks are just cranking them out, aren't they? Kevin?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think that's one of the things is that AI is such a powerful unlock, right? Potentially in efficiency and productivity and doing things a lot faster, especially around like a data analysis perspective. Great for generating like crazy videos and things like that too. But from like a business supply chain chain perspective, certainly you can get to your analysis much quicker. Right? But on the same side, like you're saying it's got, I mean, super powerful from that perspective, but then also super powerful for consuming power and having to back up the server farms like you talked about, to be able to support that infrastructure, which I think is pretty interesting, right? Because we look at everything that's being done with AI, right? I mean you were at Manifest, we were there and any conference now, right? It's like every other company is talking about they're doing something with, with AI, right? And you could just imagine how that continues to grow and exponentially grow. Like what kind of power consumption is that going to take over time as well? It's pretty big.

[B]

Yeah. Not to be dramatic, but I think we are going to have a reckoning when it comes to our energy infrastructure in particular. Not just because supply chain, because all businesses are using AI and not just due to AI. I think we really need to not only, of course, lean into the obvious things like green energy, we also need to, to move, I think faster into the modern nuclear energy. We see some cool things going on there, so we'll see. Somehow we're going to figure out this two step where we can keep making sustainability gains and figure out the power drain too. All right, so Aiden, circling back to you. So with sustainability, is there one company or product or when you think of great examples of powerful brands or cultures that you think are doing great work in terms of sustainability gains out there, is there any brand that you would associate really as maybe not an industry leader but you know, company that's really on the move when it comes to sustainability?

[C]

That's a tough question, you know. You know, I see a lot of products that involve sustainability on their packaging, but overall I haven't heard of anything specifically that's really stuck out to me. I think the biggest one was probably the chap example that I gave you because you know, the circular supply chain.

[B]

Is great and so Let me pull Shaw. I've got Chase and Aiden. Before we move to the next question, I think this would be interesting. Kevin, Chase and Aiden, when you are making purchases, whether it's E commerce or in stores, do you ever pick up a product or look at the label and get a sense of, you know, what they're doing from a sustainability standpoint before you make the transaction?

[C]

I think for me personally, if I see something that lists that it's sustainable, I definitely heavily consider it more. Especially if it's only a couple cents higher.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

If it's like 10, 20, even 30 cents, that'll have me pick that product over something else that doesn't show anything about it.

[B]

If it's a couple bucks though, bucks.

[C]

Now we're kind of pushing it.

[B]

Oh gosh. Jay, same question.

[D]

I would say for me, as a good example of a company, I would talk about Amazon, just not from their perspective. From the consumer's perspective, how if you order a bunch of different items, you have the option to either get it all individually or you can wait till they're all together, package it up and then ship it over to you. I feel like it's little examples like that where it's tiny steps that people can take that go such a long way. I know, especially for me personally, when I'm doing procurement, when I'm doing sourcing, if I have to order a product, obviously we're here to make money. We need it right away. But if you can hold up even just another minute, just. Because if there are other products I have to get that I can get from the exact same vendor, that way it's all packaged together. Once again, it's these little steps that people take that go an amazing way.

[B]

Well said, Chase. Well said. And Kevin, I'll get your reaction to that. I think Amazon just surpassed 9 billion orders delivered. And that might have been just part of Prime. I can't remember. I have to go back and find that. But clearly they're the big A for a real reason. But I love that functionality that he just talked about that they have advanced when you're placing that order and it gives you. Even if you don't pick it all the time. And I bet a lot of consumers are like, I still want my stuff tomorrow or in two days. I don't care what it is. There's probably still a large contingent like that. But even if you don't pick the options to group your boxes and to maybe delay it an extra day or two so they can hit the neighborhood once instead, seven times in the next seven days, at least it starts that muscle memory of calling time out and thinking about what we're doing and hopefully bake that little layer in our consumer brains a bit more. Kevin, react to that?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I do think that's, like, really interesting because it kind of puts the ball, like, in the consumer's court. Right. In a sense. And I've even seen in some instances, I think. I don't know if they still do this, but I know when they kind of started the whole Amazon day thing, I think they were kind of incentivizing it a little bit too, where you would do something like that, and maybe they give you like a $2 credit or something like that to force you to do that. And I think one of the other examples from Amazon is now on some items you order, they'll say, do you want to reduce the amount of packaging used and have it delivered in the manufacturer's packaging? And so I think giving those options instead of just doing it for the consumer, I think helps with that kind of changed mindset. Like you're saying, now the consumer is thinking about it and saying, oh, I gu. That maybe does make a difference, and maybe I will do that, or I don't care. I want to now, right. Depending on the mindset there. But I think giving the power to the consumer to be able to take that action and maybe incentivize in some cases or whatever the case may be, I think is a great way to start to not just do it as a business, but then start that consumer thinking a little bit differently as well. So how do we expand on that Amazon Ecosphere, which relies heavily on the consumer at the end, day of the. The day.

[B]

Love it. And we got to have that power of the consumer that you're referencing a couple times. We'll be able to make so much more traction as an industry if we can get that mindset shift going. And you know, when you place an order. I pick on socks all the time. I'm not sure why. Maybe because we all have so many socks. I bet. And do we really need that new pair of socks in two hours? It's funny, but at the same time, that's the mindset I think we got to shift and make some progress, especially when those socks are being delivered on their own in some ways. Shapes and forms. Okay, good stuff. Let's go back to what do you want to do in the industry? And I love the internships you are doing and the impact you're already having. And I love the association y' all formed. We've got the president and the treasurer right here, Chase and Aiden. The Chase and Aiden administration. Let's stick with you, Aiden. What do you want to do in industry and why, including not just like the role and the why, but the change you might want to drive.

[C]

You know, I'm really split on two different roles within supply chain. I've been very interested. I've talked to Kevin about this is sourcing and procurement. I really love talking with people and I specifically would like to work more internationally with other people because I think understanding business as a whole across the world, not just within the US is really important because, you know, with outsourcing and everything, it can really change the game. But I've also been really interested in planning and process improvement because I love solving problems and I love when there are constraints that I need to follow that force me to. To get to a certain solution to bring costs down specifically. So I think within industry I would love to do something targeted towards sustainability mainly and try to think of new ways to lower those costs, increase efficiency, but also do more for the environment.

[B]

Ooh, Aidan, love all of that. Kevin, he just loves supply chain. You could almost. It's like such a cross functional answer. And I'm Halfway kidding, but halfway serious. Because I think that's a reflection. A lot of schools, a lot of internship programs, they're intentionally kind of going back to those hidden concentrations Chase was talking about. They're intentionally exposing so many students to all sorts of different facets of the ultimate global team sport, which is supply chain management. Kevin, respond to what we heard there from Aiden?

[A]

Yeah, definitely. I mean, what I'm hearing is that he hates waste and he loves process improvement. Right. So he's perfect for supply chain. I will say that's the mindset to have, definitely. But, yeah, I mean, I think that's a great thing. And I think there's so many potential ways to look at that. Like, no matter the role you get within the supply chain, because even if it's not a specific sustainable type of role focused on sustainability, like, you still have so many opportunities to identify change which can have those, you know, sustainable dividends essentially. Right. But will also, like, do that cost and efficiency gain and cost reduction. Right. In the same regard. And you could do that in any role in supply chain, really. I mean, if you look at the supply chain, no matter what supply chain you go to, I'm sure Scott will agree with this. There's some waste still. Even as much as they have optimized and improved and all this stuff, there is still something to be found there. No supply chain is 100% perfect. Right. It's a constant change. It's constant evolution. So, yeah, I mean, I think that's. That mindset is great for any part of the chain.

[C]

Always problems to solve in supply chain.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And even if there were and there's not, as Kevin says, there's no perfect supply chain out there. And even if there were, it'd be very limited because customer expectations and demands are constantly and fastly evolving. And that opens up opportunities for our imperfect supply chain organizations to this day. And also, and one last thing, there's so many different ways that supply chain performance is being rated. One that I think is a great learning and comparing contrast opportunities at Gartner. Top 25, right. You got the master masters category. Then you got a top 25. That they've identified public companies that are really successful when it comes to supply chain performance. And, you know, you'll see if you open up the books on all those companies, they're doing all kinds of things from a continuous improvement standpoint, not sitting on their laurels. Okay, Chase, what do you want to do in industry, including some of the change you want to drive first off.

[D]

I just wanted to piggyback off Aiden's point where it's supply chain so global. I feel like that's something that we miss out every time we shorten it to supply chains that are global. Global supply chain. It's how you're working. One thing that happens on one part of the world affects the entire world. That's why I find it so interesting. But for me personally, I have the double major miner. What are we trying to do with it? What I like to do is I love global supply chain and I love the data analytics and info systems to back up or strengthen my supply chain journey. One of the things that I've been really interested in is definitely customer demand. I have an opportunity to work with Church and Dwight as a CO during the later half of this summer and it's either going to be for warehouse management or it's going to be for customer demand planning. And I feel like both of those are something where using the numbers to support and help thrive the rest of the processes, even if to just make it a tiny bit more efficient, it's being able to connect what I'm passionate about.

[B]

I tell you, between Chase and Aiden, Kevin and the companies are being exposed to and working in, you know, mine turned shut in college was at a failing Internet service provider, Kevin. And it was like a scene straight out of the office. It was not a powerful learning experience, especially from a supply chain standpoint. But Kevin comment on Chase especially the power of analytics, which he clearly is very passionate about.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. I think, I mean rider itself, the program I think is kind of, it's uniquely positioned where we see a lot of students that have that, that double major and typically any students that, that have the opportunity to do that overlap and have that double major with data analytics, I usually encourage them to do that because I think coming into the supply chain world today and not having any reference of analytics or the importance of data or just understanding of what it can do for you is not necessarily the best position to start in. I think it's essential at this point to be a part of the supply chain curriculum in some way. And I think it's essential for those that are working in supply chain because you know, talking about finding waste and process improvement and a lot of that comes down to, you know, crunching the numbers and analyzing the data to understand where that stuff is, is happening. Right. And I think, you know, on consumer demand, which you know, Chase is saying he's, he's interested in, which I love is that's super specific. Right. On something to. To be interested in. There's a huge amount of, like, data and analytics that's flowing around with that. Whether it's, you know, how are you gauging the market is seeing, you know, and there's so many different channels now for consumers to shop through that. It's so many different data sets to kind of look at from a demand perspective. You know, you're looking at the traditional retailer, you're looking at E commerce, you're looking at Amazon marketplaces, right. You're looking at TikTok shop in some cases. I mean, this social stuff. And there's so many different demand signals and factors coming into play there. I mean, having that analytics background, I think is going to be key to be able to digest some of that and really set yourself apart a little bit.

[B]

Bit well said. Setting yourself apart and showing up every day. Two things that will increase your competitive advantage in business or as a candidate for promotional opportunity, you name it, or if y' all ever start your own business, they'll be great levers of pool. So, Kevin, as we pivot back over to Rider University and some of the cool things that the supply chain program there that makes it tick, I want to start, though, before we get the students to weigh in to hear the opportunities they have at these internships, the experiences of what they get exposed to, but to see how they're going to have these massive opportunities to advance their skill sets and their expertise. It's got to make your day, Kevin.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. I'll say. I take 100% of the credit. Just kidding. Just kidding. No, I mean, it does. It's amazing. And, you know, I'm in my eighth semester now with Ryder teaching, so I'm at the point where, you know, I've certainly been able to see some of my students graduate and now are in their careers. And, you know, one actually special moment recently that happened was there was a career fair at Ryder and I was there and I came in and one of my students, it was in my first class or second class, he was a student from was there representing his company, trying to recruit Ryder students for their co op program. And he actually interned with me when I had my fulfillment center. He worked with me for a little while and mentored him a bit. And so it was great to see him, you know, take pride in what he got and now come back and try and, you know, give the same opportunities to current Rider students as well. But it is incredible to see how these students are taking advantage of the opportunities that Rider tries to give them and tries to connect them with. We have a really nice board at the supply chain department, which helps with a lot of that. And I think we're also positioned in a really good area where there's a lot of opportunities around. There's a lot of different supply chain companies from pharmaceutical perspective to like Church and Dwight, which Chase mentioned is like around the corner and from like warehousing perspective too. So yeah, it's amazing to see what some of these students are able to accomplish and do not only on campus, but then external to campus as well. And it becomes more and more impressive the more my teaching journey expands at Rider.

[B]

Love it. Full circle on the front end of your response there. And that's gotta be rewarding to see. All right, so Chase, Naden, you heard there Kevin's expectation when he hits the 16th semester, y' all are gonna be there on campus recruiting talent. Okay. Kevin was sharing some cool things about Rider Univers in the program and some of his favorite parts. And we're going to get to some of his favorite moments from the classroom here in just a second. But Chase, stick with you. What's one or two cool things that really makes Rider University's supply chain program, you think, really successful?

[D]

I would say start by saying, especially from being in the student point of view, especially after Covid, where supply chain is now really starting to boom, you have all different types of people that you're interacting with. I've met all types of people, even from people who start out with they just come to college for a degree and they happen to learn something along the way. I think for me personally, I definitely came to just grow as a person and take every opportunity that Rider presents. And one of the things that I love about RYTR is just how many opportunities they give you. We could go all day on all the roles or organizations that both AID and I are both a part of, most notably global supply chain club.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Make sure you join.

[D]

It's to the point where, where I get to interact with amazing students who I get to be peers with amazing professors who I get to learn from and really interact with them in a one on one setting. I can definitely say in even the three years I've been here, I've lost at least 10 elections for positions. But Ryder has so many opportunities where I was still able to pick myself off, learn how to reinvent myself, and then still get another different six or eight positions around Ryder.

[B]

I believe it. And you know, the lesson you're sharing that you learned there Is, you know, we learn a lot from successes, right in this journey we're on, professional and personal for that matter. But man, what we learn once we're willing to learn from failures, I would argue those are even more powerful lessons that shape who we are and what we go on to do. Aidan, same question to you. What do you feel helps make Rider University supply chain program top of the line?

[C]

I think that there's two main things that really contribute to it. The first thing is with Rider business as a whole, when you start out as a freshman or even a transfer student, they make you take a whole course of just every single function within business. So when you start, you have to take an accounting course, two of them actually. Supply chain marketing, data analytics, you get the whole spectrum of it because it really helps you understand what you're into. But also with supply chain, I think you work with a lot of different business functions already. And I think if you are in supply chain, having that basic knowledge helps tremendously. And the second thing that I think is really important is our supply chain program requires that you get a co op or an internship before you graduate. So if you have a really hard time getting one, you can reach out to professors and they will make sure to help you succeed in the future. And I think that's the most important thing because internships will absolutely kickstart your career in college.

[D]

No doubt, BIA project where you learn everything business related. Amazing.

[B]

Kevin, man, that's gotta be good to hear that. Instant feedback. I wish we had a couple more hours, but Kevin, I know that car ride logistics is a thing in parenthood, right. And I want to respect time here. Let's switch over as we start to kind of come down the home stretch here with Chase and Aiden and Kevin. Kevin, we were talking, we had this networking event online a couple months ago, right. And one of my favorite things that you shared there and you can tell, you know you love what you do, you can tell it engaging with folks like Chase and Aiden. I mean, I bet you could talk a six hour long podcast episode on and how much you like that. But you shared one thing in particular about returns and reverse logistics and how on numerous occasions as you've shared kind of what goes on with returns, management and the reverse side stuff coming back and it kind of really opens some eyes and you almost see the light bulbs going off. Would you share a little bit more about that here? And do you bake that into each of your classes to make sure that you kind of fill in that blind spot that not just students have, but unfortunately a lot of consumers have too.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. And actually, you know, it kind of goes back to some of the sustainability discussion we're having too. But yeah, I mean, a lot of times within the semester, I mean, we cover, you know, the core supply chain and we talk about, you know, plan, source, make, deliver, return. Right. And when we talk a little bit about returns, a lot of students are surprised to start to understand and hear about just the amount of waste that returns generate and also how, how costly returns are as well for a business. Right. And you know, I always use, use the example of sometimes you, you get something and you know it's not right and the company just says like, oh, we'll keep it and we'll send you another one. And I'm like, you know why they tell you to keep it? Right? Because it's, it costs them less to allow you to keep it than it's going to cost them to bring it back, process it and get it through the return process. And a lot of students are like shocked to hear that, right. Like, how could it be so expensive and all these things that go into it. But it's a huge source of waste for just the world general, right. I mean, you have all this stuff that comes back and needs to be inspected, right. Especially if it's apparel because you don't know whether somebody wore it, didn't wear it, needs to be looked at. That takes a ton of time, right. A lot of times companies, it's not worth it to inspect it. Right. Low cost goods and they're either just going to donate it or it's going to end up in the landfill somewhere. So that discussion, a lot of times for the students kind of of like a little eye opening because they don't, they don't realize, like you said, like most consumers don't realize. They're like, oh, well, you know, I just ordered a medium and a large because I wasn't sure what was going to fit. So the medium fits, send in large back and it's out of my mind. Right. But there's so much more that's happening with that large shirt after you send it back that I think people are just totally unaware of. It's pretty staggering. I would say.

[B]

Amen 1,000%. And we've got to amplify that part of what goes on to hopefully kind of. We were talking earlier about, you know, shaping the mindset of consumers and the more they know, hopefully the more they're educated and the more they'll make different Decisions that can help us tackle this tidal wave, to your point, of waste and cost and just sheer product that comes back into our organizations. And unfortunately, to your point, a lot of it still, years and years later, a lot of it still goes to landfills or it's destroyed or burned or whatever. All right, man, I wish I had one more hour, but I do not. Kevin, really quick. A lot of cool things going on at the new warehouse podcast. What's one thing coming up that you're excited most about here in 2025?

[A]

Yeah, I think the most exciting thing about I do is always the conferences, right? Going to the conferences, whether we're doing podcasts there or speaking or doing some adjacent events as well. So that's always exciting. Be at American Supply Chain Summit. Be there Work conference. Will be there there. Be at Supply Chain Point, which is like a newer conference as well. So, yeah, a lot of stuff going on on that front and continuing to, you know, pump out that next 560 episodes that Scott's waiting on there. So, you know, lots of content coming all the time. And our networking series, Warehousing After Dark, which has been virtual and starting to experiment with in person as well. Be in person for the first time at Promat. And we will probably be in person at the conference as well with that event series. So.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

Yeah, lots of exciting stuff.

[B]

Aiden and Chase, I'm convinced this is one of Kevin's bots. He's got clones, given all that he's up to. So we'll have. We'll test that next time. Hey, Aiden, have you been out to a supply chain conference yet?

[C]

No, never.

[B]

Okay, we got to make that happen. We're going to bring you all back on maybe when you graduate or something. And we got to add that to. To your to do list. Okay. Chase, how about you?

[D]

Same boat. I have. Not yet.

[B]

Okay, I'm probably preaching to the choir, but the power of networking, Chase and Aiden, I wish I'd learned that when I was, like, in college like y' all are, but I did not appreciate that. Same for you, Kevin.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Okay. So the power of networking. We got to get you out and because you'll need your network. There's an old phrase I've been saying a lot for whatever reason lately, but you got to dig your well before you're thirsty. And that really applies to networking, because you're going to need it sooner than you think, and it takes time to invest it and build it and nurture it. So anyway, Aiden Clements. That say your last name right? Aiden.

[C]

Yes, that is my last name.

[B]

Okay, how can folks connect with you? If they want to pick your brain or they maybe want to invite you out to a trade show, that'd be cool to any of our listeners out there, Aiden, how can they track you down?

[C]

Yeah, the best way to reach me is through LinkedIn, professionally. My link is www.LinkedIn.com aiden-clement.

[B]

Okay, so if you write fast, folks, do that, or we're gonna try to. We're gonna try to add a link on the bottom of the page and try to make that happen. And if you do, again, if you want to invite Aiden or Chase to a conference or something, reach out to us. We'll make sure to be the carrier pigeon, so to speak. All right, Chase, same question. How can folks connect with you?

[D]

Anybody looking to connect with me? Same thing. LinkedIn is always the best way to reach me. Yeah, I see Professor Lawton every Monday and Wednesday. Wednesday.

[A]

I guess he's saying, get in touch with me, and I'll get in touch with him. Right. There you go.

[B]

Professor Lawton. That's gotta be cool. I bet the first time you heard that, Kevin, you're like, man, Professor Lawton.

[A]

Did it kind of strike you when I started teaching? I did go into the first semester thinking, like, am I gonna do the professor thing? Or, you know, am I gonna be like, cool and say, oh, you could call me by my first name, right? But then I'm like, no, I'm gonna do Professor. So, yeah, tell them, you know, it's Professor Lawton until they graduate, and then they can call me Kevin. That's.

[B]

Oh, I like that. Yeah, I like that. I've seen this on YouTube. Are you, like, a professor that has a bullhorn? So when your student goes to sleep, one of your classes, you sneak up on them and wake him up with a bullhorn?

[A]

No, no, no. I don't do that because I. I was definitely one of those students, so.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

Me too. So, yeah, I'm not gonna, you know, give him a hard time.

[B]

That's good. All right, so, Kevin Lawton, let's make sure. So Aiden and Chase, we know how to connect with them. Great to have y' all both here. I'll tell you, yalls future is incredibly. Your current state is incredibly bright. So y' all have to come back and fill us in all the cool things y' all are up to. Kevin Lawton, obviously, folks, can find the new warehouse podcast wherever they get their podcasts. How else can they get in touch with you?

[A]

LinkedIn is probably the best. Look me up Kevin Lawton or look up the new warehouse on LinkedIn and you'll be able to me there and I would say that's the best way.

[B]

Awesome folks, connect with this crew. Kevin, a pleasure. It's been way too long. I'm so glad we're able to have you here today. Look forward to seeing you in person at some of these industry shows. Appreciate the good work you're doing to help move the industry forward. And you, Chase and Aiden are two great examples. That's why we call it the now generation. Their impact is already being felt and I cannot wait to see the cool things you're up to. So big thanks to all three of y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

All right, folks, hope you enjoyed watching or listening to this conversation here today. Again, I talk a lot about want an extra hour long. Live long. I've been saying that lately. Kevin, don't try to squeeze me into 17 minutes, you know, but because we can't get to all the, you know, deeper topics below the surface level. So I'm so glad that we had the last hour here today. Hopefully you enjoyed the conversation as much as I have. But whatever you do, they find ways to engage and support and empower the now generation of folks that are matriculating through colleges and universities or technical schools that are going to be the next big leadership leaders, changing how supply chain is done. Find ways to engage them. But whatever you do on behalf, the entire team here at Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton, challenging you to do good, give forward, be the change that's needed. And we'll see you next time right back here on Supply Chain Now. Thanks, everybody. Join the Supply Chain now community. For more supply Chain perspectives, news and innovation, check out supply chain now.com subscribe to Supply Chain now on YouTube and follow and listen to Supply Chain Now. Wherever you get your podcasts.