It may be an employers’ market, but many
companies are still having trouble finding the
right people for their logistics operations:
reliable employees who know how to manage both people and processes. That’s led
several companies to call in the military—or
to be precise, military veterans—when they
go to fill jobs requiring logistics expertise.
YRC Worldwide, to name just one example,
has been recruiting ex-military logistics specialists for several years, and about 15 percent
of its employees are either former military
personal, on reserve, or in the National Guard.
Earlier this year, YRC joined the Army Reserve
Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI). Through
that program, employers work with the military to hire qualified applicants who are leaving the service.
Former military logisticians have much to
offer, says Jim Kissinger, YRC’s executive vice
president of human resources. In addition to
having real world experience, they generally
have a strong sense of commitment, profes-
sionalism, and work ethic, he says. It only
makes sense: “In the army, being able to
deliver the right equipment at the right time
to the right place might make the difference
between life and death, or between victory
and defeat,” he observes. Furthermore, the
military’s success in developing officers’
skills in planning, setting objectives, evaluat-
ing results, and training subordinates is “sec-
ond to none,” Kissinger added. “They are
exceptionally good at [logistics], and there is
a direct transfer of skills to what we have to
provide to our customers.”
Training can help ease military logisticians’
transition to private industry. APICS-The
Association for Operations Management has
partnered with the U.S. Department of
Defense (DOD) to offer logistics training to
military personnel, DOD staff, and their fami-
ly members. Through the DOD’s Defense
Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
program, the APICS Certified Supply Chain
Professional (CSCP) exam will be delivered at
test centers on military bases worldwide. The
organizations will also expand military per-
sonnel’s access to other APICS education and
certification programs.
—T.G.
need a logistics pro?
hire a vet
newsmakers
; After four full decades of service, Bill Hawthorne, vice
president of sales at Hytrol Conveyor Co., retired on
Dec. 31, 2009. He will remain with the company in a
consulting role through the end of 2010. Hawthorne has
served the Jonesboro, Ark.-based Hytrol as an employee
for over 16 years. Prior to that, he was affiliated with the
company as one of its leading distributors for 24 years.
HAWTHORNE
; Members of the transportation industry association SMC3 have
elected Brent Holliday to serve on the association’s board of directors
for the remainder of the 2009–2011 term, following the retirement of
Pete Martin of Lakeville Motor Express. Holliday, who is CEO of
Nebraska Transport Co., brings more than 30 years of experience in
motor carrier transportation to his new position.
; Diamond Phoenix has promoted Paul Roy to vice president, marketing and product management. Roy, who previously was director of
distributor sales for the company, has over 15 years’ experience in the
analysis, design, and sale of automated material handling solutions,
including vertical carousel, vertical lift module (VLM), and horizontal
carousel technologies. Before joining Diamond Phoenix, he worked
for Remstar International.
; Mark Gorzek has been named vice president of finance for Orbis
Corp., a manufacturer of plastic containers and pallet products. Most
recently, Gorzek was vice president and controller for Menasha Corp.,
Orbis’s parent company.
; ADSI, a systems integrator specializing in distribution and wireless
automation solutions, has appointed Steven M. Sikorski director of
systems engineering and software solutions. In his new position,
Sikorski will lead ADSI’s systems engineering and retail IT efforts
throughout the United States.
; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez has joined the
Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS) board of directors.
Gutierrez, who has had a distinguished career as a consumer products
industry executive, is also the former chairman and CEO of the Kellogg
Co. iGPS is a pallet rental service that provides shippers and receivers
with all-plastic pallets with embedded RFID tags.
; Penske Logistics has announced three executive promotions. Jim
Erdman has been named senior vice president of global products,
Amy Ilyes has been named senior vice president of customer experience, and Angela Yang is the new managing director for the Asia-Pacific region.
EZEUZOH
; ChemLogix, a company that provides logistics services to the chemical industry, has promoted Francis
Ezeuzoh to chief financial officer. Before joining the
company last year, Ezeuzoh served as vice president of
finance for Zinsser Co.
