In this episode, hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby welcome Wally Shaw, CEO of Red Stag Fulfillment, to explore how a purpose-built 3PL is carving out a competitive edge by focusing on what others avoid.

Shaw shares how Red Stag built its model around big, bulky products—an overlooked segment of the fulfillment market—and why that specialization enables stronger service performance, tighter quality control, and meaningful differentiation. He also discusses the company’s distinctive approach to service guarantees, including zero tolerance for shrinkage and financial accountability when service levels are missed.

The conversation spans how leading 3PLs are navigating today’s most pressing challenges: AI adoption and automation readiness, geopolitical uncertainty, tariffs, and shifting global sourcing patterns. Shaw also offers perspective on why customer selectivity and long-term decision making can lead to better outcomes for both providers and brands.

The episode was recorded virtually on June 9, 2026.

Related links:

• Complete the Annual 3PL Study survey for 2027
• Register for virtual SCM Academies in Leadership, Finance, Procurement, and Technology
• Save the date for the Fall Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 10–12
• Download free white papers from UT experts
• Become a GSCI partner to learn, network, and recruit with the top supply chain education institution in North America
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Fill out Tom Goldsby’s survey on warehouse automation
• Follow GSCI on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

In this episode, hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby welcome Todd Steffen, market leader at KBC Advisors, to discuss how the industrial real estate market is both a mirror and a leading indicator of supply chain health.

Steffen, a longtime GSCI Advisory Board member, brings a practitioner's eye to the industrial market, drawing on his background running distribution and logistics technology at Walgreens and years advising major occupiers and investors.

The conversation spans how data centers are upending traditional site selection by competing for the same power infrastructure and land that distribution centers need; how sublease space and landlord concessions are creating hidden opportunities for occupiers; and why modular automation and AI are finally moving the needle on productivity inside the four walls.

Related links:

• Fill out Tom Goldsby’s survey on warehouse automation
• Save the date for the Fall Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 10–12
• Download free white papers from UT experts
• Become a GSCI partner to learn, network, and recruit with the top supply chain education institution in North America
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Follow GSCI on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

What does it take to keep a refinery running when the world won't stop throwing curveballs?

In this episode, Ted Stank and guest co-host Lance Saunders speak with Tom Johnson, VP of procurement at HF Sinclair, an independent petroleum refiner with operations throughout the mid-continent, southwestern and Rocky Mountain regions. Recorded live at the Supply Chain Forum, the conversation pulled back the curtain on one of the more essential and misunderstood industries in the global economy.

Among the topics discussed were why surety of supply—not cost—is the 3 a.m. concern keeping procurement leaders awake, and how the Strait of Hormuz closure and ongoing geopolitical volatility are rippling through petrochemical supply chains in ways consumers never see. Johnson also discussed the crude oil import-export paradox and how refinery infrastructure dictates crude "diets," the rise of data analytics as a seat at the operations table, how tariffs stress-tested supplier relationships and exposed the limits of sub-tier supply chain visibility, and what the skilled trades shortage means for heavy industrial operations.

Johnson is a UT Knoxville SCM alum who has spent his entire career in oil and gas, previously holding roles at Valero and Holly Frontier. He oversees a procurement organization of approximately 100 professionals managing roughly $2 billion in annual spend, including labor, plant inventory, and category management.

The episode was recorded live at the Supply Chain Forum on April 22, 2026.

Related links:

• Save the date for the Fall Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 10–12
• Download free white papers from UT experts
• Become a GSCI partner to learn, network, and recruit with the top supply chain education institution in North America
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Follow GSCI on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!