For the June 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Matt Stites, president of Clayton Supply and SVP of supply chain for Clayton Home Building Group, about dealing with disruptions, addressing the national housing shortage, and building growth-minded teams that pursue excellence in operations and customer service.

Stites, a member of the GSCI Advisory Board, leads the supply chain for the largest builder of manufactured and modular homes in North America. He is responsible for a 1,500-person team producing internally manufactured building products, leads a sourcing organization managing a multibillion-dollar spend, and guides a materials team serving 60 manufacturing facilities.

Listen in for insights on integrating your supply chain organization, driving talent-rich teams to continue innovating, and the importance of resilience, agility, and plasticity during uncertain times.

Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about tariffs and inflation, trade agreements between competing nations, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

The episode was recorded virtually on June 12, 2025.

Related links:

• Inflation is holding steady as tariffs yet to hit fully
• Trump urges Fed to cut lending interest rates
• Analysts react to US-China trade agreement
• World Bank forecast underscores the cost of the US trade war
• Revenue from duties jumped to $22 billion in May
• UT SCM department head John Bell on securing critical minerals, like lithium, during a global trade war
• Ted Stank and Lance Saunders on mitigating uncertainties in CFO Brew
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Download the white paper “Future-Ready Procurement” or read our blog series
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Take one of our virtual SCM courses in Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23),

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the May 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby spoke with Stephanie Pierce, director of warehouse foods planning for PepsiCo, about wide range of relevant business topics, including the changing work modalities that have impacted talent retention and recruitment, leading hybrid teams, and adapting planning for shifting customer habits in snacking.

Pierce, a 2011 alumna of UT’s supply chain management program, has spent more than a decade with PepsiCo, where she’s climbed the ladder from project analyst to her current role director-level role in planning. She represents the company on the GSCI Advisory Board, which consists of senior leaders from many of the globe’s leading public and private companies who gather to help UT chart the course for providing relevant, high-quality SCM education, research, and talent development opportunities.

Listen in for insights on how young and high-potential talent can gain visibility into new areas of their company, recruiting top talent in a competitive market, moving to align product offerings quickly to keep customers happy, and perspectives on leadership for hybrid teams spread across numerous sites.

Plus, Ted and Tom dig into the latest news about tariffs, regionalizing supply chains, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

The episode was recorded virtually on May 12, 2025.

Related links:

• Markets rise as US and China agree to slash tariffs
• India expects multi-phase trade deal with US as talks proceed
• Read Ted Stank’s book, Global Supply Chains, which provides a framework for measuring the supply chain potential of geographic regions
• US exporters rethink supply chains amid trade war
• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Downloaded our latest (free) white paper, “Future-Ready Procurement”
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Learn about our SCM Academy programs, including virtual courses on Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23), Finance (Sept. 15-Nov. 16), and Procurement (Sept. 15–Nov. 16).
• Become a Supply Chain Forum partner
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!

For the April 2025 episode, co-hosts Ted Stank and Tom Goldsby were live at the Spring 2025 Supply Chain Forum with Colin Yankee chief supply chain officer for Tractor Supply Company, to discuss the supply chain strategies and operational efficiencies that help companies thrive in uncertain times.

Their in-depth conversation explored Tractor Supply’s transportation and distribution center operations, how to leverage extensive store networks for final-mile delivery strategies, and featured insights into leading large teams of supply chain professionals to deliver customer value from top to bottom.

Prior to joining Tractor Supply in 2015, Yankee served in senior roles in supply chain operations for Neiman Marcus and Target. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Army officer before beginning his corporate career.

The episode was recorded live at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown on April 9, 2025. Watch a video of the episode.

Related links:

• Save the date for the fall Supply Chain Forum, November 4–6 in Knoxville
• Downloaded our latest (free) white paper, “Future-Ready Procurement”
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Learn about our SCM Academy programs, including virtual courses on Leadership (Aug. 18–Nov. 23), Finance (Sept. 15-Nov. 16), and Procurement (Sept. 15–Nov. 16).
• Become a Supply Chain Forum partner
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!