Metro Atlanta is a city uniquely familiar with supply chain. The region is home to the world’s most-traveled airport and is the nexus for the nation’s network of highways. International companies and organizations operate their ...
Metro Atlanta is a city uniquely familiar with supply chain. The region is home to the world’s most-traveled airport and is the nexus for the nation’s network of highways. International companies and organizations operate their supply chains out of the city while building their digital supply chains with the tech of tomorrow. Metro Atlanta is a bona fide logistics hub at the center of the world’s most important markets.
The recent meeting of the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) Supply Chain Leadership Council highlighted these regional strengths while also announcing the launch of Georgia-Pacific’s new Point-A Innovation Center – the first private, industry-led global supply chain innovation center.
Kevin Heath, senior vice president and chief procurement officer at Georgia-Pacific, detailed the new innovation center, which will launch in June 2018 at TechSquare Labs. Point-A will bring together supply chain experts, innovators and experimenters with access to leading technology that will power innovation.
“We believe tomorrow’s innovation is already hear. Working within industry silos can only take us so far,” Heath said. “We’re better off working together to understand these new innovations. We are excited today to announce Point-A.”
Heath also gave an update on Georgia-Pacific’s performance in 2017 – shipping more than 1.2 million loads and now occupying 200 locations around the nation.
Rick Walker, president and CEO of the Georgia Automotive Manufacturers Association (GAMA), gave a presentation on the upcoming Southern Automotive Conference at the Cobb Galleria from October 3-5. The conference has become an 11-year tradition, and 2018 will be the first year that Georgia is hosting. With 1,800 expected visitors and 300 exhibitors, the conference will be a must-attend event for the industry. GAMA is currently looking for sponsors, exhibitors and attendees – to learn more about the conference, click here.
Georgia Department of Economic Development High Demand Career Initiative Program Specialist Brittany Bullock gave a brief overview of the program launched by Gov. Deal. The initiative seeks to bring employers to the table and connect them with resources, including universities, technical schools, training and more.
Ben Harris, director of supply chain ecosystem for MAC, closed the meeting with an update on Chamber activity. Metro Atlanta has 26 landed companies so far this year, with 11 expansions and 15 new companies entering the ecosystem – 40 percent of those being foreign-owned. Some notable businesses include Loloi, KL Outdoor, Greenlight, TireHub and Instacart.
To learn more about the Chamber’s councils or to become involved, please reach out to Jack Murphy.
