What are the public markets telling us about the supply chain outlook? Legendary investor Benjamin Graham said, "In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine." The May BG Strategic Advisors Supply Chain Index just came out. A few important highlights: 1. We are still living through [...]
The Biden Administration is investing over $20 billion in port security, to protect against Chinese cybersecurity threats. One takeaway will be funding for alternatives to Chinese-made cranes. And one beneficiary will be Mitsui. Why? As Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)'s Craig Singleton put it, “Increasingly, the Chinese are not merely seeking access to our networks; they are [...]
On August 7, Yellow Corporation declared bankruptcy. This was a sad day, marking the end of an era. Yellow, which was founded nearly 100 years ago, grew to become one of the world's largest trucking companies. Even on the day of its Chapter 11 filing, Yellow was the third-largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier in the United [...]
A cargo ship carrying nearly 4,000 vehicles appears to be on the cusp of sinking. Why are so many auto cargo ships catching fire? Do fires ignite more easily when cars are packed in ships too tightly? Electric vehicles? Something else? Also, who does the Japanese ship owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha keep having these mishaps? [...]
What is GreenScreenin'? Nate Shutes has created a song to capture the supply chain tech revolution in music. Nate and Alicia came up with "Don't Stop GreenScreenin'" to put a smile on your face. If you are a freight professional, can you listen to this song and not laugh? DontStopGreenScreeninVideo But there's a deeper purpose. [...]
Outsourcing: is it growing, shrinking, or transforming? In 1990, Hamel and Prahalad published an article in Harvard Business Review called The Core Competence of the Corporation. It argued that companies should outsource their non-core services, because, in the words of Jack Welch, "Your back office is someone else's front office." This article helped to usher in an [...]
It was a pleasure to talk about logistics, supply chain technology, the deal environment, and Ukraine in this interview with Matthew Leffler, the Armchair Attorney. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the industry, how investors are looking at the supply chain sector, and more. Please see below for the video of our interview! -Benjamin Gordon, [...]
How can we make sense of the volatile changes in our supply chains this year, and what should we expect going forward? For excellent insights, we can turn to Harvard Business School Professor Willy Shih. Willy just published a thoughtful article in the The Wall Street Journal on the seven principles of today's supply chain. To summarize: 1. Today's [...]
The Ukraine Logistics Coalition (ULC) is focused on protecting Ukraine by maximizing the inflow of food, medicine, and vital supplies. To that end, it was terrific to see Ukraine Ambassador Oksana Markarova at the YPO Global Diplomacy Network conference in DC. We talked about how to help rebuild Ukraine and strengthen its supply chains. The [...]
Many people have asked me why Ukraine matters. What is it about Russia's invasion that impelled me to get involved, and why should you care? First, I believe we have a moral obligation to help the innocent people of Ukraine. Second, having bought a logistics company with employees in Ukraine, I wanted to do everything [...]
