Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

Supply chain management expert Bill Copacino dies at 61

Cancer claims one of the supply chain profession's best known and most respected leaders.

William C. "Bill" Copacino, a longtime leader in the field of supply chain management, died on May 17 at the age of 61 following a long battle with cancer. He was a resident of Newton, Mass.

Copacino's long career in consulting and private industry was characterized by constant achievement. He graduated from Cornell University in 1972 with a B.S. in industrial engineering and operations research, and after several years in General Electric's manufacturing management program, earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1978. He then joined Arthur D. Little Co., where he rose to become managing director and vice president of the operations management practice. In 1989, Copacino joined Anderson Consulting, later known as Accenture, as a partner. He became the firm's global managing partner of supply chain management and served on Accenture's executive committee. After retiring from Accenture in 2004, he turned his attention to private industry, first as chief administrative officer for C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, N.H., and then as chief executive officer of Oco Inc., a software company that was acquired by Deloitte Consulting in 2011.


Copacino wrote three books and more than 150 articles on supply chain management. His contributions to the profession as a consultant, practitioner, and educator were widely recognized. He received a number of industry awards, including the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' Distinguished Service Award in 1998 and the Salzberg Medallion from Syracuse University in 2002.

Those who knew Copacino spoke more often of his kindness, generosity, and thoughtfulness than of his business achievements. Developing the next generation of supply chain management professionals was a particular focus for him, and he was a mentor to many young people.

His concern for others was evident early on. In 1974, he and a Cornell classmate co-founded Agua del Pueblo, a humanitarian organization that builds potable water systems to improve the health and lives of Guatemalan villagers. He also served on several charitable boards, including Boston Cares and The Carroll School, where he spearheaded a multimillion-dollar capital campaign to expand the facility in order to serve more students with language-based learning disabilities.

Copacino is survived by his wife, Janet Hall, M.D., and three children: Michael, 23; his twin brother Steven, 23; and Caroline, 17. Copacino also leaves a twin brother, John, of Washington, D.C., and an older brother, James, of Seattle, Wash.

The Latest

CSCMP EDGE 2024: Yale
DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles

CSCMP EDGE 2024: Yale

More Stories

Survey: In-store shopping sentiment up 21%

Survey: In-store shopping sentiment up 21%

E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.

Ryder surveyed more than 1,300 consumers for its 2024 E-Commerce Consumer Study and found that 61% of consumers shop in-store “because they enjoy the experience,” a 21% increase compared to results from Ryder’s 2023 survey on the same subject. The current survey also found that 35% shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% say they shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8% from last year).

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

containers stacked in a yard

Reinke moves from TIA to IANA in top office

Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.

Reinke will take her new job upon the retirement of Joni Casey at the end of the year. Casey had announced in July that she would step down after 27 years at the helm of IANA.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wreaths Across America seeks carriers for December mission
Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America seeks carriers for December mission

National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) kicked off its 2024 season this week with a call for volunteers. The group, which honors U.S. military veterans through a range of civic outreach programs, is seeking trucking companies and professional drivers to help deliver wreaths to cemeteries across the country for its annual wreath-laying ceremony, December 14.

“Wreaths Across America relies on the transportation industry to move the mission. The Honor Fleet, composed of dedicated carriers, professional drivers, and other transportation partners, guarantees the delivery of millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to their destination each year,” Courtney George, WAA’s director of trucking and industry relations, said in a statement Tuesday. “Transportation partners benefit from driver retention and recruitment, employee engagement, positive brand exposure, and the opportunity to give back to their community’s veterans and military families.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Krish Nathan of SDI Element Logic

Krish Nathan of SDI Element Logic

In Person interview: Krish Nathan of SDI Element Logic

Krish Nathan is the Americas CEO for SDI Element Logic, a provider of turnkey automation solutions and sortation systems. Nathan joined SDI Industries in 2000 and honed his project management and engineering expertise in developing and delivering complex material handling solutions. In 2014, he was appointed CEO, and in 2022, he led the search for a strategic partner that could expand SDI’s capabilities. This culminated in the acquisition of SDI by Element Logic, with SDI becoming the Americas branch of the company.

A native of the U.K., Nathan received his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Coventry University and has studied executive leadership at Cranfield University.

Keep ReadingShow less

Logistics gives back: September 2024

  • Toyota Material Handling and its nationwide network of dealers showcased their commitment to improving their local communities during the company’s annual “Lift the Community Day.” Since 2021, Toyota associates have participated in an annual day-long philanthropic event held near Toyota’s Columbus, Indiana, headquarters. This year, the initiative expanded to include participation from Toyota’s dealers, increasing the impact on communities throughout the U.S. A total of 324 Toyota associates completed 2,300 hours of community service during this year’s event.

Toyota Material Handling

  • The PMMI Foundation, the charitable arm of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industry. Each year, the PMMI Foundation provides academic scholarships to students studying packaging, food processing, and engineering to underscore its commitment to the future of the packaging and processing industry.
  • Truck leasing and fleet management services provider Fleet Advantage hosted its “Kids Around the Corner Foundation” back-to-school backpack drive in July. During the event, company associates assembled 200 backpacks filled with essential school supplies for high school-age students. The backpacks were then delivered to Henderson Behavioral Health’s Youth & Family Services location in Tamarac, Florida.

Fleet Advantage

Keep ReadingShow less