In this week's episode, host Chad Griffiths is joined by Matt Carroll as they interview Dr. Jim Tompkins, one of the world's foremost experts in supply chain management.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 - Introduction;
• 1:45 - Tompkins' background;
• 23:20 - Early warehouse designs;
• 29:56 - The importance of optionality;
• 36:24 - How warehouses have evolved;
• 43:26 - Dark warehouses in the future?
• 47:32 - What happens with older industrial buildings?
• 51:50 - Where is all the power going to come from?
• 1:02:00 - Other major challenges in the industry;
• 1:05:03 - Timing on reshoring / onshoring;
• 1:09:43 - Why is there so much tension with China?

About Jim Tompkins

Tompkins is an international authority on designing and implementing end-to-end supply chains.

He is a serial entrepreneur who has started several businesses; worked with private equity; designed industrial facilities and automated materials handling systems; implemented supply chain information technology solutions and worked to enhance the performance of 3PLs and 3PL clients.

He was the founder and chairman of Tompkins International, where for over 40 years he focused on helping companies achieve profitable growth, giving him an insider’s view into what makes great companies even better.

In 2020, he founded Tompkins Ventures, LLC, a firm that helps executive teams address five big problems: entrepreneurial growth, development prosperity, logistics partnerships, technology and leadership.

Tompkins received the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) in 2015. The award recognizes Tompkins' contributions to the welfare of mankind in the field of industrial and systems engineering.

In addition, he has served as president of the IISE, the Materials Management Society and the College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education and has been named a Distinguished Engineering Alum by Purdue University, among other honours.

About Matt Carroll

With 15 years of international business experience in logistics and supply chains, Carroll has amassed expertise in the dynamics of supply chain management, contract negotiations and thought leadership after spending more than a decade managing operations in China, Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S.A.

He also has an understanding of global business environments, monetary impacts and rules of engagement for real estate integration for successful business results.

Carroll is a graduate of Purdue University, where he played NCAA basketball and was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, the recipient of the distinguished scholar-athlete award for outstanding academic achievements and the Ward Lambert academic award.