Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 79
“Blueprint 2019 – Session 4”
Hosted by Blue Ridge – Learn more here: https://blueridgeglobal.com/
Mike Shutt serves as Purchasing Manager with United Distributors, the largest beverage alcohol wholesaler in both Georgia and Alabama. With two members of the fourth generation of the Hertz family involved in leadership roles, United is one of the 2-3% of family businesses that are able to successfully transition beyond the third generation.
Through the ’80s and ’90s, United made a staggering 12 acquisitions throughout Georgia, providing broad statewide distribution coverage for its spirit and wine brands. United also broke into the domestic beer market by partnering with the Coors Brewing Company, Miller Brewing, and Heineken. In the mid-1980s, in order to encourage continuous growth and welcome new opportunities, United moved its headquarters to its current location in Smyrna, GA.
This facility allowed United to continue its warehouse and delivery consolidation efforts across the state. The Smyrna location was also critical when United purchased the distribution rights for the Miller Brewing Company in Atlanta, which nearly doubled the size of its beer distribution business.
Today, United conducts its Georgia operations at this location, as well as at warehouse and delivery locations in Savannah and Albany. United has since expanded into Alabama where it operates as United-Johnson Brothers of Alabama. Connect with Mike Shutt on LinkedIn and learn more about United Distributors here: https://udiga.com/
Jim Byrnes is the CEO of Blue Ridge where he brings a proven track record in growing profitable application and consulting businesses. Prior to joining Blue Ridge, Jim served as CEO of M4 Global Solutions, consisting of three independent operating companies: Changepoint, Uniface. and Lochbridge. Prior to M4, he spent more than 11 years at Infor, where he held multiple executive positions including SVP of Process Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution and EVP of Global Consulting Services. He previously ran the US operations of Ability as President of the supply chain management solutions provider. Jim has also served the Chief Operations Officer of Impact Innovations Group, a consulting services company focused on delivery chain management. Connect with Jim Byrnes on LinkedIn and learn more about Blue Ridge here: https://blueridgeglobal.com/
Scott W. Luton is the founder of Supply Chain Now Radio and also serves as Managing Partner for TalentStream. He has worked extensively in the end-to-end Supply Chain industry for more than 15 years, appearing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Dice and Quality Progress Magazine.
Scott currently serves as Executive Vice President of APICS Atlanta, was recently named a 2019 Pro to Know in Supply Chain by Supply & Demand Executive. He served on the 2018 Georgia Logistics Summit Executive Committee and currently serves as Chair of the 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards Planning Committee.
He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and holds the APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) credential. As a Veteran of the United States Air Force, Scott also volunteers on the Business Pillar for VETLANTA, and maintains active membership in the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance & CSCMP Atlanta Roundtable.
Connect with Scott Luton on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @ScottWLuton. Learn more about TalentStream, a leading recruiting & staffing firm that helps companies find top talent in the Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain space, by visiting their website here: www.talentstreamstaffing.com
Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Learn more about Blue Ridge’s work in the Wine & Spirits industry: click here
SCNR Tunes, Track 1, featuring Tommy Townsend & Will Haraway: click here
APICS Atlanta CSCP and CLTD Boot Camps at Georgia Tech: click here
Learn more about Supply Chain 101: https://youtu.be/Qc6U9WWUsYo
See SCNR’s latest webinar featuring an update on Drones & IoT technologies: https://youtu.be/K21zQICAnIg
Georgia Manufacturing Alliance: https://www.georgiamanufacturingalliance.com/
Blueprint 2019: https://blueridgeglobal.com/blueprint-2019/
AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit
Transparency 2019: https://www.freightwaves.com/transparency19
EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here
Gartner Supply Chain Leadership Conference in Phoenix: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/supply-chain-us
