Alabama’s Port City will play host to this year’s installment of the Alabama Global Supply Chain & Logistics Summit, which explores key supply chain topics such as the changing international trade environment, workforce training and cybersecurity.
The 8th annual summit will take place Tuesday, Nov. 12, and Wednesday, Nov. 13, at The Battle House Hotel in Mobile. The event is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Commerce and hosted by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Supply chain efficiency and innovation continue to be relevant topics for our companies as they grow and adapt to meet the ever-changing demands of the global supply chain,” Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said.
“Businesses have the opportunity here to learn how their peers have put in place supply chain strategies that have led to success both locally and internationally.”
The summit presents attendees with an opportunity to network with industry leaders from small and medium-sized companies as well as large corporations as they share information on supply chain trends.
On Wednesday morning, Canfield will speak on Alabama’s advantage in distribution and logistics. Companies as diverse as Amazon, Mercedes-Benz and Carvana have recently selected Alabama for major distribution hub projects.
The event’s agenda includes updates on the state’s infrastructure and gas tax, a conversation on the impact of trade policy and tariffs on global supply chain, the changing landscape of the supply chain workforce and many other topics.
To register and pay for the summit online, click here.
The summit’s keynote speaker is Bryan Riley, director of the National Taxpayers Union’s Free Trade Initiative. He will discuss the importance of free trade and implications of disruptive trade policy to Alabama businesses and their global supply chains.
Other speakers at the event include Ed Castile, deputy Commerce secretary and director of AIDT; Jimmy Lyons, CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority; and Rolf Wrona, vice president of human resources at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, its Alabama operation.
In addition, Denson White of APM Terminals will discuss the impact of Walmart’s $135 million import distribution center, which opened in Mobile in 2018. The 2.5 million-square-foot facility provides a major boost to the Port of Mobile and enhances Alabama’s global connections.
For more information on the summit, contact Kayley Shepard at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce ([email protected] or 251-431-8629) or Jeremy Wolfe at the Commerce Department ([email protected] or 334-353-1762).
This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.
