Some measure success by salaries and titles. Others use a different yardstick altogether. Take the six professionals selected as our 2022 Rainmakers, for example. When asked about their proudest professional accomplishments, their answers ranged from the satisfaction of working with others “to accomplish something bigger than I could ever do alone” to mentoring younger colleagues and seeing them go on to greater glory. 

So who are these Rainmakers and how were they chosen? As in the past, DC Velocity selected the 2022 Rainmakers in concert with members of the magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board from candidates nominated by readers, board members, and previous Rainmakers and DCV Thought Leaders. This year’s selections represent different facets of the business—practitioners, academics, engineering and tech specialists, and executives of third-party service providers and industry organizations. But as the profiles on the following pages show, they’re united by a common goal of advancing the logistics and supply chain management profession.

Starting July 1, we will release the name of one of our 6 Rainmakers each day. Check this spot daily to read about the other supply chain leaders we are honoring this year. 

If you’d like to nominate someone for our 2023 Rainmakers report, please send your suggestions to DC Velocity’s group editorial director, David Maloney, at dmaloney@dcvelocity.com.

When Boyce Bonham graduated from high school more than 40 years ago, he was awarded a scholarship from Hytrol Conveyor Co., the business where his father worked. Although he says he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study at Arkansas State, he ended up choosing engineering, thanks to the encouragement of some of his teachers. That decision turned out to be the conveyor industry’s gain, as Bonham has spent the past 37 years overseeing the design of some of the industry’s most successful conveyor and sorter innovations.

Bonham has also been active in promoting industry engineering standards and best practices within the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) and MHI. He is listed as a co-inventor on seven issued patents and has spent his entire working career at Hytrol, where he currently serves as chief engineer.

“When Hytrol offered me a job after receiving a degree, my plan was one to two years and then move on; ‘After all, how interesting can conveyors be?’ was my thinking at the time,” he says. “However, Hytrol not only gave me freedom to design products to meet customer requests, but also allowed me to creatively add features beyond their basic needs. I have not been bored during my 37 years at Hytrol. I would definitely add, ‘Conveyors are way more interesting than I originally thought!’”

Q: How has the conveyor industry changed during your time in the industry?

A: Many things about the conveyor industry have changed during my time there, while some things remain much the same. The rates at which items are handled have risen, which has driven conveyor speeds up significantly. Demand for higher throughput rates has driven us to be much more creative with system design, including gapping and controlling the cartons. The type of products handled has also changed. Today, we are conveying items that once would have been considered nonconveyable because they were too large, too small, too heavy, or even too light. At one time, the products conveyed were cartons or totes, but now we are doing a lot of polybags, envelopes, and irregular items.

Q: What is the one work experience that you consider to be the most satisfying of your career?

A: Narrowing this down to one is tough, and it may depend on what day you ask me because I’ve had many very satisfying experiences during my career at Hytrol. Among the most satisfying is being able to work on a new product that brings newly developed and needed technology to the industry, and then being afforded the opportunity to personally take this product to the market in sales presentations, customer training, and industry events.

The timing of my roles within the company allowed me to do this with our E24 product family of low-voltage conveyors. Customer sustainability initiatives peaked at the same time we took it to market, which stimulated a tremendous interest in the product, and its acceptance was phenomenal. This whole product launch was very fulfilling and satisfying to me personally.

Q: You are active in a number of industry associations, including the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) and MHI. Why is this important to you?

A: Industry associations contribute to building a network of personal relationships with individuals throughout the industry, even with individuals working for competitors. This helps to strengthen the industry through sharing common challenges we all may face—and particularly in helping to develop standards. The standards may be design standards, safety standards, or best practices. The associations also help our end-users by providing a platform for sharing their upcoming challenges, based on their strategic initiatives, so our industry can develop solutions to help them advance at a faster pace.

Q: What advice would give a young engineer who’s considering a career in the material handling profession?

A: It is a great industry with a lot of opportunities. Whether it is designing products for manufacture, designing conveying systems, integrating equipment for the total solution, or working for the end-user of the material handling system, there will always be a need to move products. The methods will change, the products will change, demand will change; however, all of the changes will create an additional need for engineers to design the right material handling technology and solution. It’s a great opportunity for someone who wants to make a difference in society while learning what goes on behind the scenes in how things get to a consumer—happenings that the general public could never imagine.

There is very little that happens at Geodis North America that does not have Mike Honious’ fingerprints on it.

Honious took over as president and CEO of the Americas for the French third-party logistics (3PL) specialist in 2020, a position that makes him responsible for contract logistics, transportation management, freight forwarding, business development, legal, accounting and finance, human resources, engineering and technology, IT in North and South America, the company’s real estate brokerage arm, and more. When you add up all those divisions, he oversees operations that span 15,000 employees across more than 150 sites.

Prior to joining Geodis, he spent 13 years with clothing retailer Gap Inc. serving as senior director of campus operations, responsible for 2.2 million square feet of warehousing operations, and director of global engineering services. Outside of the office, the Tennessee resident is a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and has served as a volunteer coach for youth baseball, basketball, and hockey.

Q: What’s your proudest professional achievement (or accomplishment or moment) and why?

A: I have had many proud moments in my career, which is especially true when you love what you do. These moments have included being a part of incredible teams implementing complex warehouse management systems, installing innovative material handling automation, bringing up new facilities, onboarding teammates, and training existing teammates on new initiatives. 

However, my proudest “moment” actually happened over a period of time. It was when I saw the culture we had been dedicated to building for many years working in front of my eyes. I have watched as our leaders have grown our business, increased efficiencies, and tackled any issue that has arisen. You read articles about building company culture, but when you see it work in front of you, that’s an unforgettable experience.

Q: What drew you to the field of logistics?

A: One might say it was by chance that I entered the field of logistics. When I was graduating from college with an industrial engineering technology degree, I sent my résumé to several prospects across various industries. One afternoon, I received a call from Shawn Curran at Gap Inc., who is now the COO of Old Navy, for an interview. At the time, I wasn’t familiar with Gap or Banana Republic. My girlfriend—who is now my lovely wife of 28 years—took me to a Gap store before the interview. The interview process went well, and I ended up receiving a job offer. It was a growing industry, and the position was in logistics, an entirely new field for me. I took a chance not knowing where it would ultimately take my career. Fast forward 30 years, and I look back on that decision as one of the best in my career.

Q: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen during your career?

A: People and technology. When I was in college in the ’90s, there were only a handful of schools that offered supply chain degrees. Today, it is much more common, which is creating an entirely new workforce with a different educational background. The challenge is creating a work environment that adapts to current market conditions and allows each employee to be challenged and grow within the company. 

The other area is technology. There was a substantial shift when WMS technology created a real-time data environment. Due to a sharp increase in labor costs, the past five years have seen a huge jump in automation and robotics. With the sheer amount of technology solutions now available, today’s challenge is to find the right solution tailored to a specific supply chain operation.

Q: What hasn’t changed?

A: What hasn’t changed—and will never change—is the fundamental need for an innovative and agile supply chain workforce. The one constant in our industry is change, whether that be navigating external challenges during a global pandemic, responding to rapidly changing consumer demands, or implementing the newest technology into operations. Behind every great supply chain operation is a dedicated team with an entrepreneurial spirit who is dedicated to solving problems and bringing creative ideas to the table. No matter the unknowns that lie ahead for supply chain, that will always remain unchanged.

Q: What advice would you give someone just starting a career in supply chain management?

A: I would encourage them to trust their individual journey. Supply chain has many different opportunities and career paths; it’s not “one size fits all.” It doesn’t matter if you enter the industry straight out of high school, trade school, or university. I am a perfect example of that. I—with a little luck—took a chance in the supply chain field not knowing where it would lead me. I have been fortunate enough to have gained a wide range of experience within a growing industry across diverse roles such as engineering, project management, and operations—all of which led me to where I am today. I always say that for anyone who wants to listen, learn, and grow, supply chain is the land of opportunity.

Q: What are some of the truisms that should be forgotten? In other words, what rules do companies need to break?

A: One truism that immediately comes to mind is “It is what it is.” It’s a limiting mindset to adopt, particularly for those in our industry because it signifies that a difficult situation can’t be fixed and should simply be accepted. As we all know, the supply chain industry has and will continue to see complex, unforeseen challenges. In order to succeed, companies need to meet those challenges head-on with a willingness to explore and adopt new ways of thinking and doing. If you don’t, you risk getting left behind.

When John Janson graduated from college with a degree in communications, he hoped to land a job in his field. But that wasn’t in the cards. The year was 1983, and the job market was the tightest it had been in the post-war era. So when a local motor freight carrier offered him a job in sales, he took it, and a four-decade career as one of the profession’s most respected supply chain executives was born.

Janson’s subsequent career journey included positions at several major motor carriers and then a shift to the “shipper side” of the market, managing logistics for an Idaho-based tech startup called Micron PC. From there, he went on to manage logistics operations at companies such as MWI Animal Health/AmerisourceBergen, Bodybuilding.com, and now SanMar, where he serves as head of global logistics.

Along the way, Janson has made it a point to give back to the profession. Active in numerous industry and professional groups, he has served on the advisory boards for NASSTRAC, University of Auburn Logistics, Northwest Seaport Alliance, and the Parcel Forum. His wit and wisdom have made him a much sought-after speaker at conferences.

Q: Tell us about SanMar, its products and services, and the supply chain and logistics operation that supports it.

A: Family-owned since 1971, SanMar is a wholesale apparel manufacturer specializing in imprinted sportswear. With 4,000 employees, 10 distribution centers, and local sourcing offices in Hong Kong and Honduras, we are the largest buyer of apparel in the country. From the top of the organization down, there is a strong drive to create products that make a difference. SanMar is also committed to being stewards of the community and the environment. We constantly evaluate the impact of our operations and strive to be a catalyst for positive change throughout our supply chain.

My global logistics team is made up of 20-plus strong, talented, and diverse individuals who support our global network. We work collaboratively with our internal sourcing, planning, and operational teams to tackle complex problems that can range from importing raw materials to shipping finished goods, to dray, to intermodal trucking/rail, to cross dock, to our distribution centers, and deliver to our 65,000-plus customer locations. 

Q: How did you end up in the logistics profession?

A: I guess you could say I launched my career in transportation as a school bus driver while attending Boise State University. After graduating with a degree in communications in 1983, I interviewed for an HR job at May Trucking, a national truckload carrier. They turned me down for HR but hired me as a Midwest sales position. And so, I was launched into a whole new world, with no experience in sales and knowing nothing about trucking. Looking back, I realize that those early years gave me a great deal of respect for the trucking profession and the importance of building trusting relationships.

Q: The pandemic placed enormous strain on supply chains, and even broke some. How did you approach the pandemic in your operations?

A: Early on in the pandemic, SanMar’s business fell off nearly 70%. Our leadership did not panic, they did not lay anyone off, they did not shut the supply chain down. Instead, we pivoted. In a manner of weeks, we had launched a PPE (personal protective equipment) production program that supplied over 225 million masks to the federal government for distribution to U.S. citizens. Yes, we had negative impacts: We froze hiring, we had to cut salaries and hours, our owners took their salaries down to $1, but we didn’t cancel any orders. We worked with our vendors and suppliers, we got creative, and we kept our whole team intact. Those decisions to lean into “doing the right thing” paid very real dividends as the world started to come back from the pandemic. We were in a great spot to leverage our supply chain to grow the business.

Q: You have a great deal of experience managing supply chains. What would you say are the biggest obstacles to effective change management?

A: I think the number one challenge is executive leadership buy-in. The C-suite needs to be convinced that companies do not compete; rather, their supply chains do. It is challenging to create a culture of change. At SanMar, a supply chain focus is in our DNA. It allows us to remain nimble and react quickly to market conditions and changing customer demand. 

Q: Were there any lessons you learned from the pandemic experience that you will apply in the future?

A: For sure. Our philosophy that “business is personal” paid off at a very high level. If we had not worked so hard to build high-trust, meaningful relationships before the pandemic, I am confident we would not have been as successful as we were. We also learned that we did not all have to be in the office to manage our network. My entire global logistics team worked remotely throughout the pandemic and was hugely effective. We recognized the importance of transparent and frequent communication. Today, most of my team remains remote, only coming in for key meetings or supplier visits. 

Q: What is your proudest professional achievement?

A: Receiving this honor, considering past honorees, is clearly a highlight. 

I would also put my team’s and my company’s performance during the pandemic—that is, the pivot to making and distribution PPE—at the top of the list. At the time, everyone was working remotely and SanMar had never made a single mask. Within days, we had located raw materials. Within weeks, we were producing product in Vietnam and Honduras. When it came to distribution, we tapped the creativity of my team and our supply chain partners. We chartered a passenger 747 from Vietnam to Dallas, stuffing every seat and overhead space with boxed PPE. We cleared containers through the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach and Seattle/Tacoma in record time. We leaned on every aspect of our network to deliver over 225 million masks, and every one of our strategic partners responded. Looking back, it was amazing! 

Q: What advice would you give someone looking to enter the field of supply chain management?

A: Invest early in hair dye. I swear my hair gets grayer by the day. 

All kidding aside, I would encourage them to try to find a mentor in the industry. I would also tell them: Get involved with local and national groups such as CSCMP. Do not be afraid to experience supply chain from multiple perspectives, including manufacturing, sales, distribution, and even the 3PL (third-party logistics service provider) side. Say yes to opportunities that make you well rounded and allow you to gain exposure to different pieces of the puzzle. Become an expert communicator and INVEST in relationships along the way—the connections you make and maintain matter and will serve you well. Finally, embrace change, as change will become a constant. 

Imagine assuming the reins of the organization responsible for North America’s two largest supply chain trade shows, and suddenly, a global pandemic hits, bringing all in-person events to a halt for nearly two years. That was the challenge John Paxton faced when he became CEO of industry association MHI. He carefully steered the organization through the worst of the pandemic to a successful return of the group’s Modex show this spring—the largest Modex show to date.

Paxton has more than 30 years’ experience in the material handling and logistics industry, including over 20 years of executive leadership at Demag Cranes and Components. During that time, he was an active volunteer leader at MHI, serving as president of the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), president of the Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI), and chairman of the board of MHI. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, Paxton also earned an MBA with a focus on international business from Kent State University.

Q: Earlier in your career, you worked for a company that was a member of MHI. Now, you are MHI’s CEO. How has your view of MHI changed as a result of that transition?

A: Before joining MHI, I worked at a member company focused on the overhead lifting industry. During that time, I really enjoyed the volunteer aspects and learning opportunities provided by MHI. Membership in MHI provided the market insights and the personal connections that helped grow our business, and it supported my professional development.

Now in my new role, I rely on the personal experience I gained as a member and a volunteer, and apply that to the members across the total industry. The value of MHI membership comes in many areas of both business and professional development, and the key to unlocking that value is engagement. My previous experience provides a unique membership perspective when providing guidance to the MHI team for current and future member value programming.

Q: You have a background in engineering. How has that background and experience served you in leading MHI?

A: Our industry is all about understanding the customers’ needs and then providing technology solutions to improve their businesses. Technical knowledge of the product solutions is very valuable for understanding how our members serve their customers and to understand MHI’s role in that process. I’m an enthusiastic learner when it comes to the solutions and new innovations that continue to be developed. It is amazing to see and to learn about these advancements, especially with what has transpired over the past two years.

Q: After the return of a very successful Modex show this spring, what excites you about the material handling industry?

A: If there was ever a time to have a supply chain show, it is now. All the recent challenges have brought the supply chain into focus, and it has now taken center stage at the executive level. We were really excited to see the enthusiasm and energy of both the attendees and the exhibitors, and it was truly amazing to see the launches of innovative new products. The accelerated investment in material handling solutions was very apparent at this year’s Modex show.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who is looking to take on a new leadership role?

A: My advice for new leaders is, “Maintain a laser focus on the development of your team.” A strong, knowledgeable, highly engaged team is the foundational building block that is required to provide exceptional customer value, and it is the enabler of long-term business success. Build your engaged team with the right skills and an aptitude to learn, and then support them in their learning and professional development. All leaders should continuously develop their team, express appreciation for the team’s contributions, and celebrate its successes.

In a volatile supply chain environment, it becomes more important than ever to have the right people on your team. But finding people with the right skills has never been harder. To survive and thrive, companies need to start developing their own talent in house, instead of relying on the open market. 

Dr. Shay Scott is there to make sure companies don’t have to go it alone when it comes to their talent development efforts. Through his work with the University of Tennessee’s supply chain executive education programs and its Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI), Scott has been helping companies envision what their future supply chain workforce might look like and what skills that they might need. He and his colleagues then use what they learn to develop suitable degree and talent development programs and determine how best to deliver them. On top of that, GSCI, which is led by Scott, conducts research and organizes networking programs, with the goal of broadening and deepening relationships between academia and industry.

Scott is the perfect person to guide these partnerships, given his background in industry. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee (UT), Scott worked for Dell, back when the technology company was synonymous with supply chain innovation and excellence. At Dell, he led the Americas International Logistics organization, where he had responsibility for Dell’s outbound supply chain from the U.S. to points throughout the world. Scott has found his industry experience to be vital to connecting with students in the classroom, whether they’re undergraduates or executives.

Scott takes pride in his school’s close ties to the “real world.” “It is in our DNA here at UT to have a close relationship with industry; after all, industry is our laboratory and where innovation happens,” he says.

Q: In these volatile times, what are you hearing from companies about the types of programs they want academia to provide?

A: Companies are faced with a new reality of limited talent just at the time that they need the most from their supply chain management (SCM) teams. We have left the predictable cadence of the past 20 years and returned to the disruption that is actually much more normal if you examine history. However, during the two decades of relative calm, most companies built long, complex, and sometimes unstable supply chains. Now, those supply chains must be retuned in a way that fits today and makes use of rapidly developing technology. 

The key for companies to successfully make this transition is their human capital, and many companies are realizing this. They are investing more in education and skills development, and are working with their employees to ensure they are happy at work. This certainly manifests in our partnerships with companies where we are working to help their leadership teams plot a strategy for the future and then equip their teams to actually execute it. However, this remains a big mindset shift, especially for the HR and finance functions.

Q: Can you talk more about that mindset shift?

A: If you look at most companies, they have this capital budget and plan, where executives spend a lot of time determining how much we’re going to invest in capital, how much we’re going to invest in technology, and how much we’re going to invest in R&D. And there’s this expectation that we need significant amount of spend to get something new and better. 

Yet when we flip over and talk about human capital, we approach it from a more transactional perspective. We simply go out and look for the best person who fits within our salary requirements. Instead, we should be taking the same approach that we would for capital planning or tech planning. We should start by asking, “What is our business strategy?”’ and then based on that business strategy, look at what skills gaps we have and where we need to make investments. 

That mindset shift—of actually needing to invest in individuals or teams to truly bring about changes in their skill sets—is a new thing for most companies. When they think of training or development, they think of a three-day course. But you don’t really change peoples’ decision-making skills and perspective in a three-day course. You have to do something deeper. Now, that doesn’t mean that the employee needs to quit their job and go to school full time. That’s too far the other way. But to actually work to develop human capital as opposed to “we’re just going to acquire it and if we don’t like it, we’re going to get rid of it,” well, the market really doesn’t provide the slack for most companies to do that.

So at UT, we continue to innovate in our programs and delivery methods. We launched a fully online MS-SCM program in fall 2019 (great forecasting, right?), and we also launched a fully online SCM Leadership Academy in 2021. These online programs aren’t a reaction to the pandemic; they are the best way to reach the learning objectives for large segments of working professionals. Finally, we launched the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative in 2019 as a smaller group of our partners who work together with faculty to advance important topics such as digitalization, sustainability, and the future of work.

Q: What is your proudest professional achievement? 

A: I love working with others to accomplish something bigger than I could ever do alone. This team ethos runs deep here at the University of Tennessee, where I get to work with numerous industry leaders and stand on the shoulders of late colleagues and industry giants such as Mary Holcomb and Tom Mentzer. Building UT’s Global Supply Chain Institute into the pre-eminent hub for practitioners, academics, and students to work together to advance their own companies and careers as well as define the future of our profession is definitely my proudest professional achievement. I am a steward who has been entrusted with great responsibility to ensure that we work together to make tomorrow better through supply chain management.

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