NC State Named Company of the Year by Supply Chain Management Association

NC State has been chosen as the 2018 Company of the Year from the Triangle chapter of the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS), a supply chain management association. The award, presented June 12 and accepted by George Hodge, associate professor in Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science and undergraduate program director for Textile Technology at the College of Textiles, was based on NC State faculty and student engagement in chapter and student chapter activities and supply chain related activities on campus.

Suren Palakkal (pictured above, center), president of the APICS Triangle chapter, said that the chapter’s partnership with NC State is prospering due to the continued involvement of both Hodge and Tracy Freeman, teaching assistant professor with the Poole College of Management, with students interested in careers in supply chain management. Jane Boyce (left) and Emma Jenio (right), both 2018 graduates in Textile Technology, were co-presidents of the student chapter this year.

“NC State’s College of Textiles and the Poole College of Management have been very active in promoting APICS Student Chapter in the campus and the number of student members has been on the rise consistently,” said Palakkal. “Special mention needs to be made of the role played by Dr. Hodge of the College of Textiles and Professor Tracy Freeman of PCOM, in encouraging student participation in APICS events and networking activities. Both these colleges are in constant pursuit of upskilling their students to be able to compete and get coveted jobs in the industry. The local chapter of APICS through its leadership and members is proud to partner with them in their pursuit through industry-leading ‘Body of Knowledge’, certification offerings and career guidance. The local chapter found this to be a win-win relationship and decided to present the ‘Organization of the Year’ award to NC State.”

According to APICS, their “awards programs recognize exemplary organizations and dedicated individuals advancing the field of supply chain management.” The society, which now boasts more than 45,000 members nationwide, was formed in 1957 with the mission of “fostering the advancement of end-to-end supply chain management through a body of knowledge, innovative research, systems and methods to create value for customers, members and organizations.”

Supply chain management is the planning and oversight of the flow of goods and services from raw product to consumption — an increasingly popular career choice in our global economy, especially within the textiles field. Within the Textile Technology major, the College of Textiles offers a concentration in Textile Supply Chain Operations to prepare students for careers such as buyer, inventory manager, logistics manager or worldwide procurement director.

Written by Cameron Walker

This post was originally published in College of Textiles News.