How Veritiv is Bringing DTC Technology to B2B with Will Vining, Senior Director of Supply Chain Optimization

Let’s be honest, we’d be much less productive without the innovations that have developed over the past twenty years. So why do we put up with obsolete technology and processes when it comes to our operations?

Joining this week’s episode to talk all about this is Will Vining, Senior Director of Supply Chain Optimization at Veritiv Corporation. Will has been with Veritiv for nearly twelve years, but still calls himself a rookie in the B2B distribution world. A Stord customer, Veritiv is a full-service provider of packaging, JanSan and hygiene products, services and solutions. They’re also a Fortune 500 Business with about 85 distribution centers across North America.

Listen as Alex and Michelle explore Will’s history with the organization; specifically how he helped to develop and sell their freight brokerage business, Veritiv Logistics Solutions. Will also shares how Veritiv’s network strategy is constantly evolving to continue to enable their growth, and what new technologies he and his team are exploring to position themselves for the future.

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Guest Bio

Will Vining is the Senior Director of Supply Chain Optimization at Veritiv Corporation, where he leads a variety of functions supporting Veritiv’s Supply Chain. These include transportation and warehouse optimization across the network of 85 distribution centers, the nightly routing of approximately 4,000 customer deliveries, and the company’s global real estate footprint.

In addition, Will manages Indirect Sourcing, has responsibility for Supply Chain

Sustainability and leads Veritiv’s Next Gen Supply Chain initiative which is focused on

driving innovation throughout Operations. Will joined Veritiv in 2011 as an early member of the Veritiv Logistics Solutions (VLS) business. He eventually became the Director of that business and was instrumental in driving its turnaround and eventual sale.

Will holds a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain from Georgia Southern University and an MBA in Global Business from the University of Illinois.

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Guest Quote

“The reason we do work with Stord is: You guys help us way beyond freight brokerage. So if we have something that comes up, the Stord Team is always willing to jump in and help us brainstorm things beyond just getting a load moved from point A to point B.” - Will Vining

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Time Stamps

*(1:44) What is Veritiv?

*(4:53) Network strategy

*(8:07) Being a part of Veritiv Logistics Solutions

*(9:30) Transportation trends

*(12:29) Veritiv’s freight operations

*(14:33) Pros and cons of LTL vs. truckload

*(15:11) Why Veritiv picked Stord

*(18:05) Future innovations on the horizon

*(21:05) Will’s career advice

*(21:37) Speed round

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Sponsor

This podcast is powered by the team at Stord. Turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Go to Stord.com to learn more.

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Links

Connect with Will Vining on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn

Connect with Michelle McNamara on LinkedIn

Check out the Stord Website

Learn more about Veritiv Corporation