Florida Supply Chain Summit on March 21-23 to Focus on Kinks Linked to Shortages on Shelves

Sessions also aimed at providing answers to real world challenges, such as
meeting the growing e-commerce challenges through Amazon’s expansion in Lakeland and Walmart’s use of robots to mitigate labor shortages

TAMPA, Fla.–If you are interested in doing business in Florida or are performing vital supply chain, logistics or trade services, this action-packed 3-day summit is for you.

The Florida Supply Chain Summit on March 21-23 at Hotel Alba in Tampa will feature top industry experts from: OneRail, Walmart, MercuryGate, Project44, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Boeing, Fanatics, Enterprise Florida, Space Florida, The Florida Chamber, FDOT, the Florida Trucking Association and other businesses, agencies, and associations, all talking about the complex process in which goods get from manufacturers to stores.

“With 15 international deep-water seaports and a well-developed transportation infrastructure, Florida has become a critical link in the future scale and success of our Nation’s supply chain,” said Bill Catania, CEO and Founder of OneRail, a logistics technology startup based in Orlando that has added 100 jobs since 2020, a host sponsor of the event. “The Florida Supply Chain Summit creates a powerful opportunity to gather the problem-solvers, thought leaders, and forward-thinking companies under one roof to develop critical supply chain solutions.”

Founded in 2019, the summit returns in-person after a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020 and a virtual event in 2021, bringing together supply chain management experts, economic development professionals, academics, corporate executives and representatives from railways, spaceports, transportation, logistics companies and airports.

Here are some of the highlights of this educational, informative program:

• “Florida’s Capacity for Growth” highlights Amazon’s growth and the 63-acre expansion at the Lakeland Linder airport, including an additional 464,000 square feet of distribution center space to make it Amazon’s largest center in the Southeast.

• To solve labor challenges, Walmart Senior Director of Automation Justin Miller Sr. will talk about how the company hopes to overcome workforce shortages by using robots in new ambient distribution centers, with Brooksville, Florida serving as the flagship DC model.

• Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Trade & Logistics Research Report, unveiling strategies to position Florida as a trade and logistics hub. The event also will include a presentation “Florida is Open for Business” by either Gov. Ron DeSantis or Florida Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Brad Thoburn.

• Founders of Project44 and MercuryGate International will discuss why technology is booming in today’s supply chain.

Organizers are expecting hundreds of attendees to hear other presentations about ambient distribution center automation and robotics, the global digital supply chain revolution, Space Florida, the state’s cold chain distribution, manufacturing, supply chain growth, and how technology is saving time, money, and jobs in Florida and more.

The summit is being organized by a steering committee that includes representatives from supply chain companies, Florida Ports Council, Datex, FloridaMakes, FDOT, Port Tampa Bay, Port Miami, and the University of South Florida.

“In alignment with our own business core values, we strive to attract top talent to the state of Florida that will support growth to the economy, provide top-tier jobs, and elevate Florida in the supply chain industry,” Catania, said. “As a Florida-based tech start-up focused on supply chain solutions, I could not think of a better event to host.”

About OneRail

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, OneRail is changing the face of fulfillment, with a comprehensive 4-in-1 last mile delivery solution that improves dependability, speed and cost. Between its massive national courier network of 9 million drivers, API-driven platform instantly matching deliveries to couriers, a 24/7 Exceptions Assist™ team that gets ahead of delays, and micro fulfillment to monitor inventory, OneRail combines top-tier technology with the critical human element. Available as a standalone platform or easily integrated with an existing TMS, OneRail helps global brands across retail, product distribution, construction and materials, and more optimize their last mile delivery workflow. To learn visit OneRail.com.