St. Louis region could deliver new shipping alternatives as global supply chain disruptions hit the Midwest

St. Louis region could deliver new shipping alternatives as global supply chain disruptions hit the Midwest
May 14, 2021 Matt Fernandes
River and barge

This article originally ran on ajot.com on May 14, 2021. 


Striking images of dozens of container ships berthed outside of already congested West Coast ports, plus photos and video showing a 1,300-foot-long container ship stuck in the Suez Canal, have landed supply chain industry news in the forefront for consumers in recent months. While the visuals may be what has caught the attention of people who normally do not give much thought to the movement of freight, the ripple effect of these global incidents on the heels of supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt nationwide and in the St. Louis region. It also is reinforcing the importance of having a resilient supply chain and calling attention to the role the St. Louis region could play in providing options for shippers in this evolving environment.

Panos Kouvelis has looked extensively into this subject over the past year, interviewing multiple local and global companies with complex supply chains. He found resiliency in the supply chain comes down to two things.

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