Global Trade This Week

Billy Demong, Gold Medalist & Executive Director of USA Nordic - Uptime Logistics

Today is an exciting episode of Uptime Logistics - Doug Draper speaks with Billy Demong, winner of the Olympic Gold Medal during the  2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics - the first gold medal for the US in the realm of Nordic sports. Demong is a five-time Olympian, competing in Nagano, Salt Lake City, Torino, Vancouver and Sochi.

He has been the Executive Director of USA Nordic Sport for the past six years, where he has lead his team of coaches and athletes through growth, training, and international competitions. During his tenure there, he has served through two Olympic Games and three World Championships. Under his watch, Demong oversaw many accomplishments including the transition of the organization from USA Ski Jumping to USA Nordic Sport; Addition of programs for Men’s and Women’s Nordic Combined and Women’s Ski Jumping; Significant growth of the coaching staff and the addition of key personnel in finance, communications, partnership and sponsor fulfillment;  Onboarding of key partners, such as NYU Langone, backcountry.com, and Paul Smith’s College; and Significant increase in revenue over his tenure. 

Billy introduces us to the sport of Nordic combined, where athetes are both doing energy-intensive cross country skiing as well as the highly technical long distance ski jumping. Each requires focused training and he describes some of their innovative techniques for athletic imporvement and progression. 

Leading a growing team with many people and pieces of equipment requires expert logistics and a talent for managing uptime. Billy shares his expert experience in keeping the team up and running while traveling for training and competition. He also recounts a recent story where CAP Logistics was able to help him and USA Nordic expedite the transportation of a critical piece of competition gear in less than 14 hours.

Billy also shares many other insightful stories and lessons learned throughout his experiences of training as an athletes to leading a competitive international sports team. He and the other coaches at USA Nordic Sport definitely understand the importance of uptime, and he shares a unique perspective that also readily applies to business and industrial teams and organizations. Watch or listen to today's episode to learn more, and then visit https://usanordic.org/

https://www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/2022/4/14/billy-demong-usa-nordic-sports-gold-medal-service

Autonomous Operations with ASI Mining - Uptime Logistics

Today, Uptime Logistics host Doug Draper of ACME Distribution speaks with Drew Larsen of ASI Mining: https://asirobots.com/mining/

Drew shares about his career path to where he finds himself today, and why he’s excited about working with a company leading the way in heavy equipment automation. While ASI works with other major industries such as Agriculture, Automobiles, and Material Handling, there are especially large opportunities for Mining operations ready to implement today. From safety, to efficiency, to overall operational uptime, mining automation is here and growing.

Doug asks all sorts of questions about automation in the mining industry, and what sets ASI apart from the alternatives. Being OEM agnostic, ASI Robotics’ solutions can connect equipment from multiple manufacturers. They provide system-level monitoring and control to empower the human operators to safely and efficiently control the heavy equipment on site. CAP Logistics would like to thank Drew and ASI for sharing some of their insights and perspectives on this exciting industrial and technological frontier. We look forward to seeing the future of mining!

www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/2022/2/10/mining-automation-uptime-asi-mining

Looking ahead with World Trade Center Denver - Uptime Logistics

Today, Uptime Logistics host Doug Draper of ACME Distribution gets to speak with Karen Gerwitz, President & CEO of World Trade Center Denver. WTC Denver has been an important non-profit organization offering training, resources, and convening the international business community here for 35 years.

Through her leadership at World Trade Center Denver, Karen has become a pillar of the international trade here in Colorado and beyond. Karen and the organization she leads has our thanks for their tireless efforts in education and trade services that get companies moving around the world. They help connect business with funding, sourcing, and strategy for companies looking to grow through importing and exporting - as well as attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). As a leading member of a global network of 320 World Trade Centers, Karen and WTC Denver deliver key knowledge, jobs, and economic growth for Colorado.

Doug and Karen discuss the new 41-acre real estate development in the Globeville neighborhood that will house the new WTC Denver heaquarters, as well as many other businesses and accomodations including a hotel, performing arts center, exhibit hall, and 4,000 apartments. CAP Logistics is excited to see our local neighborhood within Denver grow, as well the the wider impacts such new faciilities and events will bring to the business community.

WTC Denver also offers business accellerators, Global Trade Activator, guiding companies to strategically expand through global trade. This program can help companies expand globally in a matter of about 4 months, which is practically unheard of. This speaks to the knowledge and power the WTC has had for years, combined with program improvements during an era of COVID that has limited in-person events and consultations over the past few years.

Karen recently has been awarded accolades for her service here locally with recognition in the Denver Business Journal’s 25 Most Admired CEOs. Globally, Karen also has recently been tapped to serve on the board for the larger World Trade Center organization. She has been nominated to serve as Chair for the Nporth Amercican region of World Trade Centers, which covers about 55 World Trade Centers in Canada and the United States. Looking ahead for Denver and Colorado, Karen sees our community serving as a key hub for global commerce. Her vision includes a prominent role for Denver and Colorado as a key center for physical transportation and shipping.

Watch on Youtube or listen to the podcast (embedded above or available on all major podcast platforms) to hear from Karen Gerwitz and learn more about the importance of trade and what’s coming in the near future for World Trade Center Denver! To keep up with the latest and to engage with their events and programming, visit World Trade Center Denver online.

Watch the video at https://www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/2022/1/19/looking-ahead-with-world-trade-center-denver

George Sparks of Denver Museum of Nature and Science - Purpose and Profits - Uptime Logistics

Today, Doug Draper gets to talk with George Sparks, President and CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). Tune in or read on to learn more about George, the Museum, and how profits & purpose can inspire better business.

Doug and George start off the discussion with a bit of background from George’s time as a pilot in the Air Force, continuing on to further study aerospace engineering, and teaching at the Air Force Academy. After the Air Force, George worked at HP during a time where computers were really growing and taking off. Holding to a promise he’d made to himself and a mentor, he eventually retired from HP to find the perfect role for giving back to the community through his work with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The museum was founded in 1900 with a starting collection from naturalist Edwin Carter. In 2019 the museum served 2.3 million peoplem, making it the third largest natural history museum in the country. Their underlying mission is to inspire people about nature and science. They imagine an empowered community where everybody loves, understands, and protects the natural world.

DMNS is the most active natural history museum by some measures, such as their 1,800+ volunteers or 65,000 households as members (pre-pandemic) . That amount of community involvement speaks volumes about the people and the purporse involved.

Doug and George discuss the role of both profits and purpose for organations - whether a non profit like DMNS or a more traditional for-profit organization that wants to do more. Focused mission driven leadership, if authentic and congruent, can play an important role in organizations and society. That being said, it’s important to avoid marketing-only initiatives or especially any form of hypocracy, less an organization could do more harm than good. Fortunately most people really do care about a strong purpose, in addition to caring about a strong business plan that can ensure continuing succes into the future.

Some notable exhibitions upcoming at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science:
-Survival of the Slowest
-The Science of Guitars
(Sneak peak ahead: next year there will be a big new exhibit on Egypt!)

VIsit DMNS to become a member or attend these exciting shows!
https://www.dmns.org/

Watch this podcast as a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUOz8Ajy5RI

https://www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/2021/11/5/george-sparks-of-denver-museum-of-nature-and-science-purpose-and-profits-uptime-logistics

Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership & NOCOM 2021 - Uptime Logistics

Today on Uptime Logistics, Doug Draper of the Denver Transportation Club and ACME Distribution dives into the Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership. Sylvia Robinson of Tolmar Pharmaceuticals joins him to discuss the partnership, workforce development initiatives, job opportunities, and the upcoming NOCOM event being held this week.

As an easy way to get involved, Sylvia highlights that NOCO offers free memebrship. The group is now made up of over 200 companies and encourages membership to connect, share best practices, and help each other with business development and supporting their supply chains.

It’s not too late to attend this year’s major NOCOM tradeshow being held Thursday, September 23, 2021 | 9AM – 3:30PM MT at The Ranch in Loveland, CO. Learn more and register here: www.nocomfg.com/NOCOM

For businesses interested in learning more about building their talent pipeline through work based learning opportunities, Sylvia shared the Larimer & Weld County Work Based Learning Alliance: www.nocoinspire.org

More info on youth apprenticeships: https://www.careerwisecolorado.org/

Looking forward to seeing you there at NOCOM!

www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/09/20/21/nocom-noco-manufacturing-partnership-2021

Lumber Market Update - John Duncanson of Corton Capital - Uptime Logistics

You’ve likely heard that the price of lumber has skyrocketed this year. You may or may not have heard about a price pull back from the recent high. To learn more about the market and what might be reasonable expectations for the future, Doug Draper dives into the subject with John Duncanson - Executive V.P. of Corton Capital, Inc. and Timber Analyst on the Corton Global Timber Fund.

They begin with discussing John’s background as a professional forester, experience in lumber & finance, up to the formation of Corton Capital in 2019. The fund is designed to provide direct access to the lumber market, compared to the limited options previously available. This year they’ve seen their fund have growth of 50% after the rise and pullback.

John then explores and explains the various demand side trends that are driving the recent price change. He also describes the more chronic trend of supply side reductions with permanent closures of mills and processing facilities. While John is based in Toronto, he is well aware of Colorado’s pine beetle kill off - the markets are connected, as well as the ecosystems as insects don’t stop at state or national borders. Which is why, combined with warmer winter temperatures, Canada has also had pine beetle issues up in British Columbia. He discussing DIY trends, COVID impacts, interest rates, and demographics influences as well. By being so familiar with the various aspects of the forestry and lumber prices, John is able to provide top tier insight into what’s going on in the lumber industry as of late, and what’s likely to come. Watch or listen to learn more about lumber market directly from John Duncanson.

Learn more about John and the Corton Global Timber Fund:
https://cortoncapitalinc.ca

 

Uptime Logistics is sponsored by CAP Logistics. View this post and learn more about Uptime Logistics at CAP's website:

www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/07/15/21/corton-capital-john-duncanson-lumber-prices

Troops2Logistics - Uptime Logistics

Troops 2 Logistics is a 501c3 organization that helps guide our nation’s veterans into post-service opportunities within the logistics industry.  Their mission is to eradicate the transition barriers for veterans seeking a logistics career.

President and co-founder Scot Snyder joins Doug today to discuss the non-profit and the important opportunities they help provide the men and women that have served our country. Supply chain and transporation positions are available for job seekers, and the process of education and mentorship can go along way in helping a job candidate in finding a good fit and help make the most of the skills developed throughout their military service.

To futher describe the role of the mentor, Doug and Scot are joined by Robin Grubb. Robin is the Category Manager for Transportation & Fleet at the American Red Cross. As a daughter and wife of servicemen, she has experience with seeing the transition process from serving in our nation’s military to joining the workforce. As leaders within logistics that also understand service, Scot, Robin, and their entire team are able to offer great advice ranging from resume and job application advice, to netwokring and personal brand development.

After watching and listening to the show, please visit their website whether you’re a job applicant, a mentor, or a patron that can contribute to the mission of this great cause!

https://troops2logistics.org/request-a-mentor
https://troops2logistics.org/support-donate

https://www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/07/01/21/troops-2-logistics

John Gould of 10 Tanker on Aerial Firefighting - Uptime Logistics

10 Tanker is leading the way in aerial firefighting using DC-10 Air Tankers. On this episode of Uptime Logistics our host Doug Draper of Acme Distribution interviews John Gould, President of 10 Tanker Air Carrier. John’s experienced leader in firefighting and wildfire management.

Doug and John explore the basic question of what Aerial Firefighting really means as well as the history of the industry - When, how, and why certain equipment and aircraft are used for certain situations. They also discuss different suppression methods such as water or a purpose-built retardant.

 

They discuss the business and coordination of aerial firefighting both nationally and regionally. The importance of operational uptime handling A.O.G. situations and emergency parts in “game time” scenarios to keep aircraft operating smoothly. The end the show out, they discuss future trends of Aerial Firefighting including using better fire intelligence from satellites and on the ground coordination. Thanks to John, 10 Tanker, and the entire firefighting coordination podsystem for all that they do to help manage and protect lives from wild fires.

Learn more at 10 Tanker’s Website: https://www.10tanker.com/

And follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to keep up to date with their important work in fighting fires!

Watch the video at www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/05/07/21/john-gould-of-10-tanker-on-aerial-firefighting-uptime-logistics

Mark LaCour & The Oil and Gas Global Network - Uptime Logistics

On this episode of Uptime Logistics our host, Doug Draper of Acme Distribution interviews oil market expert and fellow podcast host, Mark LaCour of the Oil & Gas Global Network. Mark details the “double-black swan” events of 2020 and how industry has been impacted globally. Mark and Doug make predictions for the future of the market and how to navigate the unique challenges experts face today. Learn about the future of drilling and processing operations in the US and around the world including infrastructure development in the Congo basin. Oil and Gas Global Network (OGGN) is the world's largest network of oil and gas podcasts. A host of 11 podcast shows helps bring out the stories of the companies and people behind the Energy Industry. Over the last 4 years, OGGN has become a platform for entrepreneurs, industry stalwarts, and trailblazers to voice their opinions and share their inspiring stories. Through honest reporting and journalistic integrity, OGGN envisions to transform the world’s view of the Oil and Gas Industry. OGGN has earned appreciation and recognition from leading organizations in the industry and is considered a trendsetter for some of the most fun and meaningful conversations. https://www.caplogistics.com/uptime-logistics-blog/2021/02/22/oil-and-gas-global-network-uptime

CalPortland & Innovations in Cement Production - Uptime Logistics

On this episode of Uptime Logistics our host, Doug Draper of Acme Distribution hosts two experts from cement producer CalPortland. Tina McIntyre and Bill Jerald of CalPortland discuss new trends in the cement production industry including a basic overview of the process, sustainability efforts, and material science.

Headquartered in California and founded in 1891, CalPortland has provided innovation and technology to the world of cement production for over a century. This summer, CalPortland announced a new line of sustainable and renewable cement products called Advancement. In addition to more sustainable materials, CalPortland’s Bill Jerald explains the energy requirements of cement production and the revolutionary ways cement kilns will be fueled in the future!