Reinventing the Supply Chain: A 21st-Century Covenant with America

Jack Buffington

Feb 2023 · Gildan Media · Narrated by Chris Abernathy

About this audiobook

When the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global economic "shutdown" in March 2020, our supply chains began to fail, and out-of-stocks and delivery delays became the new norm. Contrary to public perception, the pandemic strain did not break the current system of supply chains; it merely exposed weaknesses and fault lines that were decades in the making, and which were already acutely felt in deindustrialized cities and depopulated rural towns throughout the United States. Reinventing the Supply Chain explores the historical role of supply chains in the global economy, outlines where the system went wrong and what needs to be done to fix it, and demonstrates how a retooled supply chain can lead to the revitalization of American communities. Jack Buffington proposes a transformation of the global supply chain system into a community-based value chain, led by the communities themselves and driven by digital platforms for raising capital and blockchain technology. Buffington proposes new solutions to problems that have been decades in the making. With clear analysis and profound insight, Buffington provides a clear roadmap to a more durable and efficient system.

About the author

Jack Buffington is the director of supply chain and sustainability at First Key Consulting and professor and academic director of the supply chain management program at the University of Denver. He is the author of several previously published books, including The Recycling Myth and Peak Plastic.

Chris Abernathy is a lifelong professional storyteller who found his calling telling scary stories to campers around a roaring fire at Camp Sumatanga in Alabama. In 2015 he began narrating audiobooks and now works full-time from his home studio.