Courtesy Photo | (Left to right) DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Steven Shapiro, DLA...... read more read more
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PHILADELPHIA - What started as a small discussion forum has grown into an important decision-making opportunity, Defense Logistics Agency Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek said Sept. 12 during a Captains of Industry meeting focused on DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles.
Harnitchek and clothing and textiles supply chain leaders met with dozens of industry partners during the meeting. It was the fourth such meeting in two years and the first attended by logisticians from the military services.
DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Steven Shapiro hosted the COI meeting, the first held in Philadelphia. A day before the meeting, Shapiro hosted “speed dating” discussions where he met individually with vendors, giving them opportunities to voice their concerns.
“We did have the opportunity [to do] what we call ‘speed dating’ here, to meet with all of you individually, about 15 to 20 minutes to find out what those issues are,” Shapiro said.
Harnitchek said the COI is all about communication.
“It’s [about] everybody involved in this big supply chain here at all the right levels talking to one another, identifying problems and fixing them,” Harnitchek said. “I want to thank you for all the great work you’re doing.”
Throughout the meeting, DLA personnel addressed concerns raised by industry representatives. The topics discussed included DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles’ strategic spending goals, post-production fabric treatment issues and Affordable Healthcare Act implications for vendors.
“If we can fight and win a war in Afghanistan, the toughest logistics neighborhood on the planet, anything else is eminently solvable and relatively simple,” Harnitchek said.
DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles Director of Supplier Operations Roy Dillard talked about the status of subjects during the previous COI meeting and the supply chain’s industry engagement strategy. Industry organizations, including the American Apparel and Footwear Association and the National Council of Textile Organizations, also briefed attendees on industry topics.
NCTO representative Don Vavala, of W.L. Gore Associates, said industry representatives appreciated actions that have been taken based on previous meeting recommendations, including DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles providing product forecasts and appointing an ombudsman between the supply chain and industry.
“These actions by DLA have improved the textile industry’s ability to forecast and schedule production based on military customer needs and provided a single point of contact at Troop Support,” Vavala said.
The forum also served as Harnitchek’s last meeting with clothing and textiles industry representatives before his retirement. Harnitchek encouraged industry representatives and DLA’s civilian leaders to maintain the forum after he leaves.
“I encourage you, no matter who’s sitting in my chair or [Shapiro’s] chair, that you don’t let this process go fallow here,” Harnitchek.
NCTO representative Hardy Poole thanked Harnitchek for his work with the American textiles industry.
“Thank you for your openness, for hosting four of these Captains of Industry meetings, for coming out and looking at our industry and seeing what we do and how we do it, and for the overall leadership that you’ve provided here at DLA,” Poole said.
Following the meeting, DLA Troop Support Senior Acquisition Executive William Kenny encouraged industry representatives to meet with their respective contracting officers.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2014 15:34 |
| Story ID: | 142591 |
| Location: | PHILADELPHIA, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Harnitchek urges communication with clothing and textiles industry partners, by Mikia Muhammad, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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