Forklifts, Futures, and Flow: Business students see supply chain in action

A group of Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg business students witnessed several supply chain concepts — inventory flow, automation, logistics, and warehouse operations — come to life on a field trip this fall to the WebstaurantStore Distribution Center in Bloomsburg.

The trip, sponsored by Bloomsburg’s Giuffre Center for Supply Chain Management and its Association for Supply Chain Management student chapter, gave students an opportunity to connect classroom theory with practical application.

“It was my first time on a warehouse floor,” said Morgan Lisnock, a junior business management and supply chain double major. “It was fascinating to see all the moving parts of supply chain operations coming together in one building. This experience will be compared to many other warehouses I either work at or visit in the future.”

WebstaurantStore is part of Clark Associates Inc., a major player in food service equipment and supplies. Its 586,000-square-foot distribution facility serves as a crucial hub for the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, strengthening national shipping capabilities.

“My biggest takeaway from this experience is witnessing and noting the specific processes the employees use, specifically their expertise in managing inventory,” Lisnock said. “… and applying that to future positions I’ll have within supply chain management.”

Her favorite part of the experience was the machinery at the distribution center.

“My favorite part of the tour was seeing high-lift forklifts in action and getting a run-down on how they are operated,” Lisnock said. “The forklift I operate at my current job is like a baby compared to them!”

Lisnock’s interest in supply chain management started with a managerial decision-making class she took with Rich Wisniewski during her sophomore year.

“This class opened a whole new perspective for me on career outlooks,” Lisnock said. “I fell in love with the idea of working in a continuous learning environment.”