Joining forces to move supply chain forward

Knight-Swift Transportation and the W. P. Carey School of Business kicked off November 2017 with the grand opening of the Knight-Swift Logistics Lab located on ASU's West campus.

Venus and Serena. Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Beyonce and Jay-Z. The best partners take something good and, through cooperation, make it great. That's the case with Knight-Swift Transportation and the W. P. Carey School of Business, which kicked off November 2017 with the grand opening of the Knight-Swift Logistics Lab located on ASU's West campus.

"This is going to be a milestone for us to educate the next generation of logisticians," says Department of Supply Chain Management Chair and Professor Mohan Gopalakrishnan.

Thanks to a generous donation by Knight-Swift Transporation, the lab provides a place for students to work on projects with firms across Phoenix.

Patricia Swafford, clinical assistant professor of supply chain management, says students will be able to use the new lab and its technology for exposure to real-world issues in the logistics field. The technology will enable "WebEx streaming meetings, data analysis through software programs, and real-time sharing using collaboration apps and hookups in the lab's team technology pods."

Knight-Swift Transporation CEO Dave Jackson (BS Global Business/Financial Management '00) holds a special place in his heart for the W. P. Carey supply chain and logistics program. His professional journey is peppered with experiences at ASU and culminates with high ambitions for the recently merged Knight Transporation and Swift Transporation Co.

"We hope to run the most efficient, the most innovative, and the largest truckload transportation company in the world, with huge significance to the supply chains in North America," Jackson says.