FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Supply Chain Management Research Center in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, in alliance with FedEx Freight and a group of corporate sponsors, is hosting an international graduate logistics case competition on Feb. 22-24. The event will take place at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Fayetteville, Ark.

“We are honored to be able to host this competition, which brings together graduate logistics students from twelve major universities across the country and around the world,” said Jim Crowell, director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center. “Not only will they compete for prestige and cash prizes, they will have good opportunities to network with fellow students and industry professionals.”

“The supply chain is a vital element of every country’s economy. That’s why FedEx Freight is committed to supporting education programs that facilitate knowledge exchange among logistics professionals,” said Pat Reed, executive vice president and chief operating officer for FedEx Freight, the title sponsor of this year’s competition. “The FedEx Freight International Graduate Logistics Case Competition is an ideal forum to learn from some of the best and brightest logistics students.”

The students are given a logistics case and allowed just 24 hours to prepare solutions to be presented before a panel of industry judges. Finalists from each team compete for a run-off, and the winners are announced at an evening banquet on Feb. 24.

The Walton College MBA student team includes Ravi Gunda, Katie Henderson-Grady, Matthew Schlib, Ryan Stearle, Robert Zeiler, and Lei Zhao.

Participating universities include Arizona State University, University of Arkansas, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, The Pennsylvania State University, Iowa State University, Texas Christian University, the Technische Universität Darmstadt of Darmstadt, Germany, and Chalmers University of Technology of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The primary sponsor is FedEx Freight. Platinum sponsor is ABF Freight System Inc. Gold sponsors include: E.& J. Gallo Winery, BNSF Logistics, General Mills, Unilever, and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Silver sponsors include J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Procter & Gamble, Transplace and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. Bronze sponsors are Nestlé Purina, Campbell Soup Co. and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Fayetteville.

The Supply Chain Management Research Center serves as a direct link between the private sector and the University of Arkansas supply chain resources. It sponsors activities that promote both the academic and general body of knowledge encompassing supply chain management. It also supports student-focused activities centered on recruitment, retention and graduation.