Supply Chain Hall of Fame to Be Constructed in Northwest Arkansas

At the suggestion of Remko Van Hoek, a clinical professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the board of directors of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals has voted to build its Supply Chain Hall of Fame in Northwest Arkansas.

Under the proposal, the Walton College at the University of Arkansas will host the hall of fame for an initial period of five years.

"The hall of fame will highlight achievements and innovations in supply chain," said Matt Waller, Walton College dean and the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair in Business. "Northwest Arkansas is the hub of supply chain innovation and research. We have to thank Remko for having the vision to get CSCMP to establish the hall of fame here."

Van Hoek will serve as executive director of the hall of fame.

"Through exhibits, education and events the hall is also meant to educate and inspire future leaders in supply chain," Van Hoek said. "By engaging our students and entrepreneurial region we can bridge the greatest of the past with the best of the future."

The hall will be built as a multifunction exhibit and meeting space on top of the Northgate Building currently under construction in Rogers. It is expected to be completed by early 2020.

Waller said the hall was made possible thanks to the generous support of Johnelle Hunt, the co-founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., with her husband J.B. Hunt, along with the support of Gus Blass III, general partner of Capital Properties LLC and a member of the board of 10 other companies, and Alex Blass, a partner in Sage Partners LLC. Both Gus Blass and Alex Blass are alumni of the Walton College.

The hall will feature space devoted to rotating exhibits about inductees and also will be used for lectures, roundtable meetings and functions for as many as 100 attendees. Construction of the hall of fame was announced at the council's Edge 2019 Annual Conference in September.