Walton Professor Publishes Book on Supply Chain Innovators

University Relations

The book cover of "The Making of the Supply Chain," and professor Remko van Hoek.

Disruptions in global supply chains over the last five years have heightened awareness about how products make their way to consumers. But the path to a brighter supply chain future starts with a better understanding of the past, according to a new book by Remko van Hoek, professor at the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

In The Making of the Supply Chain: How Five CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Famers Shaped the Industry, van Hoek explores how the innovations of five pioneers in the discipline reshaped the ways we obtain our products and services and the role that supply chains play in business and the world around us.

“If anything is clear from the past few years, it is that we have a lot to learn about supply chains, for the good of business and society,” said van Hoek, who is also a professor of practice in the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management and executive director of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Supply Chain Hall of Fame, hosted by the U of A. “Fortunately, we can turn to some of the greatest innovators in our field and continue to learn from them and get inspired for a better future. It has been an honor serving the profession and the council by hosting the Supply Chain Hall of Fame, and we are grateful for the support that has made this possible. Hopefully, through this book we can contribute to the path forward in supply chain management. We have far to go, much to learn and even more to still achieve together.”

The Making of the Supply Chain outlines the achievements made by supply chain leaders, including George Stephenson, Henry Ford, George Laurer, Elizabeth Dole and J.B. Hunt. In his book, van Hoek connects their breakthroughs to current best practices and opportunities for new advances. 

Van Hoek’s latest release is a critical text for the supply chain profession because it explains why each innovation matters to the field. His book goes beyond that, however. As Mark Baxa, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals president and CEO, states, van Hoek’s work “inspires us to pursue something greater than ourselves and equips us with lessons that will help us get there. This moves in lockstep with the mission that drives our council.” This book will interest current supply chain professionals, students and academics alike.

The Making of the Supply Chain is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Epic Books, Walmart and wherever books are sold.

About Epic Books: Epic Books is an imprint of the University of Arkansas’s Sam M. Walton College of Business that focuses on emerging technologies, leadership, business narratives, and entrepreneurship titles. Explore for yourself how Epic Books captures the expertise and insights of its faculty and stakeholder network and transforms it into pragmatic, action-oriented ideas.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. 

Walton College is ranked 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges, while its management information systems program holds the 14th position among public schools in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Additionally, the undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2023, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its list of Best Business Schools for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.