Mar 13 2025 30 mins
“Everyone at the plant has a duty to protect the products that we're sending out to the customer. Ultimately, you really have to think about it as sort of a ‘circle of life.’ What's my responsibility with what I'm doing in this part of the process, and what’s going to happen when this product reaches the consumer?” - Nathan Walts, CEO, WorkForge
The food supply chain is uniquely complex and critical, because when something goes wrong lives are at stake.
Regulations and standards play an important role, but only if people follow them. It takes a lot of hiring, training, and retention efforts to manage the workforce, adding significantly to the cost of running a business.
Nathan Walts is the CEO of WorkForge, a learning and development solution provider focused on the food manufacturing industry. In this episode, he joins Kelly Barner to talk about the food safety objectives producers are trying to achieve, the challenges they face, and the learning and development programs that aim to address both.
Listen in as Nathan and Kelly discuss:
- The current state of labor in food manufacturing
- Education for safety, quality, and empowerment
- Going beyond regulatory compliance to achieve continuous improvement
Links:
- Nathan Walts on LinkedIn
- Liverwurst, Listeria, and Liability: Food Safety at Boar’s Head
- Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
- Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter
- Art of Supply on AOP
- Subscribe to This Week in Procurement