Strongest Link In The Chain

A gift of $2.2 million from the Caterpillar Foundation and James W. Owens, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, will help NC State University build a global supply chain management (SCM) program with academic, research and outreach components.

This multi-faceted gift will establish the Owens Distinguished Professorship of Supply Chain Management and student scholarships within the College of Management. It also will support the College’s development of interdisciplinary SCM programs in collaboration with the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the College of Engineering. This substantial gift will help cover the cost of renovating a building to provide dedicated space for students, faculty, and corporate partners working with the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (SCRC), a collaborative industry-academic program based in the College of Management. Caterpillar has been a vital part of the SCRC since 2004; nearly 470 students have worked on over 150 projects gaining real-world experience with SCRC’s national and international partners.

Both an undergraduate and graduate alum (’68, ’70, ’73), Owens notes, “Our hope is that this investment, especially with its emphasis on interdisciplinary programs, will provide a diverse student population the opportunity for an education in this important and growing field of study.” He adds, “NC State, and particularly the College of Management, has a strong history in supply chain education, research and outreach. Caterpillar and I are very pleased to support its continued growth and development.”