Carlson School Takes 2nd at National Undergraduate Supply Chain Case Competition

On April 15-18, undergraduate student teams from 14 top supply chain universities were given 24 hours to prepare solutions to a complex business problem as part of the National Undergraduate Supply Chain and Operations Competition. The Carlson School team—Samson Seiffert, Christian Kerr, Adam Siegfried, and James Princewon—won second place for their proposal. The University of North Carolina took first, Iowa State University took third, and Texas Christian University won the fourth place spot. Thirteen corporate sponsors provided $10,000 in cash prizes that were awarded to 32 students and two outstanding presenters. The competitors addressed the case study "3M Footprint Optimization, Supply Chain Innovation for North America and Beyond," and presented their solutions to a panel of supply chain professionals from sponsor organizations including 3M, Land O' Lakes, and more.

The Undergraduate Supply Chain Case Competition provides exceptional learning experiences for supply chain undergraduate students, promotes the field of supply chain, and fosters connections among students and corporate partners. The competition is an invaluable opportunity for students to practice leadership, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills. It's hosted by the Carlson School and Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business.

In addition to the competition, participants visited Twin Cities' companies like the 3M Innovation Center, Target distribution center, Cargill Corporation, and C.H. Robinson. 

National Undergraduate Supply Chain Case Competition winners

• 1st place:  University of North Carolina
• 2nd place:  Carlson School of Management
• 3rd place:  Iowa State University
• 4th place:  Texas Christian University

Honorable Mention

• University of Texas-Austin
• Brigham Young University
• Michigan State University
• Penn State University

Outstanding Presenter Winners

• Rachel LoBianco, Iowa State University
• Christian Kerr, Carlson School 

Competing Universities

• Arizona State University
• Brigham Young University
• Indiana University
• Iowa State University
• Michigan State University
• Penn State University
• Syracuse University
• Texas Christian University
• University of Houston
• University of Maryland
• University of Michigan-Dearborn
• University of Texas-Austin
• University of North Carolina
• Carlson School of Management

Sponsors

Corporate Sponsors that made the competition possible included national business case lead sponsor 3M, and local business case lead sponsor Land O’Lakes. Host sponsors included Cargill, C.H. Robinson, and Target.  Gold sponsors included Andersen Corporation, Best Buy, Eaton, FedEx, General Mills, Medtronic, Polaris, and Schwans.  In addition to the financial support provided by the corporate sponsors, more than 170 employees of the corporate sponsors were involved in some aspect of the competition donating their time and expertise towards creating exceptional learning experiences for the students.