Reimagining Restaurant Supply Chains with John Burke, Executive Chairman of Armada Sunset Holdings

In this episode, our hosts sit down with John Burke, Executive Chairman of ARMADA Sunset Holdings, to explore his over 30 year journey with one of the largest players in the food service supply chain. John shares insights into ARMADA's critical role in supporting the restaurants we frequent weekly, the biggest challenges facing the food service industry today, and the company's most successful strategies for overcoming them. He discusses how customer needs are evolving, lessons learned from the COVID era, and the supply chain technologies shaping ARMADA's future. As a Penn State graduate and long-time supporter of the Center for Supply Chain Research, John also reflects on advice he'd give his younger self and the guiding principles that have defined his remarkable career.

Takeaways:

• ARMADA's role in the food service supply chain ecosystem
• Navigating industry challenges and customer evolution
• COVID-era lessons applied to modern supply chain planning
• Technology priorities for future supply chain success

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Guest Bio: 

As the Executive Chairman of Armada Sunset Holdings, John leads a supply chain management enterprise that support its clients competitive market positions by optimizing their supply chain networks. By emphasizing data-lead innovation and strategic partnerships, the companies of Armada Sunset Holdings work hard to improve operational processes, simplify logistics, and reduce costs.

As a supply chain industry professional for over three decades, he has dedicated his career to developing and implementing creative supply chain solutions for national retail brands. John came to Armada in 1992, co-founded Hub One Logistics in 1996, and established LXP in 2006. Both companies were consolidated under Armada in 2011. Following the strategic acquisitions of Sunset Transportation in 2022 and ATEC in 2023, Armada Sunset Holdings has evolved into a comprehensive, fully integrated supply chain service provider, boasting operations and offices spanning North America.

He holds a BS from Pennsylvania State University and an MSIA from the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University. John has served on the advisory boards of the Penn State Center for Supply Chain Research, Women’s Foodservice Forum, the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation. He formerly served on the Pennsylvania State Workforce Investment Board and on the Board of Directors of the American Textile Company.