URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2020_Melissa-McCarthy

As the pandemic forced businesses around the United States to close for months, Douglas Hales tracked the effect on the movement of goods around the globe. A University of Rhode Island (URI) professor of supply chain management, he held weekly calls with colleagues in Korea, China, Europe and elsewhere, and he searched online and visited local stores to gauge the availability of various products. He focused mostly on the security of the food supply. “The pandemic started in winter, when lots of vegetables were being shipped from the South, California, Texas, and those were somewhat limited getting to the Northeast,” said Hales, who also serves as associate dean of undergraduate programs in the College of Business. “As we closed the borders, a lot of the people that used to pick vegetables in the U.S. – migrant workers – were still in Mexico, so there were fewer workers to pick. That dried up some of the supply.”

THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND URI’S RESPONSE

written by TODD MCLEISH

Plenty of drivers were available to transport goods, because so many manufacturers had shuttered their

operations, but many of the drivers shifted to delivering personal protective equipment rather than food. Nonetheless, fresh produce was never notably in short supply in most areas of the country, especially as the weather warmed and the growing season extended further north.

Douglas Hales, professor of supply chain management and associate dean of undergraduate programs in the College of Business

FALL | 2020 Page 49