Critical Links

When I was asked to do a blog, I went to the experts on the subject. My sons are 33 and 21, quite Internet literate, and willing to help their dad do his first blog. They told me the main thing was to just be myself and talk about things that others may find interesting. So here goes. I will blog and you will determine if it is interesting.

Let me tell you about myself first. I’m Greg Frazier. I work for the largest electronic component distributor in the world, Avnet Inc. The company is now about $14 billion in sales, and 30 years ago when I started it was less than $500 million. In the interim, things have changed, at Avnet and in the electronic component supply chain. It’s like night and day.

When I first started, product build forecasts were done manually and the components were bought using “buy cards” that were laboriously filled in by the purchasing agent -- nothing like the multi-million dollar computer software we use today. There was almost no outsourcing and companies built their products themselves in the town where they were located. My job was simple, local, and consistent.

Today my job is complex, global and changes like the weather. I am responsible for creating/organizing Avnet's supply chain offering to our customers around the world and assisting our customers in moving their manufacturing/supply chain anywhere in the world, easily. I travel constantly -- within the Americas, to Europe, Asia, and just completed my first trip to Japan. I have worked with some of the largest companies in the world to make their supply chain more efficient and have worked with startup companies in garages.

This career has come with highs and lows. I have had the thrill of seeing some of the most awesome sights in the world -- from the nighttime skyline of Hong Kong and Shanghai, to the Eiffel Tower. I have also experienced some of the loneliest times imaginable, being in a hotel room half a world away from my family during birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones.

I have a lot more to say, but I’m going to stop here. Now that you have the Cliffs Notes version of my career to date, I’m going to ask for your feedback. Which of these subjects is of interest to you? What do you want to hear more about? Let me know.

This blog post was contributed by Greg Frazier, executive VP of supply chain services, worldwide, at Avnet Electronics Marketing. Greg is charged with designing supply-chain strategies for the company’s global suppliers and customers. He also has responsibility for Avnet's global-accounts model and the business migration initiative, helping customers that are transitioning their business to different global regions.