From Afterthought to Advantage: Reverse Logistics at Enterprise Scale

Supply Chain Now

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton sits down with two leaders shaping the future of reverse logistics from the floor to the classroom: Troy Campbell, Director of Reverse Logistics Centers at The Home Depot, and Dr. Glenn Richey, Jr., Harbert Eminent Scholar in Supply Chain Management at Auburn University.

Troy opens the doors to Home Depot’s four Reverse Logistics Centers: Phoenix, Pittston (PA), McDonough (GA), and Indianapolis, showing why a people-first culture remains the operating system for returns at scale. He gets real about “automation when the box isn’t a box,” how rethinking inbound flows through 3PLs reduces touches and transportation cost, and why simple vendor conversations (like consolidating daily pallets into a single weekly load) can unlock outsized impact. His north star: make associates’ days easier, and the entire reverse network improves.

Glenn zooms out to the macro shifts: the move from minimizing returns to maximizing returns within a circular economy, generative AI for scenario planning and real-time decision support, and reverse logistics as the operational backbone of sustainability. He maps the skills the next workforce will need, calls for clearer industry coding to separate reverse data from forward logistics, and outlines how universities can build dedicated reverse tracks.

Together, Troy and Glenn offer a practical, research-backed playbook for turning returns into speed, value, and advantage without losing the human element that makes it work.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(01:17) Interview with Troy Campbell from Home Depot

(04:20) Challenges and innovations in reverse logistics

(08:49) Networking opportunities and industry insights

(17:20) Interview with Glenn Richey from Auburn University

(19:30) About Auburn’s supply chain management program

(20:52) Maximizing returns in a circular economy

(23:29) Role of generative AI within supply chain operations

(28:34) Reverse logistics and sustainability practices explained

(32:26) The next generation of logistics skills

(34:55) Engaging students in reverse logistics education

Resources:

• Connect with Troy Campbell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-campbell-6321a31/
• Connect with Dr. Glenn Richey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennrichey/
• Learn more about The Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/
• Learn more about The Harbert College of Business at Auburn University: https://harbert.auburn.edu/index.html
• Learn more about the Reverse Logistics Association: https://rla.org/
• Connect with Scott Luton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
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This episode was hosted by Scott W. Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/afterthought-advantage-reverse-logistics-enterprise-scale-1492