Remade in America: A Supply Chain Now Special Feature

Feb 4, 2026

Guest

Yamin Neri

Guest

Yamin Neri, COO of Trove, a re-commerce leader building secondhand channels. Dan Main, Bidpath rep who runs auction-based disposition for surplus assets. Rich Bulger, circular economy strategist focused on reuse and recovery. Stephen Beard, Flex sales lead with parcel and nearshoring experience. They explore reverse logistics, triage and auctioning of returns, inspection and software for recovery, and regional repair, recycling and reshoring challenges.

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ANECDOTE

From UPS To Reverse Logistics

Stephen Beard moved into reverse logistics after 15 years at UPS and found the space messy but full of opportunity.
He was drawn to problems without ready-made solutions and growing interest in sustainability.

ANECDOTE

The Return Corner Heartbreak

Yamin Neri described warehouse return corners where usable and damaged items were lumped and liquidated for cents.
She found it heartbreaking and saw huge lost value in treating all returns the same.

INSIGHT

A Profession Built By Accident

Reverse logistics lacks formal training and career tracks despite its size and importance.
Knowledge passes person-to-person, creating fragility as experienced workers retire.

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Every year, Americans return nearly a trillion dollars’ worth of products. But once those items leave our hands, most of us never think about where they go—or what happens next.

In Remade in America, hosted by Deborah Dull, Supply Chain Now takes listeners inside the little-known world of reverse logistics, where returned products are sorted, resold, recycled, repaired, or too often, discarded. What emerges is a complex and fragmented system struggling to capture more than $200 billion in lost value—along with critical materials that could power a more resilient, sustainable economy.

This special feature explores the people, processes, and infrastructure behind returns, revealing both the challenges and the massive untapped opportunity hidden in plain sight. From outdated systems and disconnected networks to innovative approaches reshaping how products are recovered and reused, Remade in America uncovers what’s really happening after “return” is clicked.

Along the way, Deborah asks a provocative question: Is “Made in America” still the right goal—or is the future about something more powerful?

What if the real opportunity isn’t just making more, but making better use of what we already have?

Through expert insights, real-world stories, and on-the-ground perspectives, Remade in America redefines how we think about returns, recovery, and the future of supply chains in a resource-constrained world.

This is a story about waste, value, resilience—and how reimagining reverse logistics could help reshape American industry for the next generation.

Additional Links & Resources:

Connect with Deborah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahdull/
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
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
WEBINAR- Supply Chain Planning Reimagined: Embedded AI that senses, explains, and optimizes: https://bit.ly/4pOGgyo
WEBINAR- ChatGPT Is Just the Beginning for Shipping: https://bit.ly/3YLFGq7

This episode is hosted by Deborah Dull and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, Ric Stringer, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/remade-america-1541