What can distribution warehouse operators learn from the Roman Empire and United States Marine Corps? More than you might think, says Will Quinn, aka The Distribution Guy®.
Jason caught up with Will to discuss the evolution of modern warehouse functionality and pragmatic strategies for improving company performance at the ground-level––from receiving and slotting to picking and packing. Will also shares insights from his latest book, Modern Warehouse Management: Steel-Toed Leadership That Drives Performance, a must-read field guide for distribution center leaders, warehouse managers, and frontline supervisors.
“If you go back to the days of the Roman Empire, that’s where supply chain kinda came from,” observes Will, an admirer of the ancient superpower’s ability to station troops across Europe and keep them supplied throughout its 1400 year reign. While Will’s 25-year career in warehouse management isn’t as lengthy, his experience is impressive, beginning with a purchasing and logistics role in the Marines.
But controlling the movement of flak jackets and canteens for the government isn’t quite the same as managing civilian warehouse operations, as Will soon learned. After the Marines, he interviewed for a production supervisory role with Coca-Cola. They offered him a warehouse manager gig instead. “I didn’t know anything about warehouses,” Will laughs.
Curiosity paved the way for Will’s success at Coca-Cola and future warehouse management roles with corporate heavyweights Roadway, Grainger, and Infor. He’s poured that knowledge into Modern Warehouse Management. “It’s not theory. It’s stuff that’s been proven,” he says, noting that he conceptualized the chapters to be read as issues or interests arise, rather than chronological order.
If corporate America informed Will’s approach to warehouse optimization, then military service instilled in him the importance of collaboration and accountability. “The Marine Corps builds leaders at every level,” he says. When not writing, teaching, or speaking, Will provides floor-level diagnosis and durable solutions to warehouse operators. His expertise not only benefits the flow of goods; it supports the people who move them and the customers who buy them. “You can write the process and the procedure,” notes Will, “but if it doesn’t work, then [the people] aren’t gonna follow it.”
QUOTES
Will Quinn
“It’s hard to manage from the office. You have to be on the floor seeing what’s happening.”
“The perception is the Marine Corps creates robots. It’s this immediate adherence to orders. I mean, there’s some of that. But there’s also collaboration and communication.”
“If you want your customer to have a consistent experience, then your warehouse has to have consistent processes all the way through, from receiving to quality control, to put–away to picking, packing, shipping, cycle counting.”
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Applied AI for Distributors 2026
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios
Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Moblico, INxSQL, and Profit2.
