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Joe Carlson

@joecarlson

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Category Manager at ORS Nasco who grew a distributor-focused portfolio 63% and increased gross profit 76%.

United States

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At ORS Nasco, I managed a distributor-focused portfolio across 9 categories, 31,000 SKUs, and 75 suppliers. I grew portfolio sales 63% and gross profit 76%, while improving blended gross margin.

At FedEx, I developed category strategies for a $2.7B fuel and fluids portfolio that delivered more than $27.3M in annual savings. I also consolidated fuel spend across three operating companies, negotiated $3.5M in savings, and reduced the Mobile Fuel supplier base 70% while maintaining service levels.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Category Manager

ORS Nasco

Nov 2025 - Oct 2026 (11 months)

Managed a $51.2M portfolio across 9 categories, 31,000 SKUs and 75 suppliers, selling exclusively to distributors. Grew portfolio sales 63% and raised gross profit 76%.

Strategic Sourcing Category Strategy RFP Leadership Supplier Relationship Management Spend Analysis Cost Reduction Cross functional Leadership Contract Negotiation Supplier Risk Management Data Analysis Power BI Excel

Category Manager

FedEx

Mar 2021 - Nov 2025 (4 years 8 months)

Managed a $2.7B portfolio across 5 categories: Retail, Wholesale, Mobile Fuel, DEF and De-Ice Fluid. Developed category strategies that delivered more than $27.3M in annual savings.

Strategic Sourcing Category Strategy RFP Leadership Coupa Plan View Supplier Relationship Management Spend Analysis Cost Reduction Cross functional Leadership Contract Negotiation Supplier Risk Management Data Analysis Power BI Excel

Category Manager

SouthernCarlson

Nov 2019 - Jan 2021 (1 year 2 months)

Managed an $86M Construction Materials and Jobsite Supplies portfolio with 80+ suppliers and 26,000 products. Negotiated multi-million-dollar contracts that saved more than $10M annually.

Strategic Sourcing Category Strategy Supplier Relationship Management Spend Analysis Cost Reduction Cross functional Leadership Contract Negotiation Supplier Risk Management Data Analysis Power BI Excel

Senior Materials Manager

Eaton Corporation

Jul 2017 - Aug 2019 (2 years 1 month)

Managed a $27M casting components portfolio, delivering $2M in annual savings (over 3x the target). Renegotiated key casting contracts and managed a major supplier through insolvency with zero customer impact.

Strategic Sourcing Supplier Relationship Management Spend Analysis Cost Reduction Cross functional Leadership Contract Negotiation Supplier Risk Management Data Analysis Power BI Excel

Global Supply Chain Analyst

Jul 2014 - Jun 2017 (2 years 11 months)

Supported $55M in revenue through inventory, production and procurement planning. Led the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic supply project, aligning multiple disciplines to meet surging demand.

Supply Chain Planning Inventory Management Production Planning Procurement Root Cause Analysis Data Analysis Power BI Excel

Correctional Sergeant

Indiana Department of Corrections

Jan 1999 - Sep 2012 (13 years 8 months)

Supervised correctional officers and security operations in a high-pressure setting. Led annual certification training for 400 staff in CPR, first aid, safety, personal protection and conflict resolution.

Leadership Security Operations Risk Mitigation Training De escalation Documentation Compliance