ABX Air employees Cheryl Branham Webb and Mark P. Voorhis earned their certified supply chain professional (CSCP) designation from the Association for Operations Management (APICS).

“Global supply chain management encompasses not only purchasing, but also the logistics and warehousing functions that have always been part of the hub at the air park,” said Webb. “The additional training in supplier integration complements our experience supporting the airline, and enables us to better recognize opportunities to reduce costs as our business model matures.”

Webb currently is manager of contracts and procurement for ABX Air, and Voorhis is a contracts manager. At ABX Air, the contracts and procurement department is responsible for contracting services to support a wide range of airline and facility operations. The professional certification builds upon their experience supporting domestic and international operations for the locally based airline.

The class was made available through a grant from the Career Advancement Account (CAA) from the state of Ohio.

“The goal of the CAA is to fund quality, short-term training programs to enhance the participant’s ability to seek employment once their current position ends,” said Keith Hyde, director of Workforce Services Unlimited, which operates Clinton County’s unemployment and training center. “It was a cost-effective way to provide employer-valued training.”

Introduced in 2005, the CSCP program takes a broad view of the supply chain field, extending beyond internal operations to encompass all the steps throughout the supply chain — from the supplier, through the company, to the end consumer — and provides the candidate with the knowledge to effectively manage the integration of these activities to maximize a company’s value chain.

To qualify for the CSCP designation, a candidate must complete a rigorous course of study and a comprehensive examination, according to a media release.

Voorhis and Webb obtained certification through Xavier University Leadership Center’s global supply chain management during an eight-week course prior to testing for the national certification process.

Xavier Leadership Center offered the course locally to ABX Air workers displaced or at-risk of being displaced by the company’s change in operations.

“Working closely with Karen Cook, job developer, Clinton County Transition Center and ABX Air’s employees, we were able to ensure our global supply chain and CSCP exam prep program met the State of Ohio’s criteria for Career Advancement Account funding,” said Bruce Miller, Xavier Leadership Center’s managing partner. “It helped class members on the ABX Air team take a critical step in advancing their careers.”

Since 1957, the Association for Operations Management has built knowledge and skills in operations management professionals to enhance and validate abilities and accelerate careers, according to a media release.

ABX Air is an air cargo services provider operating out of Wilmington, and has the largest fleet of Boeing 767-200 cargo freighters in the world.

It provides charter and package handling services to a diverse group of customers, the media release said. ABX Air Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group Inc.