CGB and Maryland-Based Global Companies Offer Real-World Business Lessons

This fall, the Center for Global Business (CGB) partnered with three companies to bring live cases into the classroom. These cases, presented by Ellicott Dredges, United Source One, and Get Real Health, gave students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a practical challenge while learning about the complexity of international business.

Ellicott Dredges

Business Master’s students in the Global Supply Chain Management course heard from Smith alum Philip Grove, MBA ’15, about Ellicott Dredges’ unique supply chain challenges. After several weeks of work and deliberation, student teams presented their solutions to Grove, international sales manager at Ellicott Dredges, in a class discussion. Smith MS student Stacie Fan remarked, “Looking at issues that come from global supply chain needs more than just formulas to optimize costs. The factors [that] can't be quantified are those [that] matter the most.” Reflecting on her experience, Fan said, “It help[ed] me think out of [the] box even though there are all sorts of constraints. There will be multiple paths to achieve a goal.”

Get Real Health

Get Real Health, a company delivering digital health solutions, presented a case study in which undergraduate students in Strategic Management evaluated the strengths and opportunities in its international venture strategy, as well as offered suggestions to prepare for future global disruptions such as the pandemic. Ankur Talwar, class of 2023, said, “It was amazing to learn about [Get Real Health’s] competitive advantages and innovation strategy in the industry they operate in.” Talwar applied this experience to his own interests, saying, “This experience taught me a lot about the importance of researching the market and finding… company core competencies. As an individual that wants to pursue consulting in the future, this will be critical to understand when working with clients on different cases.”

United Source One

Undergraduate students in Introduction to Logistics and Supply Chain Management analyzed the long-term corporate structure plan of United Source One, an international food co-packer and distributor of American frozen meats, as well as the pandemic’s disruption of exports still being experienced by the company’s supply chain. Vedant Tiru, class of 2022, said of the case, “[It] introduced me to obstacles that can be faced when interacting with global partners and businesses. It has made me more comfortable with branching out on a global scale and not restricting myself to any one place or specific industry.”

These live cases originate from the success stories of United Source One and Get Real Health, who were recognized at CGB’s inaugural Maryland Business Adapts for exhibiting resilience and innovation in global operations in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. CGB is also proud to continue fostering its relationship with Ellicott Dredges and Philip Grove, who is both a Smith School alum and a CGB advisory board member. The center looks forward to sharing more international business stories with Smith students and continuing to highlight Maryland-based global companies.

These events were supported in part by a Title VI grant program known as CIBE (Centers for International Business Education) administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

– By Beth Rendely, graduate assistant, Center for Global Business