Consultant and industry leader John M. Hill passes on at age 86

Longtime industry consultant and leader John M. Hill has passed on at age 86. He died peacefully on April 15, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Hill, known for his belief in mentoring others and his work on behalf of non-profit industry organizations, was a director with supply chain consulting firm St. Onge Company, which he joined in 2012. He remained active in the industry until near the very end, having begun work in the industry in the 1960s.

Hill was a former COO, CEO and officer of automatic data collection and supply chain execution software system firms with more than 100 successful deployments of various technologies. He helped pioneer and advance solutions such as bar-coding systems now widely used to support supply chain processes, and also had deep expertise in warehouse management system (WMS) software.

Hill was a former president of the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI) and the Material Handling Industry of America, now known as MHI. Hill was also a former faculty member of Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain & Logistics Institute. During his long industry career, Hill wrote countless articles and led or participated in scores of industry panels. Those who knew him well say he cared deeply about knowledge sharing.

Bryan Jensen, chairperson and executive VP St. Onge, and who also is currently chair of MHI's board of governors, says Hill will be remembered for his approach to mentoring. “John was clearly a top-level expert in his field, whether its materials handling system capabilities or automatic identification technology, but what made John different from other experts is how happy he was when mentoring others,” says Jensen. “And his approach as a mentor was deft and light—he never taught you formally. He would talk with you about industry challenges or system projects, and you were always better for that conversation.”

Jensen says Hill’s long-time work on behalf of MHI and MHEFI are another major part of his legacy that reflected his enthusiasm for knowledge sharing. “He was very active and donated his time for the betterment of the industry—that’s how we first knew him,” says Jensen. “He had a strong belief in mentoring others, and that truly set him apart. I think that the joy he took in education and mentoring is central to his legacy. After all, one of the precepts of MHI is that we are there to lift others up, and that’s what John believed in and actually did for those he met throughout his career.”

Others agree Hill was a legend for his many decades of championing education.

“John Hill was nothing short of an icon in the material handling and supply chain industry, serving for decades as a visionary leader and friend as he mentored generations of industry leaders,” says John Paxton, CEO of MHI. “John will be remembered for his kindness, his generosity, and his unwavering belief in this industry. His passion and dedication were unmatched, and his impact on the industry will be felt for years to come. His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched and the industry he helped to shape.

Hill was a strong supporter of MHI and MHI’s Industry Groups, Paxton added. He served on the MHI Board and as Emeritus to the MHI Roundtable Advisory Committee. He was also a Lifetime Director of the Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI). 

Hill received several recognitions for his lifetime achievements, including MHEFI’s Norman L. Cahners and Reed-Apple Awards – the only industry leader to be honored with both prestigious awards.

Hill’s work with St. Onge spanned business development and system strategies, though part of his value came through how others reacted to him, Jensen adds. “I can’t tell you how many times people would swing by our booth at an industry event, and ask, ‘Is John around? Did he make it here this time?’ He had great name recognition, because people wanted to hear his guidance and expand their horizons by talking to him,” says Jensen.  “He was all about lifting others up.”

To learn about Hill's work in the early days of bar coding, read this "60 Seconds With" interview Modern did with him back in 2020.