Newark-Based Supply Chain Executive Grace Adeyemi Named to Forbes Rising Leaders List

Grace Adeyemi, chief operating officer of Newark-based logistics technology firm Portline Systems, was named to a national rising business leaders list this week, recognized for software platforms her company built to reduce cargo processing delays at the Port of Newark-Elizabeth.

Adeyemi joined Portline Systems five years ago after working in supply chain consulting, where she says she grew frustrated watching port terminals rely on decades-old scheduling systems even as cargo volume climbed steadily. Portline's software platform now coordinates truck scheduling and container tracking for several terminal operators, reducing the truck queuing delays that have historically frustrated shippers using the port.

"Port congestion isn't always a capacity problem, it's often a coordination problem," Adeyemi said. "We didn't need to build another dock or crane. We needed the trucks, the terminals, and the shipping lines all looking at the same real-time information instead of guessing at each other's schedules."

Portline's platform is currently used by terminal operators handling a significant share of the port's container volume, and the company says average truck turnaround times at participating terminals have improved meaningfully since adoption. Adeyemi has become a frequent speaker at supply chain industry conferences discussing the technology's rollout.

The Forbes recognition cited Adeyemi's role in helping position the Port of Newark-Elizabeth as one of the more technologically advanced port operations on the East Coast, a factor port officials say has helped attract additional shipping line contracts.