Procurement leadership.
$20M+ in career savings.
I’m Joshua Palacios. I lead category strategy, develop suppliers and people, and build AI-assisted tools that turn sourcing decisions into business results.
Try the sourcing lab
Career savings delivered
ACROSS PROCUREMENT ROLESAnnual spend managed
ECOLAB · NORTH AMERICAAmerica
Petrochemical supply security
STRATEGY THROUGH APPROVALPrior team size at Justin Blair
1 CURRENT DIRECT REPORTCIMENTOSPower Equipment
DIRECTJustin Blair
& COMPANY
Good strategy. Better numbers.
$20M+ career savings includes additional projects. Ecolab combines direct delivery with implemented team savings.
Procurement experience. Built into a tool.
See how Joshua Palacios uses AI to build decision tools. Compare suppliers, test the tradeoffs, and explore the stakeholder review behind a sourcing decision.
The work behind the wins.
Better economics. Stronger supply.
A North American petrochemical sourcing strategy that delivered $3M in realized savings in 12 months.
$40M+ annual petrochemical spend · North America · One direct report
Make the supply base work harder.
A contract manufacturing strategy that lowered supplement spend and shortened lead times.
Supplement contract manufacturing · Ro · 2023
Closer suppliers. Less complexity.
Domestic flexible packaging and fewer corrugated SKUs delivered $181K in combined annual savings.
Flexible and corrugated packaging · Ro · 2022
Buy with the whole business in mind.
Supplier negotiations and category strategy supported growth, margin, and better purchasing economics.
Five e-commerce categories · Approximately $12M annual revenue · 2019
Buy for the plant. Deliver for the business.
Industrial sourcing across direct and indirect categories, with $10M in total role savings.
Approximately $50M annual spend · Multi-site industrial operations
Build the team. Improve the operation.
Purchasing leadership that combined $1M in total role savings with better availability and shorter lead times.
$3M annual purchasing · 3,000+ SKUs · Team of 4–6
Built across industries.
Grounded in execution.
01EcolabAssociate Procurement Manager$4M role savings$3M direct + $1M teamJuly 2025–Present
Own category strategy and security of supply for $40M+ in annual North American petrochemical spend.
- Delivered $3M in 12 months through 3 RFPs, 1 e-auction, and supplier negotiations; led pre-scoping, sourcing strategy, and negotiation planning.
- Championed formula-based pricing to improve cost transparency and strengthen supplier negotiations.
- Develop alternative suppliers and lead cross-functional qualification and approval projects to reduce dependency risk and strengthen supply continuity.
- Coached one direct report to implement an additional $1M in savings, separate from the $3M delivered directly.
02RoSenior Sourcing Manager$2M role savingsTotal across the roleMay 2021–November 2024
Led sourcing and supplier strategy across a $20M portfolio spanning supplements, ingredients, packaging, and contract manufacturing.
- Developed a contract manufacturing strategy that reduced supplement spend by $355K and shortened lead times by 40%.
- Re-shored flexible packaging, saving $55K annually and reducing lead times by 63%.
- Reduced corrugated packaging SKUs by 60%, delivering $126K in annual savings and simplifying fulfillment.
- Supported the launch and scale-up of 10 products, contributing to eight-figure revenue within 18 months through sourcing and supplier coordination.
- Developed backup supplier options and provided executive updates on supply risks, sourcing decisions, and product readiness.
03Votorantim CimentosSenior Buyer$10M role savingsTotal across the roleFebruary 2020–May 2021
Managed approximately $50M in annual direct and indirect spend across a multi-site industrial operation, including industrial equipment and conveyor belts.
- Led cross-functional RFPs and supplier consolidation initiatives to support cost reduction and operational requirements.
- Managed sourcing for two CAPEX projects, delivering critical equipment on time and under budget.
- Coordinated with plant stakeholders and suppliers to resolve delivery constraints and maintain supply continuity.
04Power Equipment DirectAssistant Category Manager$1.5M role savingsTotal across the roleAugust 2016–October 2019
Managed sourcing, supplier negotiations, and commercial planning across five e-commerce categories generating approximately $12M in annual revenue.
- Developed category strategies that supported 11% year-over-year growth, approximately $4M in annual gross profit, and 33% gross margins.
- Negotiated a bulk purchase arrangement that generated approximately $600K in savings.
- Aligned product selection, pricing, supplier terms, and inventory planning with category growth and profitability targets.
05Justin Blair & CompanyPurchasing Manager$1M role savingsTotal across the roleFebruary 2013–July 2016
Managed a $3M annual purchasing portfolio, more than 3,000 active SKUs, and teams of four to six employees.
- Delivered $400K in annual savings through supplier negotiations and purchasing improvements.
- Improved out-of-stock performance by more than 95% through inventory planning and supplier coordination.
- Reduced average lead times by 35%, supporting product availability and revenue growth.
- Directed purchasing execution and resolved supplier, shipment, and invoice issues.
Less administration. More procurement.
Through independent consulting, I build sourcing models, dashboards, and AI-assisted workflows for supplier research, quote analysis, and reporting. Practical tools that make room for better decisions.
Independent procurement & systems consulting · January 2025–Present[Joshua Palacios] could equally balance handling the day to day objective while thinking big about how to reduce potential risks in our supply chain.
What does your next
procurement leader need?
Pick a priority.
See where I’ve done the work.
Better economics. Stronger supply.
A North American petrochemical sourcing strategy that delivered $3M in realized savings in 12 months.
See the experience Ro$355KMake the supply base work harder.
A contract manufacturing strategy that lowered supplement spend and shortened lead times.
See the experience Ro63%Closer suppliers. Less complexity.
Domestic flexible packaging and fewer corrugated SKUs delivered $181K in combined annual savings.
See the experience Power Equipment Direct11%Buy with the whole business in mind.
Supplier negotiations and category strategy supported growth, margin, and better purchasing economics.
See the experience Votorantim Cimentos$10MBuy for the plant. Deliver for the business.
Industrial sourcing across direct and indirect categories, with $10M in total role savings.
See the experience Justin Blair & Company$1MBuild the team. Improve the operation.
Purchasing leadership that combined $1M in total role savings with better availability and shorter lead times.
See the experience Ecolab$1MDevelop the person. Multiply the impact.
$3M delivered directly in 12 months + $1M implemented through team coaching. Both are included in $4M role savings.
See the experience AI & automation2 modelsTurn procurement judgment into a working tool.
Built an AI-assisted sourcing lab with transparent cost models, qualification gates, supplier rankings, and exportable decision briefs. Try chemical sourcing or industrial equipment.
See the experienceYour next chapter.
My next challenge.
Hiring a procurement or strategic sourcing leader?
Let’s talk about the business you’re building.