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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
M & A • Hellmann Worldwide Logistics acquired PKZ Group, its long-standing air and sea freight partner in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, establishing its own Slovakian national company. • Advantive, a software provider for specialty manufacturing and distribution businesses, made two recent acquisitions: VeraCore, an SaaS order and warehouse management software provider for fulfillment companies and […]
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Shippers Gain Confidence
What can shippers expect next quarter? BlueGrace Logistics’ Q3 Logistics Confidence Index finds these key highlights: Anticipated revenue maintained a positive trend, decreasing by only 4% across all shippers surveyed. Inventory levels measured highest at neutral and therefore are not expected to expand or contract for Q3. Order volume (sentiment) increased by 5%. That suggests order volumes […]
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State of Digitization in Forwarding
The pace of digitalization in freight forwarding has accelerated since 2020, as companies increasingly invest in technology solutions to streamline operations, finds a Magaya report. However, the industry still has a long way to go to capitalize on evolving technological advancements. Many organizations still rely heavily on inefficient manual processes. The survey’s key findings include: […]
Read MoreIndustrial Sector Cools, Manufacturing Heats Up
Following record high demand and rent prices notched during the pandemic, the industrial sector’s dynamics are shifting and demand is cooling, finds a new U.S. industrial market update from Savills. Some predictions about where things are headed from here: Vacancy rates are on the rise. While the market is still historically tight, vacancy rates are […]
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Reshoring Moves Beyond the Drawing Table
Reshoring and nearshoring have finally matured into commercial realities, finds Kearney’s 10th annual Reshoring Index Report. Reshoring initiatives have become so successful that companies that took a wait-and-see approach to locating manufacturing operations in the past are now scrambling to find facilities in Mexico and the United States. But the road to reshoring is harder […]
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Technology Leads the Pack
Packaging used to be simply for protecting and identifying a product; now it helps drive sales. Smart packaging—which uses technology to enhance user engagement, product quality, and supply chain efficiency—is the latest iteration, according to Smart Packaging 2023-2033, a new report from IDTechEx. Establishing business models that utilize these technologies to unlock value for brands […]
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Air Cargo Grounded
The global air cargo market may have to hang on until October for signs of a recovery. A flood of summer bellyhold capacity on major lanes and a 4% drop in demand in April 2023 indicates challenging months ahead, according to new analysis from CLIVE Data Services, part of Xeneta. Air freight spot rates dropped […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
On behalf of Stena Line, Stena RoRo designed and ordered two hybrid cargo ships from shipyard CMI Jinling in Weihai, China; delivery is scheduled for 2025. The NewMax ships can be powered by methanol or conventional fuel and increase cargo capacity by 80%. The vessels have been designed for Stena Line’s route between Belfast and Heysham on the Irish Sea.
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Alcoholic Beverages
3 Tiers of the Wine Supply Chain We can’t talk about wine without mentioning the Volstead Act, which made it illegal to “manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish, or possess” such beverages. Prohibition wasn’t just a temporary blip in alcohol manufacturing; it changed the way the supply chain functions. Prior to Prohibition, the […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works • Trailer Bridge and ATS International held a charity golf tournament that raised more than $104,500 for Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico, supporting the organization’s efforts to create and preserve home ownership opportunities for low-income individuals and families on the island. • Technology-driven logistics company TransLoop partnered with Luke Grimes of Yellowstone, Hydroviv, and […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works • As part of Combilift’s celebrations for its 25th anniversary, the Irish materials handling specialist donated its 75,000th truck—an Aisle Master articulated forklift—to Convoy of Hope, a non-profit humanitarian and disaster relief organization. • Maersk Air Cargo donated the airfreight capacity to send 440 pallets of U.S.-donated relief goods to Türkiye in response to two […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
Products • Peli BioThermal expanded its reusable Crēdo product line to meet deep frozen requirements for transporting pharmaceutical products. Able to transport temperature-sensitive biologics and time-sensitive cell and gene therapies, the five new Crēdo Cube Dry Ice shippers deliver deep frozen payload protection for up to 144 hours. • The newest tire from Trelleborg, the XP900, is […]
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Winning the Data Game
Rates shift as dynamically as the market does so it’s important for shippers to have some benchmarks in place to navigate it as cleanly—and cheaply—as possible. However, that requires investing a lot of time and focus on top of simply getting the job done right. So where can shippers go to manage all the information […]
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Trucking Gets a Tune Up
The labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and high fuel prices brought on by the pandemic continue to reverberate in the trucking industry. To identify challenges and potential solutions, Rose Rocket surveyed trucking executives, carriers, and brokers and aggregated usage data from its transportation management system. More than half (53.5%) of those surveyed cite hiring and […]
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A Direct Hit
As retail businesses explore all their supply chain options, many find that direct-to-consumer (DTC) models may be the right approach. In fact, two-thirds of North American organizations say their investment in the DTC delivery model has increased since early 2020, according to a new Deposco report, The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer in North America. Respondents from […]
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A Healthier Pharma Supply Chain
To improve their bottom line, many healthcare providers are applying supply chain know-how to healthcare decisions. One example: Cardinal Health collaborated with Palantir Technologies to design a solution that provides health systems and hospitals with dynamic purchase decision insights. The solution uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze real-time clinical and purchasing data, then […]
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Tear It Down Then Build It Up
Recent systemic supply chain challenges have forced some companies to scrap contingency plans and rebuild their supply chains from the ground up. This has created demand for relevant business interruption coverage, according to a new WTW study. The survey polled supply chain risk decision makers in industries including life sciences, semiconductors, food and beverage, agriculture, […]
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Safety and Ergonomics
• HeroWear Apex 2: The latest version of HeroWear’s back-assist exosuit helps warehouse workers perform movements such as lifting and sustained or repeated bending. The Apex 2 weighs less than 3 pounds and can take 75 pounds of strain off a typical worker’s back with every lift. It reduces muscle strain and fatigue by up to […]
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