NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
GOOD WORKS: DHL Group expanded its GoHelp program to Europe due to the growing number of recent catastrophes. With the launch of GoHelp Europe, the program now covers all global disaster hotspots.
UP THE CHAIN
← Rob Standish joins MD Logistics as vice president of corporate strategy and technology, a new position created within the organization. He most recently served as vice president of global operations for an electronics manufacturer.
• Instant Pot Brands appointed four new senior executives to its leadership team: Chris Robins as CEO, Craig Carrigan as CFO, Lisa Kronish as chief human resources officer and Rudy Sumarli as executive vice president, supply chain and R&D.
→ Starbucks appointed Heather Ostis as its new senior vice president and chief procurement officer of global supply chain. In the new role, Ostis will focus on strengthening supplier relationships, improving supplier performance and building network resiliency. Before joining Starbucks, Ostis served as Delta Air Line’s vice president of supply chain management.
SEALED DEALS
↑ As part of its participation in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Program, Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding awarded a contract to GEODIS to provide inbound logistics services for ship construction and repair projects.
• TBInternational, a global fashion and textile producer, has successfully gone live with o9’s Digital Brain platform for next-generation demand forecasting and operations planning capabilities.
• NESTLE International placed an order with OMNIQ Corp. for the supply of mobile data collection, computing, and communication equipment. The rugged forklift-mounted mobile computers and barcode readers help increase workforce productivity by providing the ability to scan inventory and track data using integrated features through mobile devices.
• International Trading Fashion & Apparel Supply Limited, the purchase entity of the KIABI Group, has chosen Pivot88’s quality, compliance, and traceability platform to facilitate flexible and comprehensive facility audits.
• Cornerstone Building Brands, a North American manufacturer of exterior building materials, will implement comprehensive technologies from ToolsGroup and its partner River Logic for end-to-end value chain optimization.
↑ Nintendo will implement EPG’s LFS warehouse management system to control the material flow for its video games and video game consoles. The company will also use the TIMESQUARE supply chain control tower, which provides a dashboard for operations.
M&A
↑ Sheer Logistics acquired CargoBarn, a tech-enabled third-party logistics provider based in Atlanta. The newly combined entity will ultimately operate under the Sheer Logistics brand.
• The Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) acquired Northern Dry Bulk, a Clare, Michigan-based company specializing in the transportation and storage of plastic resins in the United States and Canada.
• Following the acquisition of John Christner Trucking, Hirschbach Motor Lines has integrated operations of the two companies with joint branding. Logistics and third-party capacity offerings now operate under the name Hirschbach Solutions.
• Quantix, a supply chain services company to the chemical industry, has acquired CLX Logistics. The acquisition creates the largest chemical market-focused 3PL globally.
• Descartes Systems Group purchased OCR Services, a provider of global trade compliance solutions and content.
↑ Dachser will acquire Brummer Logistik GmbH in Germany and Brummer Logistic Solutions GmbH & Co KG in Austria, pending approval from German and Austrian competition authorities. The purchase encompasses the entire operational business of the Brummer Group.
Green Seeds
← Gebrüder Weiss hosts an international cycling campaign, GWcycles, which combines an athletic challenge with environmental protection. The company will plant 7,000 trees in Nicaragua for the kilometers covered by the participants.
RECOGNITION
↑ NFI’s Howard Robinson (pictured, middle), who has been a truck driver for 30 years, was one of five recipients of the Truckload Carriers Association’s Professional Driver of the Year award. In 2023, he received NFI’s Million Mile Award, which awards drivers for completing more than one million safe miles.
• The Hyster H40-70A forklift series is a winner of the 2023 GOOD DESIGN Award. The H40-70A models, which are available with 4,000 to 7,000 pound lift capacities, are designed around a singular base configuration derived from direct feedback from operators, managers, technicians, safety coordinators and other professionals. From there, operations can tailor additional features, creating a forklift based on their specific application.
• AutoScheduler.AI was selected as a winner of the SAP Innovation Awards 2024 in the Partner Paragon category.
↑ The Women In Trucking Association, Truckstop, and Transportation Intermediaries Association named Sarah Ruffcorn, president of Trinity Logistics, as the winner of the 10th annual Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award.
• Landstar System honored Katie Mountain, vice president of business development, and Jim Todd, CFO, with the Landstar Outstanding Management Achievement Award based on effective leadership, managerial skills, and significant contributions in sales and operations. Former Landstar President and CEO Jim Gattoni, who retired in February 2024, received the Jeffrey C. Crowe-Robert E. Zonneville Lifetime Achievement Award.
Milestone
↑ A. Duie Pyle, a family-owned transportation and logistics provider based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024.