NOTED | The Supply Chain in Brief-2019

Green Seeds

  • DHL rolled out a new fleet of electric delivery vans to serve U.S. markets, moving closer to its target of operating 70 percent of first- and last-mile delivery services with clean transport modes by 2025 and eventually reducing logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. Equipment manufacturer Workhorse Group produced the fleet of 63 NGEN-1000 electric delivery cargo vans.

Up the Chain

  • N. Joe Limbaugh was appointed senior vice president of supply chain, operations support, and marketing at Motion Industries, a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts and a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company. Reporting directly to the president of Motion Industries, Limbaugh heads supply chain and marketing operations.

  • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) promoted Carl Smiley to chief purchasing and supply chain officer. Smiley was also named to the company’s Group Executive Council (GEC), the highest operational body within FCA. The appointment is part of the company’s efforts to broaden the GEC’s purview by adding the supply chain management function.

Sealed Deals

  • Better Made Snack Foods awarded a 10-year contract for the supply of mobile equipment, software, and support services to Quest Solution. Quest will install its Route Edge software to provide Better Made’s delivery fleet with handheld supply chain and inventory management devices, automate the delivery and sales process, and analyze customer information to predict demand.
  • Phillips Pet Food & Supplies chose Transervice Logistics dedicated contract carriage solution at its new Iowa distribution center. Phillips opened the warehouse to serve the Midwest region and ensure the compliant delivery of refrigerated products.
  • Performance Food Group (PFG), a marketer and distributor, selected food service supply chain company ArrowStream as its software solutions supplier. PFG adopted ArrowStream’s Crossbow technology system to help optimize its supply chain.
  • Range manufacturer AGA Rangemaster outsourced its retail transportation to Yusen Logistics in the UK. The logistics provider designed a bespoke solution for AGA Rangemaster’s retail customers, crossdocking products at its dedicated white goods facility and offering consolidation opportunities with other leading brands.

M&A

  • Symbia Logistics, a warehousing, logistics, and e-commerce fulfillment company, acquired three businesses: Mountain States Logistics, Innovative Fulfillment Solutions, and Nevada Distribution Services. The acquisitions are part of its growth strategy, along with the grand opening of its e-commerce fulfillment center in Aurora, Colorado (pictured).
  • CFI, a subsidiary of Montreal-based TFI International, bought Chicago-based Optimal Freight from its parent company. Transferring Optimal Freight to CFI allows it to fit with U.S. operations and expand beyond the Canadian market.
  • Logistics Plus acquired international freight forwarding and foreign principal agent (FPA) service provider H.C. Bennett, which now operates as Logistics Plus’s FPA services department within the international division.
  • Supply chain management software company TECSYS acquired OrderDynamics, a software system offering out-of-the-box distributed order management. TECSYS expands its omnichannel distribution with this deal.
  • Visibility platform project44 acquired GateHouse Logistics, creating the largest visibility platform across North America and Europe. GateHouse Logistics brings its GDPR-compliant network of systems to project44’s customers.

Recognition

  • Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) member RLS Logistics won the 2018 Wrangler Award from the Food Cowboy Foundation, a GCCA strategic partner working to reduce food waste. RLS Logistics received the award for its commitment to reducing waste via its support of Food Cowboy’s donation hotline.
  • Order picking solutions provider UNEX Manufacturing received the Most Valuable Supplier Award for 2018 from the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association for the fourth consecutive year. The award recognizes companies that demonstrate exemplary commitment to their dealer network, employees, and community.
  • Third-party logistics provider Kane Is Able was named Warehouse of the Year 2018 by Whole Foods Market based on its performance across 11 key operational metrics. Kane operates two warehouses that receive shipments from Whole Foods’ smaller suppliers and consolidate them for delivery.

Good Works

  • PLS Logistics partnered with the Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) by giving the organization access to its proprietary TMS, a reduced rate on shipments, and a rebate. PLS also participated in KINF’s new “Supply a Classroom” program and funded a classroom in the Pittsburgh area. KINF is a national organization that distributes school supplies to underprivileged students all over the world.