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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works Toyota Material Handling Solutions (TMHS) donated $2,500 to The Foodbank of Southern California. TMHS associates (pictured) also collected 500 pounds of canned goods to accompany the cash donation. The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) launched an initiative funded through a Walmart Foundation grant to provide disaster-focused non-profits with the opportunity to apply best […]
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Good Works J.B. Hunt Transport Services awarded $55,000 to 55 classrooms as part of its Adopt-a-Class program, which provides schools with resources to obtain learning supplies and other essentials. Atlanta-based Americold and Feed the Children worked with the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs-Welcoming Atlanta to distribute 8,000 ready-to-eat meal kits to students throughout December […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Pet Supplies
Biofuels: A Pet Peeve A proposed EPA rule has the pet industry howling. The rule would establish required Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and percentage standards for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (see chart). The EPA also recommended a series of modifications to strengthen and expand the RFS program. The pet food industry’s response was swift […]
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Industrial Real Estate Keeps the Pace…for Now
U.S. industrial leasing activity will decline in 2023, but demand will keep pace with supply for the 13th consecutive year of positive net absorption, predicts CBRE in its U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook 2023 report. Vacancy rates that remain below the 10-year average, however, will lead to double-digit rent growth, finds the report. As of […]
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Polish Up That Crystal Ball
Making informed decisions that impact all aspects of the supply chain requires access to quality, actionable information. While it’s not possible to accurately predict the future, BlueGrace Logistics’ Logistics Confidence Index (LCI) examines expected revenue growth for upcoming quarters and how shippers can adjust based on those expectations. The LCI shipper survey measures expected industry […]
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California Here We Come
Nearly one-third of logistics managers polled in a CNBC survey do not know how much trade they would return to West Coast ports after an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) labor deal is reached. Negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the ILWU, which represents 22,000 West Coast port workers, began on May 10, […]
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Last-Mile Deliveries Grow Bigger and Bulkier
Big and bulky last-mile delivery will be one of the fastest growing third-party logistics (3PL) segments for the next three years, driven by expanding e-commerce product categories that include furniture and appliances, predicts Making it Count: Big and Bulky Last-Mile Delivery in the United States, an Armstrong & Associates report. The report estimates the 3PL […]
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Robotics Demand Skyrockets
Robots are seeing a population growth. By 2027, more than 4 million robots will be installed and operating in warehouses and distribution centers. Shipments of mobile robots jumped 53% in 2022 when compared with 2021, driven by increasing e-commerce, labor shortages, and shifting manufacturing methods, finds research from Interact Analysis. The market will experience compounded […]
Read MoreSouth of the Border Imports Boom
Driven by demand for boats, vehicles, vehicle parts, computer parts, and oil, Mexican imports to the United States rose 19.5% year-over-year in 2022 to reach $479.6 billion according to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics. Some segments, such as motor vehicle parts, are returning to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, data from project44 shows that […]
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Walmart Takes to the Skies
Retailers continue to look for new ways to meet consumer demand for fast delivery. Many, including Walmart, are banking on drones. For a cool $3.99, Walmart customers who live within one mile of a participating store can now have thousands of eligible products delivered to their home via same-day drone delivery. Walmart expanded its DroneUp […]
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Reviewing 2022 Shipping Challenges
How did shippers respond to challenges in 2022 and how do they plan to respond in 2023? That’s what Averitt’s eighth annual State of the North American Supply Chain Survey set out to discover. The survey asked 1,800 shippers about supply chain challenges in 2022 and measures their interest in various supply chain services moving […]
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Many Supply Chains Still in the Dark
Although technology innovations help shed light on additional insights into supply chains, some knowledge gaps remain. Up to 80% of executives responding to Verusen’s 2022 State of Supply Chain Management report say they can’t digitally track the movement of direct and indirect materials across their enterprise, which suggests that many companies may lack the technology […]
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
From new e-commerce solutions to RFID tags for tracking assets, here’s what’s new and notable in the supply chain.
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IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions
From a high-capacity orderpicker to a new nationwide reefer van network, here are some notable supply chain services and solutions that recently hit the market.
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The Last Mile: Ice Cream Logistics… Licked
When it comes to frozen desserts, ice cream tops the list for U.S. consumers. Here’s how ice cream makers keep churning it out.
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Raw Materials
Insight into the latest supply chain trends for raw materials.
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NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
From sustainability efforts to recent mergers and acquisitions, here’s what’s new and notable in the supply chain.
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Helping Manufacturers Weather the Storm
The manufacturing sector continues to chug along, with demand and production levels hitting new highs. But economic uncertainty and inflation may soon create some clouds on the horizon.
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Taking the Temperature on Sustainability
Many companies will continue to take sustainability seriously over the next 12 months. A recent Honeywell survey of 600 business leaders finds that 90% are pleased with their sustainability efforts over the prior 12 months, and 97% plan environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) budget increases in the next 12 months.
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Waste Eats Away the Bottom Line
Overproduction and waste may push margins in the wrong direction. A recent Avery Dennison report finds that 8% of stock perishes or is discarded before it reaches consumers–inventory losses worth up to $163.1 billion or 3.6% of annual profits. Of the 8% waste, slightly more than half (53.8%) is lost in the supply chain before products reach store shelves.
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