NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

Good Works

• The National Tank Truck Carriers donated $2,500 to the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund on behalf of Highway Transport driver Thomas Frain, who was recognized earlier this year as the 2021-2022 Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year Grand Champion. The fund helps support drivers who are out of work due to a recent illness or injury, and their families.
• CSX Corp. is contributing $200,000 to support relief and recovery efforts underway in the Florida and South Carolina communities affected by Hurricane Ian. The funds will be split between the American Red Cross ($150,000) and Florida’s Disaster Fund ($50,000).

Up the Chain

• Hostess Brands appointed Adrian Poretti chief supply chain officer to oversee the sweet snacks company’s operations and supply chain. His previous experience includes nearly 30 years at Kimberly-Clark, where he most recently was vice president, global supply chain capabilities.
• Sam’s Club named Matt Connolly vice president, supply chain, distribution. Previously, Connolly spent more than 30 years at Clorox in positions including vice president of global operations and logistics.
• Greg Schwendinger joined American Airlines Cargo as president. His airline and business background includes more than 15 years of experience at American, where he has held various roles leading teams across the airline.
• West Hutchison is the new president and CEO of Vertical Cold Storage, a developer and operator of temperature-controlled distribution centers. Hutchison brings 25 years of experience growing temperature-controlled businesses. Most recently, he was senior vice president of network optimization/M&A for Lineage Logistics.

M&A

• SATS, a provider of air cargo services in Asia, acquired Worldwide Flight Services, the world’s largest air cargo handler, to create a global air cargo platform with a network of stations across Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
• Millwood added its first facility in Texas and 34th location nationwide by acquiring Austin Pallet Company. The acquisition enables Millwood to expand distribution of its custom crates and new and recycled pallets.
• Imperial Dade, a distributor of foodservice packaging and janitorial supplies and printing paper, acquired two companies: Dees Paper Company and Boudreault Packaging, both distributors of janitorial sanitation and foodservice products.
• Baylor Trucking, a truckload carrier with 200 trucks and 980 trailers, is now part of Werner Enterprises, one of the nation’s largest transportation and logistics companies.
• To help grow its North American market share and geographical footprint, logistics service provider DB Schenker acquired USA Truck, a capacity solutions provider.

Sealed Deals

• Canadian healthcare products manufacturer and distributor A.M.G. Medical recently implemented a cloud-based distribution ERP and a warehouse management solution, both from supply chain management software company Tecsys. The solutions provide A.M.G. Medical’s headquarters and distribution center with a scalable platform that accommodates business-critical complexity and drives financial performance.
• Global digital sports platform Fanatics tapped crowdsourced delivery platform Roadie to deploy a new retail logistics solution, delivering from warehouses directly to consumers. As a result, customers in several U.S. cities can order sports team gear using local next-day delivery.
• The Timpson Group, a UK and Irish retailer with more than 2,100 stores offering shoe repair and other services, teamed up with package logistics and asset tracking firm Position Imaging to offer a self-service package pickup solution in stores. The new AI-based iPickup Courier Access Point helps the retailer capitalize on demand for in-store pickup and drop-off services.
• Tea company ekaterra, which manages brands that include TAZO and Lipton, has selected the Kinaxis RapidResponse platform for supply chain planning to create transparency across its supply chain and empower planners to make informed decisions based on up-to-date data.
• Fashion firm Zalando is upping its use of TORU, the mobile, intelligent picking robots from German manufacturer Magazino. A new deal brings Zalando’s fleet of TORU robots to 57; the new units will be used for picking processes at two Zalando warehouses in Italy.

Green Seeds

• DHL Express will invest more than $11 million in Canada to update its ground fleet with 110 electric vehicles over the next 12 months. The investment includes the vehicles, charging stations, and other related infrastructure. DHL Express will deploy the first 10 vehicles by the end of 2022 in Montreal.
• A.P. Moller-Maersk continues its green fleet transformation by adding six large ocean-going vessels that can sail on green methanol. Hyundai Heavy Industries will build the ships, which will have a nominal capacity of approximately 17,000 TEU containers.
• Pacific Drayage Services (PDS), part of marine drayage firm IMC Companies, is adding six Volvo electric trucks to its fleet in 2022. PDS will deploy these Class-8 battery electric vehicles in Southern California as part of its goal to run carbon-free drayage operations by 2030.

Recognition

• Echo Global Logistics received two workplace accolades. The company, a technology-enabled transportation and supply chain management provider, was recognized as a great place to work by Chicago’s 2022 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, and was also selected for the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list.
• Avetta, a supply chain risk management software provider, received the Gold Stevie Award in the supply chain management solution category at the 19th Annual International Business Awards. The company was chosen from among more than 3,700 nominations for its innovative approach to reducing supply chain risk.
• The American Logistics Aid Network honored four companies with its annual ALAN Humanitarian Logistics Award: GP Transco, Fleet Advantage, SEKO Logistics, and Vector Global Logistics. The companies were selected for their assistance during disasters like the recent flooding in Kentucky, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine.
• Find out which trucking companies are among the Top 10 Best-Paying Trucking Companies.