Noted: The Supply Chain in Brief-Sep 2019

Good Works

  • To support a remote mountain elementary school in Yunnan, China, cargo-partner donated and delivered 200 desks and chairs, 130 bunk beds, and 260 bedding sets for a new dormitory building. In addition, the logistics provider will help the local government build a charity supermarket for people living in the mountain area to raise the region’s living standards.
  • Wish Farms, a year-round supplier of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, partnered with hunger-relief nonprofit organization Feeding America on a summer campaign that encouraged Wish Farms staff to volunteer at the Feeding Tampa Bay distribution hub during working hours. In addition, for each Instagram engagement (like, tag, or follow) on campaign posts, Wish Farms donated one meal to families in need.

M&A

  • Descartes Systems Group, a logistics and supply chain management software provider, acquired BestTransport, a cloud-based transportation management system provider.
  • DSV, a transport and logistics company, purchased Panalpina, a supply chain solutions provider—a move that creates the second-largest airfreight provider in the world after DHL.

  • Exegistics, a third-party logistics provider, acquired the staffing operation of Versant Supply Chain, a provider of transportation, warehousing, and value-added distribution and staffing services.
  • Heartland Express, a trucking company, purchased Millis Transfer, a dry-van operator.
  • Five Star Transportation, a Hawaii-based transportation services company, acquired Delivery Hawaii, a third-party logistics provider.
  • Gebruder Weiss, a logistics services company, purchased KK+M, a freight forwarder.
  • WiseTech Global, a logistics solutions software group, acquired Depot Systems, a container yard/terminal management software provider.

Green Seeds

  • CMA CGM pledged that none of its 500 vessels will use the Northern Sea Route, which runs the length of the Siberian Coast, connecting Asia to Europe. In addition to avoiding the route, which goes through the fragile Arctic region, the shipping line also committed to using liquefied natural gas to power ultra-large ships that carry up to 23,000 containers.

Sealed Deals

  • Bob Mills Furniture Co., a furniture retailer, selected Blue Ridge, a supply chain planning and demand planning software company, to enhance forecasting capabilities, manage variable lead times, reduce overstocks, and automate inventory across its nine locations in Oklahoma and Texas.
  • Allbirds, a direct-to-consumer footwear designer, chose supply chain solutions provider GEODIS to fulfill orders through its new e-commerce website, which serves 12 European markets. GEODIS Netherlands will manage Allbirds’ warehouse activities from its central e-fulfillment hub in Venlo, implementing a new order-picking process for single-piece flow.
  • Sporting goods maker Decathlon selected DHL Global Forwarding, a provider of air, sea, and road freight services, to support its global supply chain operations, enabling Decathlon stores to stock more than 22,400 items covering more than 85 different sports. DHL’s control tower operations provide visibility for Decathlon’s shipments from factories in Vietnam and Taiwan to multiple destinations, including Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Europe, India, Malaysia, Morocco, and Singapore.
  • The U.S. Air Force chose cloud-based, Smart-Contract-as-a-Service (SCaaS) platform SIMBA Chain to provide blockchain technology to secure its supply chain. The U.S. Air Force aims to make its data tamper proof with the help of SIMBA Chain, which is prototyping a blockchain approach to register and track additive manufacturing components during their entire lifecycle.

Up the Chain

  • Frank Gennaco was appointed director of worldwide procurement at Pelican Products, a designer and manufacturer of protective cases, temperature-controlled packaging solutions, and portable lighting systems. Gennaco is responsible for the delivery of components and finished goods to optimize inventory and service levels, supporting Pelican’s sourcing and supply chain operations team.

Recognition

  • Eastman Chemical Company presented Averitt Express with a 2019 Excellence Award for transportation services. Averitt Express, which provides less-than-truckload services from several of the chemical manufacturer’s facilities, was recognized for its on-time delivery performance, safety and security, and ability to enhance operational processes.
  • Bruce A. Fenimore, chief executive officer of container, equipment, and trucking services provider Columbia Group, received the 2019 Connie Award from the Containerization & Intermodal Institute for helping to advance containerization and intermodalism through leadership and innovation. In addition, Sara Mayes, president and CEO of Gemini Shippers Group and an industry veteran with more than 50 years in the business, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • SmartWay Transport Partnership named liquid bulk chemical carrier Heniff Transportation Systems a 2019 SmartWay High Performer. The SmartWay High Performers list for carbon emissions is composed of carriers that operate fuel-efficient fleets, consuming less fuel for every mile they travel and for every ton of freight they move compared to SmartWay peers.
  • The Women in Trucking (WIT) Association named 3PL Kenco Logistics a Top Women-Owned Business in Transportation. WIT selects businesses based on financial stability and growth, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and efforts to promote gender diversity.