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  • Associated Material Handling Industries, a Carol Stream, Ill.-based distributor of material handling equipment and storage systems, is extending its reach into the Midwest. The company is building a new 30,000-squarefoot office and warehouse facility in the Ameriplex Business Center in Marion County, Ind.
  • The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has appointed Douglas Duncan, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Freight, as its new chairman. He succeeds James Staley, president and CEO of YRC Regional Transportation. ATRI is a non-profit research organization for the trucking industry.
  • Intelligrated has received a patent for technology incorporated into its IntelliSort sliding shoe sorter. The shoe design on the sorter accommodates either 20- or 30-degree angles. Diverting at a 30-degree angle saves on floor space, as the sorter occupies a smaller footprint. The contacting surface of the shoes also features a unique shape and contours that improve reliability and reduce jams.
  • Juliet Johansson has been appointed vice president of marketing, Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder System. In this new role, Johansson will be responsible for developing strategies and products for Ryder's largest business segment, which includes a fleet of more than 145,000 vehicles.
  • ORBIS Corp. has hired Deb Pitman as director of supply chain management, with responsibility for everything from sourcing and scheduling to materials management and customer support. ORBIS supplies plastic material handling containers, pallets and other packaging products.
  • ABF Freight System has appointed four of its executives as senior vice presidents. Chris Baltz has been named senior vice president of yield management and strategic development. Wes Kemp is senior vice president of operations. Roy Slagle is now senior vice president of sales and marketing, while Judy Reynolds has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Arkansas Best Corp., the parent company to ABF Freight.
  • FKI Logistex has promoted three senior managers in the company's North American Manufacturing Systems unit. Ken Thouvenot is now the vice president of project management and engineering. Thouvenot, a 10-year veteran of FKI, had been vice president of project management and marketing. Also promoted were Matt Wicks to director of systems engineering, and Brett Felton to the new role of international sales manager.

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Accenture acquires German management consulting firm Staufen AG

The consulting firm Accenture has acquired Staufen AG, a German management consulting firm, saying the move will expand Accenture’s capabilities to drive operational excellence and competitiveness in manufacturing and supply chains.

Specifically, adding Staufen will help Accenture serve clients in discrete manufacturing industries including automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial goods, and medical equipment.

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NRF: Container imports remain high after Trump tariff threats

Days after tariff threats by the Trump Administration against Canada and Mexico were paused for a month, imports at the nation’s major container ports are expected to remain high, as retailers continue to bring in cargo ahead of the new deadline and to cope with elevated tariffs on China that did occur, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Part of the reason for that situation is that companies can’t adjust to tariffs overnight by finding new suppliers. “Supply chains are complex. Retailers continue to engage in diversification efforts. Unfortunately, it takes significant time to move supply chains, even if you can find available capacity,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a release.

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AI: Is it the real deal?

Having reported on the supply chain world for some 25 years, I've seen technologies come and go. Many were once touted as the best thing since sliced bread but either failed to live up to the hype or else had to simmer a few years before they caught on.

Remember the hoopla surrounding dot-com retail? In the late 1990s, we were told that stores as we knew them would eventually go away, to be totally replaced by online shopping. The ease and convenience of e-commerce made that a reasonable expectation. But in March 2000, the bubble burst, and a host of online retailers closed their virtual doors forever. Of course, online shopping is still very much with us, and its share of total retail sales is growing by the year. Maybe we'll get to that retail seventh heaven someday, but it's taking much longer than originally predicted.

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Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in January, growing at its fastest clip in more than two years, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.

The LMI jumped nearly five points from December to a reading of 62, reflecting continued steady growth in the U.S. economy along with faster-than-expected inventory growth across the sector as retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers attempted to manage the uncertainty of tariffs and a changing regulatory environment. The January reading represented the fastest rate of expansion since June 2022, the LMI researchers said.

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Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

As commodities go, furniture presents its share of manufacturing and distribution challenges. For one thing, it's bulky. Second, its main components—wood and cloth—are easily damaged in transit. Third, much of it is manufactured overseas, making for some very long supply chains with all the associated risks. And finally, completed pieces can sit on the showroom floor for weeks or months, tying up inventory dollars and valuable retail space.

In other words, the furniture market is ripe for disruption. And John "Jay" Rogers wants to be the catalyst. In 2022, he cofounded a company that takes a whole new approach to furniture manufacturing—one that leverages the power of 3D printing and robotics. Rogers serves as CEO of that company, Haddy, which essentially aims to transform how furniture—and all elements of the "built environment"—are designed, manufactured, distributed, and, ultimately, recycled.

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