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HK Systems has acquired Charlotte, N.C.-based AGV Products, a supplier of automatic guided vehicles. The two companies have partnered on projects for more than five years. HK says the acquisition will now enable it to provide comprehensive end-to-end automatic guided vehicle products and solutions. ... SEKO, a global freight forwarder and logistics service specialist, has established SEKO- Canada to expand its presence in North America. The new service will be operated in conjunction with the Cole Group, a logistics and customs broker with more than 30 offices throughout Canada. ... Labelmaster, a manufacturer of dangerous goods compliance products, has released a military version of its shipping manual, A.I.R. Shipper Air International Regulations for Shippers of Dangerous Goods. For info, visit www.airregs.com. ... Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp. has moved its spare parts distribution department into a new state-of-the-art facility in Richmond, Va. The 17,000-square-foot building will hold an inventory of 8,000 spare parts that can be quickly delivered to U.S. customers. ... Rescar, a railcar repair, maintenance and cleaning company, reopened its Orange, Texas, repair facility in October. The 63-acre complex suffered extensive damage from a direct hit in September 2005 by Hurricane Rita. During this past year, the shops were completely redesigned and rebuilt to reduce the in-shop time for each of the 2,700 cars repaired there annually. ... A new Native American-owned transportation brokerage company has been formed. HCI Logistics is a partnership between the Potawatomi Business Development Corp., owned and operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, and Ho Chunk Inc., the business development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. ... Amware Logistics of Eagle, Colo., has acquired the assets of Distribution Services of Atlanta (DSA). DSA owns, manages or leases more than a million square feet of distribution space in the greater Atlanta market.

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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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Gartner: GenAI tools create anxiety among employees

Generative AI (GenAI) is being deployed by 72% of supply chain organizations, but most are experiencing just middling results for productivity and ROI, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

That’s because productivity gains from the use of GenAI for individual, desk-based workers are not translating to greater team-level productivity. Additionally, the deployment of GenAI tools is increasing anxiety among many employees, providing a dampening effect on their productivity, Gartner found.

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The German third party logistics provider (3PL) Arvato this week acquired the U.S.-headquartered companies Carbel LLC and United Customs Services, saying the move would grow its client base, particularly in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle segments.

According to Arvato, it made the move in order to better serve the U.S. e-commerce sector, which has experienced high growth rates in recent years and is expected to grow year-on-year by 5% within the next five years.

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Supply chain pros are wary of inflation and labor woes

The top worries that supply chain leaders hope to address with new innovations this year include inflationary concerns (68%) and labor shortages (50%), according to a survey on innovation from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) Kenco.

And many of them will have a budget to do it, since 51% of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand, Kenco said in its “2025 Supply Chain Innovation” survey.

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