ProMat, as equipment and technology junkies know, is the ultimate showcase for material handling and logistics equipment, systems and technologies. When the show opens its doors in January, it's expected to attract as many as 50,000 visitors eager to get a glimpse of the latest gear. They won't be disappointed. The show's sponsor, Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), expects to draw 700 exhibitors to Chicago's McCormick Place South for the four-day event, which takes place Jan. 8 to 11, 2007. MHIA adds that the show will be the most comprehensive showcase of these systems and technologies in the United States in 2007.
Visitors to the exhibition will be greeted by 700-plus exhibits covering 300,000 square feet of floor space. These exhibitors offer material handling and logistics solutions for moving, storing, controlling, and protecting materials and products in the following categories:
Material Handling Equipment and Systems: Automated storage and retrieval systems, automatic guided vehicle systems, robots, personnel/burden carriers, racks, forklifts, batteries, unit handling systems, manufacturing execution systems, warehouse management systems/logistics execution systems, ergonomic and safety equipment, carousels, modular drawer storage, shelving, and thirdparty logistics services.
Packaging, Containers and Shipping Equipment: Box and carton makers, packaging machinery, wrapping equipment, equipment designed for the inspection of products by weight or scanning, pallets, wire baskets, plastic and metal containers, and palletizing equipment.
Inventory Management and Controlling Technologies: Computers, controllers, software programs, systems integrators, warehouse management systems, wireless control systems, order management systems, and transportation management systems.
Dock and Warehouse Equipment and Supplies: Dock levelers, dock pads, doors, forklift trucks, racks, flooring, handling systems, forklift attachments, conveyors, hoists, cranes, monorails, and below/hook lifting devices.
Consultants and distribution system planners: Simulators, modelers, system designers, distribution consultants and third-party logistics services.
Automatic Identification Equipment and Systems: Bar-code printers and scanners, vision systems, voice recognition systems, radio frequency systems, and systems integrators.
Navigating the show floor
To help attendees navigate the 300,000-square-foot show floor, the event's planners have organized it into five major Solution Centers. Here's a brief description of what you'll find in each section
Center for Fulfillment & Delivery Solutions. This center showcases both traditional and e-commerce fulfillment, order assembly, third-party logistics, warehousing, distribution and transportation activities. The exhibitors here also provide systems and services that support consumer and business direct market strategies.
Center for Equipment, Components & Manufacturing Solutions. In this section of the show floor, suppliers that produce component parts, attachments, and equipment and systems for the manufacturing environment demonstrate the latest in traditional material handling solutions. Products, services and solutions shown in this area include AS/RS, AGVs, overhead and lifting equipment, pallets and packaging, below/hook equipment, carousels, conveyors, storage equipment, casters, wheels and tires, ergonomic and safety equipment, and more.
Center for Information Technology (IT) Solutions. In this center, representatives of companies offering software solutions or consulting services that support manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics operations will be on hand. The show organizers expect that as a rapidly growing part of material handling and logistics, information technology will be a key center of activity at ProMat 2007.
Center for Assembly Logistics & Support Solutions. This center will focus on material handling and logistics solutions for the assembly environment. Automated assembly support, intelligent devices, ergonomic and safety equipment, workstations, light rail, and other assembly equipment and systems will be featured in this area.
The Knowledge Center. ProMat's Knowledge Center is designed to educate and provide industry resources to attendees before, during and after the show. The Knowledge Center will feature free 45-minute educational sessions right on the show floor on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The seminars will be hosted by material handling and logistics solutions experts and are free to all registered show attendees. Seating will be handled on a firstcome, first-served basis, so plan to arrive early. Complete abstracts of these sessions can be found online at www.ProMatShow.com.
Continuing education
ProMat 2007's educational opportunities aren't limited to the Knowledge Center, however. Show goers have an open invitation to attend the Keynote Forum on Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, which is free of charge to ProMat registrants. Conference organizers have also scheduled a series of educational workshops that begin on Saturday, Jan. 6. Registration is required and additional fees apply for the workshops, but attendees can earn continuing education credits for their participation.
The Keynote Executive Forum, scheduled for Tuesday morning from 9: 00 to 11: 30, features the success stories of three "Lean Leaders." Titled "Three Roads, One Destination: The Journey to Becoming a World Class Company," the program looks at how three very different companies implemented lean principles in their manufacturing and supply chain operations and the remarkable results they achieved. The keynote speakers at the seminar are C.J. Buck, president and CEO of Buck Knives; Herb Spivak, executive vice president, global quality assurance and product integrity, at New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.; and Dan Ariens, president and CEO of Ariens Co.
Concurrent with ProMat 2007, the Material Handling Institute will offer three educational workshops. The workshops, which will be held at McCormick Place, provide coverage of leading-edge material handling and logistics topics in a hands-on, classroom-style setting. They include:
The Basics of Material Handling - A Foundation for Better Planning and Results
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007: 8: 00 a.m. - 4: 30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007: 8: 00 a.m. - 12: 00 noon
This one and a half day workshop provides an introduction to the field of material handling, including systems analysis, equipment selection, and the relationship of material handling to other activities and operations of the industrial plant or warehouse. The course is also a refresher course for those who want an update on the latest trends.
Extended Supply Chain Synchronization: The Next Generation Competitive Strategy
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007: 8: 00 a.m. - 4: 30 p.m.
Based on lean supply chain solutions developed at Clemson University for the Department of Defense, this course will demonstrate why all supply chains are highly dysfunctional and how the application of integrated constraints management, lean manufacturing and Six Sigma principles can quickly create an additional key strategic advantage for any company that manages inventories.
Lean Material Handling and Work Cells: A One and One-Half Day Workshop Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007: 1: 30 p.m. - 4: 30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, 2007: 8: 00 a.m. - 4: 30 p.m. This workshop surveys lean material handling and shows how to plan effective cells using a simple six-step procedure. Case examples and a guided exercise lead toward mastery of the techniques presented.
Pre-registration for ProMat 2007 is free online at www.ProMatShow.com. The Web site also offers exhibitor search tools, floor plans and an agenda planner, plus information on the educational conferences and travel and hotel information. On-site registration is $25 or $10 with a VIP registration coupon available from exhibitors.
States across the Southeast woke up today to find that the immediate weather impacts from Hurricane Helene are done, but the impacts to people, businesses, and the supply chain continue to be a major headache, according to Everstream Analytics.
The primary problem is the collection of massive power outages caused by the storm’s punishing winds and rainfall, now affecting some 2 million customers across the Southeast region of the U.S.
One organization working to rush help to affected regions since the storm hit Florida’s western coast on Thursday night is the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). As it does after most serious storms, the group continues to marshal donated resources from supply chain service providers in order to store, stage, and deliver help where it’s needed.
Support for recovery efforts is coming from a massive injection of federal aid, since the White House declared states of emergency last week for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Affected states are also supporting the rush of materials to needed zones by suspending transportation requirement such as certain licensing agreements, fuel taxes, weight restrictions, and hours of service caps, ALAN said.
E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.
Ryder surveyed more than 1,300 consumers for its 2024 E-Commerce Consumer Study and found that 61% of consumers shop in-store “because they enjoy the experience,” a 21% increase compared to results from Ryder’s 2023 survey on the same subject. The current survey also found that 35% shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% say they shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8% from last year).
“Retail and e-commerce continue to evolve,” Jeff Wolpov, Ryder’s senior vice president of e-commerce, said in a statement announcing the survey’s findings. “The emergence of e-commerce and growth of omnichannel fulfillment, particularly over the past four years, has altered consumer expectations and behavior dramatically and will continue to do so as time and technology allow.
“This latest study demonstrates that, while consumers maintain a robust
appetite for e-commerce, they are simultaneously embracing in-person shopping, presenting an impetus for merchants to refine their omnichannel strategies.”
Other findings include:
• Apparel and cosmetics shoppers show growing attraction to buying in-store. When purchasing apparel and cosmetics, shoppers are more inclined to make purchases in a physical location than they were last year, according to Ryder. Forty-one percent of shoppers who buy cosmetics said they prefer to do so either in a brand’s physical retail location or a department/convenience store (+9%). As for apparel shoppers, 54% said they prefer to buy clothing in those same brick-and-mortar locations (+9%).
• More customers prefer returning online purchases in physical stores. Fifty-five percent of shoppers (+15%) now say they would rather return online purchases in-store–the first time since early 2020 the preference to Buy Online Return In-Store (BORIS) has outweighed returning via mail, according to the survey. Forty percent of shoppers said they often make additional purchases when picking up or returning online purchases in-store (+2%).
• Consumers are extremely reliant on mobile devices when shopping in-store. This year’s survey reveals that 77% of consumers search for items on their mobile devices while in a store, Ryder said. Sixty-nine percent said they compare prices with items in nearby stores, 58% check availability at other stores, 31% want to learn more about a product, and 17% want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering.
Ryder said the findings also underscore the importance of investing in technology solutions that allow companies to provide customers with flexible purchasing options.
“Omnichannel strength is not a fad; it is a strategic necessity for e-commerce and retail businesses to stay competitive and achieve sustainable success in 2024 and beyond,” Wolpov also said. “The findings from this year’s study underscore what we know our customers are experiencing, which is the positive impact of integrating supply chain technology solutions across their sales channels, enabling them to provide their customers with flexible, convenient options to personalize their experience and heighten customer satisfaction.”
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
As the hours tick down toward a “seemingly imminent” strike by East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, experts are warning that the impacts of that move would mushroom well-beyond the actual strike locations, causing prevalent shipping delays, container ship congestion, port congestion on West coast ports, and stranded freight.
However, a strike now seems “nearly unavoidable,” as no bargaining sessions are scheduled prior to the September 30 contract expiration between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) in their negotiations over wages and automation, according to the transportation law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary.
The facilities affected would include some 45,000 port workers at 36 locations, including high-volume U.S. ports from Boston, New York / New Jersey, and Norfolk, to Savannah and Charleston, and down to New Orleans and Houston. With such widespread geography, a strike would likely lead to congestion from diverted traffic, as well as knock-on effects include the potential risk of increased freight rates and costly charges such as demurrage, detention, per diem, and dwell time fees on containers that may be slowed due to the congestion, according to an analysis by another transportation and logistics sector law firm, Benesch.
The weight of those combined blows means that many companies are already planning ways to minimize damage and recover quickly from the event. According to Scopelitis’ advice, mitigation measures could include: preparing for congestion on West coast ports, taking advantage of intermodal ground transportation where possible, looking for alternatives including air transport when necessary for urgent delivery, delaying shipping from East and Gulf coast ports until after the strike, and budgeting for increased freight and container fees.
Additional advice on softening the blow of a potential coastwide strike came from John Donigian, senior director of supply chain strategy at Moody’s. In a statement, he named six supply chain strategies for companies to consider: expedite certain shipments, reallocate existing inventory strategically, lock in alternative capacity with trucking and rail providers , communicate transparently with stakeholders to set realistic expectations for delivery timelines, shift sourcing to regional suppliers if possible, and utilize drop shipping to maintain sales.
National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) kicked off its 2024 season this week with a call for volunteers. The group, which honors U.S. military veterans through a range of civic outreach programs, is seeking trucking companies and professional drivers to help deliver wreaths to cemeteries across the country for its annual wreath-laying ceremony, December 14.
“Wreaths Across America relies on the transportation industry to move the mission. The Honor Fleet, composed of dedicated carriers, professional drivers, and other transportation partners, guarantees the delivery of millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to their destination each year,” Courtney George, WAA’s director of trucking and industry relations, said in a statement Tuesday. “Transportation partners benefit from driver retention and recruitment, employee engagement, positive brand exposure, and the opportunity to give back to their community’s veterans and military families.”
WAA delivers wreaths to more than 4,500 locations nationwide, and as of this week had added more than 20 loads to be delivered this season. The wreaths are donated by sponsors from across the country, delivered by truckers, and laid at the graves of veterans by WAA volunteers.
Wreaths Across America
Transportation companies interested in joining the Honor Fleet can visit the WAA website to find an open lane or contact the WAA transportation team at trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.