Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

newsmakers: people on the fast track

  • Knapp Logistics and Automation has announced that Raul Flores will head Knapp's newly opened office in Anaheim, Calif. Flores joined Knapp in late 2006 as the company's vice president, western division.
  • Ron Bell has joined Vertical Systems International as director of sales and marketing. Bell has worked for many years in the material handling industry, including stints at Buschmann Conveyors, Interroll, Portec, and Transnorm. Vertical Systems International is a supplier of vertical lifts and pallet dispensers.
  • FedEx subsidiary FedEx Custom Critical has announced that Jack Pickard, president and CEO, has retired. He has been succeeded by Virginia Albanese, vice president of operations and customer service. Pickard, who had been president and CEO since 2001, joined the organization in 1998, when the company he worked for, Roberts Express, was purchased by FedEx as part of the Caliber System acquisition. Albanese also came from Roberts Express, where she started out in customer service in 1986. She was named FedEx Custom Critical's vice president of service in 2001.
  • Jeffrey (J.B.) Brashares has been promoted to chief operating officer for Pacer International's logistics segment. Previously, Brashares was vice chairman for commercial sales at Pacer International. He also was a partner and president of Rail Van, a company that became part of Pacer in 2000.
  • FKI Logistex has appointed Manuel Barragan Ramirez general director of FKI Logistex de Mexico, the company's Mexican operating unit. He will manage the office in Mexico City, overseeing sales, engineering, service, and administration.
  • Hyundai Forklift has added Tim Webb as a regional sales manager. He brings over 20 years of experience in forklift sales to his new position, which will include responsibility for sales, marketing, and dealer development.
  • HighJump Software has named Chad Collins to the post of vice president of global strategy. He has been with HighJump since 2002, most recently as director of product strategy.
  • Diamond Phoenix has made a number of appointments to its team. Robert Rienecke has assumed the role of vice president of business development, concentrating on developing strategic business partnerships. Greg Chaffee, vice president of systems sales, will now lead all direct sales efforts. Paul Roy has been appointed director of distributor sales, responsible for leading the Distributor Sales Group.

    In addition, Tom Mower has been named plant manager, responsible for planning and directing the manufacturing, fabrication, and assembly of Diamond Phoenix products, and Stan Gzym has joined the company as senior project manager.
  • Montana trucking executive Ray Kuntz has been named chairman of the American Trucking Associations, a national trade and advocacy group for the trucking industry. Kuntz is chief executive officer of Watkins & Shepard Trucking Inc. of Helena, Mont.
  • Dr. William DeWitt III has been appointed associate dean of the Loeb- Sullivan School of International Business and Logistics at the Maine Maritime Academy. He comes to the academy, which is located in Castine, Maine, from a post as professor of the Practice of Logistics, Transportation & Supply Chain at the University of Maryland.
  • Old Dominion Freight Line has named two new members to its team. Richard Coleman has been added as the director of supply chain sales at the carrier's corporate headquarters in Thomasville, N.C. Jeffrey Bowen has joined the company as a business solutions analyst.
  • International Asset Systems, a company that provides equipment management and tracking technology solutions to the container transport industry, has named two veteran transportation executives to senior management positions. Jim Schreitmueller is the new senior vice president of sales and marketing, and J.P. Giovanni is the newly appointed senior vice president of global container services.
  • Less-than-truckload carrier Saia has named John Wright regional manager for the Los Angeles area. Wright, who most recently served as manager for the company's terminal in Fontana, Calif., will manage terminal operations in Calexico, Fontana, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, Calif.

The Latest

Artificial Intelligence

AI: Is it the real deal?

More Stories

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.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of GenAI effect on workforce

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
warehouse worker driving forklift between racks

German 3PL Arvato acquires two U.S. logistics firms

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo collage of warehouse tech

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.

Keep ReadingShow less