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  • PBB Global Logistics has acquired Clarke Logistics from Clarke Inc. Clark Logistics manages the movement of goods through rail, truck and intermodal transport between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
  • CoCreate Software has appointed three regional directors of strategic alliances for the American market. The German software company provides collaborative design and 3D CAD offerings. Shanth Thyagarajan will direct strategic alliances for the Eastern U.S. region. Indrakanti Chakravarthy will serve the Midwestern region, and Craig Rode will direct strategic alliances in the Western region.
  • FKI Logistex, a global provider of material handling systems, has promoted two managers in its Manufacturing Systems North America division. Todd Ploudre is the new controller. He has been with the company's Alvey Systems unit for the past eight years. Kevin Brophy has been appointed manager, financial analysis. He has been with Alvey Systems for the past nine years.
  • Freight transportation and supply chain management company Averitt Express has met U.S. Customs requirements that will allow its Memphis, Tenn., service center to operate as a bonded Container Freight Station (CFS). A CFS designation permits the temporary storage of imported goods until they clear customs. This benefits Averitt's customers by reducing handling and eliminating the need to hold freight at another facility while the items clear customs.
  • New Penn Motor Express Inc. has opened two new terminal facilities in the Northeast. The first facility is located in Mercerville, N.J., near Trenton. It features 81 dock doors on 13.4 acres and replaces a nearby facility with only half that number of doors. The other new facility is in East Syracuse, N.Y. It is a newly constructed building with 57 doors. It replaces a facility that had only 24 doors. New Penn, a subsidiary of Yellow Roadway Corp., is headquartered in Lebanon, Pa

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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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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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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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