- Strike a chord. RedPrairie Corp., a supply chain technology company, is providing systems for American Musical Supply's planned expansion through an integrated mix of supply chain execution solutions. AMS—one of the largest suppliers of musical instruments—plans to construct a customer distribution network next year and develop business- to-business sales channels using RedPrairie's distribution and enterprise vision products.
- Support system. LXE Inc., a manufacturer of rugged wireless computers, has signed a Solutions Technology Integrator (STI) agreement with Cisco Systems Inc. Cisco's STI partners are manufacturers and technology solutions providers that sell, service and support integrated hardware, software and service offerings to end users.
- Making the leap. HighJump Software, a 3M company that provides supply chain execution solutions, has announced that two clients have recently completed installations of its Supply Chain Advantage suite. Top Shop Holding, whose subsidiaries include home shopping companies such as Tel Sell, TV-Select and Oke.TV, is now using the solution to manage complex high-volume operations for thousands of constantly changing health, beauty, fitness and weight-loss products. In addition, Musco Family Olive Co. has used the software to launch a new line of Burgundy Pearl olives for the U.S. market. Musco is using HighJump's solutions to manage high-volume fulfillment and distribution of both its new and established products.
- More "optumistic." Optum Inc. has acquired Charlotte, N.C.-based V3 Systems, a supply chain execution solutions firm, in an all-stock transaction. The move extends Optum's supply chain network coordination and execution capabilities to Microsoft environments.
- Big chill. Great Lakes Cold Storage has acquired the New Federal Cold Storage warehouse in Cranberry, Pa. With 4.2 million cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen space, the new Great Lakes Cold Storage facility offers 24,000 pallet positions, temperature options from -20 degrees F to +40 degrees F, and two super blast cells at -40 degrees F.
- Fore! Intentia has announced that the Acushnet Co. of Fairhaven, Mass., has signed an agreement to license and implement Intentia's Movex Fashion collaborative enterprise applications. Acushnet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortune Brands, manufactures golf balls, clubs, shoes, gloves and accessories.
- Rugged features. Psion Teklogix, a company that provides solutions for mobile computing and wireless data collection, and Advanced Foodsystems, which markets ERP software and warehouse management solutions to the food industry, have entered into a value-added reseller and co-marketing partnership. AFS will sell Psion Teklogix's line of rugged mobile computing devices and professional services as part of its wireless bar-code scanning warehouse management solution.
- Interface services. Varsity Logistics Inc., a developer of transportation management solutions for the IBM iSeries, has signed a partnership agreement with Mincron Software Systems, which provides comprehensive enterprise software for the wholesale distribution industry. Varsity will offer a Mincron-approved software interface between ShipSoft, Varsity's parcel and freight shipping software, and Mincron's Hardgoods Distribution software.
- Hummin' right along. AM General, which manufactures Hummers and other military and special-purpose vehicles, has signed a contract with WhereNet Corp., which provides wireless solutions for tracking and managing enterprise assets. Under the contract, AM General is adopting WhereNet's wireless location technology at its Hummer H2 factory in Mishawaka, Ind.
- An affinity for wine. WineAmerica, a trade group for U.S. wineries, has launched a new affinity program with FedEx to provide members with discounted access to FedEx Ground and FedEx Express shipping services. Members will also receive free access to the FedEx Packaging Lab for advice on product packaging and protection.
- Easing the crunch. Logility Inc., a supplier of collaborative supply chain solutions, has announced that the Malt- O-Meal Co., the nation's fifth-largest cereal manufacturer, has extended its use of Logility Voyager Solutions to include transportation planning and management with Internet-enabled carrier collaboration.
- The hole story. Krispy Kreme of Winston-Salem, N.C., has selected Intermec Technologies Corp.'s 700 Series Color mobile computers to streamline its distribution process. The doughnut company is already using the mobile computers and PW40 workboard printers on more than 140 delivery routes, and it expects to have more than 500 Intermec mobile computers in operation by the end of the year.
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