- Port side. The Virginia Port Authority has reaffirmed its alliance with the Panama Canal Authority. The alliance is designed to increase growth and trade, facilitate information sharing, and promote the all-water route from Asia to the U.S. East Coast through the Panama Canal. In late April, the two authorities signed a new Memorandum of Understanding that extends an alliance begun in 2003.
- Ship shape. Tool and machinery manufacturer Ingersoll Rand Co. is implementing Kewill Flagship software solutions to improve shipment visibility and reduce its transportation costs. Ingersoll Rand had been using Kewill Clippership software at five of its distribution facilities. The move to Kewill Flagship will support the company's increased international volumes and business growth in key sectors. The software systems will help Ingersoll Rand with its daily shipments of between 10,000 and 20,000 cartons per day.
- HK gets the OK. H.E. Butt Grocery Co. of San Antonio, Texas, has chosen HK Systems to supply a new automated storage and retrieval system. The system will be used to store pallets of frozen goods in a triple-deep configuration and then retrieve products for full-pallet delivery and pick-face replenishment. HK is also performing general construction services for the facility that will house the automated system.
- A lasting marriage. Benchmark Rings, a manufacturer of wedding rings, has implemented the FastForward advanced planning and optimization software suite from LeadTime Technology. The software will help Benchmark Rings improve its forecasting and reduce inventory across its supply chain.
- A Swift response. JBS Swift & Co., the processor of Swift beef and pork products, has upgraded the software at its Grand Island, Neb., plant and distribution center to a new version of RedPrairie's Warehouse Management System (WMS). JBS Swift has been using RedPrairie's software for 17 years. The newest version of the WMS will help the company gain visibility into its processing and distribution operations.
- Say cheese. Ryder System will manage five U.S. distribution centers for Eastman Kodak Co. under a new multiyear contract. Ryder will handle warehousing, inventory management, environmental management, assembly, and kitting at the DCs as well as provide a customized warehouse management system. The buildings distribute a range of Kodak products, including photo processing chemicals, single-use cameras, digital imaging equipment, film, printing consumables, printing plates, and paper.
- Roving RFID. Land Rover and Savi are cooperating on an RFID pilot program. The program will help to synchronize the delivery of auto parts from multiple suppliers to Land Rover's key assembly plants in the United Kingdom.
- Robot ready. Seegrid Corp., a newly established maker of vision-guided mobile robots for material handling applications, has signed an agreement with Engineered Solutions to be its first founding distributor. Engineered Solutions, a division of Carolina Tractor, operates eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
- In good health. Penske Logistics has begun to manage the dedicated fleet for Cardinal Health's medical supply chain business. As a result of the move, some 700 of Cardinal Health's truck drivers and related transportation support staff across North America have become employees of Penske.
- RFID ready. Motorola and Y3 Technologies have formed a strategic alliance to offer tailor-made RFID capabilities to supply chain customers. The agreement brings together Motorola's RFID technologies with Y3 Technologies' advanced supply chain solutions. Among their first joint projects is an RFID-enabled warehouse for YCH Group in the Lingang Logistics Park in Shanghai, China.
- Port of call LXE is providing rugged wireless computing solutions for Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), a large port investor, developer, and operator. The LXE equipment will be fully integrated with HPH's Terminal Operations Systems software and other systems used in its network. The LXE hardware is being deployed in eight HPH ports in China, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
- Ten-hut. To support NATO peace-keeping objectives in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world, the Polish Ministry of Defense is deploying a radio-frequency identification (RFID) solution provided by Savi. The solution will automate tracking and management of military supplies. Savi solutions are also being used by defense forces at NATO headquarters as well as the armed forces of the United States, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
- On board. The American Trucking Associations has assumed management of the Distribution and LTL Carriers Association, a Kansas City, Mo.-based organization that represents for-hire trucking companies that handle local, regional, and inter-regional less-than-truckload freight shipments and warehousing.
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