Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

inbound

look and learn

MHIA's online video offers introduction to the material handling industry.

Having trouble explaining what you do for a living to friends and family? Do they still think the inside of a warehouse looks like the local Home Depot or Lowe's? The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) can help you clear things up. The group has produced a video titled "Introducing the Material Handling and Logistics Industry," which can be accessed through the "Resources" section of its Web site, www.mhia.org. The five-minute film explains the importance of the material handling industry to the economy, industry, and consumers. The video also shows equipment and warehouse operations in action and finishes up with an overview of career opportunities in the field.

To paraphrase a popular saying, a picture of an automated conveyor system is worth a thousand words.

The Latest

More Stories

Jeremy Van Puffelen of Prism Logistics

InPerson interview: Jeremy Van Puffelen of Prism Logistics

Jeremy Van Puffelen grew up in a family-owned contract warehousing business and is now president of that firm, Prism Logistics. As a third-party logistics service provider (3PL), Prism operates a network of more than 2 million square feet of warehouse space in Northern California, serving clients in the consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, retail, and manufacturing sectors.

During his 21 years working at the family firm, Van Puffelen has taken on many of the jobs that are part of running a warehousing business, including custodial functions, operations, facilities management, business development, customer service, executive leadership, and team building. Since 2021, he has also served on the board of directors of the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), a trade organization for contract warehousing and logistics service providers.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

image of retail worker packing goods in a shopping bag

NRF: Retail sales increased again in September

Retail sales increased again in September as employment grew and inflation and interest rates fell, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s analysisof U.S. Census Bureau data released today.

“While there have been some signs of tightening in consumer spending, September’s numbers show consumers are willing to spend where they see value,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a release. “September sales come amid the recent trend of payroll gains and other positive economic signs. Clearly, consumers continue to carry the economy, and conditions for the retail sector remain favorable as we move into the holiday season.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Logistics services continue to “go green”

Logistics services continue to “go green”

The market for environmentally friendly logistics services is expected to grow by nearly 8% between now and 2033, reaching a value of $2.8 billion, according to research from Custom Market Insights (CMI), released earlier this year.

The “green logistics services market” encompasses environmentally sustainable logistics practices aimed at reducing carbon emissions, minimizing waste, and improving energy efficiency throughout the supply chain, according to CMI. The market involves the use of eco-friendly transportation methods—such as electric and hybrid vehicles—as well as renewable energy-powered warehouses, and advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) for optimizing logistics operations.

Keep ReadingShow less
MIT professor Weill speaks at IFS show

MIT: Businesses thrive more with real-time data flows

Companies that integrate real-time data flows into their operations consistently outperform their competitors, an MIT professor said in a session today at a conference held by IFS, the Swedish enterprise resource planning (ERP) and artificial intelligence (AI) firm.

A real-time business is one that uses trusted, real-time data to enable people and systems to make real-time decisions, Peter Weill, the chairman of MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR), said at the “IFS Unleashed” show in Orlando.

Keep ReadingShow less
people working in an office together

Business optimism is up as inflation fades

Global business leaders are feeling optimistic, according to a report from business data analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet showing a 7% increase in business optimism quarter-over-quarter, driven by gradual easing of inflation rates and favorable borrowing conditions.

However, that trend is counterbalanced by economic uncertainty driven by geopolitics, which is prompting many companies to diversity their supply chains, Dun & Bradstreet said in its “Q4 2024 Global Business Optimism Insights” report, which was based on research conducted during the third quarter.

Keep ReadingShow less