Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
Online shipping marketplace vendor uShip Inc. said today it has landed a $25 million investment from global logistics service provider DB Schenker, and will use the funds to accelerate the development of its freight automation software platform.
Austin, Texas-based uShip provides freight-matching services linking truckers with individual shippers, small to mid-size companies that ship less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, and high-volume enterprise shippers.
Drive4Schenker, which launched Feb. 1, allows Schenker to automate its road freight business, which includes managing 25,000 approved carriers and delivering 10,000 loads per day throughout Europe, according to uShip.
Schenker has no plans to take uShip off the market and use it as a proprietary platform, uShip CEO Mike Williams said in a phone interview. Instead, Schenker decided to make the deal—which it calls its largest equity investment in a digital company to date—as a vote of confidence in changes sweeping the logistics and transportation sectors, Williams said.
"The old way of doing business, where people had to fill out paper forms, then look for a fax machine, now can be accomplished with a couple taps of your thumb," Williams said. Williams took over as CEO just a week ago, replacing interim CEO Jim Martell, who is now executive chairman of uShip's board.
Until recently, it was unusual for logistics providers like Schenker buy venture stakes in startup firms. However, the appeal of e-commerce has drawn billions of dollars in funding from logistics firms as well as the traditional sources like venture capitalists, according to a recent report from the consulting firm Accenture.
Logistics firms may expand their financial investments in startups, either to claim exclusive ownership of a new technology or to buy an ownership stake in a growth market, said Jeff Smith, a supply chain management and analytics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
In the latter model, large corporations are increasingly using their investment capital to speed the development of new technologies by small firms, he said. By providing working capital for these "sandboxes," corporations gain by keeping a tight connection to basic research and a direct link with potential end users, Smith said.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Aptean said the move will add new capabilities to its warehouse management and supply chain management offerings for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and 3PLs. Aptean currently provides enterprise resource planning (ERP), transportation management systems (TMS), and product lifecycle management (PLM) platforms.
Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Durham, U.K., Indigo Software provides software designed for mid-market organizations, giving users real-time visibility and management from the initial receipt of stock all the way through to final dispatch of the finished product. That enables organizations to optimize an array of warehouse operations including receiving, storage, picking, packing, and shipping, the firm says.
Specific sectors served by Indigo Software include the food and beverage, fashion and apparel, fast moving consumer goods, automotive, manufacturing, 3PL, chemicals, and wholesale / distribution verticals.
Schneider says its FreightPower platform now offers owner-operators significantly more access to Schneider’s range of freight options. That can help drivers to generate revenue and strengthen their business through: increased access to freight, high drop and hook rates of over 95% of loads, and a trip planning feature that calculates road miles.
“Collaborating with owner-operators is an important component in the success of our business and the reliable service we can provide customers, which is why the network has grown tremendously in the last 25 years,” Schneider Senior Vice President and General Manager of Truckload and Mexico John Bozec said in a release. "We want to invest in tools that support owner-operators in running and growing their businesses. With Schneider FreightPower, they gain access to better load management, increasing their productivity and revenue potential.”
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mode Global said it will now assume Jillamy's comprehensive logistics and freight management solutions, while Jillamy's warehousing, packaging and fulfillment services remain unchanged. Under the agreement, Mode Global will gain more than 200 employees and add facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Ontario to its existing national footprint.
Chalfont, Pennsylvania-based Jillamy calls itself a 3PL provider with expertise in international freight, intermodal, less than truckload (LTL), consolidation, over the road truckload, partials, expedited, and air freight.
"We are excited to welcome the Jillamy freight team into the Mode Global family," Lance Malesh, Mode’s president and CEO, said in a release. "This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our growth strategy and aligns perfectly with Mode's strategic vision to expand our footprint, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the logistics industry. Joining forces with Jillamy enhances our service portfolio and provides our clients with more comprehensive and efficient logistics solutions."
In addition to its flagship Clorox bleach product, Oakland, California-based Clorox manages a diverse catalog of brands including Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad, Pine-Sol, Burt’s Bees, Kingsford, Scoop Away, Fresh Step, 409, Brita, Liquid Plumr, and Tilex.
British carbon emissions reduction platform provider M2030 is designed to help suppliers measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions. The new partnership aims to advance decarbonization throughout Clorox's value chain through the collection of emissions data, jointly identified and defined actions for reduction and continuous upskilling.
The program, which will record key figures on energy, will be gradually rolled out to several suppliers of the company's strategic raw materials and packaging, which collectively represents more than half of Clorox's scope 3 emissions.
M2030 enables suppliers to regularly track and share their progress with other customers using the M2030 platform. Suppliers will also be able to export relevant compatible data for submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global disclosure system to manage environmental data.
"As part of Clorox's efforts to foster a cleaner world, we have a responsibility to ensure our suppliers are equipped with the capabilities necessary for forging their own sustainability journeys," said Niki King, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Clorox Company. "Climate action is a complex endeavor that requires companies to engage all parts of their supply chain in order to meaningfully reduce their environmental impact."
According to New Orleans-based LongueVue, the “strategic rebranding” brings together the complementary capabilities of these three companies to form a vertically integrated flexible packaging leader with expertise in blown film production, flexographic printing, adhesive laminations, and converting.
“This unified platform enables us to provide our customers with greater flexibility and innovation across all aspects of packaging," Joe Piccione, CEO of Innotex, said in a release. "As we continue to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the industry, we look forward to delivering exceptional solutions and service."