What’s on the Minds of Manufacturing CEOs?

Manufacturing CEOs are making big plans for 2024, including accelerating investments in artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, while also raising the skill level of their current employees and recruiting highly trained workers. That’s the consensus of a year-long series of polls conducted by Xometry, an AI-powered, on-demand industrial parts marketplace. Here are some in-depth findings from the polls:

• Modernizing through AI. Manufacturing CEOs say AI will play a significant role in their company in the next one to two years. Of the CEOs who have already implemented AI, more than 70% have seen significant ROI in key areas such as supply chain management, quality control, and procurement.
• Domesticating manufacturing. Reshoring will continue to trend upwards with 76% of manufacturing CEOs having successfully reshored some or all of their operations throughout 2023, a move accelerated by federal tax incentives and initiatives such as “Build America, Buy America.”
• Tapping the brakes on EVs. While the automotive industry is primed for growth and innovation in 2024, EV manufacturers may be taking their foot off the accelerator when it comes to electric vehicles. Xometry’s Automotive Survey finds that 84% of automotive executives said current production timelines and waning consumer demand may make it difficult for the industry to meet the Biden Administration’s goals for the years ahead.
• Tracking a more sustainable future. Though EVs may be hitting a road bump for now, manufacturers are taking proactive action to limit greenhouse gas emissions across their industrial supply chains. Fifty-two percent of CEOs view climate change as an existential threat caused by human activity. In 2024, companies will make sustainability a business goal with more investment in measuring and tracking tools to prioritize decarbonization of their operations.
• Investing to fight a skilled labor shortage. Nearly four years post-pandemic, there remains a shortage of more than 600,000 manufacturing jobs waiting to be filled. As American manufacturing becomes more high tech, CEOs remain worried about attracting highly skilled talent. According to Xometry’s research, more than half (56%) of CEOs said they struggle finding qualified employees in today’s tight labor market.
• Pushing aside politics. Xometry’s Q4 CEO survey shows a near 50/50 split on whether Democrats or Republicans will better support manufacturing and the economy at large. The priorities remain non-partisan: bipartisan collaboration, public-private partnerships that invest in skilled labor, and proactive assistance from the federal government for the reshoring of manufacturing.

Help Wanted x 2 Million

The logistics and transportation sector is no stranger to challenging employment trends. Combating driver shortages, for instance, has been a top priority for trucking and intermodal companies for the past several years. And finding and retaining skilled warehouse workers has also been problematic for the distribution field.

The sector should continue to expect ongoing employment difficulties in the near future, according to Chad Raube, president and CEO of IntelliTrans, a global provider of multimodal solutions for bulk and breakbulk industries. What’s driving these trends? Raube points to increased order complexities; lower levels of available, seasoned staff; and changes in economic conditions where recovery rarely generates a return to prior staff levels.

“With continued growth forecast for domestic freight in 2024 and beyond, there is an expected need of nearly two million new employees for transportation and warehousing jobs, due to growth and attrition,” he says.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that companies are competing for a shrinking share of the population. Raube points to these stats: For workers aged 25 to 65, only 19% of the labor force will increase from 2021 to 2031, and 80% of the workforce in 2031 will come from the over-65 population.

Also, construction of new manufacturing sites has tripled in the past two years because of reshoring, which will change distribution patterns and transportation modes, adding to the urgency around these trends, he notes.

Three Industrial Real Estate Predictions

1. Look for vacancy rates to inch up further, as the construction pipeline continues to deliver new product throughout the country, while demand moderates further. The national vacancy rate should peak at just over 6% in 2024 before re-tightening.

2. Net absorption will remain tempered in 2024, as cooler consumer demand for goods, persisting elevated interest rates, and sticky inflation hamper growth.

3. As this wave of industrial product delivers over the next 12 months, the construction pipeline will shrink further, leading some markets to become supply constrained in 2025 as absorption starts to regain momentum.

Source: Cushman & Wakefield

Oversupply Makes Waves for Ocean Shippers

What do ocean freight experts see for 2024?

Shippers should expect more service disruption as container lines seek to manage oversupply and limit losses, predicts Philip Damas, managing director of Drewry Shipping Consultants and head of Drewry’s Supply Chain Advisors practice.

To control the level of oversupply, Damas expects a greater number of blank sailings, which will significantly reduce the predictability of containership departures.

Here are Damas’ key predictions:

• Container lines will collectively record profits of roughly $20 billion for 2023, but the oversupply of vessels will result in a collective loss of $15 billion in 2024.
• 2024 will be an ocean freight buyer’s market, and shippers should be able to secure significant rate cuts. “But,” Damas warns, “there will be a price to pay: the service reliability and service level of carriers will probably worsen.”
• In 2024, shippers will also need to contend with new EU Emission Trading System (ETS) surcharges from carriers. While current ETS surcharges on most trades are not high, Drewry is concerned about whether surcharges are “set at a justified, reasonable level,” as ETS surcharges are likely to more than double in 2025 and 2026.

2024: Year of Optimism and Growth?

Overcoming a slew of recent challenges seems to be breeding optimism in the supply chain sector. After enduring disruptions such as the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and monetary tightening, businesses are now adopting a growth mindset, according to Dun & Bradstreet’s Q1 2024 Global Business Optimism Insights report.

This is despite the fact that the report shows a downturn in global supply chain continuity due to geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and climate-related disruptions in maritime trade causing higher delivery costs and delayed delivery times.

“Global businesses are adopting a more pragmatic stance towards their future,” explains Neeraj Sahai, president, Dun & Bradstreet International. “This shift in mindset suggests anticipation of additional growth in the forthcoming quarters, albeit with an underlying sense of continued caution.”

Key findings from the report’s five indices—measuring Q1 2024 compared with Q4 2023—reveal the following:

• The Global Business Optimism Index increased by 6.6%, indicating that businesses in advanced economies now feel more confident about their ability to absorb geopolitical and policy shocks, and are focusing more on growth opportunities.
• The Global Supply Chain Continuity Index fell sharply by 6.3%, with suppliers’ delivery time and delivery cost indices both deteriorating.
• The Global Business Financial Confidence Index increased by 10.1%; in addition, liquidity is expected to increase across firms of all sizes and businesses are more optimistic about their competitive positioning.
• The Global Business Investment Confidence Index rose 10.7%, showing a growing consensus that major central banks in advanced economies have reached a peak in the current interest rate hike cycle.
• The Global Business Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Index increased 7%, reflecting a positive shift in the commitment of firms worldwide towards sustainability practices.

“Greenwashing” Gaffes

With the current intense focus on sustainability, it’s not surprising that many companies are accused of “greenwashing,” or conveying a false or misleading impression of the environmentally friendly nature of their products or supply chains. Increasingly, however, many firms may be unintentionally guilty of the practice.

Nearly half (45%) of U.S. organizations are concerned they could be at risk of unintentional greenwashing, finds new research from Ivalua. With pressures from customers and regulators on the rise, organizations also face pressure to ensure all green claims are legitimate.

The study reveals less than half (48%) of organizations claim they are “very confident” that they can “accurately” report on Scope 3 emissions (emissions resulting from activities or assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization). Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds (62%) say reporting on Scope 3 emissions feels like a “best-guess” measurement.

The research also shows that while 88% of organizations are confident they’re on track to meet net-zero targets, many don’t have comprehensive, fully implemented plans in place for:

• Adopting renewable energy (78% are confident in their plans)
• Reducing carbon emissions (68%)
• Adopting circular economy principles (72%)
• Reducing air pollution (67%)
• Reducing water pollution (63%)

The research also finds that more than half (51%) of organizations agree that unless green initiatives to reach net-zero goals also involve suppliers, they are a waste of time.

Quick Take: Sector Sentiment

• 74% of supply chain professionals foresee positive growth in the global container shipping industry in 2024.
• 53% expect an increase in container prices, 26% anticipate stability, and only 21% express pessimism about price decline.
• 30% of supply chain professionals say forecasting and planning is the most important area of business to improve with technology in 2024, followed by real-time visibility and tracking (24%), collaboration and connectivity (27%), and process automation (18%).

Source: Container xChange Industry Speak Survey

A Sea of Investment

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, a marine highway that supports more than 100 ports and commercial docks located in each of the eight Great Lakes states, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, has been the recipient of significant investment from public and private sources over the past five years.

An independent survey conservatively estimates that investments made between 2018 and 2027 will total $8.4 billion.

Prepared by Martin Associates, and titled Infrastructure Investment Survey of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System, the survey quantifies ongoing investments in the navigation system to help support long-term planning and economic development goals, while also building confidence in the system’s future viability.

The survey also reveals investment in specific aspects of the system, including:

• $636 million in vessel enhancements between 2018 and 2022; $328 million planned between 2023 and 2027.
• $2.1 billion to enhance port and terminal infrastructure between 2018 and 2022; $1.1 billion planned between 2023 and 2027.
• $3 billion in waterway infrastructure (locks, breakwaters, navigation channels) between 2018 and 2022; $1.2 billion planned between 2023 and 2027.

“The survey’s conclusion is clear: both the public and private sector recognize that maritime commerce on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway remains essential to the economies of the United States and Canada, and are investing to protect this irreplaceable system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The post Manufacturing CEOs Accelerating Investments in AI, Automation & Robotics appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

Top 5 Aerospace Supply Chain Disruptions

Aerospace is one of the top five industries impacted by supply chain disruptions, according to EventWatchAI, Resilinc’s global event monitoring platform, which collects information and monitors news on 400 different types of disruptions across 104 million global sources.

Here’s a look at what Resilinc identifies as the biggest challenges facing the aerospace industry.

#1 Factory fires. Fires and explosions at warehouses, factories, and plants, as well as investigations and force majeure due to fires, are the top disruption in aerospace and have been the leading supply chain disruption across all industries tracked by Resilinc for five consecutive years. Simple safety measures—such as stocking extinguishers and training employees—can reduce the potential risk of factory fires.

#2 Labor disruptions. In 2023, the aerospace industry saw approximately 887 labor disruptions—a 66% jump from the year prior—which include company, site, union, and national strikes as well as layoffs, labor walkouts, protests, and more. Labor disruptions were a particular problem across all forms of global transportation as well.

#3 Mergers & acquisitions. While M&As can positively affect the industry, leading to improved technologies and more resilient companies, it takes time to merge data, suppliers, and systems, which can cause challenges.

#4 Business sale. 2023 saw more than 800 business sale disruptions in aerospace. Business sales include the sale of factories and plants, the sale of assets and subsidiaries, and brand/portfolio sales. Similar to M&As, business sales can increase supply chain resilience as companies acquire new technology and expand portfolios. However, business sales can also create increased security threats and delays while assets and information change hands.

#5 Factory disruptions. Factory disruptions include accidents, closures, and temporary shutdowns at warehouses, plants, and factories. There can be many reasons for factory closures—including industry growth. Even the most minor delays and shutdowns can cause significant issues across the supply chain.

Flying High

The 10 largest aerospace companies in the world:

• Boeing, US
• Airbus, France
• United Technology, US
• Lockheed Martin, US
• Northrop Grumman, US
• GE Aviation, US
• Raytheon, US
• Rolls-Royce, UK
• Leonardo, Italy
• Safran, France

Loose Ends

After United Airlines and Alaska Airlines discovered loose parts on multiple Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, grounding 171 planes, industry experts raised new concerns about how the aircraft is manufactured.

The Federal Aviation Administration completed inspections of 40 grounded planes and says it will “thoroughly review the data” to determine if it is safe to allow the planes to resume flying.

Complexity Clouds A&D

The aerospace & defense (A&D) industry is facing unique challenges created by geopolitical conflicts, sustainability regulation and expectations, and shifting demand, finds Deloitte’s 2024 A&D Outlook report.

Key takeaways for supply chains include:

The A&D supply chain remains complex. The A&D supply chain is a complex, globalized ecosystem of customers and original equipment manufacturers; multiple tiers of suppliers; and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers. This complexity makes implementing diversification and transparency across the value chain extremely difficult, but imperative.

By maintaining strategic raw material reserves, committing to bulk buying of long lead time items, exploring alternate sources of supply, and digitizing operations, A&D companies may position themselves well to handle any continued fragility across the entire supply chain.

Digital transformation will make a difference. Digital transformation in the A&D industry is largely impacted by regulations, priorities, and resources—but those who are prepared to adopt digitalization and advanced technologies such as Generative AI could gain a competitive advantage.

Sustainability matters. The industry faces evolving consumer demands for enhanced technology, greater sustainability, reduced emissions, higher performance systems, and lower costs, which may all factor into decision-making on supply chain processes.

5 Sustainability Trends Driving Change in Aerospace

The aerospace industry should keep an eye on five sustainability trends, according to Bryan Christiansen, founder and CEO of Limble CMMS.

#1: Advanced aircraft design. Aircraft manufacturers can improve performance by making slight improvements to aircraft. They can enhance engine designs for improved fuel efficiency, improve aerodynamic designs, explore the use of lightweight fabrication material, and use advanced coatings.

#2: Use of sustainable aviation fuels. The utilization of sustainable air fuels (SAFs) is taking shape as airlines strive to achieve net-zero emissions. These fuels have similar chemical characteristics to fossil fuels but with fewer ozone depletion capabilities; they release carbon that has already been extracted from the environment. Emissions from SAFs have a shorter life cycle, which further reduces their ozone depletion rates.

#3: Urban air mobility. Two technologies—electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and drone deliveries—are front runners in the urban air mobility sector. Although at an infancy stage, eVTOLs promise to revolutionize air travel for short and medium-distance flights. Companies are using drones for last-mile deliveries across cities, with their payload capacities increasing over time.

#4: Advanced propulsion technology. Modern and future aircraft will not rely only on fossil-powered engines. The push for sustainable flights is revolutionizing the design of aircraft and spacecraft propulsion systems.

#5: Optimize air travel management. Airlines can minimize their carbon footprints by digitizing air travel management and leveraging advanced technology to improve route planning and asset maintenance and enhance operational efficiency.

The post Top 5 Aerospace Supply Chain Disruptions & Other Aerospace News appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

•  JLT Mobile Computers introduced its JLT Insights warehouse productivity software, a monitoring and analysis solution. It monitors devices, vehicles, access points, and workforce productivity through real-time data from sensors embedded in the JLT6012 series of rugged computers.

•  Casper Labs launched a tracking, reporting, and transparency tool called Casper Labs Track & Trace. Designed to optimize inventory management and product distribution, it helps manufacturers upgrade workflows and improve transparency.

•  AI-powered parcel delivery logistics platform Bettermile is now available for U.S. shippers seeking a last-mile visibility solution. The company’s cloud-based software offers real-time tracking, route optimization, and communication tools to boost efficiency and customer satisfaction.

•  Accenture and SAP SE teamed up to offer a supply chain nerve center that can reduce risk, enhance visibility, and support sustainability goals. The companies co-developed new capabilities for the SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain solution to help organizations respond to changes in supply, demand and inventory.

•  New route optimization SaaS solution, Logi-IQ, which launched in beta in late 2023, is now available for full implementation. Designed to address inefficiencies in logistics planning, resource waste, and communication challenges, Logi-IQ offers route optimization capabilities as well as driver management, task management, and business intelligence functionality.

•  Rotate launched a real-time capacity and market intelligence tool to support decision-making in the air cargo industry. Rotate’s Live Capacity tool offers insight into the supply side of the air cargo market—and is available free of charge. Users gain real-time access to global capacity information based on flight-tracking data covering flights from thousands of airlines at more than 9,000 airports.

•  ORO Labs integrated its procurement workflow platform with the SAP Ariba procure-to-pay solution and other SAP products, enabling customers to orchestrate spend and supplier management across enterprise systems and data. The integration helps companies create intake workflows, build a procurement tech stack, and simplify user engagement.

•  Designed to help companies ensure compliance with the new U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), Tecsys launched Elite WMS for healthcare distribution. The new warehouse management system contains embedded serialized DSCSA support designed for real-time, continuous compliance. It also streamlines workflows for receiving, putaway, and fulfillment.

Carrier Logistics Inc. (CLI), a provider of freight management software for less-than-truckload fleets, now offers automated departure reports that provide system-generated notifications about freight status. The departure reports are transmitted as soon as the delivery driver leaves a terminal to inform the customer their freight is on the truck and provide an estimated time of arrival.

Products

•  Metalcraft, a manufacturer of identification products, now offers the Universal Eco Mini RFID Tag, which is designed for item-level retail tracking on metal surfaces. Made with 40% less material than previous products, it has a read range of up to 25 feet on metal surfaces.

•  Cabka’s new reusable, recycled plastic pallets incorporating the Repsol Reciclex polypropylene compound, offer high load capacity, flexural rigidity, and dimensional stability. The pallets are compatible with automated handling and robotic palletizing systems.

•  Macfarlane Packaging launched a line of sustainable stock boxes for retailers. Made of single- and double-wall boxes, the new line is 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified.

•  Mezzanine Safeti-Gates now offers safety gate designs with product containment netting. The add-on offers high-strength, high-visibility netting on the ledge gate to prevent products from falling from elevated rack systems.

•  Specim, Spectral Imaging Ltd. released an upgraded Specim FX50 middle-wave infrared hyperspectral camera for industrial applications, including sorting, quality control, and process optimization. With a high spatial resolution, image speed, and signal-to-noise ratio, the Specim FX50 enables fast and accurate inspection and classification of materials.

•  Reelables unveiled its new 5G Smart Labels, a printable 5G label solution that lets retailers and other stakeholders track shipments at the piece level as they move through the supply chain. The label itself functions as the tracking device connected to a cellular network.

Services

Florida’s Port Everglades received three additional Super Post-Panamax container gantry cranes as part of its $471-million project to expand its deepwater turn-around area for cargo ships. The three 175-foot-high ship-to-shore cranes, valued at $15.1 million each, can handle containers stacked eight high from a ship’s deck and reach 22 containers across the ship’s deck.

•  Dayton Freight Lines relocated its Detroit service center to a new facility double in size. Located northwest of Detroit in Waterford Township, the new center has 132 dock doors.

Estes opened a new terminal in its headquarter city of Richmond, Virginia. One of the largest terminals in the carrier’s network, the facility features 98 doors, more than 41,000 square feet of dock space, and 4,900 square feet of office space across 20 acres.

•  Armada opened a new warehouse facility located at 101 Enterprise Drive in Flower Mound, Texas. The facility offers 357,069 square feet of ambient space, serviced by 72 dock doors. Temperature-controlled capacity includes 33,678 square feet of refrigerated space and a 54,630-square-foot freezer supported by a 16,723-square-foot cool dock and 16 dock doors.

•  PL Cold, the new corporate division of Progressive Logistics (PL), opened a 300,000-square-foot, deep-frozen (-10°F) storage facility east of Indianapolis. In collaboration with development partner Ambrose Property Group, PL Cold integrated technology and design features to ensure Safe Quality Foods (SQF), organic, and American Institute of Baking (AIB) certification, offering its customers flexible cold storage options within one day’s drive of most of the U.S. population.

•  Qatar Airways Cargo launched the Drive service, which transports various types of automobiles by air. Drive accommodates high-value vehicles on the airline’s freighters and passenger flights, delivering them to more than 160 belly-hold and more than 70 freighter destinations as well as other destinations that are not part of its scheduled services.

Averitt opened a new facility in the South Alabama Logistics Park in Mobile, Alabama. Equipped with electric forklifts and energy-efficient LED lighting with motion sensors, the facility features a 120,000-square-foot warehouse and a 35,000-square-foot cross-dock.

Transportation

cargo-partner launched cross-border road solutions connecting the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its U.S. team is located in four cargo-partner offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Clarksville.

•  Lufthansa Cargo welcomed a fourth Airbus A321 freighter to its fleet and continued to expand its route network by adding Stockholm, Amman, and Stavanger to its winter flight schedule. With 14 pallet and container positions on the main deck and 10 on the lower deck, the twin-engine medium-haul aircraft has a total payload of 28 tons.

•  OOCL launched a new Japan-Philippines service called KTX4. The new offering enhances the network coverage between Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South China, and the Philippines. KTX4 directly connects multiple ports in Japan with the Philippines.

Cargo airline One Air took delivery of its second Boeing 747-400 freighter. The additional aircraft supports the new airline’s regular charter services connecting Hong Kong and London Heathrow, as well as provides ad hoc capacity for global charter services.

•  ZIM started a short sea service linking Mexico to the Port of Brunswick in Georgia, with the first shipment of more than 1,000 vehicles delivered through the gateway in November 2023. The Gold Star service offering from ZIM provides delivery of roll-on/roll-off cargo for automakers.

•  J.B. Hunt Transport Services and BNSF Railway launched Quantum, a premium intermodal offering. The offering cuts delivery times by one day from standard intermodal service. The shipments are assigned priority drayage and rail positions.

•  Atlas Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, took delivery of a Boeing 777 Freighter on behalf of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA. Atlas Air now operates four 777 Freighters for MSC. The aircraft supports MSC’s weekly global services, including a route from Hong Kong to Dallas/Fort Worth.

A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) is set to launch the first of its 18 large methanol-enabled vessels currently on order. On February 9, 2024, the new vessel enters service on the Asia-Europe lane, which includes port calls in Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, and Hamburg, with Ningbo, China, as its first destination. The container vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea is equipped with a dual-fuel engine, enabling operations on methanol as well as biodiesel and conventional bunker fuel.

The post IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

While many predict more of the same throughout this new year, additional issues are also rising to the forefront. What to expect? The Association for Supply Chain Management recently put together a member survey revealing what supply chain professionals believe are the top trends in supply chain for 2024.

Here’s a quick look at the top three trends, as reported by our sister publication, Thomas Insights:

1. Digital Supply Chains

This year, the concept of big data and analytics was dethroned as #1, replaced by a new top trend as defined by ASCM members: the digital supply chain.

As antiquated paper processes go the way of the dinosaur, it brings along with it improvements in streamlining, resilience, and agility. Supply chain leaders who leverage digital tools will find themselves better prepared and more able to handle dynamically changing orders.

According the ASCM, “In the coming year, more supply chain organizations will transform their networks into connected, intelligent, scalable, customizable and nimble digital ecosystems. Some will achieve holistic digital transformation, while others will advance more slowly by balancing long-term investment in automation with the immediate implementation of solutions that reduce repetitive tasks and cognitive fatigue while allowing employees to focus on areas where humans perform better than machines.”

2. Supply Chain Investments

A newcomer to the ASCM list this year — and the fastest climbing — is supply chain investments in both systems and people. This emphasizes just how much corporate leaders now see the value in prioritizing their supply chains and the benefits of adding talent and tech tools to ensure visibility and, ultimately, success.

3. Relocation

According to new research by Accenture, “the most resilient companies captured 3.6% more growth than their less resilient rivals, giving them a clear performance advantage.” This leads us to our next trend, which is relocation. Reshoring continues to hit record levels, and Accenture adds that many companies are turning local for their supply chain needs. Specifically revealing that, by 2026, 85% of companies plan to manufacture and sell their products in the same region. In this way, companies ensure they are addressing the vulnerabilities that arose from their highly globalized supply chains in recent years.

Ultimately, an emphasis on addressing turbulent supply chains has led supply chain practitioners to place money, people, and aggressive strategy at the forefront of their efforts in the hopes that stability will lead to better business and more opportunities.

The post Future Focus: 2024’s Top 3 Supply Chain Trends appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

The post Happy New Year! appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

• HID released three new models in its LinTRAK RAIN RFID ultra-high frequency tag family to provide companies with more options to identify, track, and manage textile items. The new LinTRAK tags are robust and discreet, blending into apparel seams.

• The JWL150-DO Lightgistics Series light from Smart Vision Lights can perform high-speed barcode reading and optical character recognition with packages in reflective plastic wraps or shipping bags. The units have hidden strobe technology that allows LEDs to internally self-trigger thousands of times per second, pulsing faster than the human eye can perceive and creating the illusion of continuous light to maximize machine vision systems.

• Southco introduced a new cable accessory for its surface-mounted AC-15 rotary latch actuators, a multi-point rotary latch pull system. The accessory is ideal for applications on trucks and other vehicles.

Services

• To serve the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, GEODIS opened a new temperature-controlled facility in Schiphol in the Netherlands next to an existing site. TAPA-A rated for air freight, the new facility is part of GEODIS’ worldwide cross-docking network for ambient and cold chain products.

• To help companies move their goods more sustainably with reusable packaging, ORBIS Corporation expanded its manufacturing facility in Urbana, Ohio. The expansion adds 30% more space for the production of ORBIS totes and pallets, and allows ORBIS to add more presses and tools, increase capacity, and shorten lead times. Reusable packaging products produced at the plant are used in industries such as automotive, food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods.

• DACHSER Sweden is moving into a new location in Jönköping, which is located between Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. With more than 17,000 square feet of office space, approximately 108,000-square-foot warehouse, and a cross-dock terminal with 70 gates, the new branch is DACHSER’s largest in the Nordic countries. The new premises offer an expansion from 5,800 to 11,000 pallet spaces for warehouse operations.

• Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of SATS Group, will increase cargo capacity at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) by 20% in early 2025 with the opening of a new 346,000-square-foot terminal. The new facility gives JFK its first dedicated on-airport handling facility for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishable cargo.

Technology

• UPS introduced the UPS Supply Chain Symphony™ platform, a new tool that integrates shipping, warehousing, and inventory management functions into a single platform. This unified approach helps UPS customers operate more efficiently, gain supply chain visibility, and address challenges. The cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solution integrates previously stand-alone UPS tools so companies can view and orchestrate outcomes.

• ToolsGroup released the latest version of its JustEnough Retail Planning and Execution suite, offering advancements in its assortment planning and allocation capabilities. The newest version offers enhanced target creation in assortment planning that supports user-defined update periods and returns recommendations.

• DDC FPO unveiled its new auto-extraction and structuring solution, the latest addition to its platform of supply chain products. The new solution engages automated machine learning technology to cleanse and structure raw data from freight documents, applies client business rules, and transmits information via APIs to the client’s system.

• John Galt Solutions and FourKites teamed up to deliver end-to-end supply chain visibility. Integrating John Galt Solutions’ AI-powered Atlas Planning Platform with FourKites’ real-time supply chain insights, companies can detect and mitigate risks, receive shipment tracking data, align warehouse plans with transportation schedules, and attain visibility across the supply chain ecosystem.

• CargoAi, a provider of airfreight technology solutions, introduced CargoCoPilot, a feature integrated into its flagship platform, CargoMART. Leveraging large language models, CargoCoPilot offers real-time intelligent assistance, enabling users to enhance their efficiency, productivity, and skills in the airfreight procurement process.

Transportation

• Qatar Airways Cargo started a dedicated freighter service to Warsaw, Poland. The addition of the freighter service, in combination with passenger flights, increases the weekly cargo capacity to more than 220 tons from Warsaw to Qatar.

• Etihad Cargo launched flights connecting Abu Dhabi and Denmark. The airline commenced four Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights a week to Copenhagen, Denmark, appointing WFS as its cargo handling partner in Copenhagen.

• Lufthansa Cargo now offers its fastest-speed service—td.Zoom—for urgent shipments. The service includes top speed, priority, and capacity access with no weight or size limitations. The handling processes at Lufthansa Cargo’s hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and Vienna provide ramp supervision during aircraft loading and unloading, as well as dedicated ramp transfer from the warehouse to the aircraft and vice versa.

The post IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

The Write Stuff

Sales figures for high-end writing instruments are higher than they have been for 10 years, according to a recent report released by Selfridges, London’s luxury department store.

Research backs it up: A study by The Insight Partner finds the market for exclusive writing instruments is growing by an average of 5% per year and is expected to grow by another 40% by 2028.

If you’re ready to trade in your Flair, Waldmann has launched two fountain pen editions that enclose original writings by Agatha Christie (38 pens) and Arthur Conan Doyle (23 pens). Both editions were developed in cooperation with luxury brand Sekrè, a company that specializes in integrating original artifacts into luxury goods. The price of the fountain pens in each edition is $21,000.

Gold Gets Green

Jewelry supply chains have long been plagued by environmental and socioeconomic challenges and many brands are now addressing these issues.

For example, luxury jeweler Mejuri has partnered with Regeneration, a new remining initiative from RESOLVE that works to simultaneously mitigate environmental harm caused by past mining, support biodiversity and habitat rehabilitation of mine sites, and support the production of fine jewelry and energy-transition technologies using recaptured “waste” materials from mines.

Regeneration—a restoration and remining startup social enterprise—arose in response to the legacy of damage created by past mining for fine metals and jewels. When left untreated, “legacy” or formerly active mines, as well as abandoned mines, can pollute sensitive watersheds and damage ecosystems and native species. Mejuri will dedicate $1.5 million to support the ecological restoration of legacy mines through remining.

This initiative follows a circular model: First, Regeneration and its partners will extract valuable minerals from the tailings— byproduct materials left over once minerals have been extracted—as well as waste rock and water. While these are typically treated as waste, tailings can contain significant minerals and metals that can be used to create jewelry responsibly and sustainably.

Earnings from sales of those materials will then go back to the mining sites to fund habitat restoration and closure activities, including at legacy and abandoned mine sites. Eventually Mejuri will sell jewelry made from Regeneration gold.

Psycho Bunny Hops to Visibility Solution

Luxury brands are not immune from supply chain challenges. Consider Psycho Bunny, a luxury clothing brand known for its playful and colorful designs and high-quality products. The company’s fragmented systems did not provide real-time inventory visibility, resulting in stockouts and lost sales, added costs, and shipping delays.

Psycho Bunny searched for a solution to unify inventory management and streamline order fulfillment while offering a positive omnichannel experience to their customers. The brand needed a system that would enable ship-from-store functionality and fulfill orders directly from their 60+ store locations without inventory complications or delays.

The search led Psycho Bunny to Deposco’s store inventory fulfillment solution, Bright Store. Deposco implemented Bright Store across 60+ stores in six months. With the brand’s first store live in three months, Psycho Bunny was shipping more than 62,000 orders while reducing processing time for orders sourced from its distribution center from 2 to 5 days to less than 48 hours out of the stores.

The software gives Psycho Bunny real-time visibility into inventory across all of their stores, with room to grow seamlessly. The ship-from-store functionality creates a scalable process for fulfilling orders directly from Psycho Bunny’s store locations with reduced order fulfillment time, increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, and brand growth through a unified omnichannel experience.

U.S. Sits in the Lap of Luxury

Here are the top 10 luxury items in the United States (in no particular order):

1. Cars
2. Designer handbags
3. Fine jewelry
4. Watches
5. Private jets
6. Yachts
7. Homes
8. Designer clothing
9. Fine art
10. Vacations

Fake It Til They Take It

“The largest-ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history” went down in November 2023 when federal prosecutors seized more than 200,000 counterfeit handbags, clothes, and other luxury items worth $1.03 billion.

Two men, who were both arrested, used a Manhattan storage facility as a distribution center for massive amounts of knock-off designer goods. They also trafficked through a second offsite location also in Manhattan.

“The counterfeit market is a significant problem not just for luxury fashion brands and the dilution of their trademarks’ values, but also for consumers and society at large as many counterfeit products are produced in oppressive labor environments and without any adherence to ecological production methods (if implemented by brands),” says Douglas Hand, fashion lawyer and partner at Hand Baldachin & Associates.

Moving Some Money Around

Choosing the specific mode for transporting high-value items depends on the item being shipped, the distance it needs to travel, and the shipper’s budget.

The top transportation modes for moving high-value luxury items:

• Armored trucks are typically equipped with bulletproof glass, security cameras, and alarms to deter theft.
• Secure courier services use a variety of security measures, such as tamper-evident packaging, GPS tracking, and armed escorts, to protect the goods in transit.
• Air freight is the fastest transportation mode, making it ideal for transporting high-value items that need to arrive quickly. However, it is also the most expensive mode.
• Hand carry may be the only option for the most valuable items, such as priceless jewelry or rare artifacts. This involves a trusted courier personally transporting the item to its destination.

The post VERTICAL FOCUS: Luxury/High-Value Products appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

• J.B. Hunt Transport Services awarded scholarships to 100 new recipients of the J.B. Hunt Scholarship for Families program. Since launching the program in 2022, J.B. Hunt has provided $687,500 in educational financial assistance for the families of employees.

RECOGNITION

• Gorbel earned a spot on the Top 100 list of fastest-growing, privately owned companies in the Rochester and Finger Lakes, New York region. This marks the 20th time that the manufacturing company has been included on the list.

• Emerge received the Rising Star Award from Tyson Foods for introducing innovative RFP technology into Tyson Foods’ procurement strategy.

• LyondellBasell (pictured above) received the Supply Chain Excellence Award from SC Johnson in recognition of its supply chain support during weather disruptions and the pandemic.

UP THE CHAIN

Rina Hurst

• Walmart announced Rina Hurst as vice president of Walmart GoLocal, the retailer’s delivery service platform. Hurst joins Walmart from Shipt, where she served as chief business officer. Hurst will be responsible for the strategic direction, operations, and general management of Walmart GoLocal.

• Jon Johnson has joined Tompkins Solutions, a supply chain consulting company, as chief operating officer. He will be responsible for overseeing daily operations and leading strategy development for end-to-end supply chain services.

Jason Mansur

• Valley Companies announced that Jason Mansur has joined the company as its new vice president of enterprise partnerships. He will work with the president and leadership team to develop new commercial solutions and partnerships.

• Dr. Henry Puhl was named the new CEO of TGW Logistics, succeeding Harald Schröpf, who led TGW Logistics as CEO for the past six years.

• American Eagle Outfitters appointed Sarah Clarke as executive vice president-chief supply chain officer. She will be responsible for managing AEO’s global supply chain from sourcing through distribution.

Green Seeds

• Crowley has partnered with Terraline to lead a pilot project for electric trucks. As part of the agreement, Terraline’s EV500 test truck—the trucking industry’s first clean-sheet, autonomous-ready, battery-electric Class 8 long-haul truck with 500-plus miles of range—will operate at Crowley’s Florida facilities.

M&A

• CN acquired a stake in the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway from Genesee & Wyoming that includes 145 miles of active track.

• Rock-it Global acquired Dell Will Customs Brokers, further expanding its in-house customs brokerage capabilities.

• Riverstone Logistics purchased Ralph’s Transfer Co., a final-mile logistics provider based in Tampa.

• To provide managed services that address a broader range of clients’ shipping needs, FreightWise acquired Kuebix, a TMS provider.

• UPS completed the acquisition of MNX Global Logistics, a global time-critical logistics provider.

• Lazer Logistics acquired the spotting operations of Hirschbach Motor Lines, an Iowa-based carrier specializing in refrigerated truckload services.

In Memoriam

Heidi Senger-Weiss

• Heidi Senger-Weiss, the co-shareholder of Gebrüder Weiss, died at the age of 82. She spent 36 years heading operations at the logistics group, and in 2015, became the first woman inducted into the Logistics Hall of Fame.

SEALED DEALS

• Retail seed company Beck’s adopted the enterprise version of the FleetDrive 360 driver management solution. Beck’s uses the solution to manage driver profiles and compliance for company CDL drivers, for-hire operators, and other drivers who operate non-CDL equipment.

• Sustainable footwear startup Allbirds has selected intelligent business planning platform Anaplan to streamline its supply chain operations. Anaplan will support Allbirds’ demand planning and forecasting, inventory planning, and merchandise and materials management.

• Roland Corporation has selected Movement by project44 as its supply chain visibility solution. Roland, a manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, is deploying Movement to improve ocean transportation visibility and on-time delivery performance while streamlining logistics workloads to achieve greater efficiency.

• Home fragrance retailer Voluspa implemented Descartes’ warehouse management and shipping solution to accelerate order fulfillment and distribution to wholesale and online consumers across the United States, Canada and other countries worldwide.

• Party City has adopted TradeBeyond as its multi-enterprise supply chain platform. Party City will use TradeBeyond to improve operational efficiency across inventory management, end-to-end merchandising, and vendor compliance.

• Camping World, a retailer of recreational vehicles, partnered with Redwood Logistics. The 3PL designed an open technology system that seamlessly incorporated a TMS, e-commerce systems, freight audit and settlement tools, and various other capabilities.

• bp signed an agreement with RELEX Solutions to implement their forecasting and replenishment capabilities in its UK convenience retail business. The platform leverages AI to provide in-depth forecasting and analytics to anticipate and meet fluctuations in customer demand and will support supply chain planning across bp’s retail sites and Wild Bean Cafes in the UK.

The post NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

U.S. Ports: Let’s Have Some Funds

The U.S. Department of Transportation selected 41 projects to receive $653 million in grant funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program, part of approximately $17 billion included in a 2021 infrastructure spending bill for ports and waterways.

The program was designed to improve U.S. port capacity and efficiency and, in turn, help multimodal shipping networks meet rising demand for freight services, according to the Biden Administration.

Nearly $173 million in grants are earmarked for smaller port facilities, which officials say will improve regional supply chains and ease pollution concerns. One of the largest awards—more than $43 million—will replace the lone dock in the remote city of Cold Bay, Alaska.

The largest grant—more than $54 million—will overhaul and expand the Husky terminal at the Port of Tacoma. Other top grants:

• $52 million for projects at the Port of Long Beach, California.
• $50 million for a new container yard at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware.
• $47 million+ for an offshore wind manufacturing hub at the Port of Baltimore.

Taking the Supply Chain’s Pulse

While it has been four years since the start of the pandemic, risk and resilience still dominate supply chain concerns. Companies continue to accelerate efforts to diversify and localize their supply networks, according to McKinsey’s latest annual survey of supply chain leaders.

The survey also reveals a dramatic revolution in the way companies operate their supply chains, with a sharp increase in the adoption of advanced techniques for supply chain planning, execution, and risk management.

Among the survey’s additional highlights:

95% of respondents report challenges with their supply chain footprint in the past 12 months.

50% report their supply chains are reliant on another region and 89% plan to reduce this dependency with focus on Western Europe and Southeast Asia.

64% regionalized their supply chains, with 42% bringing production closer to where they expect to sell their goods. 100% doubled backup production sites in the past year.

66% brought suppliers closer to their main markets, driven mostly by the automotive and consumer industries, while 78% moved away from single sourcing of raw materials.

In 2022, 68% of companies planned to review their inventory management strategy. In practice, 55% of retail and consumer companies are on backswing with too much inventory amid a pullback in spending. That’s a stark contrast to high-tech industries that increased inventories (55%) as buffer to offset the risk of supply chain disruptions amid increased demand.

While 71% increased digitization, 92% report having insufficient talent to operate digitally enabled supply chains.

67% planned to improve supply chain visibility, yet only 30% completed implementation in the past 12 months.

All in Favor, Say AI

Manufacturing CEOs are investing significantly in artificial intelligence (AI) and workflow automation tools, according to Xometry’s latest quarterly American Manufacturing Resilience poll with Forbes and polling firm John Zogby Strategies.

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. CEOs say they invest in these new technologies to improve efficiency and strengthen their supply chains,

In addition to AI, 28% of manufacturing CEOs are investing in robotics, and 27% are focusing on job training and upskilling. Among those who have implemented AI, 67% have already seen a significant return on investment, while 31% expect a strong ROI in the future.

Manufacturing CEOs have taken significant proactive measures to prepare for the AI boom, deploying AI in various measures in their organizations (see chart), with 76% of it being used in supply chain management, followed by procurement (71%), quality control (47%), and automation (37%).

Highlights of the poll include:

• Reshoring continues to accelerate, as 76% of CEOs have successfully reshored some or all of their overseas facilities or are in the process.
• 83% of CEOs believe that the health of American manufacturing depends on reshoring production capabilities.
• 70% of manufacturing CEOs are on track to beat last year’s sales and 68% are on track to beat last year’s profits.
• 65% say they will increase wages by the end of 2023, with 33% holding the line and only 2% decreasing wages.

When it comes to the supply chain, CEOs are most concerned about a major cybersecurity attack (24%), followed by a large-scale or global war (20%), banking instability (16%), labor strife (14%), terrorist attack (11%), and pandemic (6%).

In the labor domain, the manufacturing industry faces challenges in attracting highly skilled talent as it becomes more high-tech. More than 56% of manufacturing CEOs struggle to find qualified, highly skilled employees.

COVID Hangover Still a Thing

To analyze expectations around the 2023 peak season, third-party logistics company Kenco conducted two surveys: its Annual Supply Chain Survey, polling 125 supply chain practitioners, and its eCommerce Peak Season Pulse, surveying more than 225 U.S. adult consumers.

Some key insights from the surveys include:

• 60% of supply chain practitioners say the “COVID hangover” still impacts supply chains.
• 30% of practitioners say managing inventory challenges is their biggest concern .
• Consumers show similar inventory concerns; 60% indicate product availability as their top concern.
• 35% of practitioners have implemented new technology to prepare their operations for peak season (see chart), including 35% who have explored AI for their operations to manage everyday processes.
• 72% of consumers say they would select slower shipping options if it means free shipping.

What’s Up With 3PLs?

Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, highlights key insights into the future of the third-party logistics (3PL) space and lessons from the market.

• U.S. 3PLs’ continued focus on technology innovation, coupled with a more nimble workforce and open market transparency accelerating out of the pandemic, supports further enhancements in productivity and economic growth potential—even amidst an evolving broader U.S. economy facing the uncertain impacts of continued inflation and interest rate changes.
• Within the 3PL landscape, economic challenges and resulting shipping volume declines led to excess freight capacity and an extended dip in freight rates in 2023. A meaningful pickup may not occur until Q2 or Q3 2024.
• Shippers are putting far more emphasis on procurement and supply chain management. 3PLs must expand their solutions to meet shipper challenges and add incremental value as thought partners offering end-to-end solutions rather than simply serving as suppliers.
• M&A activity is expected to stay strong despite challenging market conditions, while the thesis and target criteria for investing within the transportation space have changed to include more asset classes: from a prior focus on hard asset ownership and core infrastructure opportunities, infrastructure investors are now expanding their aperture to include select asset-light businesses. They are also more open to establishing long-term or perpetual funds to support their investments across economic and transportation environments.
• The best 3PLs are adopting purposeful technology, adding sought-after services, and offering valuable, consultative approaches to their shipper partners while staying ahead of the pack on key market themes such as onshoring, ESG, and cybersecurity.

The post COVID Hangover, Port Funding and More News appeared first on Inbound Logistics.

Polaris Transportation is one of the largest privately held asset-based cross border LTL carriers with daily departures between CAN & the USA. They specialize in shipping dry goods and offer industry-leading transit times to and from all points in the USA, including next-day LTL deliveries to select cities.

Polaris Global Logistics (PGL) boasts a seasoned team of logistics professionals and a hand-picked partner carrier network delivering tailored supply chain solutions including transportation, warehousing & distribution, reverse logistics and more across North America and worldwide.

Polaris Commercial Warehousing operates facilities in Toronto, ON where they manage incoming shipments and distribute throughout CAN & the USA. They offer a full menu of services from pick & pack, sorting, display assembly, co-packing for e-commerce to fulfillment and distribution by courier, LTL or truckload carriers. Their specialists handle diverse commodities such as CPG, bulk, medical devices, industrial and commercial products.

NorthStar Digital Solutions (NDS) is infusing the digital experience into transportation and supply chain industries through powerful, efficient and seamless technology platforms. Known as systems integrators, they provide unified end-to-end solutions and offer direct connectivity streams to associated partners, carriers, shippers, brokers and consumers. They recently launched FR8Focus, which is designed to solve real-world challenges in the LTL & TL market with visual digitization. Utilizing automated processing, real-time fleet monitoring and more, FR8Focus is connecting the road to the back office. For more information, visit northstardigital.solutions.

Polaris Transportation Group
7099 Torbram Road,
Mississauga, ON
Canada L4T 1G7
1-800-409-2269
polaristransport.com
customercare@polaristransport.com

The post Technology, Sustainable Growth, and Collaboration Drive Success for Polaris Transportation Group appeared first on Inbound Logistics.