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alliances: who's sealed a deal

  • Size does matter. Deutsche Post World Net, the parent company of DHL, has entered into an agree ment with Mettler Toledo to supply its facilities with weighing and dimensioning systems. The 10-year arrangement will allow Deutsche Post to standardize equipment within its operations hubs.
  • Rock, paper, scissors. Rock-Tenn Co., a manufacturer of packaging products, merchandising displays, and paperboard, has selected Transplace to provide it with a complete transportation management system. Transplace will help Rock-Tenn improve its transportation planning, administration, execution, and management for rail, truckload, less-than-truckload, and import/export transit.
  • On track, mate. The Australian military has sent its first trackable RFID-tagged shipment to the Middle East. Savi Technology supplied the tracking system, which consists of active RFID-tagged pallets and containers as well as wireless networks that allow the tags to be tracked by coalition forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations.
  • Mooo. Westfalia Technologies has completed upgrades at United Dairy Farmers' warehouse in Erlanger, Ky. The upgrades include the installation of the Savanna.NET Warehouse Management System and a retrofit of a Woodson storage system. Future plans call for the addition of a full order pick module.
  • Listen up. RedPrairie has integrated Voxware's voice solution into its warehouse management system. Under the deal, RedPrairie will resell Voxware's open voice software product for the supply chain, which RedPrairie says will allow its customers to deploy voice on a wide range of hardware devices.
  • Well outfitted. Three Vargo companies have completed work on a new distribution facility for American Eagle Outfitters in Kansas. Vargo Integrated Systems designed, implemented, and installed components for high-speed sortation and picking optimization. Vargo Adaptive Software provided warehouse control software to manage and control systems and balance labor. Vargo Material Handling designed and installed pick modules, selective storage systems, and other equipment.
  • China road. The Royal China and Porcelain Companies has chosen DHL as its primary U.S. transportation service provider. Royal China is the exclusive distributor of the Spode, Royal Worcester, and Vista Alegre brands of fine china and giftware. Royal China will use DHL for delivery to retailers and consumers in the United States as well as for international express services.
  • A jump ahead. Walker and Associates, a distributor of telecommunications products, has chosen the HighJump Data Collection Advantage solution to manage inventory in its Winston-Salem, N.C., distribution center. The software will integrate with Walker's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and will help the distribution operation speed up fulfillment by capturing a range of transactions, including purchase order receipts and picking confirmations.
  • Getting real. A number of new clients have signed up with Real Time Freight Services, a transportation services network that allows shippers to quickly connect to their carriers and brokers. Many of the new clients are from the produce, dairy, meat, food-service, lumber, and trucking industries. They include Del Monte Fresh Produce, Potandon Produce (Green Giant), Hillandale Farms, Tri- State Forest Products, Farm Fresh Direct, and Schneider National.
  • Dutch treat. Witron has been awarded a contract to provide comprehensive logistics technology for a distribution center operated by HEMA, B.V., the Netherlands' leading department store chain. The facility, which is located in Utrecht, will be equipped with Witron's Dynamic Picking System to push seasonal and promotional items to nearly 340 HEMA stores in Benelux and Germany.
  • But can they eliminate the seeds? The National Watermelon Association (NWA), an organization of watermelon growers, is partnering with CHEP to find pallet pooling solutions for transporting watermelons from the growers to retailers. With CHEP's assistance, NWA will fund research, lobbying, and consumer promotional activities. In turn, CHEP will provide pallet pooling with a durable shipping platform that improves productivity and reduces product damage.
  • Anchors aweigh. Hanjin Shipping, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is the latest carrier to join the INTTRA carrier network, an e-commerce platform for the ocean industry. Currently, INTTRA has 24 carrier members that initiate over $12 billion worth of ocean freight through the system.

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