Suite deal. RedPrairie Corp., a provider of supply chain technologies, has signed a partnership agreement with ConnecTerra Inc., a supplier of enterprise software for device computing. Under the agreement, RedPrairie will become a reseller of ConnecTerra's RFTagAware for advanced data collection, device and process management. RFTagAware will be tightly integrated into RedPrairie's DigitaLogistix suite of RFID-enabled middleware and supply chain execution systems.
To Infinity and beyond. FKI Logistex White Systems, a designer and maker of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) for manufacturers and distributors, has signed an exclusive agreement with SemiNet Automation under which SemiNet will use White Systems' vertical carousels exclusively in its SafeGuard and Infinity storage systems. The SemiNet SafeGuard and Infinity product lines are designed for applications in semiconductor and biotech manufacturing.
Soft sell. Illinois-based software provider Lansa has just become an Honors Partner-Silver for Intermec Technologies Corp. Lansa offers application development, e-business solutions, technology integration and data access. The Intermec partnership also adds mobile computing, RFID and automated data collection capabilities for Lansa's customers.
Delivering Brand Central. TNT Logistics North America has added two additional delivery points to its network of home delivery operations for Sears Logistics Services (SLS). SLS is the logistics arm for Sears, Roebuck and Co. TNT now offers 23 delivery points for Sears with the recent additions of Nashville, Tenn., and Royersford, Pa. The new operations deliver home appliances and other white goods to Sears' new residential construction customers.
Out of this world. ClearOrbit, a provider of real-time supply chain execution software solutions, has been chosen to provide an advanced shipping methods solution for ArvinMeritor, a leading supplier to automotive OEMs and aftermarket sellers. The ClearOrbit solution, which integrates with ArvinMeritor's Oracle ERP system, allows parts to move directly from work-in-process lines to ArvinMeritor's shipping docks, providing maximum flexibility to respond to changing customer needs.
In the Army now. Everett, Wash.-based Intermec Technologies has inked a contract with the U.S. Department of the Army to deliver mobile computing, automatic identification systems and wireless networking technologies. The deal could be worth as much as $238 million over the next five years. While the Army will act as administrator, Intermec will actually provide equipment, systems and services to all branches of the Department of Defense. It's all part of the DOD's Automatic Identification Technology initiative, which will provide asset visibility throughout its global supply chain.
Smooth sailing. Shipcom Wireless has chosen to partner with Psion Teklogix to offer mobile computing and RFID solutions to a range of vertical markets. Shipcom Wireless, which produces software for enterprise mobility, RFID, supply chain automation and business process modeling solutions, will use Psion Teklogix's line of rugged mobile computing devices to run its Catamaran and Catamaran RFID software.
Do you hear a solution? Following a pilot program, TJX Companies, the corporate parent of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores, has selected Voxware's VoiceLogistics system for its fulfillment operations. Voxware is a New Jersey-based provider of voice-directed logistics solutions. TJX showed substantial increases in picking accuracy and productivity during the pilot. The initial deployment is at TJX's Woburn, Mass., distribution facility.
No slow boats to China here. FedEx Express has partnered with Intermec Technologies to develop a new dispatch system designed to capture accurate information about package pickup and delivery operations in real time. Initially, FedEx will deploy the system for its couriers in China. Known as GPRS-Dispatch, the initiative combines software developed by FedEx with Intermec's handheld mobile computers. Using real-time information provided by the system, FedEx expects to reduce pickup response time from 1.5 hours to just 1 hour.
A prophetic vision for growth. In its fourth acquisition in just over a year, Prophet 21, a provider of technology solutions and software for distributors, has acquired software company Dynamic Data Solutions. Dynamic Data Solutions produces Turns, an enterprise software program for medical product distributors. The company says that customers will benefit from the marriage of Dynamic Data Solutions' specific vertical market expertise with Prophet 21's technology leadership and corporate strength. Prophet 21 is based in Yardley, Pa.
Hyster-Yale Materials Handling today announced its plans to fulfill the domestic manufacturing requirements of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act for certain portions of its lineup of forklift trucks and container handling equipment.
That means the Greenville, North Carolina-based company now plans to expand its existing American manufacturing with a targeted set of high-capacity models, including electric options, that align with the needs of infrastructure projects subject to BABA requirements. The company’s plans include determining the optimal production location in the United States, strategically expanding sourcing agreements to meet local material requirements, and further developing electric power options for high-capacity equipment.
As a part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the BABA Act aims to increase the use of American-made materials in federally funded infrastructure projects across the U.S., Hyster-Yale says. It was enacted as part of a broader effort to boost domestic manufacturing and economic growth, and mandates that federal dollars allocated to infrastructure – such as roads, bridges, ports and public transit systems – must prioritize materials produced in the USA, including critical items like steel, iron and various construction materials.
Hyster-Yale’s footprint in the U.S. is spread across 10 locations, including three manufacturing facilities.
“Our leadership is fully invested in meeting the needs of businesses that require BABA-compliant material handling solutions,” Tony Salgado, Hyster-Yale’s chief operating officer, said in a release. “We are working to partner with our key domestic suppliers, as well as identifying how best to leverage our own American manufacturing footprint to deliver a competitive solution for our customers and stakeholders. But beyond mere compliance, and in line with the many areas of our business where we are evolving to better support our customers, our commitment remains steadfast. We are dedicated to delivering industry-leading standards in design, durability and performance — qualities that have become synonymous with our brands worldwide and that our customers have come to rely on and expect.”
In a separate move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also gave its approval for the state to advance its Heavy-Duty Omnibus Rule, which is crafted to significantly reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new heavy-duty, diesel-powered trucks.
Both rules are intended to deliver health benefits to California citizens affected by vehicle pollution, according to the environmental group Earthjustice. If they pass the remaining requirements to become law, the rules mean that cars on the road in California will largely be zero-emissions a generation from now in the 2050s, accounting for the average vehicle lifespan of vehicles with internal combustion engine (ICE) power sold before that 2035 date.
“This might read like checking a bureaucratic box, but EPA’s approval is a critical step forward in protecting our lungs from pollution and our wallets from the expenses of combustion fuels,” Paul Cort, director of Earthjustice’s Right To Zero campaign, said in a release. “The gradual shift in car sales to zero-emissions models will cut smog and household costs while growing California’s clean energy workforce. Cutting truck pollution will help clear our skies of smog. EPA should now approve the remaining authorization requests from California to allow the state to clean its air and protect its residents.”
However, the truck drivers' industry group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) pushed back against the federal decision allowing the Omnibus Low-NOx rule to advance. "The Omnibus Low-NOx waiver for California calls into question the policymaking process under the Biden administration's EPA. Purposefully injecting uncertainty into a $588 billion American industry is bad for our economy and makes no meaningful progress towards purported environmental goals," (OOIDA) President Todd Spencer said in a release. "EPA's credibility outside of radical environmental circles would have been better served by working with regulated industries rather than ramming through last-minute special interest favors. We look forward to working with the Trump administration's EPA in good faith towards achievable environmental outcomes.”
Editor's note:This article was revised on December 18 to add reaction from OOIDA.
A Canadian startup that provides AI-powered logistics solutions has gained $5.5 million in seed funding to support its concept of creating a digital platform for global trade, according to Toronto-based Starboard.
The round was led by Eclipse, with participation from previous backers Garuda Ventures and Everywhere Ventures. The firm says it will use its new backing to expand its engineering team in Toronto and accelerate its AI-driven product development to simplify supply chain complexities.
According to Starboard, the logistics industry is under immense pressure to adapt to the growing complexity of global trade, which has hit recent hurdles such as the strike at U.S. east and gulf coast ports. That situation calls for innovative solutions to streamline operations and reduce costs for operators.
As a potential solution, Starboard offers its flagship product, which it defines as an AI-based transportation management system (TMS) and rate management system that helps mid-sized freight forwarders operate more efficiently and win more business. More broadly, Starboard says it is building the virtual infrastructure for global trade, allowing freight companies to leverage AI and machine learning to optimize operations such as processing shipments in real time, reconciling invoices, and following up on payments.
"This investment is a pivotal step in our mission to unlock the power of AI for our customers," said Sumeet Trehan, Co-Founder and CEO of Starboard. "Global trade has long been plagued by inefficiencies that drive up costs and reduce competitiveness. Our platform is designed to empower SMB freight forwarders—the backbone of more than $20 trillion in global trade and $1 trillion in logistics spend—with the tools they need to thrive in this complex ecosystem."
Global trade will see a moderate rebound in 2025, likely growing by 3.6% in volume terms, helped by companies restocking and households renewing purchases of durable goods while reducing spending on services, according to a forecast from trade credit insurer Allianz Trade.
The end of the year for 2024 will also likely be supported by companies rushing to ship goods in anticipation of the higher tariffs likely to be imposed by the coming Trump administration, and other potential disruptions in the coming quarters, the report said.
However, that tailwind for global trade will likely shift to a headwind once the effects of a renewed but contained trade war are felt from the second half of 2025 and in full in 2026. As a result, Allianz Trade has throttled back its predictions, saying that global trade in volume will grow by 2.8% in 2025 (reduced by 0.2 percentage points vs. its previous forecast) and 2.3% in 2026 (reduced by 0.5 percentage points).
The same logic applies to Allianz Trade’s forecast for export prices in U.S. dollars, which the firm has now revised downward to predict growth reaching 2.3% in 2025 (reduced by 1.7 percentage points) and 4.1% in 2026 (reduced by 0.8 percentage points).
In the meantime, the rush to frontload imports into the U.S. is giving freight carriers an early Christmas present. According to Allianz Trade, data released last week showed Chinese exports rising by a robust 6.7% y/y in November. And imports of some consumer goods that have been threatened with a likely 25% tariff under the new Trump administration have outperformed even more, growing by nearly 20% y/y on average between July and September.
Declaring that it is furthering its mission to advance supply chain excellence across the globe, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) today announced the launch of seven new International Roundtables.
The new groups have been established in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Toronto, Panama City, Lisbon, and Sao Paulo. They join CSCMP’s 40 existing roundtables across the U.S. and worldwide, with each one offering a way for members to grow their knowledge and practice professional networking within their state or region. Overall, CSCMP roundtables produce over 200 events per year—such as educational events, networking events, or facility tours—attracting over 6,000 attendees from 3,000 companies worldwide, the group says.
“The launch of these seven Roundtables is a testament to CSCMP’s commitment to advancing supply chain innovation and fostering professional growth globally,” Mark Baxa, President and CEO of CSCMP, said in a release. “By extending our reach into Latin America, Canada and enhancing our European Union presence, and beyond, we’re not just growing our community—we’re strengthening the global supply chain network. This is how we equip the next generation of leaders and continue shaping the future of our industry.”
The new roundtables in Mexico City and Monterrey will be inaugurated in early 2025, following the launch of the Guadalajara Roundtable in 2024, said Javier Zarazua, a leader in CSCMP’s Latin America initiatives.
“As part of our growth strategy, we have signed strategic agreements with The Logistics World, the largest logistics publishing company in Latin America; Tec Monterrey, one of the largest universities in Latin America; and Conalog, the association for Logistics Executives in Mexico,” Zarazua said. “Not only will supply chain and logistics professionals benefit from these strategic agreements, but CSCMP, with our wealth of content, research, and network, will contribute to enhancing the industry not only in Mexico but across Latin America.”
Likewse, the Lisbon Roundtable marks the first such group in Portugal and the 10th in Europe, noted Miguel Serracanta, a CSCMP global ambassador from that nation.