Danish containership giant A.P. Moller-Maersk has acquired U.S. e-commerce fulfillment and parcel delivery company Visible SCM for $838 million. The deal closed August 2, company leaders said.
Salt Lake City-based Visible SCM operates nine fulfillment centers in the United States, handling business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) fulfillment and parcel delivery to customers across the country.
“We have set out to build strong e-commerce logistics capabilities that complement our existing end-to-end supply chain offering. Visible SCM’s operating model and value proposition will strengthen our customers’ e-commerce logistics, enabling them to sell through any sales channel, deliver in any way, and manage their supply chains seamlessly,” Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk Ocean & Logistics, said in a statement. “While our customers trust us with a wide part of their supply chain, this acquisition will contribute to an even better end-to-end experience by providing more key e-commerce capabilities. The new supply chain architecture allows more of our small and medium-sized customers to tap into the growth driven by the increased online consumer shopping.”
Maersk also announced plans to acquire B2C Europe Holding B.V. (B2C Europe) a Dutch business-to-consumer logistics company focused on B2C parcel delivery services in Europe . B2C Europe serves retailers, brands, and logistics operators, with a focus on cross-border deliveries. The acquisition will allow Maersk to offer Europe-wide last-mile rates to customers through one simplified interface and with full control and visibility on all parcel deliveries. The transaction is subject to closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Waves of change are expected to wash over workplaces in the new year, highlighted by companies’ needs to balance the influx of artificial intelligence (AI) with the skills, capabilities, and perspectives that are uniquely human, according to a study from Top Employers Institute.
According to the Amsterdam-based human resources (HR) consulting firm, 2025 will be the year that the balance between individual and group well-being will evolve, blending personal empowerment with collective goals. The focus will be on creating environments where individual contributions enhance the overall strength of teams and organizations, and where traditional boundaries are softened to allow for greater collaboration and inclusion.
Those were the findings of the group’s report titled "World of work trends 2025: The collective workforce.” The study was based on data drawn from the anonymized responses of 2,175 global participants of the Top Employers Institute’s HR Best Practices Survey for 2025, and 2,200 organizations from its 2024 edition.
To cope with those broad trends, the report found that companies must adopt “systems thinking,” a way of understanding how different parts of a system—whether an organization or a society—are connected and influence each other. Leaders who learn that skill can design holistic strategies that align employee needs with organizational priorities and broader societal challenges, the group said.
Toward that goal, the report highlights five trends that are reshaping and impacting the global workforce for 2025. They include:
Sustainable Workplaces - integrated partnership between society and organizations. In 2025, organizations will face growing pressure to address global challenges ranging from ethical AI use in the workplace to demographic changes like declining birth rates and an aging population. These issues are no longer isolated from business; they demand an integrated partnership between society and organizations. For example, labor shortages driven by demographic changes challenge companies to rethink their workforce strategies for future sustainability; for example, family-friendly offerings have increased substantially over the last year as employers acknowledge the reality that many more people are now responsible for aging relatives as well as young children.
New belonging – networking beyond to connect with various jobs, industries, and networks. Unlike previous generations, today’s employees change jobs and careers with greater fluidity, spanning multiple organizations over relatively short periods. This shift is reshaping the traditional, company-centered sense of belonging into a more dynamic, interconnected experience. Employees no longer expect to build lasting relationships solely within a single organization, but rather they form communities that stretch across various jobs, industries, and networks, sometimes even in public coworking spaces where the people they interact with daily may not even work for the same company. However, this fluidity offers companies a unique advantage: as employees move between organizations and interact with diverse professionals in shared spaces, they bring with them fresh ideas, innovations, and relationships that generate significant value.
Transforming experiences – “new collar” jobs. In 2025, we will see a substantial blurring of the traditional categories of “white collar” jobs—typically clerical, administrative, managerial, and executive roles—and “blue collar” jobs, which are typically found in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining, or maintenance sectors. The nature of jobs once considered blue-collar has changed dramatically, thanks in no small part to advancements in technology, especially AI. Post pandemic, there seems to be a much higher demand in many places around the world for skilled trades and manual labor, coupled with a growing emphasis for needed skills over formal qualifications. This shift, sometimes described as the rise of “new collar” jobs, combines the technical expertise often associated with blue-collar work with the adaptability and digital skills needed in today’s job market.
Neuroinclusion - a competitive advantage. Organizations are also increasingly recognizing the advantages of including neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, hiring people with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and ADHD, as well as certain mental health conditions. In addition to bringing bringing unique perspectives and capabilities, these employees are also an important part of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This practice often requires companies to provide accommodation, adjustments, and support, but 2025 will bring a more radical shift, as neuroinclusivity is evolving from an afterthought to a foundational principle in workplace design, culture, and HR policies.
AI-powered leadership - balance between human intuition and AI’s analytical power.
If 2024 marked AI’s disruption of highly skilled roles like software development and healthcare, 2025 will be the year AI reshapes the highest levels of leadership, bringing a new balance between human intuition and AI’s analytical power. In this evolving landscape, leadership is no longer an individual pursuit, but a collective effort changed by intelligent systems. AI is not just influencing mid-level roles; it is becoming a partner in the C-suite, helping leaders navigate complexity, understand team dynamics, and make strategic decisions that benefit the entire organization.
It’s probably safe to say that no one chooses a career in logistics for the glory. But even those accustomed to toiling in obscurity appreciate a little recognition now and then—particularly when it comes from the people they love best: their kids.
That familial love was on full display at the 2024 International Foodservice Distributor Association’s (IFDA) National Championship, which brings together foodservice distribution professionals to demonstrate their expertise in driving, warehouse operations, safety, and operational efficiency. For the eighth year, the event included a Kids Essay Contest, where children of participants were encouraged to share why they are proud of their parents or guardians and the work they do.
Prizes were handed out in three categories: 3rd–5th grade, 6th–8th grade, and 9th–12th grade. This year’s winners included Elijah Oliver (4th grade, whose parent Justin Oliver drives for Cheney Brothers) and Andrew Aylas (8th grade, whose parent Steve Aylas drives for Performance Food Group).
Top honors in the high-school category went to McKenzie Harden (12th grade, whose parent Marvin Harden drives for Performance Food Group), who wrote: “My dad has not only taught me life skills of not only, ‘what the boys can do,’ but life skills of morals, compassion, respect, and, last but not least, ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve.’”
The logistics tech firm incubator Zebox, a unit of supply chain giant CMA CGM Group, plans to show off 10 of its top startup businesses at the annual technology trade show CES in January, the French company said today.
Founded in 2018, Zebox calls itself an international innovation accelerator expert in the fields of maritime industry, logistics & media. The Marseille, France-based unit is supported by major companies in the sector, such as BNSF Railway, Blume Global, Trac Intermodal, Vinci, CEVA Logistics, Transdev and Port of Virginia.
To participate in that program, Zebox said it chose 10 French and American companies that are working to leverage cutting-edge technologies to address major industrial challenges and drive meaningful transformations:
Aerleum: CO2 capture and conversion technology producing cost-competitive synthetic fuels and chemicals, enabling decarbonization in hard-to-electrify sectors such as maritime and aviation. Akidaia (CES Innovation Award Winner 2024): Offline access control system offering robust cybersecurity, easy deployment, and secure operation, even in remote or mobile sites.
BE ENERGY: Innovative clean energy solutions recognized for their groundbreaking impact on sustainable energy.
Biomitech (CES Innovation Award Winner 2025): Air purification system that transforms atmospheric pollution into oxygen and biomass through photosynthesis.
Flying Ship Technologies, Corp,: Building unmanned, autonomous, and eco-friendly ground-effect vessels for efficient cargo delivery to tens of thousands of destinations.
Gazelle: Next-generation chargers made more compact and efficient by advanced technology developed by Wise Integration.
HawAI.tech: Hardware accelerators designed to enhance probabilistic artificial intelligence, promoting energy efficiency and explainability.
Okular Logistics: AI-powered smart cameras and analytics to automate warehouse operations, ensure real-time inventory accuracy, and reduce costs.
OTRERA NEW ENERGY: Compact modular reactor (SMR) harnessing over 50 years of French expertise to provide cost-effective, decarbonized electricity and heat.
Zadar Labs, Inc.: High-resolution imaging radars for surveillance, autonomous systems, and beyond.
The deal will add the Google DeepMind robotics team’s AI expertise to Austin, Texas-based Apptronik’s robotics platform, allowing the units to handle a wider range of tasks in real-world settings like factories and warehouses.
The Texas firm joins other providers of two-legged robots such as the Oregon company Agility Robotics, which is currently testing its humanoid units with the large German automotive and industrial parts supplier Schaeffler AG, as well as with GXO. GXO is also running trials of a third type of humanoid bot made by New York-based Reflex Robotics. And another provider of humanoid robots, the Canadian firm Sanctuary AI, this year landed funding from the consulting firm Accenture.
“We’re building a future where humanoid robots address urgent global challenges,” Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, said in a release. “By combining Apptronik’s cutting-edge robotics platform with the Google DeepMind robotics team’s unparalleled AI expertise, we’re creating intelligent, versatile and safe robots that will transform industries and improve lives. United by a shared commitment to excellence, our two companies are poised to redefine the future of humanoid robotics.”
According to FedEx, the proposed breakup will create flexibility for the two companies to handle the separate demands of the global parcel and the LTL markets. That approach will enable FedEx and FedEx Freight to deploy more customized operational execution, along with more tailored investment and capital allocation strategies. At the same time, the two companies will continue to cooperate on commercial, operational, and technology initiatives.
Following the split, FedEx Freight will become the industry’s largest LTL carrier, with revenue of $9.4 billion in fiscal 2024. The company also boasts the broadest network and fastest transit times in its industry, the company said.
After spinning of that business, the remaining FedEx units will have a combined revenue of $78.3 billion based on fiscal year 2024 results for its range of time- and day-definite delivery and related supply chain technology services to more than 220 countries and territories through an integrated air-ground express network.
The move comes after FedEx has operated its freight unit for decades. After launching in 1971 as an overnight air courier service, FedEx grew quickly and in 1998 acquired Caliber System inc., creating a transportation “powerhouse” comprising the traditional FedEx distribution service and small-package ground carrier RPS, LTL carrier Viking Freight, Caliber Logistics, Caliber Technology, and Roberts Express. And in 2006, FedEx acquires Watkins Motor Lines, enhancing FedEx Freight’s ability to serve customers in the long-haul LTL freight market.
FedEx share prices rose after the announcement, as investors cheered a resolution to the debate that had lingered since June about whether the event would happen, according to a statement from Bascome Majors, a market analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group. And FedEx Freight will become a major player in the sector, based on its 16% share of industry revenue in 2023, well above Old Dominion Freight Lines (ODFL)’s 10% and SAIA’s 5%, he said.
Likewise, TD Cowen issued a “buy” rating for FedEx based on the long-awaited move, according to Jason Seidl, senior analyst focused on rail, trucking and logistics. That came as investors were soothed about their worries of potential “dis-synergies” from the split by the detail that FedEx Freight and legacy FDX have signed agreements that will continue the connectivity of the two networks.