HOUSTON (Nov. 15, 2023) – Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas (Logisnext), a leading North American provider and manufacturer of material handling and innovative automation and fleet solutions, has partnered with the Dallas Cowboys and Darr Equipment Company, the Official Lift Truck Provider of the Dallas Cowboys, to transform its material handling processes. The Dallas Cowboys have relied on a fleet of over 50 Cat® lift trucks and Jungheinrich® warehouse products to keep AT&T Stadium and The Star in Frisco football-ready, while making sure its Merchandising Distribution and Sales Center move at peak performance to keep up with the demand of its fans.
“Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas is excited to play a role in supporting the Dallas Cowboys’ commitment to delivering an exceptional game-day experience for their fans,” said Eric Gabriel, vice president, North America Dealer Sales, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas. “The Dallas Cowboys are known for their intense commitment to win – on and off the field – and running a smooth operation is a critical part of their success.”
Darr Equipment Company, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas’ authorized dealer in Dallas, Texas, has served as the Official Lift Truck Provider of the Dallas Cowboys since 2009. This long-standing partnership with Darr Equipment strengthens the Cowboys commitment to excellence and contributes to the advancement of logistics and technology that drive operations for the Dallas Cowboys.
Cat Lift Trucks: The Powerhouse Behind AT&T Stadium Game-Day Performance
AT&T Stadium, home to “America’s Team”, hosts a wide range of events, from international soccer games to record-breaking NBA All-Star Games and more. To maximize peak performance, the Stadium relies on Cat lift trucks to keep its operation moving. The Dallas Cowboys uses Cat DP120N and GP25N internal combustion pneumatic tire lift trucks to perform its ongoing stadium processes year-round, including maintenance and changeover of its 46 stadium turfs, each weighing 12,000 pounds. The Cat lift trucks are able to effortlessly move, set up and skillfully navigate the stadium's tight corners, ensuring the field is perfectly primed for the Dallas Cowboys to take over.
“Our collaboration with Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas and Darr Equipment has been a game-changer,” said Andy Crerar, Stadium Project Manager, Dallas Cowboys. “Cat lift trucks have streamlined our operations, allowing us to be more effective, efficient and safe while completing our work on a daily basis. Our conversions have gone from 12 to 10 hours per changeover since switching to Cat.”
Jungheinrich Warehouse Products: Streamlining Warehouse Distribution
At the Dallas Cowboys’ 400,000-square-foot merchandising warehouse, connected to the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, Jungheinrich pantograph reach trucks and high-level order pickers have become a vital component in daily tasks. The massive facility is designed to create, store and ship branded merchandise from Frisco, TX, to destinations around the world. Capable of operating two eight-hour shifts on a single charge, the Jungheinrich lift trucks offer a variety of cutting-edge features that ensure seamless warehouse efficiency.
“Jungheinrich has revolutionized the way we manage in the warehouse,” said Alex Luviano, product movement manager, Dallas Cowboys. “These trucks not only operate efficiently, but also provide a heightened sense of security, significantly elevating our overall productivity. The Dallas Cowboys is all about tradition and excellence, and these trucks are now part of that tradition.”
Based in Houston, Texas, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas remains at the forefront of the material handling industry. This partnership with the Dallas Cowboys represents Logisnext's dedication to helping keep America’s Team and premier sports entertainment center moving forward. To learn more about Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas and its brands, visit www.logisnextamericas.com.
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About Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas
Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc., and its group companies have helped customers Move The World Forward for more than 100 years. A technology-driven manufacturer, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas offers scalable solutions from material handling to automation and extensive fleet support. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, its complete portfolio of advanced solutions spans across five leading brands – Mitsubishi forklift trucks, Cat® lift trucks, Rocla AGV Solutions, UniCarriers® Forklifts and Jungheinrich® warehouse and automation products. All products are backed by an extensive dealer network offering industry-leading customer service and product support. Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Logisnext Co. Ltd. For more information, visit www.LogisnextAmericas.com.
About Darr Equipment Company
Founded in 1954, Darr Equipment Co., and its subsidiary 54 Intralogistics, are a fourth-generation family-owned business providing best-in-class material handling and fleet management solutions. Headquartered in Irving, TX, Darr operates out of 11 locations serving industrial partners throughout Texas and Oklahoma.
President-elect Donald Trump today picked Sean Duffy as his nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the next four years, choosing a former Republican U.S. Rep. for Wisconsin and current Fox News television host, according to published reports.
Duffy served in the U.S. House for nearly nine years after he found fame as a reality TV show cast member on a spinoff show from the MTV hit series “The Real World” and then as district attorney for a county in Wisconsin. As he named his choice for the potential cabinet slot, Trump noted that Duffy also met his wife on that television series, marrying a fellow actor who also went on to become a Fox News TV personality.
If Duffy earns confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he would become the second Fox News media employee after potential Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Duffy would replace current DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Biden Administration pick who succeeded former Trump Administration choice Elaine Chao, who resigned in the wake of the deadly January 6 riots following Trump’s election loss in 2020.
Following news of the nomination, trucking industry group the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) urged Duffy to concentrate on a handful of specific issues. “OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Representative Sean Duffy on his nomination as Secretary of Transportation,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud, and rolling back unnecessary regulations. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with the new administration.”
Likewise, the current Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rick Larsen (D-WA), said he hoped to work with Duffy to pass a bipartisan surface transportation bill in the next term.
“This Congress, the T&I Committee has advanced major bipartisan legislation to keep people and the economy moving, including the FAA Reauthorization Act, the Water Resources Development Act, and the Coast Guard Authorization Act,” Larsen said in an email. “Next Congress, I look forward to working with my T&I colleagues to build on this bipartisan work by passing a surface transportation bill—which Congress has consistently done for the past 25 years—that will create good-paying jobs and build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system across the country. Transportation policy has a long bipartisan history, and I look forward to continuing to maintain the tradition under Former Representative Sean Duffy’s leadership and working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization, creating more jobs, if he is confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.”
That challenge is one of the reasons that fewer shoppers overall are satisfied with their shopping experiences lately, Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Zebra said in its “17th Annual Global Shopper Study.”th Annual Global Shopper Study.” While 85% of shoppers last year were satisfied with both the in-store and online experiences, only 81% in 2024 are satisfied with the in-store experience and just 79% with online shopping.
In response, most retailers (78%) say they are investing in technology tools that can help both frontline workers and those watching operations from behind the scenes to minimize theft and loss, Zebra said.
Just 38% of retailers currently use AI-based prescriptive analytics for loss prevention, but a much larger 50% say they plan to use it in the next 1-3 years. That was followed by self-checkout cameras and sensors (45%), computer vision (46%), and RFID tags and readers (42%) that are planned for use within the next three years, specifically for loss prevention.
Those strategies could help improve the brick and mortar shopping experience, since 78% of shoppers say it’s annoying when products are locked up or secured within cases. Adding to that frustration is that it’s hard to find an associate while shopping in stores these days, according to 70% of consumers. In response, some just walk out; one in five shoppers has left a store without getting what they needed because a retail associate wasn’t available to help, an increase over the past two years.
The survey also identified additional frustrations faced by retailers and associates:
challenges with offering easy options for click-and-collect or returns, despite high shopper demand for them
the struggle to confirm current inventory and pricing
lingering labor shortages and increasing loss incidents, even as shoppers return to stores
“Many retailers are laying the groundwork to build a modern store experience,” Matt Guiste, Global Retail Technology Strategist, Zebra Technologies, said in a release. “They are investing in mobile and intelligent automation technologies to help inform operational decisions and enable associates to do the things that keep shoppers happy.”
The survey was administered online by Azure Knowledge Corporation and included 4,200 adult shoppers (age 18+), decision-makers, and associates, who replied to questions about the topics of shopper experience, device and technology usage, and delivery and fulfillment in store and online.
Supply chains are poised for accelerated adoption of mobile robots and drones as those technologies mature and companies focus on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across their logistics operations.
That’s according to data from Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Mobile Robots and Drones, released this week. The report shows that several mobile robotics technologies will mature over the next two to five years, and also identifies breakthrough and rising technologies set to have an impact further out.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle is a graphical depiction of a common pattern that arises with each new technology or innovation through five phases of maturity and adoption. Chief supply chain officers can use the research to find robotic solutions that meet their needs, according to Gartner.
Gartner, Inc.
The mobile robotic technologies set to mature over the next two to five years are: collaborative in-aisle picking robots, light-cargo delivery robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for transport, mobile robotic goods-to-person systems, and robotic cube storage systems.
“As organizations look to further improve logistic operations, support automation and augment humans in various jobs, supply chain leaders have turned to mobile robots to support their strategy,” Dwight Klappich, VP analyst and Gartner fellow with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said in a statement announcing the findings. “Mobile robots are continuing to evolve, becoming more powerful and practical, thus paving the way for continued technology innovation.”
Technologies that are on the rise include autonomous data collection and inspection technologies, which are expected to deliver benefits over the next five to 10 years. These include solutions like indoor-flying drones, which utilize AI-enabled vision or RFID to help with time-consuming inventory management, inspection, and surveillance tasks. The technology can also alleviate safety concerns that arise in warehouses, such as workers counting inventory in hard-to-reach places.
“Automating labor-intensive tasks can provide notable benefits,” Klappich said. “With AI capabilities increasingly embedded in mobile robots and drones, the potential to function unaided and adapt to environments will make it possible to support a growing number of use cases.”
Humanoid robots—which resemble the human body in shape—are among the technologies in the breakthrough stage, meaning that they are expected to have a transformational effect on supply chains, but their mainstream adoption could take 10 years or more.
“For supply chains with high-volume and predictable processes, humanoid robots have the potential to enhance or supplement the supply chain workforce,” Klappich also said. “However, while the pace of innovation is encouraging, the industry is years away from general-purpose humanoid robots being used in more complex retail and industrial environments.”
An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.
According to Hakala, automation is an inevitable course in Cimcorp’s core sectors, and the company’s end-to-end capabilities will be crucial for clients’ success. In the past, both the tire and grocery retail industries have automated individual machines and parts of their operations. In recent years, automation has spread throughout the facilities, as companies want to be able to see their entire operation with one look, utilize analytics, optimize processes, and lead with data.
“Cimcorp has always grown by starting small in the new business segments. We’ve created one solution first, and as we’ve gained more knowledge of our clients’ challenges, we have been able to expand,” Hakala said in a release. “In every phase, we aim to bring our experience to the table and even challenge the client’s initial perspective. We are interested in what our client does and how it could be done better and more efficiently.”
Although many shoppers will
return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.
One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.
Given the scope of the problem, it’s no wonder online shoppers are worried about it—especially during holiday season. In its annual report on package theft trends, released in October, the
security-focused research and product review firm Security.org found that:
17% of Americans had a package stolen in the past three months, with the typical stolen parcel worth about $50. Some 44% said they’d had a package taken at some point in their life.
Package thieves poached more than $8 billion in merchandise over the past year.
18% of adults said they’d had a package stolen that contained a gift for someone else.
Ahead of the holiday season, 88% of adults said they were worried about theft of online purchases, with more than a quarter saying they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some low-tech steps consumers can take to help guard against porch piracy along with some high-tech logistics-focused innovations in the pipeline that can protect deliveries in the last mile. First, some common-sense advice on avoiding package theft from the Security.org research:
Install a doorbell camera, which is a relatively low-cost deterrent.
Bring packages inside promptly or arrange to have them delivered to a secure location if no one will be at home.
Consider using click-and-collect options when possible.
If the retailer allows you to specify delivery-time windows, consider doing so to avoid having packages sit outside for extended periods.
These steps may sound basic, but they are by no means a given: Fewer than half of Americans consider the timing of deliveries, less than a third have a doorbell camera, and nearly one-fifth take no precautions to prevent package theft, according to the research.
Tech vendors are stepping up to help. One example is
Arrive AI, which develops smart mailboxes for last-mile delivery and pickup. The company says its Mailbox-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform will revolutionize the last mile by building a network of parcel-storage boxes that can be accessed by people, drones, or robots. In a nutshell: Packages are placed into a weatherproof box via drone, robot, driverless carrier, or traditional delivery method—and no one other than the rightful owner can access it.
Although the platform is still in development, the company already offers solutions for business clients looking to secure high-value deliveries and sensitive shipments. The health-care industry is one example: Arrive AI offers secure drone delivery of medical supplies, prescriptions, lab samples, and the like to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The platform provides real-time tracking, chain-of-custody controls, and theft-prevention features. Arrive is conducting short-term deployments between logistics companies and health-care partners now, according to a company spokesperson.
The MaaS solution has a pretty high cool factor. And the common-sense best practices just seem like solid advice. Maybe combining both is the key to a more secure last mile—during peak shipping season and throughout the year as well.