NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights

Good Works

• DHL Express and the Van Gogh Museum launched the Heart for Art educational program, which provides children in communities with limited access to cultural education opportunities to learn about and engage with Vincent van Gogh’s artwork.
• The estate of Dunavant founder William B. “Billy” Dunavant gifted $5.5 million to the University of Memphis to establish three Dunavant Chairs in supply chain management, one in agritech and regenerative agriculture, and the Laura Butler Ford Chair in nursing.

Up the Chain

• Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) realigned its supply chain structure and promoted three KDP senior supply chain leaders into new roles, including naming Roger Johnson as the company’s new chief supply chain officer.
• AFS Logistics appointed Micheal McDonagh as its president of parcel. McDonagh will focus on pricing, strategy, and customer satisfaction.
• Trailer Bridge named Eric Masotti president of its logistics division. Masotti now oversees the strategic direction of the company’s domestic transportation solutions.

M&A

• Werner Enterprises acquired Reed Transport Services and RTS-TMS, doing business as ReedTMS Logistics, an asset-light logistics provider and truckload carrier based in Tampa, Florida.
• AGX Freight purchased the business assets of A-Logistics, LLC, a provider of supply chain management solutions. The acquisition allows AGX to expand its less-than-truckload service capabilities across its national transportation platform.
• Aqua Power Systems entered exclusive negotiations to acquire all outstanding shares of Tradition Transportation Group, an Indiana-based logistics company.
• In its fourth acquisition since launching in January 2022, Ascend LLC purchased Fuchs Trucking LLC. Ascend expects to offer additional capacity and services and deepen its footprint in the upper Midwest.
• Ruan, a provider of integrated supply chain solutions, acquired National Truck Brokers (NTB), a dedicated carrier in Grand Rapids, Michigan. NTB will operate as an independent member of the Ruan family of companies.

In Memoriam

• George Bell, founder of B&B Attachments, passed away on October 5, 2022. Bell founded B&B Attachments, an independent supplier of forklift truck attachments in the UK, in 1980 with his wife, Irene.

Sealed Deals

• Mars signed an agreement with Accenture to apply digital twin technology and models to the candy maker’s manufacturing facilities and provide its factory line operators real-time insights into current and predictive performance.
• JCB, a manufacturer of construction equipment, appointed Maersk as its global lead logistics provider. Maersk will provide end-to-end supply chain management services and manage JCB’s third-party warehousing.
• Third-party logistics provider Kenco Group will work with Interstate Batteries a provider of automotive batteries, to implement a network of fulfillment centers to reduce the number of distribution points from more than 250 to eight.
• USA Luge and Team Worldwide extended their partnership through the Milan/Cortina Olympics Games in 2026. As the official cargo carrier of USA Luge, Team Worldwide transports equipment to and from events around the world.
• Piggly Wiggly Midwest will pilot the Focal Operating System in its stores in Wisconsin and Illinois. The grocer will use the system to automate and optimize ordering, inventory management, merchandising, and workforce management.
• Arvato Supply Chain Solutions will manage the online business of Rituals Cosmetics in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland from a newly opened 505,904-square-foot distribution center in the Bemerode district in Germany.
• Sinocare, makers of blood glucose meters in Asia, teamed with Hai Robotics to implement autonomous case-handling robot systems into its warehouse in Changsha, China.
• Crayola enhanced its omnichannel strategy by partnering with Distribution Management, a national third-party fulfillment and distribution provider, and Deck Commerce, a provider of order management solutions for direct-to-consumer retailers.

Green Seeds

• Samskip signed a new agreement with GoodFuels that will enable a 90% cut in ship carbon dioxide emissions. Samskip also calculated that it will save 45,000 tons in additional CO2 emissions by the end of 2022.
• The Rhenus Group plans to neutralize the carbon emissions of all global full containerload products by 2045. The company previously announced a commitment to carbon neutrality for all its less-than-containerload products by 2030.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services set a goal to reduce its carbon emission intensity 32% by 2034 by incorporating alternative powered equipment, expanding biogenic fuels usage, and improving fuel economy.

Recognition

• The Women In Trucking Association recognized CPC Logistics as a 2022 Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation. The non-profit organization encourages the employment of women in the trucking industry, promotes their accomplishments, and minimizes the obstacles they face.
• PMMI, the association for packaging and processing technologies, named Alison Zitzke, senior product manager for ORBIS, a 2022 On the Rise Award winner. This award recognizes 10 young professionals who have demonstrated leadership qualities in the packaging and processing industry.
• The Tennessee Trucking Association presented its Clean Diesel Award to Averitt Express for its commitment to environmental responsibility. The award is given to a Tennessee transportation and logistics provider for efforts to improve fuel conservation and sustainability within its fleet.