NOTED: Supply Chain Highlights
Intralogistics group Mecalux has equipped pet supplies provider Moderna Products’ plant in Belgium with an automated warehouse connected to production.
SEALED DEALS
• Honeylove selected Inspectorio to modernize its supply chain as its brand grows. The brand will now rely on Inspectorio’s advanced analytics, AI capabilities, and support network to strengthen and modernize its production chain.
• Nynas AB, a manufacturer and supplier of specialty oil products and services, is using Descartes’ cloud-based transportation management system to automate communications throughout the customer order lifecycle.
↑ Bioelements Group will supply its compostable, biobased, and biodegradable packaging to Multi X. The salmon farming company will replace all of the bags it uses for packaging fresh fillets with Bioelements’ bioplastic containers.
GOOD WORKS
↑ When students from Star Academy in Boston learned their pen pals in Kenya were affected by heavy flooding, they helped collect more than 20 boxes of essential items including clothing, footwear, canned food, hygiene products, and school supplies. DHL Express shipped all the supplies, covering the transportation costs. The aid will support at least 100 students in Kenya.
↑ As part of its participation in fundraising initiatives for Wreaths Across America, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association aims to virtually fill a tractor trailer with 5,000 sponsored veterans’ wreaths, which will be transported and placed by volunteers on gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery as part of National Wreaths Across America Day in December.
• ODW Logistics supported the recent Pelotonia Ride Weekend with inventory management and the transportation of bicycles for dedicated riders. Since 2009, Pelotonia has raised more than $295 million for innovative cancer research.
Milestone
↑ J.B. Hunt Transport Services surpassed 50,000 autonomous long-haul trucking miles, using Kodiak technology to haul Bridgestone passenger car tires between South Carolina and Dallas. Since the Bridgestone route kicked off in January 2024, the autonomous route has been driven with no accidents and achieved 100% on-time pickup and delivery.
• Loadsmart, whose logistics offerings span planning, optimization, and execution to gate, yard, and dock solutions, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
• DeSpir Logistics, a specialized transportation logistics provider for high-value, high-risk and temperature-controlled cargo, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
RECOGNITION
↑ Greg Swift, a longtime driver for Schneider National, achieved the milestone of driving five million miles without a preventable accident. Only two other drivers in Schneider’s nearly 90-year history reached this feat. Schneider recognized Swift’s achievement with a parade, a Sound the Horn celebration, and a $10,000 bonus.
↑ Clarios LLC, an advanced energy storage solutions provider, named Averitt its LTL Carrier of the Year, recognizing outstanding service and reliability in the logistics and transportation sector.
↑ The U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation presented the Port of Green Bay and the Illinois International Port District with the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, which recognizes the achievements of U.S. ports whose activities result in increasing international tonnage shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway in comparison with the previous year.
• The Business Intelligence Group recognized Jarrett as a SAMMY Award winner in the area of technology use in marketing strategy.
UP THE CHAIN
← DSG appointed Dan Klepack as its chief supply chain officer. In this newly created role, Klepack will be responsible for driving supply chain optimization, enhancing efficiency, and delivering an exceptional customer experience across DSG’s extensive network.
M&A
↑ The Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) has acquired TransVac, a Abbeville, Louisiana-based company that specializes in the transportation of chemicals, water treatment products, and plastic additives.
• NTG Germany, a fully owned subsidiary of NTG Nordic Transport Group A/S, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Schmalz+Schön Holding GmbH, which specializes in road and logistics services. SSH operates from its headquarters in Stuttgart and 27 additional sites across Germany.
• Global port operator PSA Baltics N.V. signed an agreement to acquire an 85% majority stake in Loconi International S.A., one of Poland’s leading intermodal operators, from the publicly traded Polish freight forwarder ATC Cargo S.A. This strategic move aims to develop new rail products to support PSA’s European container hubs.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide sold its European Surface Transportation business to sennder Technologies GmbH, a digital road freight forwarder in Europe.
• Groendyke Transport will acquire all the tank truck assets of Linden Bulk Transportation from Depot Connect International, a tank container services provider. The acquisition expands Groendyke’s footprint to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and solidifies its presence in the Gulf.
• Carrier Global Corporation, on behalf of its Sensitech business, completed its acquisition of the Monitoring Solutions business of Berlinger & Co. AG, a Swiss family-owned company that specializes in solutions for monitoring temperature-sensitive goods in the pharmaceutical and life science, clinical trial, and global health segments.
↑ Symbotic Inc. acquired substantially all of the assets of Veo Robotics, which offers intelligent safeguarding for industrial robots. By integrating Veo’s FreeMove solution into its robotic warehouse automation system, Symbotic expects to increase productivity with more dynamic, flexible human-machine collaboration.