Northeastern U.S. states are sometimes depicted as not particularly business friendly. But that hasn't deterred some major companies from locating in the Keystone State recently, not least of which is Volvo Construction Equipment Americas. For one thing, Pennsylvania's location makes it very attractive for companies that must get product to customers in a huge portion of the country within a day. And a pocket in Franklin County, in the south central part of the state, is helping them do just that.

Manufacturers can generate new value, minimize costs, and increase operational stability by focusing on four broad areas: production, product design, value recovery - and supply-circle management.

University College, the college of professional and continuing studies at the University of Denver, is offering a new major in global commerce and transportation, as part of its Bachelor of Arts Completion Program (BACP).

Total U.S. business logistics costs in 2011 rose to $1.28tr, a 6.6-percent increase from the previous year, accounting for 8.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to the 23rd Annual State of Logistics Report, presented by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and Penske Logistics.

After grounding its fleet of six Boeing 747-400ERFs on Dec. 31 due to depressed demand, Jade Cargo International has officially shut down. The liquidation of the Chinese carrier - of which Shenzhen Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and German investment firm DEG hold a 51-percent, 25-percent and 24-percent stake, respectively - comes on the heels of numerous capacity cuts in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. rail shippers don't appear to be heeding the warnings of a national economic slowdown. Intermodal volume in May on the major U.S. railroads hit the highest level in history for that month, according to the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal traffic last month was 3.5 percent higher than the same month a year ago. Although carload volume was down 2.8 percent year-over-year in the same period, the big losses were because of slumps in the major commodities of coal and grain.

For those interested in transportation management, the news that truckload rates are trending flat for the time being may be good, although on a year-over-year basis, May's index registered 5.0 percent higher than for the same period last year. The continuing share shift toward intermodal is at least one reason rates are being held in check.