Having completed 16 acquisitions of small logistics companies in the past seven years, Echo Global Logistics knows something about successful takeover strategies. CEO Doug Waggoner talks about the company's growth-through-acquisition initiatives.

John Sarinick, chief sales officer with Beumer Corp., gives us three trends that are driving huge changes in retail order fulfillment, as well as a prediction for the next big thing in the industry.

A new reform-minded government, a stable economy and sound infrastructure are among the factors combining to make Mexico a good market for logistics operations, says Eric Markeset, who is based in Mexico City as principal of consulting firm Tsol.

Bill Leber, director of business development and marketing with Swisslog, reveals the top issues that are driving change within distribution centers, with a particular focus on e-commerce.

Third-party logistics will not become a commoditized service as long as providers continue to add value and differentiate their product offerings, says Greg Spudic, vice president of marketing and sales at Dimerco Express.

Small to medium-sized shippers have a low adoption rate for transportation management systems because traditional systems cost too much and are not geared to the specific needs of smaller businesses, says J.P. Wiggins, vice president of logistics at 3Gtms.

Having spent most of his career as an executive in the chemical industry, Marv Schlanger, new CEO of CEVA Logistics, has a unique perspective on the global 3PL industry. He shares his views as "the new kid on the block" and explains why he is optimistic.

Long waiting lines of incoming trucks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach create an unacceptable drag on productivity, says Mike Stark, president and CEO of Pacer Distribution Services and an active member of the Harbor Trucking Association. Stark explains how adaptive appointment software could help remedy this situation.

Big data can be a powerful enabler of better business decisions, but getting the right data to the right person in an actionable form presents huge challenges. Richard Sharpe, CEO of Competitive Insights, helps demystify the subject and explains why mastering big data is worth the effort.