Goodman Group, Australia's largest listed industrial property group, announced that its wholly owned North American subsidiary, Goodman Birtcher, has launched development of a $150m logistics center at Rancho Cucamonga in the Inland Empire West market of Southern California.
Rob Nemeth, president of Allied Distribution, shows exactly how rising fuel costs are affecting the movement of goods throughout the distribution chain - and how companies are responding to the trend.
The days of selling within seasons are long gone; sales periods that once spanned months have now shrunk to weeks. This "multiplier" effect presents retailers with huge challenges, because shoppers want the latest, most fashionable products immediately.
Energy consumption in the U.S. manufacturing sector decreased by 17 percent from 2002 to 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It notes that manufacturing gross output decreased by only three percent over the same period.
Most procurement functions are covering the basics of incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) processes, but this effort is more tactical than strategic. According to a recent Procurement Leaders study, 82 percent of procurement functions have managed to include CSR in their supplier selection and evaluation criteria.
Retail organizations are facing a seismic shift in the markets they serve - from multiple channels to international expansion. But are the systems in place to fulfill orders and manage returns across this altered and highly complex landscape?
Melting polar ice could create a new shipping lane through the North Pole by 2050, according to research by the University Of California at Los Angeles. In the future, melting sea ice could mean that ordinary shipping vessels will be able to navigate parts of the Arctic Ocean which were previously inaccessible, without the use of icebreakers to clear their route.
Four of the busiest airports in the country will get tightened cargo security this year to enhance screening of dangerous items, a move that raises concerns from business people who say the extra measure will make the current "slow" service even less efficient.