Wholesale Food Distributor What Chefs Want Continuing to Build on Success of Tailored Distribution Solutions
What Chefs Want, originally a Louisville ice business founded in 1904, pivoted to produce in the late 1990s and has since evolved into a specialty wholesale food distributor. By asking chefs directly what they need, the company offers broken‑case orders, same‑day delivery, and a flexible product mix that spans produce, seafood, and gourmet items. Growth has been fueled by acquisitions of regional firms and the construction of large distribution hubs, culminating in the 2024 purchase of Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice, making it the largest independent distributor in the Southern U.S.
Advance Auto Parts Nears Finish Line on Distribution Center Consolidation Strategy
Advance Auto Parts is finalizing a sweeping distribution‑center consolidation that has cut its footprint from 38 facilities to 16 since the end of 2023. The retailer plans to open 10‑15 new market hubs in 2026, bringing the total to 60...
Hershey Names Utz Brands Executive Supply Chain Chief
Chocolate maker Hershey announced that Mitchell Arends, formerly EVP and chief integrated supply‑chain officer at Utz Brands, will become its chief supply chain officer on June 22, succeeding retiring veteran Jason Reiman. Arends arrives with a track record that includes overseeing a $22 billion...
Continuing War Pushes Airfreight Rates Toward Covid Peak
Air cargo rates surged 36% year‑on‑year in May, approaching the December 2021 Covid peak of $4.43 per kilogram. The spike follows the Middle‑East conflict that began in March, prompting airlines to reroute flights and reallocate capacity. Despite a 60% dip...
Pfizer and the Broader Push to Improve Cold Chain Visibility
Pfizer’s COVID‑19 vaccine rollout forced cold‑chain logistics into the spotlight, prompting the company to treat temperature‑sensitive distribution as a board‑level supply‑chain issue. The heightened visibility highlighted that merely tracking location and temperature is insufficient; rapid, context‑aware exception management is essential....
Robotiq Launches IQ to Make Palletizing Automation Faster and More Predictable
Robotiq unveiled IQ, an AI‑enabled platform that streamlines palletizing automation from a five‑minute Fit Check to a validated workcell design. The tool eliminates the need for early site visits and engineering hours by instantly assessing fit, financial return, and deployment...
Sensory Robotics Says ‘the End of Robotic Cages Starts Now’
Sensory Robotics announced that its SR‑1 safety system has earned UL 1740 certification, clearing the regulatory hurdle for fenceless robot‑cobot deployment. The UL‑certified solution adds 3D vision and real‑time control to existing industrial arms, allowing them to work alongside humans...
MSC Pulls India-USEC Capacity Amid Cloudy Market Conditions
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced the immediate discontinuation of its Indus Express service, which linked West Indian ports to the U.S. East Coast. The route, which called at ports including Karachi, Nhava Sheva, Mundra and several U.S. East Coast hubs,...
Setting the Record Straight About Rates After the Merger
Union Pacific tells customers the pending merger will sharpen competition with trucking by eliminating costly interchanges and expanding direct rail lanes. The combined network will reduce transit times, lower freight costs, and unlock over 88,000 county‑to‑county routes for single‑line service....
Incodema3D Growth Drives Facility Expansion, Acquisition of Five EOS Metal 3D Printers, Agreement to Purchase Nine More
Incodema3D announced the acquisition of five EOS metal 3D printers and a pending order for nine more, pushing its EOS fleet past 50 machines. The company is expanding its 60,000‑square‑foot New York plant and adding a second facility to triple...
Q&A: Raddy Velkov, Senior Vice President of Carrier Sales & Strategy, BlueGrace Logistics
BlueGrace Logistics senior vice president Raddy Velkov explains that freight rates are rising despite flat shipping volumes because the supply side has become structurally tighter, with carriers facing higher insurance, fuel, labor costs and stricter regulations. He says the FedEx...
How Schuster Trucking Handles Capacity Swings and Profitability Pressure
Schuster Trucking, a 70‑year‑old refrigerated carrier, has resumed tractor purchases after an 18‑month pause as freight volumes rise. The company is targeting 2026‑model International LT625 trucks to avoid the higher cost of 2027 emissions‑compliant units. With a fleet of 420...
Meltio Helps ExxonMobil Reduce Costs by 42% and Lead Times by 90% with Titanium Wire-Laser Metal 3D Printing
ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge refinery adopted Meltio’s M600 laser metal deposition system to replace a CNC‑machined anti‑wicking device with a titanium‑64 component. The redesign, supported by custom stainless‑steel fixtures and optimized deposition parameters, cut unit costs by 42% and slashed production...
BILL & Precoro API Integration: Close the Gap Between Purchasing and Payments
Precoro and BILL have launched an API integration that unifies procurement and invoice payment into a single, automated procure‑to‑pay workflow. The two‑way sync automatically transfers AI‑extracted invoice data from Precoro to BILL and returns payment status, eliminating manual re‑keying and...
Lighting the Way to Faster Fulfillment
Medusa Distribution, a New Jersey‑based cannabis accessory wholesaler, upgraded its fulfillment operations by deploying a Deposco warehouse management system, Lucas Systems' warehouse execution software, and Perseuss AI‑driven cartonization. The new stack replaced paper‑based picking with RF scanners, introduced voice‑directed picking,...
Hupac to Launch New Germany-Spain Service
Swiss intermodal operator Hupac is launching a new rail service linking the Duisburg Gateway Terminal in Germany with the Barcelona Combiconnect facility, operating three times a week starting Monday 22 June. The return journey begins Wednesday 24 June, creating a regular north‑south corridor. Barcelona’s...
China’s BYD Steps up Its Drive to Overtake Toyota ‘Down Under’
Chinese EV maker BYD launched its first dedicated car‑carrier, the 2025‑built BYD Zhengzhou, delivering 5,000 hybrid and pure‑electric vehicles to Melbourne. Leveraging a fleet of seven owned carriers, BYD plans to ship roughly 30,000 cars to Australia between May and...
Webinar: How WES Helps Warehouses Respond to Complexity in Real Time
Lucas Systems is hosting a free webinar on June 25 at 2 pm BST to explore how Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) serve as the real‑time orchestration layer between planning software, labor, and automation. The session will detail how WES improves throughput, productivity, visibility,...
Generac Signs Back up Generator Supply Deal with Undisclosed Hyperscale Data Center
Generac announced a global supply agreement to provide backup generators for an undisclosed hyperscale data‑center. The contract was awarded after a rigorous qualification process that included factory visits, performance reviews, and vendor audits. Generac highlighted its recent launch of 2.25‑3.25 MW...
How Agentic AI Could Compress Supply Chain Decision Cycles
Agentic AI architectures promise to shrink supply‑chain decision cycles by automating continuous coordination across planning, execution, and support functions. Traditional supply chains waste time not only on physical movement but on fragmented information handoffs, causing delays from disruption detection to...
Schiphol Launches World’s First Electric TaxiBot to Support More Sustainable Aircraft Taxiing
Royal Schiphol Airport, together with easyJet, Airbus and Menzies Aviation, has deployed the world’s first fully electric TaxiBot to tow Airbus A320neo aircraft from gate to runway. The system can cut taxi‑fuel consumption by up to 65%, lowering CO₂, NOx...
Chinese Shippers ‘Fogged Down’ by Worsening Port Congestion
Heavy fog at Shanghai and Ningbo ports has deepened congestion, leaving about 1.5 million TEU stranded in North Asian terminals. Vessel arrivals at Waigaoqiao are delayed three to seven days, while Yangshan sees two‑to‑three‑day setbacks. The bottleneck coincides with a surge...
Midland Main Line Upgrades Increase Freight Usage Despite Electrification Pause
Network Rail has boosted freight capacity on the Midland Main Line by upgrading key structures, notably the Kirk Hill bridge, despite the UK government’s pause on electrifying the route. The bridge rebuild and headroom improvements between Sileby, Loughborough and Trent...
Target Names Jeff England, Chief Supply Chain Leader
Target announced that Jeff England will serve as executive vice president and chief global supply chain and logistics officer, effective May 31. England reports to COO Lisa Roath and will drive initiatives to improve inventory availability, delivery speed and overall guest...
Denmark’s Fayard Shipyard Remains Last EU Lifeline for Russia’s Yamal LNG Fleet as Sanctions Clock Ticks Down
Denmark’s Fayard shipyard will remain the sole EU facility capable of servicing Russia’s Arc‑7 ice‑breaking LNG carriers for at least another summer, despite tightening sanctions. German watchdog Urgewald estimates up to six of the fifteen‑vessel fleet could need dry‑dock work...
TAP Air Cargo Boosts Life Sciences Supply Chain Collaboration with Pharma.Aero
TAP Air Cargo has become a member of Pharma.Aero, bolstering its role in the global life‑science logistics ecosystem. Leveraging its Lisbon hub, the carrier now offers tighter connectivity across Europe, the Americas and Africa for time‑ and temperature‑sensitive pharmaceutical shipments....
Should You Lease or Finance Warehouse Automation Equipment?
Warehouse operators face mounting pressure to adopt automation such as AGVs, conveyors, and robotic sorters, turning capital‑intensive equipment from a luxury into a survival tool. The core dilemma is financing: leasing offers low upfront costs, built‑in upgrades and maintenance, while...
The First Coradia Stream EMUs Have Arrived in Bulgaria
Alstom has begun shipping the first of 35 Coradia Stream electric multiple units to Bulgaria under a €720 million (~$785 million) contract that also secures 15 years of maintenance. The deal, signed in 2025 with the BULEMU consortium and local partner RVP Invest, allocates...
Qatar Airways Cargo Sets a New Industry First
Qatar Airways Cargo has unveiled EnergyLift, an airport‑to‑airport airfreight service built exclusively for the energy sector. The product promises priority handling, four‑hour tail‑to‑tail transfers, and the capacity to move outsized, complex or temperature‑sensitive shipments, including dangerous goods. Integrated with the...
BNA: Belgium’s Ziegler Files for Bankruptcy, 400 Employees Affected
Belgian transport group Ziegler filed for bankruptcy at the Brussels Commercial Court, encompassing its parent company and three subsidiaries—Intertrans, Dornach and Universal Express. The filing follows the earlier insolvency of Ziegler’s French subsidiary in March, signaling deeper financial distress. Around...
Freeport East Offers Dedicated Business Support to Facilitate Growth
Freeport East, a not‑for‑profit public‑private partnership backed by the UK government, is offering free, dedicated business support to help companies establish and expand in the East of England. The initiative builds on its role as an Industrial Strategy Zone and...
BYD Ship with More than 4,900 Cars – Mostly EVs – Docks in Melbourne
BYD’s dedicated RORO vessel BYD Zhengzhou docked in Melbourne, unloading almost 5,000 new‑energy vehicles—including BYD and Denza models—to meet a surge in Australian EV demand. The shipment is part of a broader plan to deliver 30,000 additional NEVs this year,...
Brussels Vows to Shield Shipowners From Double Carbon Charges
European Commission transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told shipowners at Posidonia 2026 that EU firms will not be subject to double carbon charges from both the EU Emissions Trading System and the International Maritime Organization’s emerging net‑zero framework. He pledged that...
Automakers Stockpile Cars Because of Iran War
Automakers are rapidly increasing on‑hand vehicle inventories as the conflict in Iran threatens key raw‑material supplies and logistics routes. Over the past month, manufacturers have added roughly 1.2 million cars to dealer lots and regional distribution centers. The buildup reflects concerns...
Indian Railways Freight Loading Rises to 145 Million Tonnes in May, Passenger Traffic Crosses 61 Crore
Indian Railways lifted freight loading to 145 million tonnes in May 2026, a 1.3% year‑over‑year rise, led by iron ore, steel and fertiliser shipments. Coal remained the largest freight component, growing about 1%. Passenger traffic also climbed, crossing 61 crore trips, driven...
From Truganina to Major Projects: Mapei’s Push to Localise Manufacturing in Australia
Global building‑materials giant Mapei has broken ground on a new manufacturing plant in Truganina, Melbourne, costing about $60 million Australian (≈ $40 million USD). The facility will expand local capacity, adding up to 100 products and advanced recyclable packaging, while leveraging automation, solar power...
Trump Amends Tariffs on Copper, Aluminum and Iron Imports to Boost Manufacturing
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that revises U.S. tariffs on copper, aluminum and iron‑based imports. The measure lowers the tariff on certain agricultural equipment from 25% to 15% and imposes a 15% duty on mobile industrial gear such as...
Manufacturing Supply Chains Under Pressure as Land Constraints Reshape Australian Warehousing Strategy, Says Dematic
Dematic warns that tightening industrial land near Australia’s major cities is forcing manufacturers, retailers and logistics operators to treat warehouse design as a strategic, board‑level issue. With CBRE projecting industrial vacancy to peak at 3.6% in the second half of...
JCPenney Parent Catalyst Brands Deploys Humanoid Robots in Nevada Warehouse
Catalyst Brands, the parent of JCPenney and other apparel labels, has signed an agreement with Figure AI to pilot its Figure 03 humanoid robots in the company’s 1.7‑million‑square‑foot Reno, Nevada distribution center. The robots will automate repetitive sorting and packing tasks, using...
Huizhou Rongsheng Inks Order for Its Biggest Ships as Domestic Yard Moves Into Tankers
Chinese shipowner Huizhou Rongsheng has placed an order for its largest chemical tankers to date, contracting two 13,000‑dwt and two 25,900‑dwt parcel vessels from WUT Shipbuilding in Ezhou. The four new ships will expand Rongsheng’s chemical carrier fleet and diversify...
Second Attack Ignites Fire on MSC Ship as Iran Claims Responsibility
An MSC Group container vessel, the 4,814‑teu MSC Sariska V, suffered a second attack off Iraq on June 1, 2026. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed responsibility, stating the strike was retaliation for a recent U.S. attack on another...
Nearshoring Withstands Tariffs, Geopolitical Upheaval
Nearshoring continues to reshape North American supply chains as companies move production from Asia to Mexico, prompting a surge in cross‑border truck freight. Shippers are adding border transloading, consolidating loads in Mexico, and building regional fulfillment hubs to mitigate volatile...
We Needed Automation to Reshore Our Supply Chain
TAC Industries reshored the metal hardware for its Air Force cargo nets by partnering with a domestic supplier that fully automated assembly. The automation cut the cost gap, slashed lead times from six months to one, and boosted throughput 2.5...
Maritime Cost Volatility Is Now a Financial Control Problem
Maritime cost volatility is shifting from an operational issue to a core financial control challenge. Rerouted shipments, delays, surcharges and currency swings turn operational changes into costly invoice exceptions. Companies are turning to freight audit and payment providers, but success...
The Freight Recession’s Hangover Is Finally Lifting on Auction Lots
After two years of oversupply, the freight recession’s lingering effects are fading as truck auction activity picks up. Rates have begun to climb, prompting owner‑operators to return to the market and purchase equipment, boosting attendance at Taylor & Martin’s auctions....
Braw in Foreign Policy on GPS Jamming
Coordinated GPS jamming incidents have surged in the Strait of Hormuz, Russia’s western border regions, and the Baltic Sea, disrupting civilian and military navigation. In the Hormuz corridor, commercial vessels are forced to abandon satellite guidance, extending transit times. Russian...
What Mattress Firm Gained From Contactless Delivery
Mattress Firm launched a free contactless delivery option that now represents about 25% of its shipments. The service, first piloted in Charlotte, was rolled out nationwide within a month despite internal pushback. Early confusion over the no‑setup model hurt satisfaction,...
JAXPORT’s New Berth 21 Vehicle Berth Now Halfway to Completion
JAXPORT announced that construction of the new Berth 21 vehicle berth at its Blount Island Marine Terminal is now 50% complete, with a target finish in early 2027. The berth, the terminal’s third dedicated vehicle dock, is part of a...
Shipping Industry Says Hormuz Peace Deal Alone Won’t Bring Ships Back
Shipping executives at the Posidonia exhibition warned that a cease‑fire alone will not restore normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. They stressed the need for explicit navigation rules, security guarantees, mine‑clearance protocols and reliable insurance coverage before vessels feel...
Logicor Leases 508,003ft² Derby Facility
Logicor has signed a lease for its newly completed Derby 507 logistics centre, a 508,003 sq ft warehouse at Infinity Park Derby. The agreement follows a recent 25‑year lease of the 800,000‑sq‑ft Logicor Park Daventry to Farmfoods. As of December 2025, Logicor manages over 17 million sq m of warehouse...