Dan M The way consumers are buying goods is changing due to the convenience and competitiveness of Internet shopping. Companies today need to find affordable ways to get their products to customers. But can these also be environmentally sustainable? According to a recent white paper entitled, “Packaging and the Internet” that was issued by the Industry Council … Read more
Brazil’s giant mining company, Vale, has selected Austin Engineering for a multi-million dollar three-year contract to supply its ongoing operations and equipment replacement programs, according to a news release. Austin, which is based in Australia, will provide Vale with dump truck bodies, buckets and other ancillary equipment. While the value of the contract has not … Read more
Seegrid Corporation — the Pittsburgh-based manufacturer of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) — announced recently in a news release that during the March MODEX trade show in Atlanta it plans to unveil a new line of flexible, affordable vehicles that do not require modifications to the work environment and are simpler to use for manufacturing and … Read more
This week, Bahrns Blog will feature several informative articles on a variety of issues important to the materials handing, warehousing and manufacturing industry, including: On Monday, we will look at the way commercial landscaping can improve not just the physical appearance of your facility, but motivate your employees, improve your environmental impact and even help you … Read more
As the Midwest and other parts of the US suffer through some of the worst winter weather in decades, it’s not too early to begin planning your Spring planting. Planting flowers, landscaping public areas and other beautification projects not only can make your facility look better, it can also increase your workers’ productivity, improve the … Read more
For most people, WiFi means something that allows them to stream movies or music to their tablet or laptop at their local Starbucks or access their Facebook from their smart phone while flying in a WiFi-equipped commercial airliner. But WiFi — which is actually an abbreviation of “wireless fidelity” — is becoming more commonplace, especially … Read more
A new study conducted by the Business Continuity Institute, a London-based materials handling trade group, concluded that more than 75 percent of businesses experienced some sort of supply chain disruption during 2012. A total of 42 percent of these failures originated downstream from the immediate supplier while 15% of the companies polled said their losses … Read more
Publix Super Markets Inc. says it will challenge a $34,500 fine imposed on it by OSHA in connection with a fatal forlift accident June 13 at its Boynton Beach, Florida, distribution center. OSHA investigators said the Publix employee, Pierre Fritz Marcelin, 56, of West Palm Beach, was operating a narrow-aisle reach truck “a speed that … Read more
Goldman Sachs and the private US equity firm KKR announced recently that a joint holding company they own is selling its 10.8 percent share in KION, the world’s second largest manufacturer of forklifts after Toyota. The announcement comes on the heels of the 2012 purchase of a 25% stake in KION by Weichai Power, an … Read more
Brian Butler, president of Linde Material Handling North America, was recently installed as chairman of the board of the Washington, D.C., based Industrial Truck Association, a forklift and materials handling industry group. Butler’s term as CEO will last two years. He also is one of the trade group’s six executive committee members.
