A one-two punch of lower oil prices and increased hiring in the manufacturing sector is pushing the US economy back towards robust health, according to a report issued this month by a leading industry group. Daniel J. Meckstroth, the leading economist for MAPI — the research arm of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity — predicted … Read more
A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, based maker of engineered industrial bulk material handling and processing equipment recently gave itself a nice anniversary gift celebrate its 40th year in business: An expansion doubles the operational space of its headquarters. Later this month, Flexicon will complete the $6.3 million addition that adds 90,000 square feet to its current 91,000 … Read more
Here’s a special sneak peek at some of the stories you will find this week on the Bahrns blog: How would you react if your landlord told you he was raising the rent by 750%? Well, that’s exactly what happened to a cargo container company at the Port of Melbourne. We’ll tell you what happened … Read more
The popular clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters is building a new distribution center that will handle both store replenishment and direct-to-consumer orders from the same inventory. Typically, these two functions are handled by different operations, but the new AEO distribution center currently under construction in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, will be a streamlined, fully-automated facility that … Read more
Commentary and Opinion Regular readers of this blog may recall when I facetiously pitched an idea for a reality show based on the growing popularity of forklift rodeos. Well, apparently a television production company in New Zealand had the same idea because the “World Forklift League” TV show currently is filming in locations throughout the … Read more
A company in the UK has introduced new soundproof acoustical panels that can be customized to reduce noise in welding operations. Weldability-Sif introduced the welding bays that are constructing using floor-mounted acoustical panels that are made out of steel covered in an epoxy coating that absorbs sound. The panels can be secured to welding work … Read more
In today’s Thursday Feature, we examine the lingering effects of the West Coast port labor problems, which created a logjam at cargo container ports from Seattle to San Diego that some are saying could take months to clean up. Even though the union representing West Coast dockworkers and port owners finally reached a new contract … Read more
A UK-based company has combined a few common sensor technologies to create a new safety system for trucks that can alert drivers when they are in danger of colliding with cyclists and other obstacles. The Bike Hotspot, developed by Sentinel Systems — a family-owned business based in Gloucestershire — features sensors located at the front … Read more
The Australian firm ASCO Group has been hired by BP Amoco to manage a supply base serving four of its offshore oil wells located in the Great  Australian Bight. The wells, which are located about 300 kilometers from the South Australia city of Ceduna, will begin receiving supplies from the company when they go online … Read more
Proposed new work rules that would prevent trucking companies from using “coercion” to encourage truckers to drive more hours than legally allowable are being opposed by some shippers. In a brief filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council (NASSTRAC) said the agency’s proposed new rules — which were … Read more
