Former President George W. Bush will be the featured speaker at the 2014 Material Handling and Logistics Conference to be held later this summer in Park City, Utah. Bush will participate in a conversation with John K. Baysore, president and CEO of Dematic North America, as part of the conference, which is scheduled for September … Read more
Here’s a special sneak peek at some of what you will find this week on the Bahrns blog: The contract between dock workers and management at West Coast port has expired and some are fearing the worst as the possibility of a strike looms. We’ll tell you who could be hurt most if ports from … Read more
Auto and auto parts imports from Asia could be seriously effected if West Coast dock workers and management can’t come to an agreement on a new contract soon. The existing contract between the International Longshore Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association expired July 1. The two sides have been trying to iron out a … Read more
The expression “Good things come in small packages” is holding true for the office supplies chain Staples. The company was recently awarded the Gold Sustainability top honor from the World Packaging Organization for its innovative program to customize the size of the packages it ships to its customers. The program, called Smart-Size Packaging, has resulted … Read more
The Robotics Industries Association will host its annual International Collaborative Robots Workshop on September 30 at the San Jose Convention Center. This year’s workshop will focus on advancements in the field or robotics, with special emphasis on collaborative robot technology, applications, safety implications and human impacts. RIA president Jeff Burnstein said the conference is a … Read more
For the second consecutive quarter, optimism about the nations’s economic outlook among US business leaders continued to rise, according to a recent survey conducted by the consulting firm Grant Thornton. In the second quarter of 2014 optimism among US business leaders rose 8% to a net balance of 74%, the highest its been since 2004. The … Read more
In an effort to reduce congested interstate highways, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) is soliciting applications for new marine highways that could be used to transport freight. The move comes as officials seek alternatives to trucking, which has been criticized for causing crowding on highways and interstates, for being environmentally non-sustainable, and for being too … Read more
Sales of industrial robots set an all-time record in 2013, with more than 179,000 sold worldwide, according to the International Federation of Robotics. It was a 12% increase over the previous year. Part of the reason for this double-digit annual growth was the increased use of industrial robots in Asia. About one in five robots … Read more
The industrial robotic software and hardware developer Agile Planet has changed its company name. It will now be known as Yaskawa Innovation. All outstanding shares of Agile Planet were purchased by Yaskawa Motoman in June 2013 in order to strengthen its global leadership position in the advancement of “next generation” automation solutions, according to a … Read more
Purchasing directors tend to focus on price. Logistics managers think mostly about uptime, efficiency and responsiveness. Those two polar opposite priorities can often lead to operational inefficiencies and reduced productive capability, according to a new report issued this month by a materials handling watchdog group. The report, entitled “Bending the Chain: The Surprising Challenge of … Read more
