Friday, May 18, 2012
Posted by admin on May 9, 2012
Back in January 2012, President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address and made it a point to emphasize that the White House will be taking steps to develop the country’s natural gas supply. He laid out his plan to develop every available source of American energy, including the safe and responsible production of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on May 1, 2012
Workers are constantly on the move with inbound and outbound deliveries, operating machinery and – as of recently – implementing new processes to make their business a greener workspace.
Because warehouses are known for having enormous overhead costs, many of them have shifted into greener practices to maximize their return on investment. Such businesses are revisiting the fundamentals: reduce, reuse and recycle. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on April 24, 2012
Scholarships – most often awarded for high ACT and SAT scores – have taken on new meaning. A scholarship program for students to embrace the world of manufacturing is making the headlines.
Perhaps unknown to some, there is a shortage of skilled manufacturers. To combat this issue, Dayton Progress Corporation in Ohio – a worldwide leader in precision metal fabrication – has announced a “manufacturing challenge.” This challenge is to bring awareness to careers in manufacturing and will target Dayton area high school students.
THE CHALLENGE
The Dayton Progress Manufacturing Challenge consists of a prize valued at over $40,000 and will be awarded to the high school with the most creative and effective promotional program of career opportunities in manufacturing. The winning school will receive state-of-the-art manufacturing computer technology (hardware and software) in addition to student scholarships.
While careers in manufacturing are some of the most unique (and high-paying), they don’t receive the credit they deserve given that manufacturing jobs typically do not require a college degree. Therefore, there is minimal – if any – focus on the manufacturing industry in secondary schools. Dayton Progress Corporation has created this challenge to reward schools and their students who honor the industry through awareness.
Not all students see the college experience as part of their future. For those who do, a career in manufacturing can still be their chosen path. This challenge will give four select students the opportunity to explore the industry while still in high school through a paid after-school internship. The goal of the internship is two fold: to provide high quality training in manufacturing and also to provide leeway into a full-time position (in lieu of college or post college).
“Dayton Progress is pleased to be taking a leadership role in the effort to alleviate the severe shortage of skilled workers through awareness of manufacturing careers,” President & CEO Alan Shaffer said in a Modern Materials Handling article. “As one of the largest area manufacturers, we want to make high school students aware of the high-paying career opportunities in this region. It is also important to reward those schools and their students who do the best job of career awareness development,” Shaffer said.
Posted by admin on April 10, 2012
In any warehouse or manufacturing plant, products inevitably break or become damaged. But then there are those million-dollar mistakes that happen sometimes, like the Australian wine maker who dropped $1M worth of Shiraz wine due to a malfunctioning forklift. This mistake cost winemaker, Sparky Marquis, one-third of his annual production. This disaster – described by Marquis as looking like a murder scene – is on the more extreme side. The normal everyday broken products (maybe one out of every 100 batches) don’t make the headline news or cost the salary of nine employees to fix. The bottom line is that mistakes do occur and – in most cases – they are preventable. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on April 3, 2012
How often should I have my racks inspected? Who should do the inspections? These are important questions that deserve special attention. Damaged pallet racks could cause severe injuries (or death) to an employee, warehouse visitor or to the products they are supporting. Also, keep in mind that pallet rack inspections are required by law. Have you inspected yours this year? WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on March 30, 2012
One of the most important (and overlooked) industrial innovations is the forklift – a practical machine responsible for moving products over short distances. Also known as a “lift truck,” forklifts are responsible for the majority of material handling operations. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on March 22, 2012
In an industry like supply chain and material handling that is perpetually growing and changing, it becomes imperative to stay in-the-know with new trends, policies and best practices.
Fortunately, 2012 is booked up with a slew of continuing education events this year. Perhaps your company is not in the position to fly you to another state for a weekend conference or your schedule simply doesn’t allow it. Many continuing education programs are now online via webinars. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on March 16, 2012
Regardless of how you put it, partnerships are essential in this industry. It’s inevitable that customers will have set expectations from their material handling distributors and manufacturers. So for all you industry professionals out there, take a moment to find out what your customers are expecting the most from your services:
Whether you manufacture or distribute pallets, racks, casters or any other materials, customer service will always be elemental in the process. Our partners at PeakLogix are a perfect example of great customer service providers. Find out what they do and how they do it right.
For more information on how to best handle your material handling customers, check back in with our blog! We are on top of industry news, insights and best practices.
Posted by admin on March 8, 2012
The global economy is showing tremendous signs of improvement, which can only mean great things to come for the material handling industry. In regards to the retail supply chain, 2012 will be a year of growth and development, where companies shift from cost cutting to growth in production, sales and staff.
In a report sponsored by Accenture and conducted by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the study revealred that 64 percent of supply chain companies are projecting higher revenues in 2012 than in 2011. It was also noted that there will be more focus on balanced service-to-cost strategies and stronger cross-channel alignment as retailers have realized the value of efficiency and effectiveness in multi-channel retail. The most promising areas of investment for many material handling and industry retail companies are within software and technology, process improvement, facility design, management development and workforce training. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on February 15, 2012
Attending tradeshows – whether you have a booth at one or are just strolling through – is an opportunity to network within your industry, reevaluate what your brand is currently doing and learn about new cutting-edge solutions. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »