MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Celebrating 75 Years of Making Supply Chains Work
From the beginning, the leadership of our industry established the goal of enhancing productivity through material handling in response to the disruptive forces of World War II. Seventy-five years later, what started out as a small U.S. based membership is now an organization with an international presence including members from 24 countries. As we did 75 years ago, I am confident that our industry will once again come together to provide solutions for the current challenges we are facing.
This issue reflects on our past and attempts to envision what our future may look like. It is amazing to think about how much material handling, logistics and supply chain solutions have developed since our founding in 1945. We can and should be proud of the role we all played in that development.
As we celebrate these past accomplishments, I am even more excited and confident about the industry’s future. I believe digital supply chain technologies will evolve exponentially faster over the next 10 years than they did in the first 75 years. We already live in an always-on supply chain world, and these technologies and the people who run them will be increasingly important to business competitiveness in the post-COVID world. As you navigate your future, MHI’s Knowledge Center (mhi.org/learning/resources) should be one of your resources including:
• Annual Industry Report
• U.S. Material Handling & Logistics Roadmap Series: “Transformation Age: Shaping Your Future”
• “Handling the US Economy: Oxford Economics”
• MHEM Forecasts and Webinar Series
• MHI Business Activity Index
As an association, MHI is positioned better than ever to lead these advances. Our members are the leading solution providers and practitioners that have the resources to drive and solve tough supply chain problems. The result is evident in innovations like robotics, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles, AI, IIoT, data analytics, blockchain—to name just a few of the many innovations our members offer.
Now, with the acquisition of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), MHI will reach even more people and organizations around the world. This strategic acquisition will allow enhanced collaboration between solution providers and practitioners to develop and promote the next generation of equipment and technologies that will enhance the productivity of supply chains in the future.
As an industry, we have accomplished a great deal during our first 75 years empowering countless businesses and people to make their supply chains more productive. These advancements have reduced costs, raised the standard of living and maximized customer value and competitive advantage across industries. Our industry literally touches everything, and we are the fabric and foundation of economies throughout the world.
To all our team members, member companies, stakeholders and friends—I want to thank and congratulate you for making our industry so great. In the end, it is all of you who represent that fabric and foundation. Here’s to another fantastic 75 years!
Cheers!
George W. Prest
Chief Executive Officer, MHI