BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS® AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE®   SUSTAINABILITY REMAINS A defining issue for manufacturing and supply chains. Rather than being framed primarily as an environmental or regulatory imperative, sustainability is being reinterpreted through the lens of resilience, reliability and national competitiveness. In an era shaped by geopolitical rivalry, supply chain risks and rising ...

BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI   AS SUPPLY CHAINS expand across borders, cultures and time zones, communication has become both more complex and more essential. Operations depend on people who think differently, work differently and bring varied expectations to the table. When aligned, that diversity fuels innovation, agility and creative problem‑solving. When misaligned, it can ...

Where Are They Now? Catching up with an MHEFI Scholarship Recipient MATTHEW WELLS, DESIGN ENGINEER, HYTROL CONVEYOR CO. INC. BY KATIE KUEHNER‑HEBERT MATTHEW WELLS HAS always had a passion for material handling, starting from working on his family’s farm to designing parcel belt conveyors. “Only now, my material has changed from field crops to just about anything you can think of,” ...

With the theme “Advancing Warehousing,” WERC’s marquee event invites participants to explore the human side of logistics innovation. Plus, both MHI and WERC members now have expanded access to resources and networks.   BY WILL SPARKS, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYTICS, TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY WERC ADVISORY COUNCIL PAST PRESIDENT (2025)   EACH YEAR, THE Warehousing Education and Research Council ...

THE PEOPLE WHO work at MHI and its Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) division are the gears that keep the association moving. They ensure MHI remains a valuable association and resource for people involved in the industry, doing so with wit, competence and smiles on their faces. The goal of this column is to give readers a glimpse into ...

BY DEBJIT ROY, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT; PUNEET TIWARI, ARAPL RAAS INTERNATIONAL LLC, USA; AND MILIND PADOLE, ARAPL RAAS INTERNATIONAL LLC, USA   THE NEED FOR ORCHESTRATED FORKLIFT FLEETS IN A WAREHOUSE With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor fusion technologies, such as 3D vision and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems, the global autonomous ...

TO DELIVER INCREASED value and foster a collaborative community for its material handling, warehousing and supply chain members, MHI and WERC have expanded their membership benefits. NEW WERC MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS WERC has introduced a new Corporate Membership, which allows all professionals in an organization to access WERC’s wealth of resources. The WERC Corporate Membership now includes complimentary access to: The ...

THE PROMAT 2027 exhibit space draw attracted 930 exhibitors who reserved a record of 977 booths for a total of 653,600 net square feet of show floor space at the industry’s largest supply chain event. This record amount of space reserved represents 94% of the ProMat 2027 show floor and is the largest exhibit space draw in MHI history. “The ...

TO SUPPORT THE development of future leaders, MHI is now accepting registrations for its 2026 Industry Leadership Program. Designed for emerging leaders in material handling and supply chain organizations, the program offers opportunities to build critical leadership skills while forming lasting industry connections. Participants will grow their knowledge through team‑based simulations, assessments and progress tracking and online resources. They will ...

THEMED AROUND “ADVANCING Warehousing: Where Human Insight Drives Logistics Innovation,” the 2026 WERC Annual Conference will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. The conference will feature education sessions that address the current concerns of warehousing and distribution center professionals, like ongoing workforce challenges and how artificial intelligence, robotics and automation technologies can impact operational performance. ...