Departments

SUPPLY CHAINS HAVE never been more powerful—or more exposed. Over the past decade, digitization has transformed how goods move, how data flows and how decisions get made. Warehouses operate on interconnected sensor networks. Inventory systems communicate with suppliers in real time. Artificial intelligence (AI)‑driven platforms forecast demand, flag disruptions and optimize routes before a human ever looks at a dashboard. ...

BY BRIAN PFANNES, PRESIDENT, STEEL KING INDUSTRIES AS THE LEADER of a material handling business, a question on my mind every day is, “How do we bring in that next generation of talent to lead our organization?” I know from talking to my peers that I’m not alone. A big reason that we’re thinking about it so much is because ...

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI AS SUJIT MOITRA, vice president of enterprise technology at MHI member Top Hat Engineering, reflects on present‑day cybersecurity, he believes the material handling industry must look beyond traditions. In fact, he stresses that cybersecurity—within modern warehouses and material handling environments alike—extends well beyond conventional IT security. After all, cybersecurity systems ...

BY TOM GRESHAM IN JANUARY 2023, U.S. and Canadian laws surrounding rear‑impact guards for truck trailers changed, including a new requirement that guards must be able to withstand 35 mph rear‑impact crashes—up from 30 mph. Truck trailer manufacturers had to change the design of rear impact guards to meet the new requirement. However, they didn’t initially consider how those new ...

BY KATIE KUEHNER‑HEBERT MEMBERS OF THE MHI Industry Group Advanced Energy Council (AEC) are actively promoting the safe adoption of advanced energy technologies in material handling, with a particular focus on motive power: lithium‑ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, chargers and the accessories that tie those systems together. The group brings together manufacturers, equipment OEMs and suppliers under one roof to ...

BY SANDY SMITH WITH THE RAPID changes in warehouse automation, The Robotics Group is a place where competitors work together to move the industry forward. The group’s leaders say that role is more important than ever as robotics adoption shifts from novelty to necessity. Chris Lingamfelter, co‑founder and managing partner of Robot Advisory Group and current TRG chair, has watched ...

Catching up with an MHEFI Scholarship Recipient BY KATIE KUEHNER‑HEBERT DEAN MOUNT IS keen on industrial engineering because the discipline focuses on “the big picture.” Mount was a 2024‑2025 Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) scholarship recipient “Instead of designing a product, you get to organize all the variables of a process. That broader scope appeals to me,” says Mount, ...

THE PEOPLE WHO work at MHI 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 what goes on behind the scenes at MHI and ...

MHI’S PROMAT HAS achieved a finalist distinction in four categories of the Trade Show Executive (TSE) 2025 Gold 100 Grand Awards program. ProMat 2025 was nominated for Best Attendee Acquisition Model, Best Exhibitor ROI of 2025, the Staying Connected Award and the Greatest Tradeshow of 2025. The winners of the categories will be announced at TSE’s Gold 100 Awards Summit ...

MHI RECENTLY LAUNCHED a 3D Interactive Facility Tool, a dynamic online experience that transforms how supply chain professionals explore the modern warehouse. The tool is a 3D visual guide that brings the warehouse to life, letting users navigate key process areas—receiving, storage, picking, packing, sortation and shipping—to see exactly how material handling solutions fit together. Every zone connects directly to ...