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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. ...

CEO Update IN TODAY’S SUPPLY chain landscape, resilience is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. From ongoing disruptions to geopolitical shifts and climate‑related events, supply chains have been tested like never before. In response, a new era is emerging—one where artificial intelligence and automation are not just tools for efficiency, but catalysts for reinvention. This issue of MHI Solutions explores ...

Executive Viewpoint BY JAMES CABOT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOUTHWORTH INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC. WE ALL KNOW that we have reached a critical moment in the material handling space. Our industry is growing and evolving at a remarkable speed, creating tremendous opportunities and fresh challenges. The pandemic and the shift in consumer behavior that led to the dramatic rise of e‑commerce have ...

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EVP OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI When did you first notice the shift toward artificial intelligence (AI)? Perhaps during the COVID‑19 pandemic? Or maybe even earlier than that—as far back as 10 years ago or more? The answers to these questions will likely vary according to your distribution center or warehouse. But regardless of where your distribution center ...

Economic Market Analysis BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS® AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® THE U.S. ECONOMY enters 2026 with renewed momentum for further upside, following a year of on‑trend improvements across the manufacturing and supply chain sectors. Throughout much of 2025, both the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) and MHI Business Activity ...

BY TOM GRESHAM AUTOMATION IS HELPING to create safer material handling workplaces. However, humans still play a vital role in these environments, and overlooking their involvement can create safety risks without proper care and oversight. That is especially true for ergonomic‑related risks. “We know that it’s difficult to find talent today, so we have to keep the talent that we ...

BY KATIE KUEHNER‑HEBERT THREE GROUPS COMBINING their marketing muscle pack a much greater punch than working separately. The Overhead Alliance does just that for three MHI industry groups—the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), Monorail Manufacturers Association (MMA) and Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI). These three industry groups have many related products and business interests, serve similar industries and potentially even ...