Departments

BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI If you’ve ever noticed that your car gets substantially worse mileage per gallon than was advertised at the dealership, then you understand why predictive and preventative maintenance are so essential to warehouse operations. In the past, warehouses and distribution centers would rely upon scheduled and reactive maintenance to keep equipment humming, ...

BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS®, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® The year 2023 was one of twists and turns. There were significant tech layoffs, a banking crisis, slowing inflation, Fed rate hikes, elevated geopolitical risks and AI obsession. While some of these events were fortunate breakthroughs, a few took the world by surprise in not-so-welcome ways. This naturally leads ...

BY TOM GRESHAM When automation first grew more widespread, the crane and overhead handling systems category was slow to adopt out of safety concerns. With time and more advances, however, that perspective has changed. Today, safety is the primary reason automation is being increasingly embraced in the field. “With the technologies that are out there now, you’re much more apt to ...

BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT The members of MHI’s Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems industry group, or ASRS, can help warehouses and distribution centers become more efficient, improve safety and better manage their workforces. To meet the ever-increasing demands of consumers and businesses, warehouses and distribution centers must constantly evolve their operations to accomplish these endeavors, said Mark Hasler, business development manager at ...

BY SANDY SMITH The twisting, the bending, the lifting—it’s all part of a typical material handling job. But that job doesn’t have to be done without help. Ergonomic products, particularly those that help an associate lift or position items at the right height to prevent bending, are widely available. Improving the use and understanding of these products is at the ...

Where Are They Now? Catching Up with an MHEFI Scholarship Recipient BY SHERYL S. JACKSON When Eric Gilbert, founder of Excel3PL, switched from a mechanical engineering degree program at Oklahoma State University to an industrial engineering (IE) program, he was not thinking about the supply chain industry as a career. His mix of school, work and personal experiences not only led ...

The people who work at MHI and its WERC division are the gears that keep the association moving. They ensure MHI continues to be a valuable association and resource for people involved in the industry and do so with wit, competence and a smile on their face. The goal of this column in MHI Solutions magazine is to give readers ...

In-person event to feature over 1,000 exhibitors, 150 sessions and keynotes from Jeremy Renner, AI expert Gerd Leonhard and UPS’s Bill Seward. When the largest manufacturing and supply chain trade event of 2024, MODEX, returns to Atlanta on March 11, it will include over 1,000 exhibitors from leading solution providers and a comprehensive Educational Conference focusing on best-in-class solutions for ...

At its 2023 Annual Conference, MHI recognized five professionals making an impact on the material handling and supply chain industry. The award winners were announced during an October 3rd ceremony at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. MHI’s Young Professional Network (YPN) awarded Austin Percifull the Outstanding Young Professional award. Austin is an account manager with Spring Automation. ...

The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), a division of MHI, has launched registration for its WERC Annual Conference. This in-person event is scheduled to take place June 2-5, 2024, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. The conference is designed for warehousing, fulfillment and distribution center professionals at any stage of their career. With a central mission to inspire ...