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The Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI) is pleased to announce the formation of the Al Wurz Scholarship Fund. This fund was made possible from generous contributions totaling $176,621 from Jane, Ron and Dave Wurz, his loving family. The Al Wurz Scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student studying at universities and colleges in the United States in the ...

The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) is pleased to announce the release of an online Distribution Logistics Equipment course. This course follows the successful launch of the Distribution Logistics Fundamentals module earlier this year. These two courses are part of a series of six that lead to a WERC certificate for warehousing education. The new Distribution Logistics Equipment course ...

The Board of Directors of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) recently announced the hiring of Jeannette Walker as incoming CEO. Jeannette will serve immediately as interim CEO during which time, the knowledge transfer phase will take place until the current CEO, Liz Richards, retires on December 31, 2023. Liz Richards Jeannette brings a wealth of experience to MHEDA ...

CEO Update Supply chain technology investment is growing as it enables firms with more resilient, transparent and data-driven operations that are providing a key competitive advantage. In fact, nearly 74% of supply chain leaders are increasing their supply chain technology and innovation investments, according to the survey results from the 2023 MHI Annual Industry Report, “The Responsible Supply Chain: Transparency, ...

Executive Viewpoint BY BRIAN REH, CEO, GORBEL INC. AND MHI VICE PRESIDENT As the second-generation leader of a business with solid values and entrepreneurial spirit, I know I’ve been blessed. Since 1977, Gorbel Inc. has been known for great culture and great products. But we also abide by a great mission: to build a business that improves people’s lives. About ...

For the first time, WERC’s annual DC Measures Study and Report surveyed the current application of Environmental, Social and Governance frameworks in warehousing. BY MICHAEL MIKITKA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MHI’S KNOWLEDGE VALUE CENTER AND WERC For 20 years, the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) has conducted an annual benchmarking study of the key warehousing and distribution metrics operations professionals ...

BY DR. FABIO SGARBOSSA, PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL LOGISTICS, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NTNU) Efficient utilization of material handling equipment (MHE) significantly impacts the productivity, profitability and flexibility of production systems. For instance, machine performance could be impacted when a forklift driver is unavailable, or unit loads in the unloading station are still waiting ...

MHI Solutions Community BY CHRISTIAN DOW, MHI EXECUTIVE VP OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP With the current state of the labor market—and the ever-increasing need for efficiency in operations—questions about making warehouse automation successful abound. Plenty of folks are feeling pressured, yet are still on the fence about what to do, how to do it and even when. As Matt ...

Economic Market Analysis BY JASON SCHENKER, PRESIDENT OF PRESTIGE ECONOMICS AND CHAIRMAN OF THE FUTURIST INSTITUTE® High interest rates threaten the outlook In the wake of significant interest rate increases, the economic outlook includes high uncertainty. This is true across economies globally, but it is especially true in the United States, where the Fed has worked hard raising rates to ...

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM As warehouses and distribution centers increasingly aim to incorporate automation into their operations, the interest in Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) has escalated, leading to robust growth in the industry. For MHI’s Mobile Automation Group (MAG), it is essential that growth is accompanied by an emphasis on safety. In fact, MAG ...