 282 N.Ridge Rd. Brooklyn, Mi 49230 |
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OFFICE FURNITURE LOGISTICS NEWSLETTER
A monthly publication provided to members of the Office Furniture Distribution Association -
Tel: 517-467-9355 or Fax 517-467-9056. Write to 282 N. Ridge Rd., Brooklyn Mi. 49230.
Our email address is Russ111@comcast.net and website is www.theofda.org.
Please note our new email address is Russ111@comcast.net. Do not hit “reply” when contacting us. This Newsletter is forwarded from our Computer assistant’s address.
June, 2010
Plans are Coming Together for our 2010 Annual Meeting and
Office Furniture Distribution Seminar.
Reserve These Dates Now
October 6-7 a Wednesday and Thursday
At
The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids Mi.
Once again our conference will be held at the beautiful Amway Grand Hotel in Grand Rapids Mi the Office Furniture Capital of the World. Be sure to block out yourcalendars nowso you can be sure to attend.
The theme of the program will be;
What you can do to help your company in the economic rebound
Speakers will include;
Richard Dinucci of the United States Customs
Tony Nuzzio, President of ICC Logistics
And a representative from BIFMA
Be sure to mention OFDA as you book your rooms and you will receive our special rate of $108.00 per night. Book early as the room block cut off date is Sept 4th.. The Amway Grand Plaza’s telephone number is 616-774-2000 or 800-253-3590
More details will follow next month as we firm up our speakers and schedule
Commodity Classification Standards Board
The CCSB is requesting your help in evaluating the transportation characteristics of desks. The CCSB maintains and updates the provisions of the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) a tool used by many shippers and carriers in the industry in evaluating the transportability of all freight.
Attached to this newsletter is their questionnaire, they ask that if you are a manufacturer or shipper of desks you complete the questionnaire and return it to them by Aug 10, 2010.
Their address is;
Commodity Classification Standards Board
101 North Fairfax Street, Suite 600
Alexandria, Va.22314-1798
Phone; 703-838-1810 Fax; 703-683-1094
e-mail ccsb@nmfta.org
Air Freight news
DHL to Expand Hub
The Deutsche Post subsidiary will hire as many as 300 workers, mainly package sorters, ground and ramp workers at its Cincinnati Ohio hub.
“Significant positive trends in package volumes coupled with a need to keep our hub operation properly staffed for peak shipping periods has opened up hundreds of opportunities for local workers,” said Michael Munn, vice president of human resources at DHL Express.
Most of the available jobs are part-time, he said. DHL expects to hire 200 workers in June and another 100 in July.
The company eliminated about 8,000 jobs in Wilmington Ohio when it closed its domestic hub there.
The company still employs 34,000 workers in the U.S. engaged in international transportation, logistics and freight forwarding.
Importers Still Have Capacity Problems
The Federal Maritime Commission is expected to issue a report on the business practices of steam lines that transport containers to and from the U.S.
The Commission became involved after reports from U.S. based importers that they are having a difficult time finding space for their containers on ships coming from Asia.
“Recent reports of container vessel capacity and equipment constraints have raised concerns over both the cause of the constraints and whether those constraints could hinder the nascent economic recovery, “the commission said in a March 17 order authorizing the investigation.
As we know, furniture importers have been especially hard hit by this problem.
The interim report came out on June 15 and the final report is due out in July
DHL Announces Trans-Atlantic Service
DHL Global forwarding and sister company Danmar Lines are launching a trans-Atlantic expedited less-than-container load service connecting Europe to the United States.
The two companies will combine their ocean and trucking expertise to expedite service from 19 European ports to the port of New York. Once the containerships arrive in New York the LCL shipments will be transferred to DHL and routed to the customer.
DHL said this new service will be 5 to 16 days faster than traditional LCL service.
Container Prices Hit 19 Year High
Driven by a rush of new orders from ocean carriers and leasing companies, prices for new containers have risen to its highest point since 1991 according to Alphaliner, the Paris based container shipping Consultancy.
Container manufactures are having difficulties ramping up to full capacity after halting production of dry containers in 2008
“Even at these higher prices, demand will still outstrip supply for the current peak season,” Alphaliner said.” The shortage of containers has reached critical levels.”
Technology News
Ryder wins Patent
Ryder Systems said it was awarded U.S. Patent # 7,711,602 for its supply chain management systems and the methods behind its Logistics Release shipping optimization process.
The patent is for a system that gathers data from multiple operators and stake holders in the supply chain and configures it for common use in Web-based applications, according to Ryder.
Ryder says its unique process uses data to create what it calls an “optimum shipment” which includes weight, package cube and other criteria that allows the system to determine the proper mode of transportation. Shipments are then monitored and controlled in a virtual environment in real time.
Landstar Buys Software Firms
The Jackson Fl. Based trucking company recently acquired Detroit based Premier Logistics and A3 Integrations of Ann Arbor, incurring about $2 million in acquisition costs.
Landstar is creating a new subsidiary, Landstar Supply Chain Solutions to operate the companies, Headed by Jim Handoush, president of Landstar Global Logistics.
The new subsidiaries’ Web-based software will give customers more control over freight management and greater visibility into their supply chains, said Henry Gerkens, Landstars president and CEO.
The acquisitions “position Landstar as a premier supply chain solutions provider for small and large customers alike in software-as-a-service environment,” Gerkens said.
Freight Broker News
Truckload rates rising
As rising freight demand clashes with deep cuts in capacity truckload rates are raising 10% and even higher in some lanes, according to freight brokers.
Shortages in truckload equipment availability in certain lanes are partially to blame for the sharp rise.
Doug Waggoner President and CEO of Echo Global Logistics said, some of the increases have been pretty sharp. Truckload rates in some lanes are up as much as 20% as demand in April and May shot higher that equip availability.
Carriers are eager to enjoy pricing power they haven’t had for years, Waggoner said.
Industry News
Cory Home Delivery Adds New Business
Cory Home Delivery one of the largest and oldest specialized carriers in America, is adding new clients and expanding operations.
New business includes the opening of a distribution center in Melville, Long Island for a major furniture retailer with stores in the New York metropolitan region. The Cory 78,575 square foot Suffolk County cross dock facility is located on the Route 110 corridor amid corporate and industrial centers and is easily accessible to major highways.
In addition, to the new distribution center, new business also includes adding Stickley Furniture, headquartered in Manilius, N.Y. with showrooms in Manhattan and throughout the metropolitan region, and Thomasville Furniture Connecticut. Additionally, Cory has also expanded operations with existing clients El Dorado Furniture Miami and Rooms to Go Texas, which is expanding throughout the south central region.
Cory’s formula for growth includes consistent top service and strategic partnering with major national brand furniture, electronics and appliance retailers.
Zenith Opens Hub
Home furnishings supply chain leader Zenith Global Logistics has opened a regional freight hub in Atlanta dedicated to its expanding home delivery service as well as its growing split container program.
“Increased demand for our home-delivery service in the Atlanta area was a key factor in establishing our latest hub in that region,” explains Jack Hawn, President and CEO. “We‘re also keenly aware that furniture retailers are facing fluctuating inventory and storage capacity needs in this challenging economy. They are relying on our split container program more than ever to help them maintain changing inventory needs.”
The Atlanta hub is Zenith’s third domestic expansion within the last year and it brings the company’s network of facilities to six throughout the U.S.
In November of 2009 Zenith opened a regional freight hub in Tupelo Miss. Just 3 months prior it established a 204,000 sq-ft, multi-tenant warehousing distribution center in Claremont, N.C.
Future network expansions include facilities in Seattle, Chicago, Orlando and Elizabethtown, N.J.
AFHA Sets Supply Chain Conference Dates
The American Home Furnishings Alliance has set July 30-31 as the date for their Supply Chain Conference. The event which is open to both AHFA members and non members will be held in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Scheduled speakers include Dave Bennett of Schneider Logistics, Rob Pisani, a partner in the Pisani & Roll law firm, Venetia Huffman of CV International and Chris Norek, CEO of Chain Connectors a supply chain strategy and implementation service.
The conference will also include three panel discussions.
Attendees are also invited to attend the annual meeting of the Specialized Furniture Carriers, which will be held Wednesday July28.
For more information on the conference go to www.ahfa.us and click on events.
Phillip T. Catalano Scholarship
Once again your association will be offering a scholarship to a student that is pursuing a career in logistics/transportation. We would prefer the scholarship go to a family member, staff member or a friend of one of the association’s members rather than to an unknown student selected by a college or university.
If you would like to nominate a student for the scholarship, fill out the form attached to this news letter and fax it to 517-467-9056
The winning student will be awarded the scholarship during our annual meeting in October