NA 2008 Daily News From the Show Floor
Thursday April 24, 2008
NA 2008 Concludes Today
Today marks the conclusion of NA 2008, four days of comprehensive problem solving and networking to provide solutions to the complex manufacturing and supply chain challenges faced by industry today.
You have seen these challenges addressed in over 70 educational conference sessions and then experienced first hand the solutions demonstrated on the NA 2008 show floor by over 500 exhibiting companies.
Now the real work begins, applying the solutions discovered here to your business to cut costs and increase productivity and safety in the years ahead. Even though NA 2008 closes today, it continues on-line at www.NAShow.com as an on-going resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) will sponsor another world-class trade event in January 2009. ProMat 2009 will be held January 12-15, 2009 in Chicago’s McCormick Place.
ProMat is the premier material handling and logistics exhibition held in the United States. Over 800 exhibitors, 70+ educational sessions, and attendees from over 90 countries around the world will come together at ProMat to match the Industry’s leading solutions to manufacturing and supply chain needs.
More information, and free on-line registration, for ProMat 2009 can be found at www.ProMatShow.com.
MHIA has been privileged to be your host during NA 2008 and would like to serve as a year-round resource as you face the challenges and opportunities of a more complex and ever-changing commercial world. We can be reached by phone at 800-345-1815 or 704-676-1190, by FAX at 704-676-1199 or by visiting us on-line at www.mhia.org.
Wednesday April 23, 2008
United States Marine Corps is Holding Event at NA 2008 to Recruit Former Marines for Material Handling & Logistics Jobs
The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) and the Marine Civilian Development Program (MCDP) held an informational program during the NA 2008 this morning in Cleveland’s I-X Center.
The MCDP is a nonprofit group that helps Marines transition to civilian life. MCDP offers a series of classes that offer tools and techniques for making a successful move to the private sector.
After the courses, MCDP helps connect specific Marines with corporate partners who may want to hire them. The Marine Corps trains material handling and logistics personnel at all levels. Those who enter the Marines right from high school start out on the floor, processing inbound and outbound freight while those who join the Marines with a college degree are often recruited at the management level.
The goal of today’s event is to encourage NA 2008 exhibiting and attending companies to enroll as MCDP corporate partners so they can more easily find and hire former Marines for manufacturing, distribution, warehousing and logistics jobs.
Allan Howie, MHIA’s Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development, coordinated this event with the MCDP. According to Howie, “good material handling and logistics employees are hard, and getting harder, to find. Former Marines are excellent job candidates.”
Any company interested in attending this event can contact Allan Howie or Carmen Murphy at MHIA at 800-345-1815/704-676-1190.
CSCMP Cleveland Holds Luncheon with speaker today at NA 2008
Ken Ackerman, Founder of WERC Warehouse Education Research Council and Past President of CLM Council Logistics Management, currently CSCMP, spoke at a CSCMP Luncheon today held during NA 2008. Ackerman’s presentation was entitled Piecework: A Revolution in Warehouse Services.
During the presentation, Ackerman discussed the challenges that lay close at hand. The vast increase in truck traffic is resulting in congestion that cuts the wages of drivers paid by the mile, and adds uncertainty in delivery. Ackerman’s possible solutions: mover some cargo from truck to rail; ship fuller loads, or—if someone has the money available – build segregated highways just for trucks.
Tuesday April 22, 2008
Today’s Keynote To Address The Business Case for Green Manufacturing and Supply Chain Solutions
Today, Andrew Winston co-author of Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage Keynoted the NA 2008 Show and Conference.
During the Keynote Winston laid out the business case for green manufacturing and supply chain initiatives. He discussed how climate change, rising energy costs, an increasingly stringent regulatory environment and added stakeholder pressures are driving the material handling & logistics industry to step up their thinking about the greening of the supply chain. Winston provided examples of how forward thinking companies have addressed critical environmental issues, from climate change to energy to water, and improved their supply chain performance, gained competitive advantage, and increased profits.
Winston laid out the forces coming to bear, called the Green Wave, including the pressures for greener supply chains driven by large companies in all industries, but particularly Wal-Mart. Winston then detailed strategies that utilize environmental thinking to create high performance supply chains. Strategies, he asserted, that drive new revenues, enhance brand value, cut costs, and reduce risk.
Presentations from this Keynote can be viewed next week on-line http://www.nashow.com/attendees/conf_forum.aspx
NA 2008 Green Pavilion Celebrates Earth Day at NA 2008
In celebration of Earth Day, today NA 2008 will feature a Green Pavilion that will include information from the following green solution providers:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- School of Packaging, Michigan State University
- Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition
- Cleveland Sustainability Council
- U.S. Green Building Council
The following NA 2008 exhibitors are sponsors of the Green Pavilion:
- HighJump Software
- Jungheinrich
- Konstant
- Orbis
- RedPrairie
- Smart Karton
Material Handling and Logistics: What's next for the industry?
Halfway through NA 2008 John Nofsinger, CEO of the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) took a look at what's ahead for the industry and users of the material handling and logistics equipment and technology.
Mr. Nofsinger opened the conference by emphasizing that “material handling and logistics, when thought of as a process, remains at the core of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal activities—and, indeed at the supply chain.” Mr. Nofsinger stated that the state of the $156 billion material handling and logistics industry is healthy and currently employs an estimated 700,000 workers in the United States alone.
He then turned the conference over to Hal Vandiver, Executive Vice President-Business Development of Material Handling Industry of America. Mr. Vandiver shared some facts and views on the economic state of the material handling & logistics industry according to the MHIA Roundtable Leaders.
Vandiver continued by stating that by looking at the Industry on a rate of change basis and comparing to various leading indexes, the market outlook for the material handling and logistics industry is for a mild contraction in 2008-09.
According to Vandiver, “As far as new orders, MHIA's forecast is for slower growth and a mild contraction in 2008 in the 5.0% to 7.0% range recovering late in 2009.”
Vandiver cited the Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (MHEM) Forecast ($28.1 Billion) as a proxy for the overall industry stating that 2007 total US consumption is estimated to have been up 5.3%. New orders grew 8.3% while shipments grew 8.9%.
According to Vandiver, MHIA is predicting new orders to contract by 5.0% to 7.0% in 2008 and recovering late in 2009. Shipments are expected to contract 2.0% - 4.0% in 2008 with similar performance in 1009. Overall consumption (production plus imports less exports) is expected to contract about 5.0% in 2008 and 2009.
George Prest, Chairman of Material Handling Industry of America then discussed MHIA communication activities and trade events. He explained that MHIA has organized major industry events like NA 2008 and ProMat 2009 (held January 12-15, 2009 in Cleveland’s I-X Center) since the late 1940’s. “The broad goals and objectives of these events have remained largely unchanged over the years; that being to present the best of the best products and technologies to a wide audience of partners and practitioners who would benefit by their application,” according to Prest.
Mr. Prest unveiled the newly re-designed MHIA.org and explained how all the industry initiatives for membership, education, publications, events and the Web will work together to make MHIA an even greater representative for the material handling and logistics industry.
John Nofsinger, MHIA CEO, concluded the conference with a discussion detailing MHIA membership programming and initiatives . According to Mr. Nofsinger, “MHIA membership continues to grow in spite of some considerable Industry roll-up and consolidation.”
Mr. Nofsinger explained that many of MHIA’s member companies have organized into 18 working subgroups. The Industry Groups cover a variety of technologies ranging from basic equipment to integrated systems to information technology. He detailed the work of these groups in setting industry standards, statistical exchanges, education and training, publishing, and research and testing to name a few. He then discussed MHIA’s participation as a founding member of the American Logistics Aid Network (Alan). Mr. Nofsinger also discussed the industry focus on education with research funding initiatives. Liz Richards, Executive Vice President of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association, (MHEDA) then discussed MHEDA’s new Gateway material handling student job Web site.
Monday April 21, 2008
Knowledge Center Showcasing Material Handling & Logistics Education At NA 2008
NA 2008 is showcasing the latest solutions essential to the productivity of your manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations when it opens its doors today at Cleveland’s I-X Center. NA 2008 will feature Four Solution Centers, over 500 exhibits covering 150,000 square feet, 70 free Educational Sessions, and a Keynote Forum green manufacturing and supply chain solutions.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, NA 2008 will feature on-show-floor Seminars, Free to all registered Show attendees. Industry focused, 45 minute Seminars hosted by industry experts in material handling and logistics solutions will be conducted in specially designed theaters right on the show floor in the NA 2008 Knowledge Center.
The following sponsoring companies will be speaking at NA 2008:
Platinum Sponsors
Diamond Phoenix Corp., enVista, FastPic Systems
Fortna, Inc., ORBIS, Remstar International, Inc., St. Onge Co.
Gold Sponsors
Accu-Sort Systems, Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation
Manhattan Associates, Mazzella Lifting Technologies, Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI), RedPrairie, Sedlak, Sologlobe, SPEDE Technologies, Tompkins Associates, TranSystems | ESYNC, Vargo Companies, Vocollect
Voxware, Inc., Yale Materials Handling Corp.
Silver Sponsors
AL Systems Inc., Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants (APMHC), Jacobs Carter Burgess, CHEP, Clayco
FMC Technologies Inc., Intelligrated Inc., Intralox, L.L.C., Kiva Systems
The Kennedy Group, LXE Inc., MHIA, Motek, Inc., Norseman Plastics Ltd, Psion Teklogix Inc., Swisslog Logistics, Transbotics Corporation, USPS
For complete information on the NA 2008 Educational Conference including session details, visit http://www.nashow.com/attendees/sessions.aspx. Webinars of these sessions will be available at this link after the show.
Colleges & Universities To Tour The NA 2008 Show Floor Today
Students and faculty will have an opportunity to see the latest material handling and logistics solutions in person today at NA 2008’s Material Handling Classroom Day. Go to http://www.nashow.com/attendees/MHL_classroomday.aspx to learn more.