Monday, August 31, 2015

XPO Logistics Named Intermodal Carrier of the Year by Whirlpool Corporation

GREENWICH, Conn. - August 31, 2015 - XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO), a leading global provider of transportation and logistics solutions, has been recognized by Whirlpool Corporation for the quality of the service provided by its intermodal business. XPO was named Intermodal Carrier of the Year at the Whirlpool 2015 Integrated Supply Chain Partner meeting in St. Joseph, Mich.

Paul Smith, president of intermodal for XPO Logistics, said, "We're delighted to be recognized for excellence by Whirlpool, a premier shipper and highly valued global customer of XPO. This award affirms the intense commitment that our intermodal team brings to the Whirlpool relationship every day."

"XPO Logistics has consistently performed for our Integrated Supply Chain in cost, capacity and service," said Jim Keppler, vice president, Whirlpool Corporation Integrated Supply Chain and Quality. "We appreciate their extraordinary efforts with intermodal transportation, which helped us drive direct service benefits to our customers."

XPO is the third largest provider of intermodal services in North America, with a leading position in cross-border Mexico intermodal.

About XPO Logistics, Inc.
XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a top ten global provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company provides high-value-added services for truck brokerage and transportation, last mile logistics, intermodal rail and drayage, contract logistics, ground and air expedite, global forwarding and managed transportation. XPO serves more than 30,000 customers with a highly integrated network of over 54,000 employees and 887 locations in 27 countries. www.xpo.com

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 100,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers throughout the world in 2014. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in more than 170 countries. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com, or on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) Announcement

Keppler Joins IANA as Senior Vice President New Position Recognizes Association’s Expansion

CALVERTON, MD (August 27, 2015) – The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) announced today that Stephen A. Keppler has joined the association as Senior Vice President. The Board approval of this newly created position acknowledges IANA’s growth in membership as well as its program and service offerings.

Keppler’s responsibilities will extend throughout the organization. These include overseeing the Member Services and Conferences/Events departments and developing new businesses for the association’s Information Services.

“IANA is lucky to be adding a person of Steve’s caliber to the Association staff,” said IANA president and CEO, Joni Casey. “His wealth of knowledge, expertise and standing in the freight community will be put to good use on behalf of IANA’s membership, starting at the Intermodal EXPO next month.”

Keppler brings nearly two dozen years of experience in truck safety and freight transportation issue management. Most recently Keppler was the executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, a position he held since 2009.

Before joining CVSA, he served as director of vehicle systems at Intelligent Transportation Society of America, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to advancing the research, development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems.

Keppler previously worked six years with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration Office of Motor Carriers, which would later become the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. His roles there included conducting field compliance reviews and roadside inspections.

He holds two bachelor’s degrees – in civil engineering and architectural engineering – from Drexel University and lives in Ellicott City, Md., with his wife, Dana, and sons Alexander and Elliott.


About IANA

IANA is North America's only industry trade association that represents the combined interests of the intermodal freight industry. The association’s mission is to promote the growth of efficient intermodal freight transportation through innovation, education and dialogue. The association offers valuable information and services specific to the intermodal industry encompassing consensus business solutions that facilitate: operations, regulatory compliance, and policy issue management. IANA's membership roster of over 1,000 members represents the diverse companies critical to moving freight efficiently and safely. IANA provides a discussion forum for the many types of stakeholders along the supply chain, resulting in a strong unified voice advocating the needs of intermodal freight transportation. For more information, visit www.intermodal.org.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

CEVA Logistics announces new Chief Financial Officer

Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, 24 August, 2015 – CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading non-asset based supply chain management companies, today announced that Arjan Kaaks has been appointed its Chief Financial Officer.  CEVA’s current Chief Financial Officer, Rubin McDougal, is retiring and will remain with the company to facilitate a seamless transition to the new CFO over the next few months.

Kaaks joined the company today and reports to Xavier Urbain, CEVA’s Chief Executive Officer.

Kaaks joins CEVA from Maxeda DIY Group, a Benelux private equity-owned company focused on the do-it-yourself retail market, where he was Chief Financial Officer and a member of the company’s Executive Board.  His prior experience includes Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of O’Neill Group, the sports lifestyle brand, and Chief Financial Officer of Royal Grolsch, the well-known brewing company based in Holland.  Kaaks worked in various Finance positions, including supply chain, of increasing responsibility at global consumer market leader Unilever over a 12 year period.  Kaaks received an MA in Economics and Finance from Groningen University.

“I am so pleased to have an executive with Arjan’s breadth of experience – spanning Finance leadership in mid-sized entrepreneurial companies to extensive experience in a large global corporation – to join CEVA in the CFO role,” said Xavier Urbain.  “Arjan is an operationally and commercially-focused CFO, driven to create enduring value for our customers, employees and investors. He is a strong addition to our management team.   I also want to acknowledge Rubin McDougal’s numerous contributions to CEVA over his six years with the company.  He has played a key role in leading the company through global economic challenges. We thank Rubin for his dedication to CEVA’s success and wish him the very best.”

“This is an exciting time to be joining CEVA,” Arjan Kaaks stated.  “The company has started to execute its renewed strategy and progress is becoming visible.  We have a strong foundation to build upon as we continue our focus on driving sustainable topline growth and productivity improvements. I am thrilled to join CEVA’s community and leadership team, and to work together to achieve our ambitions.”

Thursday, August 20, 2015

NFI Adds Over 3.5 Million Square Feet of Space in 2015

CHERRY HILL, N.J., 08/20/2015– Supply chain solutions provider NFI has added nine new facilities to its real estate portfolio in the first six months of 2015. Totaling 3,587,342 sq. ft. of space, the distribution centers, located across Pa., Texas, Miss., N.C., and N.J., serve NFI’s valued customers in the retail, home goods, grocery, and automotive industries.  The new facilities complement an already diversified portfolio of owned, leased, or operated facilities totaling 25 million square feet of space across North America.

“NFI is excited to continue to work with existing customers while welcoming new customer partnerships in 2015,” said Jeff Brown, NFI President and Vice Chairman. “The opening of over 3.5 million sq. ft. of distribution space across North America, within a six month period, is a testament to the flexibility we offer our customers. NFI provides a variety of real estate services, with the ability to develop, own, lease, and operate a diverse set of properties.”

The largest single addition for NFI this year is the completion of a 1,045,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Oldmans Township, N.J.  Five Below (NASDAQ: FIVE), the trend-right, extreme-value retailer catering to pre-teens, teens and beyond, and NFI broke ground on this real estate development project in September of 2014. The companies worked closely together during the short nine-month construction period to guarantee all aspects of the building would be ready for operations this summer. This will function as Five Below’s core eastern U.S. distribution center, servicing over 300 retail store locations in the region, with room for growth.

Providing real estate solutions is a core competency of NFI. The company just broke ground on a 504,000 sq. ft. expansion project in Florence Township, N.J., and will continue to develop real estate space throughout the year. Subaru of America will occupy 189,000 sq. ft. of this expansion, while the remaining 315,000 sq. ft. is still available for lease to the N.J. market.

About NFI

NFI is a fully integrated supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI generates more than $1.1 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 8,000 associates. NFI owns facilities globally and operates 25 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Its company-owned fleet consists of over 2,000 tractors and 8,200 trailers, operated by more than 2,600 company drivers and 250 owner operators. Its business lines include dedicated transportation, warehousing, intermodal, brokerage, transportation management, global, and real estate services. For more information about NFI, visit www.nfiindustries.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Aaron Lalvani Announcement

Toronto, August 19, 2015 - Aaron Lalvani has joined BlackBerry Limited as Senior Director, Business Development, IoT. Blackberry's "The Internet of Things" (IoT) platform provides a cloud-based solution that lets users build and manage IoT applications and devices in a secure, efficient, and scalable way.

Aaron will be responsible for product management and business development for BlackBerry's asset tracking solution in the global transportation sector.

He brings 18 years of transportation experience in the areas of ground, road, and rail transport, and extensive sales and logistics consulting expertise to BlackBerry’s IoT team. Prior to joining BlackBerry, Aaron was Executive Director at CCL and Conlog (a freight consortium of shippers), and was president of Lalvani Group, a logistics consulting firm. For more information, visit: www.blackberry.com

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

UPS COMPLETES COYOTE LOGISTICS ACQUISITION

Atlanta and Chicago – August 18, 2015 – UPS (NYSE:UPS) today completed the closing of the acquisition of Coyote Logistics, a technology-driven, non-asset based truckload freight brokerage company.  The $1.8 billion acquisition adds large scale full-truck-load (FTL) and other transportation management services to the UPS portfolio.  The company expects to benefit from synergies in purchased transportation, backhaul utilization, cross-selling to customers, as well as technology systems and industry best practices.

      “Coyote is a transportation and logistics innovator which has changed traditional business models to serve their customers in new, unique and more satisfying ways,” said David Abney, UPS chief executive officer.  “We will provide our combined customer base with a portfolio of seamless supply chain solutions from multi-modal freight shipments to small-package delivery. We are excited to welcome the talented Coyote team to UPS,” he continued in a press release.

      Coyote will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS under the leadership of CEO Jeff Silver.  Silver will report to Alan Gershenhorn, UPS chief commercial officer.

About UPS
      UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

About Coyote
Coyote Logistics, a UPS subsidiary, is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and was founded in 2006 and is one of the most innovative, fast-growing third-party logistics (3PL) service providers in North America. Coyote offers services for all consultative, executional, and transactional supply chain needs. Coyote arranges transportation for more than 6,000 loads per day for shippers of all sizes and industries, from Fortune 100 companies to small businesses.  www.coyote.com

KONE selects Damco as global logistics partner

Espoo, 18 August 2015 – KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, and Damco, one of the world’s leading third party logistics providers, have signed a Global Transportation agreement appointing Damco as their global logistics partner for shipping KONE’s elevators, escalators and spare parts to selected overseas destinations.

KONE is seeing increasing global demand for its products, and needed a reliable logistics partner to support their projects in both developed and emerging markets. The services Damco provides to KONE include Ocean freight and Landside services.

“We recognise that Damco is one of the world’s leading supply chain experts,” says Aki Latvanne, Category Manager Logistics sourcing, KONE. “We are convinced that Damco has the expertise, experience and resources to further engage in optimising our supply chain in order to ensure we continuously meet our global customers’ delivery expectations.”

“KONE selected Damco amongst others because of our past delivery performance and unique global account structure,” says Rene Fjord, Damco Global Account Director. “Our expertise and global footprint fits KONE’s requirements well and we have full confidence that we through our partnership can continuously assist KONE to increase the efficiency of their supply chain performance.”

About Damco

Damco, one of the world’s leading third party logistics providers, specialises in delivering customised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions. The company has more than 300 offices in over 100 countries and employs 11,000+ people. In 2014, Damco had a net turnover of USD 3.2 billion, managed 2.9 million TEU of ocean freight and supply chain management volumes, and air-freighted 190 thousand tonnes. Damco is part of the Maersk Group.

About KONE

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. KONE's objective is to offer the best People Flow® experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. KONE provides industry-leading elevators, escalators, automatic building doors and integrated solutions to enhance the People Flow in and between buildings. KONE's services cover the entire lifetime of a building, from the design phase to maintenance, repairs and modernization solutions. In 2014, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 7.3 billion, and at the end of the year over 47,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. in Finland. www.kone.com

Kane Is Able Files Lawsuit Against Truck Manufacturer Volvo

Kane Is Able, Inc. (KANE), a national, third-party logistics company, has filed a lawsuit asking that truck manufacturer, Volvo, honor its warranty obligations related to a recently purchased, natural-gas powered truck that allegedly caught fire during normal operation.

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA (PRWEB) AUGUST 18, 2015 - A little over one year after purchasing seven new Volvo compressed natural gas tractors, Kane Is Able, Inc. (KANE), a national, third-party logistics company, has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania asserting that Volvo breached its warranties in connection with one of the seven truck units, which caught fire on U.S. Interstate 81 in early January, 2015.

The lawsuit also names Cummins Westport, the manufacturer of the compressed natural gas engine, and Agility Fuel Systems, which manufactured and installed the compressed natural gas tanks and fuel delivery systems.

According to the suit, the vehicle was only five months old and had been run only 3,000 miles before it caught fire during the course of an ordinary customer run. The fire and subsequent explosion were caught on video by a passerby and forwarded to KANE.

The suit papers state that Volvo has refused to pay for or replace the tractor, the damaged trailer, cargo and related costs. KANE alleges that Volvo has breached both express and implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and that the unit was negligently manufactured and/or designed.

In its complaint, KANE is also seeking the value of the remaining six vehicles, which it has not used since the fire.

About Kane Is Able

Kane Is Able is a third-party logistics provider that helps manufacturers and their retail partners efficiently and effectively distribute goods throughout the United States. KANE operates a large truck fleet, as well as 25 distribution centers across the country totalling eight million square feet.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Livingston International executive appointed to AAEI Board of Governors

August 12, 2015, CHICAGO – The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), an organization representing U.S. companies engaged in global trade, appointed Cora Di Pietro, vice president and general manager, consulting, for Livingston International to its newly elected Board of Governors.

In her new position, Di Pietro will serve on the finance committee for two years, contributing to several projects including the development of the organization’s 2016 fiscal year budget. Di Pietro’s term started July 1.

“It is an honor to be elected to the Board of Governors for AAEI,” Di Pietro said. “I look forward to working with my fellow Board members over the next two years as AAEI continues to provide education to international trade compliance professionals and advocate for U.S. companies on trade policy issues.”

In her work for Livingston International – a company focused on customs brokerage and trade compliance – Di Pietro leads a practice of experts who counsel businesses dealing in today’s complex regulatory and security environment on international trade issues and opportunities. Her qualifications extend to all areas of international trade, specifically valuation, tariff classification, free trade agreements, security regulations, marketing rules and export controls.

Di Pietro has more than 24 years of experience providing advice to clients in a variety of industries and sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, apparel and retail. She has lectured at the Forum for International Trade Training, and conducted seminars on the North American Free Trade Agreement and other free trade agreements at the International Small Business Development Center for the Greater Texas area. Di Pietro has also written numerous articles and papers for a number of technical publications. She is a frequent speaker for AAEI, Importer/Exporter Canada, the International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA), and the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zone (NAFTZ).

In addition to AAEI, she is a member of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc.; Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals; Automotive Industry Action Group; National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones and the International Compliance Professionals Association.

About Livingston
Livingston International focuses on customs brokerage and trade compliance, offering international trade consulting, global trade management and freight forwarding.  It provides clarity in a world of trade complexity, so business can grow further, faster and smarter.  Livingston employs over 3,200 staff at 125 key border points, sea ports, airports and other strategic locations across North America, Europe and Asia.  www.livingstonintl.com

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

CN President and CEO Claude Mongeau informs employees and stakeholders of health setback

Removal of precancerous throat tumour to require about three months of medical treatment and recovery

MONTREAL, Aug. 12, 2015 - In a communication addressed to all  CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) employees today (click here), Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer, advises that he will soon need to undergo surgery to remove a rare type of precancerous soft-tissue tumour located in the upper left part of his larynx. The medical treatment plan will call for a surgery towards the end of August or early in September, an expected month or so to heal properly, followed by around six weeks of targeted radiation therapy to completely cure the illness so the tumour does not recur in the future.

While Mr. Mongeau intends to remain engaged with CN's business as president and CEO, Luc Jobin, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, will coordinate the CN leadership team and take direction from the company's board of directors until Mr. Mongeau can return to work later this fall.
Mr. Mongeau said: "This is a serious health setback for me personally, but one of CN's core strengths is that we have a very experienced and tightly-knit senior team that knows how to lead our railway to success. For this reason, I have all the confidence in the world that CN will not miss a beat while I take good care of myself to recover fully."

CN's leadership team and board of directors are united in offering Mr. Mongeau their full support and wishing him a prompt recovery.

On behalf of CN's board of directors, Robert Pace, chairman, concluded: "We are sorry to see Claude facing this unfortunate health setback. Having witnessed first-hand his extraordinary level of energy and determination over the years, we all remain confident that he and his medical team will be able to address the situation? so he can soon fully be back at the helm guiding CN forward. Our committed directors and myself will be there to support the CN leadership team during Claude's recovery period."

CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network spanning Canada and mid-America. CN - Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries -- serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca.

Canada Logistics Conference 2015 - Full Program of Learning Sessions & Networking Events

Toronto, Ontario – August 6, 2015 - Canada Logistics Conference 2015, the nation’s annual thought leadership event for the supply chain logistics sector, presented by CITT, will take place this fall in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The three day learning and networking event begins October 25th with an opening networking reception where shippers, carriers, and ancillary service providers will mingle and network prior to two days of educational sessions hand-picked for industry relevance. The seven learning sessions will run October 26-27, and will be interspersed with many dedicated networking breaks. The conference will culminate in the prestigious annual Gala Awards Dinner, recognizing excellence in supply chain logistics and the CITT community.

2015 marks the Conference’s return to central Canada after last year’s incredibly successful Calgary event. “Building on the momentum of the 2014 conference, we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s program” said Catherine Viglas, President of CITT. “It’s one of the best programs of learning sessions we’ve ever had at our conference. We’re very excited about this year’s mix of logistics-specific and general business sessions relevant to issues facing the sector. The goal of each session is to provide delegates with strategies and insights that they can immediately apply as soon they get back to the office, whether they’re very senior decision makers or part of a larger team. And as always, there is plenty of time for delegates to network, make new business contacts, and reconnect with industry peers.”

Among the logistics-focused content is the first session, the Canadian Regulatory Primer, presented by David Bradley, President and CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance & Ontario Trucking Association, and Ian MacKay, LL.B, a transportation lawyer with three decades of industry experience. Delegates will get an up-to-the minute update and analysis of the regulations that impact both shippers and carriers, enabling them to avoid costly fines and delays. In broader business topics, Canada Logistics Conference 2015 will also feature sessions such as Attention Management, where delegates will learn how to address information overload that can decrease productivity throughout a business and a session on Sustainability Reports, presented by Paul Larson the CN Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Manitoba.


Those interested in learning more about Canada Logistics Conference 2015 learning sessions, exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities should visit citt.ca/conference or contact Jennifer Traer at JTraer@citt.ca


For more information, contact:
Chrissy Aitchison
Senior Manager, Marketing & Strategic Initiatives
CITT
(416) 363-5696 ext. 28
caitchison@citt.ca

Catherine Viglas, CAE
President & CEO
CITT
(416) 363-5696 ext. 27
cviglas@citt.ca

CITT is industry's most valued source of logistics courses and professional certification. Our programs and member services promote professional excellence and career path development for anyone who buys, sells or manages the flow of goods and product, or is impacted by supply chain logistics.

CITT’s professional development offerings include:

* Professional certification in logistics (the CCLP designation)
* Specialized logistics and business management courses
* Industry’s top-rated Canada Logistics Conference

Practical, expert-level logistics courses, business education and the CCLP designation from CITT are all affordable, accessible, and have the best ROI in the business. Visit the CITT website at www.citt.ca for more information.







Leading Organizations Contributing to the Success of LQ's Annual SC Study and Awards Program



Leading Organizations Contributing to the Success of LQ's Annual Supply Chain Study and Awards Program

August 12, 2015, Toronto - LQ Magazine would like to take this opportunity to convey our appreciation to the following organizations for their contribution to the success of LQ’s annual (2015) Supply Chain Study and Awards Program, which is open for more entries until the deadline of August 20, 2015:

The Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation (CITT)

The Canadian International Freight Forwarding Association (CIFFA)

The International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM)

The National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council (NASSTRAC)

The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA)

The Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA)

EyeforTransport (EFT)

Women in Trucking

In addition, LQ’s team would like to take this opportunity convey our appreciation to LQ’s Founding Academic Members of LQ's 3PL Study and Awards Program, Michigan State University’s David Closs, PhD, and The Ohio State University’s Thomas Goldsby, PhD, and C.H. Robinson for its support in underwriting LQ’s annual 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards Program.

LQ’s team would also like to convey a special appreciation to The Ohio State University Doctoral Candidate, Esen Andic-Mortan, for her upcoming analysis of LQ’s 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards Program 2014 and her programming to ensure the publication of this year’s study in a new online format.

In addition, LQ’s team would like to take this opportunity to thank David Guernsey, a member of LQ’s Board, and Director of Business Development, PeerAspect.

About LQ’s SC Study and Awards Program:

LQ’s 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards Program, which now contains two sections; a Supply Chain Benchmarking Study included in the First Section of LQ's 3PL Sustainability Study, as well as the traditional Second Section that is comprised of case-study oriented questions. Participants must complete both sections to be candidates for placement in LQ's 3PL Sustainability Study and Awards Program (2015).

LQ’s Study is designed to offer participants (logisticians and 3PLs alike) data-driven insights to reduce your costs, enhance performance and reduce waste.

An estimated 10 minutes are required to complete the Supply Chain Benchmarking section of LQ’s survey, which has been developed in consultation with thought leaders from Michigan State University, The Ohio State University and LQ’s Board. Completion of the Second Section of LQ’s Study, in addition to the new Maturity Matrix, will enable your firm to become a candidate for recognition in LQ’s Best Performer in Supply Chain Sustainability Awards Symposium, which will be held in Toronto on October 9, 2015.

 To register, please visit LQ's Supply Chain Benchmarking Survey website. You will receive a personalized link to the survey within 24 hours. This link is uniquely tied to this survey and your email address. Please save the link (or the email) to access your entry anytime in the future.  It can be used to make your entry, input revisions and provide additional information at any time up until the deadline of August 20th, 2015.

All of the information that you enter is automatically saved by Survey Monkey's secure system. It can be used to make your entry, input revisions and provide additional information at any time up until the deadline of August 20th, 2015.

We look forward to sharing the aggregate once they are available.

You can also access more information about this 2015 Supply Chain Study at www.LQ3PLstudy.com. And a one-page (PDF) overview of LQ’s Supply Chain Study is also available if you click here. If you are unable to participate in LQ's SC Benchmarking Study at this time please share this PDF with colleagues who may find this study of value in their supply chain outsourcing practices.

TMSA 2016 Logistics Marketing & Sales Conference To Take Place In Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Minneapolis, Aug. 12, 2015 – The Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA) announces that the 2016 TMSA Logistics Marketing & Sales Leadership Conference will take place June 5-7, 2016, at The Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"The event is designed specifically to meet the educational and networking needs of marketing and sales executives in North American transportation and logistics," said Scott Grady, senior vice president of automotive solutions for Landstar and TMSA's incoming president. "Our education committee already is in the process of planning relevant content and networking forums to give maximum value to our attendees." Grady noted that Monica Truelsch, director of marketing for TMW Systems, is TMSA's incoming chairwoman of the association's education committee and is leading the planning process.

The event will include more than 30 sessions featuring best practices, relevant marketing topics such as content management and digital media strategies; and critical sales leadership topics such as CRM, lead management, and sales performance. The event also will feature a comprehensive expo featuring providers of marketing and sales-oriented products and services, with an emphasis on digital marketing.

For more information on TMSA membership and benefits visit www.TMSAtoday.org.


About the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association

The Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA) provides knowledge, connections, recognition and solutions to marketing, sales, and communications professionals in the transportation and logistics industries. Member companies include motor carriers, railroads, air carriers, ocean lines, 3PLs, OEMs, media and suppliers, and account for more than $300 billion in revenue each year. For more information, visit www.TMSAtoday.org.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) Announces 2015 Distinguished Service Award Winner

August 11, 2015, Chicago - Robert Martichenko, Chief Executive Officer of LeanCor Supply Chain Group, will receive the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) 2015 Distinguished Service Award (DSA). He will be presented with the supply chain award during the Opening General Session at the annual CSCMP Conference in San Diego, California on Monday, September 28, 2015.

For more than 40 years, CSCMP has presented its DSA annually to a supply chain leader who has made significant, career-long contributions to the logistics and supply chain management profession. Robert has devoted his career to improving professional standards, educational opportunities, and operational thought leadership in supply chain management, and is a long-time advocate of innovation.

By expanding the conceptual and geographical boundaries of the practice, Robert has contributed to key developments in the supply chain industry that have enabled supply chain management to become a critical leverage for 21st century companies.

“Robert Martichenko is the personification of CSCMP’s Distinguished Service Award,” said Rick Blasgen, CSCMP’s president and chief executive officer. “He is a champion of innovation and creativity, and cares deeply about the people in our profession. His myriad contributions have left an indelible mark on our industry, and we are extremely proud that he is joining this elite group of distinguished supply chain leaders.”

Robert is the author of many books, including the Shingo Prize for "People": A leader's day-to-day guide to building, managing, and sustaining lean organizations.

About LeanCor:

LeanCor is a trusted partner for implementing end to end supply chain performance, training and consulting, for global industries. Global organizations leverage LeanCor Consulting and Training to develop vision and strategy deployment plans for improvement in all supply chain functions. We focus on elements of speed, cost, quality, and delivery, and are able to develop innovative solutions from operational experience as a third party logistics partner. From value stream mapping to logistics network design, to end to end lean supply chain deployment and employee training, LeanCor Consulting has all your supply chain needs covered. When you partner with LeanCor, you receive tangible results including process improvement, supply chain visibility and velocity, total logistics cost reduction, working capital improvements, and optimization of people, material and information flow.

Canadian Pacific Prepared for Upcoming Crop-year

CALGARY, Aug. 11, 2015 - Canadian Pacific's is well positioned to provide best-in-class service to western Canadian grain shippers during the 2015-2016 crop-year, according to a recent press release issued by CP.

CP's service offering to grain customers is driven by efficiency and creating velocity in the rail portion of the complex grain supply chain. CP's Dedicated Train Program (DTP), which was introduced last-crop year, provides customers with greater clarity and control of car supply to manage their supply chain.  CP anticipates adding more trains to the program this crop year as it responds to greater demand to move grain and grain products from western Canada. In the 2014-2015 crop year, CP moved a record 276,154 carloads (27,849,434 MT) of Canadian grain and grain products from western Canadian origins, up from the previous record crop year of 2013-2014.

"CP is moving record amounts of grain from western Canada and approximately 70 percent of our grain operation is served by the DTP. The customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," said John Brooks, CP's Vice-President Sales and Marketing, Bulk, in a press release. "The DTP is based on the fact that the unit train shippers know their business the best - allowing them to determine origin, destination and to manage the velocity of their supply chain."

CP continues to invest in its network to improve efficiency, create velocity and provide the best service possible to customers. In 2015, CP will spend 21 percent of its revenue on capital expenditures, more than any other Class 1 railroad. Canadian rail rates remain among the lowest in the world, having risen just 6 percent since 2000 even as commodity prices have soared by 166 percent.

For less than unit train customers, CP's Open Distribution is segmented to better fulfill the shipping needs to these end-markets. Customers who do not qualify for the DTP, or choose not to sign up for the program, can order cars in the Open Distribution program. Open Distribution allows shippers to input orders for four weeks, and as orders are filled, new orders can be placed.

"We continue to offer valuable and efficient service to our less than unit train customers via Open Distribution," said Brooks. "This service is informed by on-going and collaborative discussions with shippers and coordination through the Canadian Grain Commission for producer car loaders. We are constantly working to recognize and meet the differing needs of all the customers we serve."

These collaborative programs give flexible options to our customers both large and small.
"CP's Dedicated Train Program has created efficiencies for Viterra while allowing greater flexibility of train placement to ensure the right grain is moving to export position," said Kyle Jeworski, Viterra's Chief Executive Officer. "The program is a positive step forward in the movement of Canadian grains, and we look forward to continuing to work with CP to support our overall focus on driving supply chain excellence for our farmers and destination customers."

CP has stressed and will continue to stress that the complex Canadian grain supply chain must operate on a 24/7 basis to support balanced pipelines, reduce congestion and drive velocity.

Note on forward-looking information 

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating, but not limited, to our operations, priorities and plans, anticipated financial performance, business prospects, planned capital expenditures, programs and strategies. This forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to, statements concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions and statements about possible future events, conditions, and results of operations or performance. Forward-looking information may contain statements with words or headings such as "financial expectations", "key assumptions", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "will", "outlook", "should" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. To the extent that CP has provided guidance using non-GAAP financial measures, the Company may not be able to provide a reconciliation to a GAAP measure, due to unknown variables and uncertainty related to future results.

Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance. By its nature, CP's forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information, including but not limited to the following factors: changes in business strategies; general North American and global economic, credit and business conditions; risks in agricultural production such as weather conditions and insect populations; the availability and price of energy commodities; the effects of competition and pricing pressures; industry capacity; shifts in market demand; changes in commodity prices; uncertainty surrounding timing and volumes of commodities being shipped via CP; inflation; changes in laws and regulations, including regulation of rates; changes in taxes and tax rates; potential increases in maintenance and operating costs; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; labour disputes; risks and liabilities arising from derailments; transportation of dangerous goods; timing of completion of capital and maintenance projects; currency and interest rate fluctuations; effects of changes in market conditions and discount rates on the financial position of pension plans and investments; and various events that could disrupt operations, including severe weather, droughts, floods, avalanches and earthquakes as well as security threats and governmental response to them, and technological changes.  The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

These and other factors are detailed from time to time in reports filed by CP with securities regulators in Canada and the United States.  Reference should be made to "Management's Discussion and Analysis" in CP's annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form and Form 40-F. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations, estimates and projections and it is possible that predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forms of forward-looking information will not be achieved by CP. Except as required by law, CP undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

CEVA launches Home Delivery Service Center to enhance customer service

Houston, USA, 6 August, 2015 – CEVA Logistics, one of the world's leading supply chain management companies, today announced the launch of its new Home Delivery Service Center in Houston, Texas, USA. The Center is designed to enhance customer service for CEVA’s customers and their end consumers by providing consolidated expertise and improved technology which enables customer-specific communication.

CEVA’s Home Delivery provides specialized services for customers requiring delivery of heavy or bulky items to end-consumers’ residences. Home deliveries can include items such as large high definition televisions, furniture, appliances and similar heavy goods, which are supported with a range of capabilities from order management to white glove set up and installation.

By centralizing routine tasks and automating with technology, CEVA is able to be more responsive and increase its availability to respond to customers. In addition to a dedicated phone line for CEVA’s stations to call for immediate support or escalation, CEVA has created a dedicated Home Delivery web portal. The portal is a one-stop interface for end consumers and provides round-the-clock accessibility for services such as scheduling a delivery, order tracking and frequently asked questions.

Jared Baker, CEVA’s Director of Home Delivery said: “The new Home Delivery Service Center is critical to CEVA’s continued market leadership in the heavy goods home delivery arena and means we are able to set a new standard for the customer experience. By centralizing well-trained, professional Customer Service Representatives and using new contact center software we can offer enhanced services through new tools, hold queues and skill-based call routing.  Our ultimate goal is clear – to make sure that we exceed our customers’ expectations with accurate and easily accessible information and clear communication.”


Making sure that end-customers are responded to during peak season is of paramount importance, and the HDSC ensures that CEVA delivers this on behalf of its customers. To date the Service Center has handed over 140,000 calls with an average speed of answer under 15 seconds, including over 50,000 during the 2014 peak season.

In addition to current services provided, the center will soon handle multimedia contacts (email, chat, social media) using the same contact center solution.  Future updates are also scheduled that will improve automation and self-service with both the interactive voice response (IVR) system and website.

Livingston International Expands GTM Services in Key Emerging Markets

Livingston’s expansion in India and Brazil provides new opportunities for clients to grow global footprint

August 5, 2015, CHICAGO - Livingston International, a leading customs broker and trade compliance company, announced expansion of its Global Trade Management (GTM) services in India and Brazil, allowing its clients to expand their global footprint and capture more of the global market.

Bringing its full suite of services and capabilities to these emerging markets means Livingston is positioned to provide on-the-ground support and expertise to its clients looking to expand in these markets. As members of the largest emerging market economies, Brazil and India are especially significant countries for companies seeking to expand their business.

Regional teams in India and Brazil now meet clients’ local needs by managing providers and customs processes in accordance with local import and export requirements, ensuring an efficient and compliant supply chain. Driving compliance and cost, Livingston helps clients to achieve benefits by using local systems and obtaining duty relief through various trade programs.

“Livingston’s presence in these markets provides clarity and ensures consistent compliance for our clients as they expand their global footprint,” said Matt Goodman, president of Livingston’s GTM operation. “Expanding our services in these countries allows us to advance our clients’ supply chain as effectively as possible and remain on the forefront of changing trade regulations and free-trade deals that will save them time and money.”

The decision to expand services in India and Brazil was driven by client demand and an increase in production and trade activity in these countries, Goodman said.

The move follows the restructuring of Livingston’s GTM division earlier this year to stay ahead of projections that several free-trade agreements in negotiations now will bring unprecedented opportunities for businesses looking to expand internationally.

Livingston’s GTM operation helps companies who want to import and export goods make the right sourcing decisions, be proactive to changes in the global trade environment, link trade compliance with business needs, use free trade agreements to their advantage, minimize duty and delays, and stay ahead of the competition. The division’s vast global footprint enables it to offer solutions that are tailored to clients’ individual import and export trade operational needs.

About Livingston

Livingston International focuses on customs brokerage and trade compliance, offering international trade consulting, global trade management and freight forwarding.  It provides clarity in a world of trade complexity, so business can grow further, faster and smarter.  Livingston employs over 3,200 staff at 125 key border points, sea ports, airports and other strategic locations across North America, Europe and Asia.  www.livingstonintl.com