The art of moving … art

When you think about shipping works of art, you probably
imagine packing up delicate pieces of pottery, paintings, or
some long-ago monarch’s crown jewels. But as anyone at
global ocean consolidator Ocean World Lines (OWL) can tell
you, “art” does not necessarily equate to “lightweight.”
OWL, a subsidiary of Pacer International, recently moved
seven sculpture pieces, collectively weighing more than
117,000 pounds and worth $40 million, from the Port of
Barcelona in Spain to the Port of Savannah, Ga., for consign-
ment at a New York gallery and exhibition in Orlando, Fla.
Two of the sculptures weighed 28,000 pounds apiece, while
the other five each weighed approximately 12,000 pounds.

At the Port of Barcelona, OWL loaded the iron and con-
crete sculptures onto two 40-foot over-dimensional flatracks
and one 40-foot ocean container. They arrived at the Port of
Savannah in mid-December after a 14-day journey.
The sculptures were created by the late Spanish sculptor
Eduardo Chillida Juantegui, who is best known for designing
and constructing massive, abstract works. His largest piece in the
United States, titled “De Música,” is made from 81 tons of steel.

“We have been carrying works of art regularly for this customer, but moving these sculptures was particularly exciting given their size and that they were created by a world-famous artist,” said Cord Bruegge, OWL’s managing director for Europe, in a statement. “It’s not too often we carry a single shipment worth that value, and we were, of course, backed by a great insurance policy!” ;

inbound

Float like a butterfly …

If you’ve ever wished that cartons and other items
could levitate and move around your warehouse on
their own, your dream may soon come true, in a
manner of speaking.

Los Angeles-based Equipois Inc. is now developing a device that will be able to transport objects weighing up to 80 pounds as though they were weightless, says a company spokesman. The device, which is being developed specifically for warehousing and material handling applications, will incorporate the company’s unique “zeroG” mechanical arm technology, which allows operators to move objects as if they were being manipulated in space, according to President and CEO Eric Golden. Cartons won’t exactly move themselves, but operators will be able to reposition them with minimal effort, eliminating repetitive motion and stress injuries.

The zeroG mechanical arm was invented by Garrett Brown, developer of the patented Steadicam camera-stabilization system used in the film and television industry. Equipois collaborated with Brown to adapt the Steadicam technology for the workplace. The manufacturer has won numerous design and engineering awards, including this year’s International Stevie Award for Most Innovative Company of the Year, North America.

You can see videos of the zeroG mechanical arm in
action at www.equipois.com. ;

Boosting workforce diversity has become a primary goal of nearly every business and profession, and supply management is no exception. That’s why the Institute for Supply Management has for several years offered three specialized conferences for purchasing and procurement professionals in groups that have historically been underrepresented in the profession.

The 4th Annual Hispanic Supply Management Summit, the 3rd Annual Women Executive Supply Management Summit, and the 8th Annual Black Executive Supply Management Summit will be held concurrently February 10–11 in Boca Raton, Fla. Each summit has its own set of workshops, but general sessions are held together.