Wide wide world of forklift manufacturing
Material handling is a truly global business, a fact that was readily
apparent during a recent visit to Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America
Inc. (MCFA) headquarters in Houston, Texas. Everywhere we went, we
heard visitors and employees speaking Japanese, English,
and German.
Those languages reflect the company’s three lift truck
brands: Mitsubishi (Japan), Caterpillar (United States),
and Jungheinrich (Germany).
Japanese speakers have been a fixture at MCFA since
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Caterpillar
Industrial Inc. formed a partnership in 1992. The German
speakers entered the picture as a result of MCFA’s 2009
North American manufacturing and distribution agree-MCFA sold trucks imported from Germany. But the partners had created a Jungheinrich design center in Houston
staffed with German engineers who were tasked with
designing products specifically for the North American
market. In March 2012, MCFA unveiled the first product
designed and manufactured in Houston: the ECR 327/336 series of
electric end rider pallet trucks. MCFA’s strategy not only shortened the
design-to-production cycle without compromising quality but also
eliminated cost and pricing concerns associated with currency fluctuations, said Kent Eudy, vice president, sales and marketing.
MCFA covers the Western Hemisphere and has counterparts in
Europe (which also serve the Middle East and Africa) and Asia-Pacific.
A new venture, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift China, manufactures
those brands for domestic consumption in China. ;
CSCMP to offer conference discounts to
military personnel
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) said
it will offer active, retired, and civilian U.S. military personnel discounted registration rates to its annual global conference, scheduled for
Sept. 30 through Oct. 3 in Atlanta.
Ten percent of the proceeds from military registrations will go to the
“Wounded Warrior Project,” a program that provides support and services for injured service members.
“Our conference program offers an opportunity for leaders of the
largest supply chain in the world—the U.S. military—to exchange ideas
and share their expertise with commercial practitioners on meeting
expanding customer requirements in a rapidly evolving world,” said Rick
Blasgen, CSCMP president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit wounded-warriorproject.org. To register for the annual conference or for more
information, visit cscmpconference.org. ;
inbound
The young and the
outspoken
Young people entering the logistics
and supply chain profession often
take a more technology-focused
approach to the business than their
managers do. They also have their
own way of looking at jobs and
careers, and their own way of
expressing themselves.
Our new blog, “Joe Tillman on The
New Generation” (
http://blogs.dcve-locity.com/new_generation), speaks
to young logistics and supply chain
professionals in their own voice.
Tillman writes in a colloquial style
about issues that concern them.
Examples of recent blog posts
include “I Like to Move It Move It”
(about getting involved in industry
associations and professional groups)
and “RU CAAC DITR w/a Frapp?”
(about the importance of clear communication—“translation” below).
Links to interesting, relevant sources
and examples keep things lively.
Tillman, a senior researcher with the
consulting firm Supply Chain Visions,
holds a CTL certification from the
American Society of Transportation &
Logistics and is SCOR-Professional
certified by the Supply Chain Council.
He’s also active in the Council of
Supply Chain Management
Professionals and the Warehousing
Education and Research Council.
Have a question, comment, or idea
for discussion? Tillman invites feedback from young professionals. On the
last Wednesday of each month, he’ll
answer questions from the blog’s audience. Anyone whose question is featured in the blog will receive a free
copy of a book mentioned in that
month’s posts.
And here’s that “translation” we
promised: “Are you cool as a cucumber dancing in the rain with a
Starbucks Frappuccino?” ;
