Transportation management services and logistics technology provider Transplace has announced that General
Motors Chairman Tim Solso will be a featured speaker
at its Shipper Symposium, which takes place May 4–6 in
Dallas. … Steel pallet manufacturer Hannibal Industries
is expanding into the South with a new facility slated to
open in Houston later this year. … Dematic, a global supplier of logistics systems for the factory, warehouse, and
distribution center, has announced that Condoleezza
Rice will serve as the keynote speaker at its 30th Annual
Material Handling & Logistics Conference, scheduled for
Sept. 13–16 in Park City, Utah. … The U.S. military landed
48 specialty Army helicopters
and three Air Force helicopters at Jaxport’s Blount Island
Marine Terminal in Florida
during a multiday operation. …
Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.
has unveiled a new advertising campaign that show-
cases the company’s array of services and the resources
behind every shipment. … Barcoding Inc., a supply chain
mobile technology company, has launched Supply Chain
Architecture by Barcoding, a dedicated practice for the
identification, formulation, and management of perfect
order fulfillment processes. … YRC Freight has opened a
dedicated hotline for customers with shipments delayed
at West Coast ports. … I.D. Systems Inc., a provider of
wireless solutions, has completed its “I.D. Systems 2.0”
strategic initiative, which included such projects as creat-
ing enhanced analytics capabilities, improving the man-
agement of field service resources, and improving train-
ing tools. … Crown Equipment Corp. has opened a new
Crown Lift Trucks sales and service location in Sandston,
Va., near the Richmond International Airport. … A. Duie
Pyle, a provider of asset- and nonasset-based trans-
portation and supply chain solutions in the Northeast,
has opened its second truck driver training academy.
… Michigan Manufacturing International, which spe-
cializes in supplying manufactured-to-print assemblies
and components, has added supply chain management
to its menu of service offerings. … Vodafone’s second
annual “M2M Adoption Barometer” study finds that
machine-to-machine adoption has increased by more
than 80 percent globally in the last year. … Material
handling integration provider Intelligrated highlight-
ed its automated solutions to drive omnichannel and
e-commerce fulfillment as well as its customer service
and support (CSS) team at the ProMat 2015 trade show
in Chicago. At the same time, it showcased its mobile
robotic solutions at the co-located show, Automate
2015. … Dachser, a global logistics services provider,
will participate at Transport Logistic, an international
exhibition for logistics, mobility, IT, and supply chain
management solutions.
short takes
The North American industrial real estate market is in a
virtuous cycle that will last at least another three years,
according to a forecast issued in early March by global real
estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.
In its three-year forecast of trends in warehousing and
distribution centers as well as in manufacturing, Cushman
said demand for industrial property is being propelled by
businesses that have “gone on the offensive,” led by a surge
in hiring. The U.S. economy is expected to create 3 million
jobs this year, according to the firm.
The U.S. warehouse vacancy rate currently stands at 6. 7
percent and is in its 19th consecutive quarter of decline,
the firm said. By the end of 2015, the warehouse vacancy
rate will drop to 6. 3 percent, despite a considerable amount
of new construction. The continued decline is a sign of
increasing tenant demand, especially for e-commerce.
In a reflection of rail intermodal’s growing prominence,
markets like Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas/Fort Worth are
leading the way in rent growth, square-foot absorption, and
construction, Cushman said. The rising tide is also benefit-
ing second-tier markets like Indianapolis and Kansas City,
the firm said.
Commercial activity in Canada and Mexico will also
remain strong, the report said. In Toronto, about 7. 3 mil-
lion square feet of industrial space—mostly of the big-box
retail variety—was under construction at the end of the
third quarter, according to the report. The oil-producing
market of Calgary is seeing considerable speculative devel-
opment, mostly in the logistics segment, the report said.
Industrial vacancies in Mexico City are in the 5-percent
range, with e-commerce demands driving much specula-
tive construction of large buildings, Cushman said. The
Monterrey market is also showing growth, especially in the
development of eco-friendly industrial parks, the firm said.
North American industrial property market to see strong growth
through 2017, report says
JAXPORT
