DC Velocity - July 2015

4 DC VELOCITY JULY 2015 www.dcvelocity.com inbound

Logistics gives back

Although it may come as a not-so-sweet surprise to the many fans of Nutella, it turns out the same process that produces the chocolaty spread also generates an unwelcome byproduct: tons of hazelnut shells that are shipped to landfills every year.

Now, its maker is launching a plan to convert the shells into valuable food packaging. The Italian firm Ferrero, the largest chocolate producer in the world, has teamed up with renewable packaging company Stora Enso and the German research institute PTS to find a way to convert excess shells into “EcoPaper” to wrap its chocolates.

“We are still experimenting [with] the ideal mixture of
nutshell fibers in the pulp, but so far it works well for stiff-
ness and bulk,” Miguel Sánchez, mill manager at Stora
Enso, told The Guardian newspaper. “The hazelnut fibers
are used in the board’s middle layer and have been tested
for allergy aspects without any problems.”
Ferrero will have no shortage of material for its exper-
iments. The company says it manufactures 198,000 tons
of Nutella spread each year, using 25 percent of the global
supply of hazelnuts and making it the world’s biggest
buyer of that crop.

South Florida residents who are looking for a great career gained a new option when Broward College in Fort Lauderdale launched its Supply Chain Management Express degree program in May.

Classes are designed for busy working adults interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in just over two years. The program is primarily intended for students with little or no previous college experience. Classes are scheduled year-round—during the fall, spring, and summer semesters—on Friday nights, as well as Saturday mornings and afternoons.

If you apply yourself, the degree will be inexpensive, too. The college caps tuition and fees at $10,000 for students who maintain a 3.0 GPA and meet other eligibility criteria, a potential savings of more than $4,000.

“South Florida has a major geographic advantage for the global trade and logistics industry,” said Russell McCaffery, Broward College dean of transportation programs. “With job growth expected in this sector, we look forward to providing the necessary skills training to our students to meet the demands of the local work force.”

Florida school unveils “SCM
Express” degree program
“Nutty” idea would trim
packaging costs

Here’s our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space:

; Logistics giant UPS Inc. will give $10 million to support the causes of emergency preparedness, road safety, and disaster relief response and recovery. The humanitarian grants and logistics support will go to a collection of United Nations agencies and other nonprofit nongovernmental organizations. The 35 groups include UNHCR, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme, as well as the American Red Cross, MedShare, Operation Hope, and FIA Foundation—Road Safety Fund.

; Yale Materials Handling Corp. has donated three lift trucks to the American Red Cross. The 5,000-pound capacity vehicles will be used to move supplies at the group’s Disaster Field Supply Centers in Dallas, Atlanta, and Carlisle, Pa.

; International transportation provider FedEx Corp. has launched a three-year commitment to give $1 million annually to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support the hospital’s efforts to find cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The gifts are an extension of the company’s sponsorship of the FedEx St. Jude Classic golf tournament.

; Menlo Logistics, the supply chain management subsidiary of Con-way Inc., has received the Salvation Army’s Community Business Partners Award for its support of disadvantaged children. Menlo’s four New Jersey campus facilities participated in The Angel Tree program, an initiative to donate toys and winter coats to kids.

; Contract logistics and freight forwarding company Yusen Logistics was recognized by Japan’s Ground Self Defense Force for transporting vital resources to the Japan Disaster Relief Medical Team in the aftermath of two earthquakes that struck Nepal in April. Yusen employees supported the team by moving medical equipment from Nepal back to Japan.