DC Velocity - June 2016

include skis, golf clubs, baseball bats, and other commodities that are long but not very wide. In a separate e-mail, Andersen of LJM said most shippers will be affected to some extent, but some in specific industries will be affected more than others. Businesses that designed packaging to comply with the 60-inch length threshold will now need to modify boxes to comply with the 48-inch requirement, he said. “We have several clients that have requested shipping data to help them identify products to eliminate, due to this change,” Andersen said.

Jerry Hempstead, who runs a transport consultancy that bears his name, said the revenue from the changes would be relatively incremental. Still, the moves feed what Hempstead called an “addiction” on the carriers’ part to satisfying the increasing demands from investors and analysts for new sources of growth.

A balky shipper may initially be able to negotiate prices, terms, and an effective date, Hempstead said. However, at some point, the carriers “extract [the fees] from everyone and laugh all the way to the bank,” he said.

—Mark Solomon

UPS has announced plans to expand its package sorting and delivery facility in Herne, in the heart of the Ruhr area in Germany, that will more than double the operating area and sorting capacity of the hub. … Forte has opened a new field office in Charlotte, N.C., to support its commitment to serving the beverage industry. The company has also announced that it has been retained to design and implement a new automated distribution facility in Batesville, Ind., that will enable Thrive Market to deliver non-perishables to U.S. customers within two days. … Third-party logistics service provider Yusen Logistics has announced the start of construction of a logistics center near Celaya, Mexico, to meet the growing demands of its domestic and international automotive customers. … CenterPoint Properties has announced a 250,575-square-foot build-to-suit expansion for DS Containers Inc.’s building at DuPage Business Center in West Chicago, Ill. … Chicago-based Echo Global Logistics Inc. has signed a 224,678-square- foot lease at 600 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago. ground breakers

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