DC Velocity - June 2017

inbound

Logistics and transportation professionals will gather in Palm Beach, Fla., on June 26 for SMC3 Connections, a three-day “collaborative supply chain intelligence” conference designed for professionals from the carrier, shipper, logistics service provider, and technology communities.

The keynote address, titled “The Digital Transformation Deadline,” will be delivered by Mike Walsh, CEO of the global consulting firm Tomorrow. Walsh, who specializes in helping clients figure out how to thrive in an era defined by disruptive technological change, will talk about what companies must do to adapt to the digital age. Other speakers include LeAnne Coulter of Schneider, Chris Johnson of BluJay Solutions, and Monica Wooden of MercuryGate.

The agenda also includes more than a dozen educational sessions. Offerings range from a workshop on transportation contract law to presentations on bending the innovation curve, the “Amazon effect,” and managing the last mile.

For more information, go to www.smc3connections.com.

SMC3 Connections opens in Florida

Mitch Mac Donald, president and CEO of AGiLE Business Media LLC, publisher of DC VELOCITY and CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly, was presented with NASSTRAC’s prestigious “President’s Award” at the shipper group’s annual transportation conference and expo this April in Orlando, Fla. Mac Donald also serves as group editorial director of both media brands.

The award is given at the discretion of the NASSTRAC president to a person or company that has gone above and beyond in their ongoing support of the organization and its goals. It has been granted just twice since 2003, most recently to now-retired UPS Freight President Jack Holmes. This marks the first time a member of the media has received the award.

“Mitch and AGiLE have been staunch advocates of
NASSTRAC and its mission since AGiLE was founded
in 2002,” said NASSTRAC President Terri Reid. “Mitch
has always embraced our role as an agent of change and
improvement for our members, for all shippers, and for the
nation’s transportation system as a whole. His efforts over
the years make him a worthy recipient of this award.”
“I am honored and genuinely humbled to receive this
award,” Mac Donald said. “NASSTRAC has always been a
vital organization, both in terms of the subject matter cov-
erage it provides and in the critical realm of public advocacy
for transportation issues. Those issues are important to our
readers and the industry, which helps assure NASSTRAC’s
vital place in the market.”
This year holds special meaning
for Clark Material Handling Co.

The Lexington, Ky.-based designer and manufacturer of internal combustion and electric forklifts turns 100 this year, and it’s celebrating its centennial with a number of special initiatives and events.

In April, at the ProMat trade show in Chicago, Clark displayed a special “Centennial Edition” C20/ C35 series of lift trucks with new features, new styling, and a commemorative paint and decal package. In May, employees and 425 dealers from the U.S. and 29 other countries gathered in Lexington for a week of looking back and planning for the future, as well as the introduction of new products and technologies. A centennial gala on May 16 featured presentations by Jim Gary, mayor of Lexington, and Matt Bevin, governor of Kentucky, recognizing Clark’s economic and charitable contributions to the city and state.

Clark has long been known for giving back to the communities where employees work and live. In addition to the company’s ongoing support of more than 30 community organizations, Clark employees, suppliers, and dealers raised $30,000 this year to fund construction of a Habitat for Humanity house for a family in Lexington. An additional $5,000 was raised to help at-risk youth at a Louisville, Ky., school.

The company boasts an interesting and influential heritage. When it was founded in 1917, the Clark Equipment Co. manufactured drill bits, axles, wheels, and steel casings. That year, employees built a shop buggy to haul materials between buildings at a plant. A version of that vehicle soon launched as the “Tructractor,” which led to the development of the first gasoline-powered lift truck, the “Truclift,” in 1920. The first production forklift truck with hydraulic lift, the “Tructier,” was released in 1928. During World War II, Clark supplied nearly 90 percent of the Allied forces’ requirements for material handling equipment. And in 1964, it became the first lift truck manufacturer to install load backrests and overhead guards as standard equipment on all of its trucks. (For a look at those and other pioneering products, see the illustrated timeline at http://clarkmhc.com/ Company/History.)