DC Velocity - October 2016

4 DC VELOCITY OCTOBER 2016 www.dcvelocity.com inbound

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

; Columbus, Ohio-based third-party logistics service provider Zipline Logistics donated the equivalent of $32,000 in groceries to Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Participants at Zipline’s annual Strike Out Hunger bowling event donated a total of 1,925 pounds of nonperishables and raised $3,252 in cash for the nonprofit, which provides groceries to needy families.

; Lexington, Ky.-based Clark Material Handling Co. and material handling equipment supplier Cardinal Carryor Inc. donated a $15,000 forklift to Fairdale High School in Louisville, Ky. Students in the school’s heavy equipment science magnet program will use the vehicle to train for careers in manufacturing and construction.

; Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) and forklift dealer Scott Equipment Co. LLC of Monroe, La., are providing rebates and financing assistance to Louisiana residents affected by the recent floods (which also affected Scott’s Baton Rouge location). TMHU and partners also collected more than $30,000 to donate to Scott employees in need and donated an end-controlled rider pallet jack to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

; Truck drivers and other employees of Cookeville, Tenn.-based Averitt Express Inc. donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund to provide food and shelter to victims of the floods in Louisiana. The company also provided transportation services for goods and materials being distributed to affected areas.

; Employees at Troy, Mich.-based trucking equipment supplier Meritor
Inc. completed 3,970 pushups to raise awareness for veteran suicide pre-
vention, while the company contributed $5,000 to provide outreach and
resources for active-duty members and veterans.

Logistics gives back

In the wake of Hanjin Shipping’s collapse and with Panamax vessels being sold for scrap in a depressed market, it’s not hard to find a cheap containership these days. But why would anybody want to buy a mammoth cargo vessel when shipping rates have dropped so low?

A Bergen, Norway-based company called Marine Harvest ASA answered that question recently when it applied to the Norwegian government for a license to grow and harvest fish inside a cargo ship.

Reversing the conventional wisdom that fisherman are usually happiest when they stay on the dry side of the boat and keep the fish on the wet side, the company sees the glut of empty ships as a business opportunity. “It’s more or less kick-starting fish farming again in a new way,” Marine Harvest CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog told Bloomberg News.

As the world’s biggest producer of Atlantic salmon, Marine Harvest is struggling to meet demand for the fish, thanks to strict regulations designed to fight infestations of sea lice, a natural parasite that can be deadly to young fish. Aimed at protecting fish stocks for future generations, the rules make it difficult to build traditional fish farms on Norway’s open ocean.

Aarskog’s idea of raising salmon inside a cargo ship would avoid the shallow-water lice by drawing water from depths below 30 feet. And if the idea of building a floating fish farm is rejected, the company is also experimenting with raising salmon inside doughnut-shaped enclosures located near shore or in deepwater cages moored far out at sea.

Maybe they’ll call

the ship Norwegian Spawn

Transportation industry professionals will gather in Dallas Nov. 7–9 for the Accelerate! Conference & Expo, sponsored by the nonprofit group Women In Trucking (WIT). Attendees can choose from dozens of education sessions on transportation issues and trends, along with perspectives on the positive impact women can have on the industry.

Keynote speakers will address such topics as gaining self-confidence in
a male-dominated industry, learning negotiating skills to ask for clients’
business or a job promotion, and understanding what motivates people
in the fast-changing trucking business. The agenda also features a number
of breakout sessions, including “Driver Perspectives: Making Life on the
Road Easier (and Appealing!) for Women,” “Attracting Millennials: How
Transportation Companies Can Compete for New Talent,” and “Non-
Traditional Workforces: Women, Veterans, and Others.”
For more information and to register, go to www.womenintrucking.com/
accelerate-conference.