US diesel prices fell below $4 per gallon during the week of April 1, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Diesel prices have dropped 4% or 17 cents over the past five weeks.
Category Archives: News
47,000 Owe Jobs to TDL (Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics) Industry in South Carolina
Source: Columbia Regional Business Report
According to statistics compiled and released by the state Department of Commerce, the transportation, distribution, and logistics industry directly contributes to 47,000 direct jobs in South Carolina (representing $1.6 billion a year in wages).
Some key takeaways from the 3rd Annual TDL Summit:
- In 2012, 15 projects were announced involving TDL companies, representing 2,200 jobs and a $370 million investment
- $3.5 billion in total sales generated by TDL’s 2,600 firms
- South Carolina is slated to be the nation’s #1 tire producer in 2015 with the construction of Continental’s new tire plant in Sumter and the expansion of Bridgestone and Michelin’s operations
UPS drops bid for TNT (Europe)
(Reuters) UPS is dropping its $7 billion bid for Dutch delivery firm TNT Express after European anti-trust regulators said they would veto it, leaving TNT’s future in doubt and almost halving the value of its shares.
UPS wanted to buy the smaller firm it’s European network and assets in fast-growing Asia and Latin America. While the collapse of negotiations is a blow to UPS, the impact is far greater for TNT who is struggling to regain market share eroded during the talks.
South Carolina OKs $146.9 Million for Port Investments
The port authority projects 8% increase in cargo volume.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority approved $146.9 million in capital spending during its fiscal year beginning July 1 and forecast Charleston’s container volume will rise 8 percent during the next 12 months.
The port authority’s capital spending plan would be the largest in the agency’s 70-year history. It includes major investments such as construction of the new Navy Base Terminal and upgrades to facility infrastructure and information systems.
Gartner Announces Rankings of Its 2012 Supply Chain Top 25
Apple takes the top spot again, actually for the fifth year in a row! The winners of Gartner’s Top 25 Supply Chain were announced this week during the Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference in Palm Desert, California.
Gartner states the goal of the Supply Chain Top 25 research initiative is to raise awareness of the supply chain discipline and how it impacts the business.
“Last year, we noted that companies were starting to invest in resources and assets again, reflecting a newly recovering economy,” said Debra Hoffman, managing vice president at Gartner. “This year, that trend continues even more strongly, with many companies investing for growth. The global economic recovery has been uneven and halting in some cases, but, on balance, the result has been expansionary for companies’ bottom lines and outlooks.”
So why did Apple claim the top spot for a fifth year in a row:
Maintaining its record in the Number 1 spot shows that Apple was and still is delivering total solutions to its global client base. Apple’s financials, which improved further this year, complete with the highest voting scores available point to Apple’s combination of operational and innovation excellence. Apple starts with the consumer experience and then working backward through its supply network, mastering end-to-end value network.
Click here to read the full article.
Why You Should Start a Company in … Greenville, SC
Looking for a place to nurture your start up idea … well Fast Company has a suggestion, Greenville, SC!
Some economic stats about Greenville:
- $1.1 billion in new capital investments
- created more than 6,000 new jobs in the last five years alone
- medium-sized market by technical terms
- plays hosts to more corporate headquarters than any other region in the state (according to the SC Department of Commerce)
Greenville was once a dominate textile town, which has given way to a strong auto sector and health-science research. Now there is a new generation of business, and they are rooted in innovation and technology. A few companies already creating some buzz include Hospital Room 2020 (media-rich in-patient) and LoftResumes (a platform that generates jazzy CV’s giving job seekers a competitive edge). These companies aren’t going at it alone, the local area has a growing number of initiatives built just for this cause, including NEXT (a Chamber of Commerce program dedicated to turning new ideas into viable businesses).
Click here to read more about Fast Company’s discussion with representatives from LoftResumes and NEXT and their take on the five factors contributing to Greenville’s success!
Inbound Logistics Top 100 Logistics IT Providers
Inbound Logistics publication just released their annual list of Top 100 Logistics IT Providers, and Trendset was recognized for the second year in a row for our commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower the supply chain professionals. We are proud to join this list of great companies who are collectively shifting the way companies manage their global supply chains.
“When choosing this year’s Top 100 Logistics IT Providers, Inbound Logistics editors looked for technology providers that solved specific logistics challenges, but also acted as change agents by helping to transform overall business operations. Selections were based on how transformative logistics IT solutions impact all business activities and drive integration across internal processes as well as external processes for vendors and customers. Trendset was selected because its solutions work tactically to master supply chain transactions, as well as strategically to act as a change agent to drive the enterprise to more closely match demand to supply. Inbound Logistics is proud to honor Trendset for innovative solutions empowering logistics and supply chain excellence.”
- Felecia Stratton, Inbound Logistics
