In a business climate that’s is trying to operate globally amidst security issues, political and social unrest, natural disasters, and other factors that lead to supply chain break downs, certain types of specialty business insurance is becoming harder to get, and even harder to pay for. This includes coverage such as business continuity insurance, according…
On Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented “The Future of Our Nation’s Infrastructure and What it Means for Trucking and the Economy” at the Fourth Annual Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference. The presentation was made by Drew Preston, manager of congressional and public affairs for the Chamber, moderator Tom Lehner, and the public policy vice…
Until recently, U.S. manufacturing suffered as companies moved their factories and facilities overseas, primarily to Asia, to take advantage of the cheap labor pool and low shipping costs. The tide is turning, however, and now the U.S. is so competitive in terms of labor costs and shipping prices that U.S. companies are coming back. Furthermore,…
The new logistics system BMW has implemented moves parts from their Dingolfing manufacturing and warehouse facility to 40 distribution warehouses and about 300 automotive repair shops around Germany. The system has broken down, causing a ripple effect and leading to about 180 BMW owners per month who are unable to get the parts they need…
As scientists and politicians study and debate the issue of climate change and what to do about it, the shipping industry, mining industry, and oil and gas industries are celebrating a possible new trade route opening between the Far East and the West. The icy waters of the Arctic are thawing, opening the waters to ships…
Economists are trying to understand how Egypt’s economy is remaining so stable, even as the death toll from recent violence surpassed the 1,000 mark in six days. The violence began June 30 after the ousting of Islam President Mohamed Mursi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The new military government is struggling to keep industries…
For years, companies in the U.S. and Europe have turned to cheap labor forces in Asia to manufacture products. At the time, this was beneficial to the companies, which saved money and could offer cheaper products, and to the workers, who had access to jobs and job training that led to greater wealth and prosperity….
The earliest signals that holiday spending is on the rise usually comes from signs in the intermodal transportation trends, which includes tracking goods shipped using more than one form of transportation, usually rail cars and trucks. This year, the signs indicate a modest gain over last year’s conservative consumer spending, but anticipating continued consumer wariness of…
Patent assertion entities (PAEs) do not invent anything. They don’t develop nor engineer products. They don’t even sell products. PAEs exist for no reason other than buying up lots of patents for products invented, developed, and produced by others, and use these patents as the basis for expensive, time-consuming lawsuits against the companies that do…
Though the consumer market has been slow to embrace green products and sustainable practices, industrial companies are moving toward sustainability more quickly, especially in sales to business to business (B2B) products and processes. The glass, chemical, and paint manufacturer PPG, based in Pittsburg, PA, illustrates this point perfectly. PPG spokespersons maintain the company has had the…