Some financial analysts are predicting that the upcoming holiday season could be one of the most successful for retailers since the global recession began nearly a decade ago. The National Retail Federation forecasts a 3.9% increase in retail sales this holiday season, which is higher than the 3.3% 10-year average holiday sales growth, according to Matthew … Read more
The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Group of the Energy Generation and Supply KTN is co-hosting a free webinar on Nov. 27 for anyone interested in the growing use of fuel cells in material handling. The webinar will be held at 9 a.m. EST and will feature Jennifer Kurtz, of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of … Read more
Nissan North America announced that it has named a new vice president at its Smyrna, Tennessee, manufacturing facility. According to a company news release, Randy Knight, who previously served as director of material handling and production control for the company, is taking over for Susan Brennan at the plant, where the company assembles its Frontier, Xterra, … Read more
Columbus McKinnon announced that it is returning its CM-ET Classic Lodestar electric chain host back into production. According to a company news release, the hoist, which is used mostly in staging and rigging for the entertainment industry, will be manufactured once again after being taken off the market in 2011 when the new Lodestar hoist … Read more
Styrofoam is commonly used as a packaging material because it’s a lightweight solution to providing added protection against damage during shipping. But a new form of Styrofoam — called Geofoam — is being used increasingly as a construction material. In Oregon, geofoam was recently used as a road foundation material in an area where the … Read more
A suburban library system outside Dallas, Texas, has modernized the way it sorts the more than 250,000 items borrowed by patrons each year. Each of the Richardson Public Library’s books, CDs, DVDs and other material shave been equipped with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip when allows automated sorting equipment to identify the item and … Read more
One of the most effective and affordable ways to manage your manufacturing or warehouse facility is through the use of floor striping tapes. These bright, easy to see tapes are used to create distinctions between various parts of a warehouse or factory floor and can be used to designate everything from storage space, safety zones, … Read more
Editor’s Note: This is second of two articles about the Materials Handling Institute’s upcoming report on industry trends. The first part was published Wednesday, November 13. The Materials Handling Institute, formerly known as the Materials handling Industry Association, has compiled a report entitled, “US Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics” which outlines the trade organizations expectations … Read more
Enatel Motive Power, the New Zealand-based manufacturer of power equipment, announced in a news release that its EcoCharge FS3 line of battery chargers is the first of its kind to be approved by the California Energy Commission’s stringent standards for energy efficiency. The company’s large battery charger line will now be listed on the CEC’s website.
Rypos Inc., a manufacturer or diesel engine filters and other automotive parts, has been fined $9,100 by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration in connection with a Sept. 10 accident at its Holliston, Massachusetts plant in which a forklift operator was trapped under his vehicle, according to news reports. OSHA cited the company for … Read more
