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The Avetta Supplier Product Experience (APEX) Advisory Board features experienced contractors that will drive insights into creating innovative and efficient supplier onboarding and compliance solutions
LEHI, Utah, and HOUSTON—September 13, 2023—Avetta®, the leading provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software, is bringing together supplier and contractor leaders to drive guidance around its solution, product roadmap and processes with the company’s Avetta Product Experience (APEX) Board. Experts with extensive experience and diverse backgrounds in supply chain issues will join Avetta’s leadership and product team in open forums, insight sessions and innovation challenges to drive better ideas on how to solve the most complex challenges around supplier onboarding and compliance.
“The APEX Supplier Board exemplifies Avetta’s commitment to enhancing the contractor and supplier experience. The supplier experience around company compliance programs has grown increasingly crucial as new regulations and requirements grow around contractor health and safety, ESG and sustainability, business risk and cyber risk,” said Taylor Allis, Avetta’s Chief Product Officer. “Suppliers must have confidence that they understand their clients’ risk prerequisites and receive proactive support throughout the compliance process, so they can expedite the delivery of their products and services. Avetta will harness feedback and insights from its APEX Supplier Board to achieve its objective of becoming the most efficient and streamlined compliance platform in the industry.”
The following experts will serve on the Avetta Supplier Advisory Board:
• Stephanie Brewer is the Director of Telecommunications Safety & Compliance at USA Telecom Insurance Services/Insurance Office of America. She also serves on the Avetta APEX Client Board and has over 15 years of experience working in Telecommunications, specifically construction risk and compliance.
• James Cobb is the Corporate Director of Health and Safety at REGENESIS. He has over 20 years of leadership in environmental health and safety systems for manufacturing, construction and the petroleum industry.
• Jennifer Feeler is the Safety, Health and Environmental Support Program Manager at Sunbelt Rentals. She oversees third-party management systems and insurance compliance and leads efforts to stop workers from being exposed to Stuff That Can Kill (STCK).
• Elise Gilbert is the Global Commercial Support Services Senior Director at Iron Mountain. She is actively involved in improving efficiency, capacity and velocity in the sales process.
• Jordan Gittens is the Service Business Operations Administrator for Daikin Applied Americas Inc. He supports his company’s service offices and joins the Avetta Advisory Board to expand his knowledge of the platform and help improve it.
• Kerry Kaminski is a Safety Manager with Aegion Corporation (including Insituform Technologies and Corrpro Companies). She has been in the health and safety field for more than 25 years and specializes in contractor management systems, subcontractor management and operator qualification.
• Mary Ann Roden is the Operations Project Manager at O’Brien Equipment. She initiates strategies to ensure effective, on-budget execution of assigned projects in addition to safety training, qualifications and compliance with OSHA regulations.
• Michelle Skelly is the Health and Safety Database Manager for Arcadis U.S., Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience managing health and safety databases for design, engineering and management consulting.
• Sally Tipton is the Health and Safety Manager for the Smith Cameron Group. She has been involved in safety for nearly two decades, specializing in contractor management in industrial, infrastructure and civil construction. She joins the Avetta Advisory Board to expand her knowledge of the platform and help improve it, having used it as a Contractor, Client and now Supplier.
• Jeff Ward has been the Corporate Manager of Program Compliance for the Health and Safety Department at Clean Harbors for nine years. He is an experienced Compliance & Audit Professional with a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Internal Auditor.
• Destiny Welch is the HSE Customer Interface Lead at Baker Hughes. She has more than 10 years of experience in health, safety and environmental issues and works to provide consistent information to third-party customers.
The Supplier APEX Board’s recommendations are presented to Avetta leadership and considered for improving the company’s efforts to mitigate risk. Photos of some of the board members can be found here.
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About Avetta
The Avetta One platform helps clients manage supply chain risk and their suppliers to become more qualified for jobs. For hiring clients in our network, we offer the world’s largest supply chain risk management network to manage supplier safety, sustainability, worker competency and performance. We perform contractor prequalification and worker competency management across major industries, all over the globe, including construction, energy, facilities, high tech, manufacturing, mining and telecom.
For suppliers in our network, our audit and verification services help lower their safety incidents rate by 29%. As a result, nearly 50% of members find additional job opportunities within the first year of joining. In addition, our suppliers receive privileged access to the Avetta Marketplace, where dozens of partners offer special discounts for business services like insurance and work gear. Avetta serves 500+ enterprise companies and 125,000+ suppliers across 120+ countries.
Visit https://www.avetta.com/ for more information.
Atlanta, GA, Feb 6, 2025 - Today Exotec®︎, a global warehouse robotics provider, announced the commercial launch of the Next Generation of Skypod®︎ system with higher performance, improved storage density, and advanced software features.
The Next Generation of Skypod comes with a number of design improvements including a new and more compact Skypod robot, a workstation for robot-to-robot picking, high-throughput Exchanger, and denser storage. These redesigns combined with new software features improve the throughput at a single workstation by 50% while also enhancing storage density up to 30% compared to the previous generation.
The key differentiator for the Next Generation of Skypod is the ability to handle both each and case picking, positioning Exotec to better address multichannel needs with a single solution. The system also natively supports a number of value-added logistics features that traditionally require external equipment and complex subsystems. This not only enables customers to simplify the flow of goods through the warehouse, but also significantly shrinks the system footprint by cutting down the need for conveyors, sorters, external storage, and packing stations.
Specifically, the Next Generation of Skypod supports:
Integrated Buffer: Next-Gen Skypod handles buffering within the system. Following order preparation at the Workstation, completed or semi-completed orders get automatically stored inside the racks until they are ready for outbound, or further consolidation. This helps reduce the need for staging areas or any other external buffer systems.
Perfect Sequencing: Next-Gen Skypod handles strict outbound sequencing prior to ejecting orders by using robots and the Exchanger. The robots group orders and deliver them in a specific arrangement to the Exchanger, which then routes the orders to outbound. This enables precise loading of pallets, containers, or trucks based on delivery routes, store planograms, or other unloading requirements, all without the need for external sorting equipment.
Pick-and-Pack: Next-Gen Skypod handles packing as an integrated part of the picking process. Operators pick directly into fulfillment containers, removing the need for manual packing operations downstream. This functionality pairs extremely well with right-size packaging solutions. These solutions can be integrated with Next-Gen Skypod to enable picking into right-size containers, significantly cutting last-mile costs.
“When designing the Next Generation Skypod, our goal was to create a solution that would set the industry standard of operational excellence and elegance for the next decade and beyond," said Romain Moulin, CEO and co-founder of Exotec. “We’re already seeing our customers reimagine their entire supply chain around the transformative capabilities of this innovation, from combining case and each picking operations to leveraging outbound sequencing to improve transportation costs. Witnessing this level of impact has been incredibly rewarding.”
Exotec developed the Next Generation of Skypod in response to evolving market needs and feedback from the existing customer base, which increasingly demands warehouse robotics to address a wider range of processes within the warehouse walls. Over the past two years, Exotec has sold and deployed the Next Generation Skypod system globally in stealth mode. The company has successfully secured over 20 projects worldwide, totaling $400M to customers including Oxford Industries (Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer, Southern Tide, etc.), Grainger, and E.Leclerc to strengthen their supply chain operations.
“We chose Exotec for its storage density and its operational flexibility. Robotic advancements have enabled us to set up a larger buffer area for prepared orders within the system,” said Maxence Maurice, CEO E. Leclerc Seclin. “Previously, I estimated that the customer journey, from arriving at the drive to leaving with their groceries, took between 10 and 15 minutes. Today, with the Exotec solution, it takes less than 5 minutes.”
For more information on the Next Generation of Skypod system, please visit www.exotec.com.
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About Exotec Exotec is a global warehouse robotics company powering the world's largest brands. The company combines the best of hardware and software to offer elegant warehouse robotic systems that drive operational efficiency, add resiliency, and improve working conditions for warehouse operators. 50+ industry-leading brands including Gap Inc., Carrefour, Decathlon, and UNIQLO trust Exotec to improve their operations across 100+ sites worldwide.
On the anniversary on 6 February, the parties and a large number of invited stakeholders gathered for an open seminar in Turku, Finland. Results, experiences, challenges and opportunities were discussed based on the common goal of establishing a green maritime corridor between Stockholm and Turku by 2035.
"We are very pleased with the cooperation and the work done during the first year," says Magdalena Bosson, CEO Ports of Stockholm. "We have been investing in onshore power supply infrastructure for ships for many years and Viking Line is one of the pioneers. Now we are further sharpening our goals together with the other parties to establish a fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku."
"We are proud to be part of this important co-operation project for a cleaner Baltic Sea. Our most significant investment so far is to offer all our passengers and freight customers biofuel for transport between Stockholm and Turku, reducing emissions for their journeys by 90%. In addition, a possible battery installation and Elogrids*, which reduces energy consumption, are important elements of our work in the coming years," says Jan Hanses, CEO Viking Line.
"A green shipping corridor gives us the opportunity to promote sustainable development and reduce the environmental impact of shipping. During the past year, we have started more detailed planning of measures related to the green shipping corridor, such as updating our carbon footprint calculation and preparing for the development of charging stations for heavy traffic," says Erik Söderholm, CEO Port of Turku.
During the first year, the parties have identified and prioritised the most important goals and measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in shipping. A clear project plan with activities has been developed, including:
Viking Line
- Pre-study of battery installation on Viking Grace and Viking Glory
- Installing Elogrids* on the vessels
- Increase sales of biogas supplements for transport between Stockholm and Turku
Port of Turku
- Study and pilot project for onshore power supply at the quay
- Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at berth
- Guidelines and incentives for port operators for zero emissions
- In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
- Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker sustainable fuels
Ports of Stockholm
- Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at the quayside
- In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
- Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker fossil-free fuels
*Elogrids is a grid system installed on the ship's hull to reduce resistance and improve fuel efficiency. It optimizes water flow and reduces turbulence, resulting in lower energy consumption.
Johanna Boijer, Vice President Corporate Communications Viking Line
Johanna.boijer@vikingline.com, +358 18 27 000
Eleonora Hansi, Communications Manager Viking Line Scandinavia
eleonora.hansi@vikingline.com, +46 70 452 41 41
Port of Turku:
Erik Söderholm, Managing Director of Port of Turku
erik.soderholm@portofturku.fi, +358 50 553 3100
Ports of Stockholm is one of the world´s largest passenger ports and one of Sweden´s largest freight port. Ports of Stockholm has ports located in Stockholm, Kapellskär and Nynäshamn. www.portsofstockholm.com – twitter.com/stockholmshamn
PORTS OF STOCKHOLM
MAGASIN 2, FRIHAMNEN, BOX 27314, SE-102 54 STOCKHOLM
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, February 6, 2025 – TrusTrace, a market-leading platform for supply chain traceability and compliance in the fashion and textile industry, is proud to announce its participation in Textile Exchange’s test pilot project, to evaluate a multiparty Trackit™ system.
The pilot is set to run throughout 2025, marking a significant step forward in advancing traceability and transparency within the textile and apparel supply chain. The project aims to test the performance of an interoperable traceability framework that functions across diverse technology platforms. It is designed to minimize the burden on supply chain operators while maintaining a strong and credible standards system to adapt to an evolving legislative landscape.
Contributing to theTrackit™ pilot project
The TrusTrace platform is built to improve interoperabilityand works with multiple enterprise systems and data formats. In 2024 the platform gathered primary data on more than 12.9 million global transactions for more than 1.2 billion units, from more than 60,000 suppliers.
TrusTrace’s ability to aggregate, validate, and standardize supply chain data across various ecosystems ensures that brands have access to up-to-date, high-quality data — a critical enabler for making informed decisions to manage supply chain and brand risk, ensure compliance, and drive more sustainable practices. The test pilot aligns with TrusTrace’s vision of empowering brands to know, prove and improve the impact of their supply chain.
Unlocking the Benefits of Digitized Supply Chains
The Trackit™ test pilot aims to not only analyze interoperability of a multiparty system; but also to provide a foundation for supply chain innovation by enabling:
Efficient data sharing: Streamlining collaboration across diverse stakeholders, from suppliers to brands.
Informed decision-making: Providing brands with real-time visibility into their supply chains to address environmental and social risks effectively.
Credible sustainability reporting: Ensuring brands can meet emerging legislative and regulatory requirements with robust and verified data.
“Interoperability is key to a future where supply chains are traceable, circular and fair. The Trackit™ test pilot brings the industry closer to a shared ecosystem where technology providers complement rather than compete, ensuring better outcomes for brands, suppliers, and the planet. TrusTrace is honored to contribute to this exciting project, and contribute with our vast experience in interoperability at scale,” said Shameek Ghosh, CEO and Co-founder of TrusTrace.
A Step Toward Systemic Change
The Trackit™ test pilot project is an integral step toward a more collaborative system for traceability. By reducing redundancies and aligning technology systems, this initiative aims to empower brands and supply chain partners to meet ambitious sustainability goals and manage supply chain risk and compliance.
About TrusTrace
TrusTrace offers a market-leading platform for supply chain traceability and compliance that enables brands and suppliers around the world to standardize how supply chain and material traceability data is captured, digitized and shared.
Through its AI-enhanced platform, TrusTrace empowers brands to gather and validate primary data from their supply chains, so they can know, prove and improve their impact. The data can be used for risk management, compliance, product claims, footprint calculations, the ability to confidently and easily share data about product origin and impact, and much more.
TrusTrace is leading global-scale traceability programs for many of the world’s largest and most ambitious brands and is called out as a Top Innovator for supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the World Economic Forum. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in India, France, Germany and the US. Please visit www.trustrace.com to learn more.
ATLANTA– February 5, 2025 – Vanderlande, the global partner for future-proof warehouse solutions, today invited ProMat 2025 attendees to visit booth #S1503 to learn more about the fully integrated technologies, best-of-breed solutions and comprehensive services available to warehousing operations regardless of where they are in their automation journeys. Vanderlande experts will also present two interactive conference seminars that will draw on real-world examples and lessons learned to show attendees how they can successfully deploy automation for the faster and more efficient warehousing needed to stay competitive and thrive.
Known for providing leading global brands with the most advanced distribution centers (DCs), Vanderlande offers the fully-integrated and comprehensive suite of solutions dynamic retailers, including omnichannel brands and e-commerce companies in the general merchandise, apparel and food sectors, need to excel. The company’s automation technologies encompass the systems, software, robotics and services needed to optimize throughput, order accuracy and storage capacity in the most demanding fulfillment and store replenishment operations.
With a consultative approach, Vanderlande meets organizations where they are, whether they are moving to build the most advanced greenfield facility or embracing automation for the first time. The company also works closely with numerous suppliers to identify, vet and deliver the most effective and proven solutions in order to deliver the flexibility customers need to confidently address widely varying materials handling demands, budgets and timelines.
“Every customer is unique and requires a tailored solution for automating their journey,” said Greg Conner, president of warehouse solutions, North America at Vanderlande. “Our fully-integrated suite of technologies, our collaboration with best-of-breed suppliers like Hai Robotics and our close connection with our partners in the Toyota Automated Logistics family reflects our commitment to provide end-to-end solutions that meet our customers where they are. Our goal is to help them achieve success whether they are a large-scale facility or a smaller warehouse that needs to address labor shortfalls, be more competitive or decrease workplace injuries.”
Experts from Vanderlande will be on hand at booth #S1503 to answer any questions on warehouse automation strategies and to showcase available technologies, among them:
STOREPICK: Vanderlande’s modular, robotic, end-to-end case picking solution upends retail store replenishment. Utilizing the company’s ADAPTO shuttle-based Automated Storage & Retrieval System, depalletizing and palletizing robots and Pallet AV load carriers and Automated Mobile Robots, STOREPICK automates the most labor-intensive tasks in the retail supply chain.
Load Forming Logic (LFL): A component of STOREPICK, LFL uses advanced software to replicate the most efficient and effective case pickers while overcoming the challenges encountered in food and grocery stocking operations. Employees or robots can use LFL’s powerful algorithms to quickly create the ideal pallet or roll cage based on which aisle SKUs are located in, the ideal order in which they are unstacked and shelved and how they can be arranged to maximize pallet stability or other imperatives, such as pallet density when striving to lower transportation costs.
FASTPICK: Drawing on ADAPTO’s exceptional speed, sequencing capabilities, and flexibility to work with a variety of cartons, trays and totes, Vanderlande’s high-performance item picking solution enables omnichannel and e-commerce distribution centers to effectively handle peaks in demand like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the constantly evolving holiday shopping season. Modular by design, STOREPICK also features Smart Item Robotics and enables employees to immediately excel in picking operations with the industry’s most advanced and intuitive Goods-to-Person workstation.
Hai Robotics’ Automated Case-Handling Mobile Robot (ACR): Offered in Vanderlande’s Tote AV tote-to-person picking and storage solution, Hai Robotics’ ACR is a highly effective alternative for materials handling operations that need to increase the effectiveness of their picking and storage operations, but do not have the resources or time to deploy Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS) like Vanderlande’s ADAPTO. Utilizing traditional racking, the ACR can be deployed and begin delivering a proven return in just a few weeks.
“When considering any investment in warehouse automation it is imperative to ask the right questions and to work with providers to develop a detailed business case that looks at how various approaches, including investments in greenfield or brownfield sites, impact short-term and long-term goals and costs,” adds Conner. “At ProMat, we’ll explore the many ways automation can help address constantly evolving needs.”
Interactive, Educational Sessions
Experts from Vanderlande will also present two interactive sessions at ProMat that reflect the company’s extensive track record of success delivering solutions that help customers optimize and future-proof their operations. Details include:
Transforming Material Handling with Auto Case-Picking Robots – Theater B on Monday, March 17 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. CST: Case-picking robots are a transformative innovation in materials handling and offer a wide range of benefits. Presented by Andrew Lockhart, director of strategic engagement, and Terrell Anthony, solutions consultant – this interactive session will explore how such systems enable continuous 24/7 productivity while lowering costs and eliminating many of the repetitive tasks that result in workplace injuries. The session will be particularly salient for professionals who want to understand the impact of robotics on their warehouses and how to integrate them into their operations.
Tailor Made Strategies for Automated Piece-Picking – Theater B on Wednesday, March 19 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. CST: Piece-picking efficiency dramatically impacts throughput and order accuracy. In this interactive session, Jake Heldenberg, director of systems engineering, and Nabil Hasan, solutions consultant – will help attendees learn how to assess the needs of their warehouse operations and use proven data analysis techniques to create a successful automation strategy. Heldenberg and Hasan will also examine the different piece picking technologies available today and how to effectively integrate them into an end-to-end solution that’s tailored to address each business’s unique needs.
ProMat will bring supply chain professionals and solutions providers to Chicago from March 17-20, 2025. To schedule an appointment in Vanderlande booth #S1503, visit ProMat 2025 on Vanderlande.com or email info.us@vanderlande.com.
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About Vanderlande
Established in 1949, Vanderlande is a market-leading, global partner for future-proof logistic process automation in the warehousing, airports and parcel sectors. Its extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realization of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology.
Owned by Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) and a part of Toyota Automated Logistics Group (TALG), Vanderlande has more than 9,000 employees, all committed to moving its customers’ businesses forward at diverse locations on every continent. With a revenue of $2.4 billion, it has established a worldwide reputation over the past seven decades as a global partner for future-proof logistic process automation. Learn more about Vanderlande here.
Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Warp, a tech-powered network of cross-docks and carriers offering various vehicle sizes, announced that 2025 it will extend its solutions and services to the U.S. government. Warp aims to modernize government freight logistics with machine-learning-driven planning, optimized network strategies, and flexible solutions to create efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable supply chain transportation.
Focused on optimizing every load, every time, Warp employs machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and groundbreaking consolidation techniques to blur the traditional lines of freight shipping by combining the best elements of LTL, FTL, and parcel delivery. Using its homogenous fleet including cargo vans, sedans, box trucks, and 53-foot trailers, Warp facilitates carrier injections, inbound vendor consolidation, pool point distribution, zone-skipping, store replenishment, and national retail distribution for some of the world’s largest shippers.
Unlike traditional FTL carriers, Warp offers per-pallet rates, ensuring customers pay only for what they use. Similarly, unlike traditional LTL carriers, Warp eliminates challenges such as unpredictable pricing, freight class adjustments, reweighs, and rebills. In the process of becoming an official government contractor, Warp will strategically align its technology, teams, and network to meet government needs while identifying opportunities for collaboration.
Many shippers that Warp has helped were previously paying for full truckloads without fully utilizing the space. Additionally, shippers relying on LTL services before switching to Warp often faced hidden fees, surprise surcharges, and unexpected rate adjustments. Our research indicates that these challenges are even more widespread in U.S. government transportation contracts.
“Partnering with Warp will save the government millions of dollars through reduced empty miles, shipment consolidation, route optimization, and scalable logistics—all without requiring government-owned infrastructure,” said Warp Co-founder and CEO Daniel Sokolovsky. “This is something we’ve been working on for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to showcase Warp’s capabilities and innovative logistics solutions on a national scale,” said Warp Co-founder and CRO Troy Lester.
About Warp Warp is a technology-enabled leader in middle-mile logistics, focused on creating efficient, scalable solutions for high-density, high-demand supply chains. By connecting shippers, carriers, and warehouses through an integrated platform, Warp delivers innovative freight technology solutions that prioritize efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. With a suite of tech-driven offerings, including real-time tracking, cross-docking, and route optimization, Warp provides unmatched reliability, visibility, and transformative impact in logistics and supply chain management.
For more information on how Warp can enhance your logistics network, visitwww.weareWarp.com.