Weekly Roundup: Major Updates for Logistics Professionals in the Americas
The logistics industry in the Americas continues to evolve rapidly, driven by e-commerce growth, supply chain optimization, and technological advancements. Industry giants like USPS, DHL, GXO, SEKO Logistics, and Lineage Logistics play pivotal roles in shaping this dynamic landscape.
This week, key updates include USPS celebrating cultural milestones with its Lunar New Year stamp, DHL strengthening reverse logistics through strategic acquisitions, and GXO innovating high-street deliveries for retail clients. Meanwhile, Lineage Logistics expands globally, and SEKO enhances its operations team to meet growing demand. These developments underscore the industry's relentless focus on efficiency and customer satisfaction.
USPS Unveils Latest Lunar New Year Stamp
The United States Postal Service has introduced the Lunar New Year: Year of the Snake stamp at Boston's historic Boch Center Wang Theatre. The Postal Service issued 21 million stamps currently available at post offices and on usps.com.
Share the news on social media with the hashtags #LunarNewYearSnake and #LunarNewYearStamp.
"Our Lunar New Year stamp series is extremely popular, and we are very proud of how it highlights and celebrates America's great diversity," said Luke Grossmann, CFO and Executive Vice President of the USPS, who dedicated the stamp. "As you use these vibrant stamps to mail your letters and packages, we wish that the" Year of the Snake "brings each of you good health, great joy, and much prosperity."
(Image source: USPS)
Antonio Alcalá, USPS's art director, collaborated with artist Camille Chew on the Lunar New Year stamp series to provide innovative, joyful, and fun graphics.
The snake mask contains aspects of symbolic significance, with greens and blues as the prominent colors. Blue highlights reflect the wood element in Chinese culture, an appropriate choice for the Year of the Snake—meanwhile, spring-themed paper flowers with gold leaves and orange blossoms. Also, the mask is adorned with decorative purple baubles hanging from blue strings.
Lineage Grows Cold Storage Network in Western Australia
Lineage has confirmed the acquisition of Fremantle City Coldstores (FCC), a cold storage company in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Brooke Miller, Lineage President for Asia Pacific, stated that the continuous expansion in the cold storage area in Western Australia is helping to solidify the state as a critical component of the company's long-term strategic growth plan for Australia and Asia-Pacific.
"With just under 42,000 cubic meters of space and more than 8,000 pallet positions, FCC will strengthen our cold storage network in Western Australia alongside our other operating facility in Perth," said Ms. Miller.
(Image source: Lineage Logistics)
Morris Guest, Lineage's Regional Vice President for Australia, stated that one of the numerous benefits of adding FCC to Lineage's network is its proximity to Fremantle Port, Western Australia's largest general cargo hub.
"With this new facility less than 10km from one of the country's largest ports, FCC will play a vital role in offering our customers best-in-class service and solutions," says Guest. "We look forward to serving our customers through this facility and are proud to welcome FCC's employees into the Lineage Asia-Pacific team.
DHL Acquires Reverse Logistics Leader, Inmar Supply Chain Solutions
DHL Supply Chain recently announced its acquisition of Inmar Supply Chain Solutions, a branch of Inmar Intelligence that provides premier returns solutions to the retail e-commerce market. With the strategic acquisition, DHL Supply Chain will become North America's biggest provider of reverse logistics solutions.
The acquisition will add 14 return centers and around 800 individuals to DHL Supply Chain, boosting the company's North American network, which already includes over 520 warehouses backed by 52,000 associates. Furthermore, DHL Supply Chain will expand its returns capabilities to include product remarketing, recall management, and supply chain performance analytics. Inmar Intelligence will keep its pharmaceutical reverse distribution business.
(Image source: DHL)
"DHL Supply Chain's market-leading logistics experience, combined with Inmar's suite of returns services and professional team, will allow us to deliver best-in-class logistics services to our industry customers. Together, we will build a returns business in North America that is unparalleled in depth, breadth, skills, and talent, fueled by long-term development," stated Oscar de Bok, Global CEO of DHL Supply Chain.
GXO Provides High Street Deliveries for The Perfume Shop
GXO Logistics, Inc. has teamed up with The Perfume Shop, the UK's leading specialty fragrance retailer, to supply weekly high street deliveries to over 200 retailers via its shared transport network, reducing environmental impact, urban congestion, and transportation costs.
"We are delighted to be The Perfume Shop's preferred partner in keeping their high street stores across the UK fully stocked," said Richard Ball, Director, Shared Transport Network, GXO. "By partnering with GXO, our customers can concentrate on providing the best retail experience for consumers, knowing stock will be in the right place at the right time, with less impact on the environment and at reduced cost."
(Image source: GXO Logistics)
GXO's shared transport fleet combines deliveries for different retailers, reducing the number of vehicles entering and leaving already congested city centers. On average, GXO vans would transport deliveries from five separate customers, stopping at 8 to 10 places along the way, making them more efficient than a specialized delivery service. Dedicated transportation options cost a retailer 5 kg of CO2 per liter more than a shared user vehicle if not fully utilized.
In addition, shared logistics transport decreases urban traffic congestion by reducing the number of cars on the road. This is especially critical when communities enact regulations to reduce automobile emissions and encourage cleaner, more efficient transportation alternatives.
SEKO Logistics Enhances U.S. Operations Team
Following the recent announcement of Commercial Team promotions, SEKO has revealed yet another round of exciting news, this time focusing on the Operations Team in the United States. These latest promotions, along with a new addition, highlight SEKO's dedication to operational excellence and the exceptional talent that is propelling the firm forward throughout the Americas and beyond.
(Image source: SEKO Logistics)
Ian Oliver Promoted to SVP, Operations - America: Ian Oliver's new position will include overseeing all freight forwarding and transportation operations, such as air, ocean, domestic, and customs brokerage, as well as international ecommerce and returns.
Justin Horwitz Promoted to Senior Director, Domestic Product: Justin Horwitz, Senior Director, Domestic Product, will be in charge of operations, domestic processes, and the domestic P&L statement in the United States.
Wes Hinz Promoted to Senior Director, Strategic Partners (SPs) and Business Development: Wes Hinz, in his new job as Senior Director, SPs and Business Development, will work closely with SEKO's SPs across sales, operations, and corporate support divisions to develop cooperation, drive growth, and build relationships.
Clint Dvorak Appointed to Senior Director, Ocean Operations and Customs Brokerage: Dvorak's responsibilities will include overseeing all maritime and customs brokerage activities for owned branches.
Jason Garcia Promoted to Operations Director: Jason Garcia, in his new job as Operations Director, will continue to supervise SEKO's cartage network while expanding his responsibilities to include collaborating with operations to onboard new business, ensuring SEKO provides great service to customers, and supervising owned branch cartage P&L.
Conclusion
This week’s updates showcase the ever-evolving nature of the logistics industry. USPS's cultural nod, Lineage’s strategic global expansion, and DHL's acquisition highlight the industry’s innovation and adaptability. Moreover, GXO's retail-focused delivery solutions and SEKO’s operational enhancements further emphasize the sector's drive toward customer-centric growth. Stay ahead of the curve by visiting us weekly for the latest logistics news and insights, empowering you to navigate this dynamic field effectively.
