Year in Review: Top materials handling news in 2011

Brambles acquires CAPS
Container and Pooling Solutions offers sustainable pooling solutions and associated managed services to customers in the automotive and industrial sectors in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In November 2010, Brambles Limited, the parent company of CHEP, announced the planned acquisition of IFCO Systems, a leading provider of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) in 23 countries, and pallet management services in the USA. The transaction would enhance Brambles’ position as a global leader in pooling solutions, creating an entity with sales revenue of approximately $5 billion

Intermec completes acquisition of Vocollect
Vocollect will broaden Intermec’s applications and solution offerings in the warehouse workflow and help to establish a leading position in software-oriented solutions.

George Huber III elected president of CEMA
Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association elects new president and board at annual meeting. More CEMA news.

New packaging restrictions between U.S. and Canada soon to enter “informed compliance” period
If adopted, shipments containing bug-infested wood packaging materials could be refused as soon as this summer.

Materials handling industry rebounds
$75 billion. That could be the most important figure reported by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), sponsor of ProMat, at its annual State of the Industry press conference

ProMat 2011 exceeds expectations
As an indicator of the continued economic recovery of the materials handling, supply chain and logistics industry, U.S. and international attendees registered in record numbers for ProMat 2011. Modern’s complete ProMat 2011 coverage.

Montwieler retires after 28 years as head of ITA
Longtime director to be succeeded by PERC’s Brian Feehan

Packaging: Sealed Air to acquire Diversey Holdings
Sealed Air Corporation and Diversey Holdings announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sealed Air will acquire Diversey, a leading solutions provider to the global cleaning and sanitization market, in a transaction valued at $4.3 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed in 2011 and is expected to be accretive to earnings in the first full year following completion.

President Obama and Skills for America’s Future work to improve manufacturing jobs
Efforts aim to help prepare 500,000 workers for cutting-edge manufacturing jobs. President Barack Obama announced a major expansion of Skills for America’s Future. The program, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, is structured as a broad umbrella under which corporations, labor unions, community colleges and others can connect and work together to train and develop America’s workforce.

Lift trucks: Sky-Trax, Rush Tracking Systems announce merger
Rush Tracking Systems, a provider of advanced tracking solutions, software and services for manufacturing and warehouse operations, and Sky-Trax Inc., a provider of patented real-time location systems for tracking goods, vehicles and guiding autonomous vehicles in any size facility, announced that they have merged to form a single company.

MHIA: John Nofsinger to retire, George Prest his successor as CEO
The Board of Governors of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) announces that John B. Nofsinger, Chief Executive Officer of MHIA since 1999, will retire on December 31, 2011. George W. Prest, Chief Operating Officer of MHIA, will succeed Nofsinger as Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2012.

PMMI: Pack Expo Las Vegas breaks records, exceeds expectations
PMMI, owner and producer of the Pack Expo trade shows, reports that with more than 26,000 attendees, 1,559 exhibitors and nearly 630,000 net square feet, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 26-28) broke its event records on these and several other counts.

ProMat 2013 Spacedraw breaks record
The ProMat 2013 exhibit spacedraw, held November 10 in Chicago, attracted 388 exhibitors who reserved a first-day record of 230,000 net square feet of show floor space at the Industry’s premier U.S. event. This record amount of space reserved is a clear message that the material handling and logistics industry is healthy and growing.