ProMat 2013
Join us in Chicago for ProMat 2013 – Where Supply Chain Solutions Connect.
ProMat 2013
January 21 – 24, 2013
McCormick Place, Chicago IL
www.promatshow.com
To learn more about ProMat 2011 please feel free to browse our blog entries and stay tuned for new entries about ProMat 2013!
ProMat Ends Today
Today marks the conclusion of ProMat, four days of comprehensive problem solving and networking to provide solutions to the complex manufacturing and supply chain challenges faced by industry today.
Hopefully, you have been able to see these challenges addressed in over 100 educational conference sessions and experienced first-hand the solutions demonstrated on the ProMat show floor by over the 700 exhibiting companies.
Now the real work begins, applying the solutions discovered here to your business to cut costs and increase productivity and safety in the years ahead. Even though ProMat closes today, it continues on-line at www.ProMatShow.com as an on-going resource to both exhibitors and attendees.
The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) will sponsor another world-class trade event next February called MODEX 2012. The trade show will be held February 6-9, 2012 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.
MODEX will be the largest material handling, supply chain and logistics expo held in North America in 2012. Over 500 exhibitors, a comprehensive educational conference, and attendees from over 80 countries around the world will come together at MODEX 2012 to match the Industry’s leading solutions to manufacturing and supply chain needs.
More information, and free on-line registration, for MODEX 2012 can be found at www.MODEXShow.com.
MHIA has been privileged to be your host during ProMat 2011 and would like to serve as a year-round resource as you face the challenges and opportunities of a more complex and ever-changing commercial world. We can be reached by phone at 800-345-1815 or 704-676-1190, by FAX at 704-676-1199 or by visiting us on-line at www.mhia.org.
ProMat Educational Track on Supply Chain Sustainability Starts Today at 1:00!
Today’s afternoon educational track tackles sustainability, the supply chain and their future together. A wide range of speakers will detail what it takes to get started, what is working today and what a sustainable supply chain might look like in a couple of decades. The session starts at 1:00 today in S401.
Material Handling & Logistics – What’s Next for the Industry
Halfway through ProMat, John Nofsinger, CEO of the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), took a look at what’s ahead for the industry and users of the material handling and logistics equipment and technology.
Mr. Nofsinger opened the conference by emphasizing that “material handling and logistics, when thought of as a process, remains at the core of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal activities—and, indeed at the supply chain.”
In outlining MHIA programming, Nofsinger noted the results of a recent supply chain sustainability study by MHIA that is being presented tomorrow afternoon during ProMat 2011. He noted that 48% of respondents to that study have a formal “green” initiative underway at their companies and 88% said that sustainability will be of greater importance to their facilities over the next 18-24 months.
Nofsinger then noted the research results that came out of two MHIA-funded research grants to The Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University that will be presented in two ProMat seminar sessions on Wednesday afternoon. The research topics were ergonomics in distribution centers and worker-centric warehouses.
George Prest, COO of MHIA then shared some facts and views on the economic state of the material handling & logistics industry according to the MHIA Roundtable Leaders.
Prest continued by stating that by looking at the Industry on a rate of change basis and comparing to various leading indexes, the market outlook for the material handling and logistics industry is for growth in 2011 and 2012.
According to Prest, “As far as new orders MHIA’s forecast is for growth in the 11.0% to 12.0% range in 2011-12.”
Prest cited the Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (MHEM) Forecast as a proxy for the overall industry stating MHIA is predicting shipments to grow 11.0% to 12.0% in 2011-12. Overall domestic Demand (shipments plus imports less exports) is expected to grow 11.0% to 12.0% in 2011-12. Exports will be stronger than imports in 2011.
Mr. Prest then discussed MHIA communication activities and trade events. He explained that MHIA has organized major industry events like ProMat 2011 and MODEX 2012 (held February 6-9, 2012 in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center) since the late 1940’s.
Page Siplon, Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics then discussed the implications for Atlanta and Georgia as the hosts of MHIA’s next event, MODEX 2012. He discussed the leadership role the region has in logistics and how that played an important consideration when MHIA was seeking a destination for their newest event.
Jock Menzies, President of the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) concluded the conference by noting the important work MHIA is doing as a founding member of the ALAN. Mr. Menzies then outlined the relief work ALAN has done in response to the Haitian earthquake and is currently doing for the current disaster in Japan. He also noted that ALAN has an exhibit on the ProMat show floor in The Hub and in booth 2876 where ProMat attendees are helping pick and pack relief kits for needy families that will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
The conference ended with Wolfgang Pech of Deutsche Messe, AG and Peter Gunter of VDMA discussing the CeMat 2011 event and the intralogistics industry in Germany.