Business Trends

By Robert Reinfried, Executive Vice President, CEMA The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) reports that overall industry orders (bookings) for the first 6 months of 2018 increased 43.2% compared to the same period in 2017, with total orders of $8.85 billion. CEMA estimates industry billed sales (shipments) for the first 6 months of 2018 increased 22.29% compared to the same ...

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By George Prest, CEO, MHI The U.S. economy and Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (MHEM) enjoyed solid growth in 2018. But the outlook for 2019 and 2020 is not as strong. After one of the longest U.S. expansions in history, slower growth appears likely in coming quarters. The potential for a tighter U.S. monetary policy, rising levels of U.S. debt, and ...

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Wisconsin Lift Truck and Illinois Material Handling partner with Really-Virtual Consulting to increase safety in forklift training By Steve Guglielmo As material handling companies find it increasingly difficult to find experienced industry talent, many have had to look outside the industry fill open positions. Those new to the industry, especially those who have never operated potentially dangerous equipment like a ...

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Looking back at MHEDA’s Business Trends from 2008-2018 By Steve Guglielmo The MHEDA Board of Directors publishes its upcoming list of material handling business trends in the 4th Quarter Issue of The MHEDA Journal every year. The list is conceived at the July Executive Committee Meeting and then disseminated among the MHEDA membership as a guide for things that might ...

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MHEDA’s Chairman of the Board and CEO discuss the changes to this year’s Material Handling Business Trends and how they will shape the industry for the foreseeable future By Doug Carson, Liz Richards and Steve Guglielmo Every year, the MHEDA Board of Directors releases their list of Material Handling Business Trends (formerly Critical Impact Factors) that will be shaping the ...

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The following 2019 Critical Impact Factors were defined by MHEDA’s Executive Committee. They are defined as “critical” in that they are significant challenges or opportunities that have recently emerged or become pervasive and should be considered as members develop their internal business plans. This year’s Material Handling Business Trends planning process deviated slightly from past years, which can be read ...

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“Which of the Critical Impact Factors / Material Handling Business Trends from the last 10 years has most affected your business and how have you managed it?” Asked by the MHEDA Staff Doug Carson, VP Marketing / Sales, Fallsway Equipment Company, Akron, OH The Critical Impact Factors surrounding consolidation, both at the supplier and the distributor level, started appearing as ...

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MHEDA and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) partnered to launch the Certified Forklift Technician (CFT) designation in 2017 as an effort to combat the “skills gap” shortage in the material handling industry. The CFT was created to raise performance of forklift technicians, assist individuals in finding higher paying jobs and help employers ensure their workforce is skilled and robust. ...

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By John Mackay If your company wants to increase profitability and continue to grow in today’s competitive environment, you have to realize that sometimes even your best instincts may not be enough (and without an industry benchmark, they’re only instincts). It is essential that you take the time to analyze your industry’s best practices and build them into your company’s ...

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By Bill Kaiser Today, more than ever before, culture has become the “hot topic” in business. You can hardly open a business journal or magazine without finding some article about the importance of organizational culture. The first 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review features culture as the lead topic. Deloitte’s annual Global Human Capital Trend Report consistently ranks culture among ...

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