Retailers, particularly big box stores, are demanding more customized packaging of products, which increases demand for contract packaging services, says Dave Mabon, president of contract packaging at Genco. With margins that average 30 to 40 percent, this presents a huge opportunity for service providers.

Providing parts and sub-assemblies to automotive production lines is a highly complex activity, requiring rapid, automated sequencing and sophisticated error proofing. Bo Cheng, director of the automotive business at Comprehensive Logistics, explains how his company is keeping pace as automotive volumes return to pre-recession levels.

Picking in a frozen environment with heavy gloves, paper and pencil impaired the productivity and accuracy of operations at Perry's Ice Cream in Akron, N.Y. A voice-picking system from Vocollect enabled Perry's to solve these problems and gain other benefits.

PakSense Inc., a vendor of environmental monitoring systems, has launched AutoSense, a means of delivering cold-chain temperature data to smartphones.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. has begun operating out of a new facility in Corona, Calif., to support the services of Robinson Fresh.

Motorola Solutions Inc. has introduced the Symbol TC70 touch computer.

A hot topic among retailers, customers and logistics professionals alike for years, omnichannel fulfillment is finally here. Whether shopping in person, buying online and picking up in store, or having merchandise sent directly to them, customers expect access to the same inventory.

As a part of the strategy to expand its logistics business further in Asia, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., or "K" Line, has agreed to establish a joint venture with Cool Japan Fund Inc. and Japan Logistic Systems Corp. to build and operate a cold storage in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.