Logistics, Operations, Supply Chain
PR Newswire | January 10, 2024
Metro Supply Chain Inc. ("Metro Supply Chain"), a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest growing and most reputable organizations, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire SCI Group Inc. ("SCI"), a leading Canadian third-party logistics (3PL) company, from Canada Post Corporation ("Canada Post") and Purolator Holdings Ltd.
This transformational transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.
"We are thrilled about the prospect of acquiring SCI," said Chiko Nanji, Metro Supply Chain Founder and Group Chairman. "There is an excellent strategic fit between SCI and our existing operations and culture, and we are excited about the future as a combined entity. This acquisition will strengthen our position as a true champion in strategic contract logistics services."
The combined entity, with deep Canadian roots and a shared focus on customers, will be ideally positioned to compete in the global supply chain sector.
"The strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI is strong. We look forward to leveraging our complementary strengths and shared emphasis on operational excellence to generate growth for clients in multiple sectors, including technology and healthcare, and expand our e–commerce offering," said Metro Supply Chain President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Fenton. "The addition of SCI to the Metro Supply Chain group will offer opportunities to enhance our expansion efforts south of the border."
Headquartered in Québec, with significant regional support offices in the Greater Toronto Area and operations across Canada, the United States and United Kingdom, the combined entity will create a diversified supply chain solutions provider.
Metro Supply Chain is highly engaged and committed to its people and the communities in which it operates. It is mindful of its social, economic and environmental impact and seeks ways to work more sustainably and create a positive impact on the planet, customers, teams and communities.
Chris Galindo, President and CEO of SCI, will remain with the combined entity, ensuring the continuity of SCI's commitment to excellence.
"There is a strong strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI, from our strong people–first cultures to our focus on innovation, best-in-class systems, and contractual business models and complementary technology, client and vertical mix," explained Galindo.
Metro Supply Chain is grateful to its existing and new financial partners, LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, Investissement Québec, and the National Bank of Canada, for their support in this transaction and the future growth of the combined entity.
"With this 10th acquisition by Metro Supply Chain since it began working with CDPQ in 2018, the company is actively pursuing its strategic development plan," said Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Québec at CDPQ. "We are proud to support the company in its efforts to strengthen its position as a Canadian leader, accelerate growth projects and expand activities, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom."
To support its global strategic vision, Metro Supply Chain has concluded an agreement with the Government of Québec through Investissement Québec, for an investment by way of a private placement in Metro Supply Chain.
"To ensure the economic and sustainable development of Québec, it is essential that we be able to rely on Québec companies and robust supply chains. With this investment in Metro Supply Chain, we are helping a Québec company to become an international leader in the logistics sector," stated Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region.
"This transaction aligns with Investissement Québec's mission to create a logistics champion and support its geographic expansion outside Québec. Metro Supply Chain is setting an example by making a significant investment to improve its productivity by automating its warehouses. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chains, which are an essential link in the Québec economy," said Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.
"Metro Supply Chain welcomes Investissement Québec as one of its new strategic partners and is very pleased to be able to count on the continued support of LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, the National Bank of Canada, as we pursue our global growth ambitions," stated Metro Supply Chain CFO Mathieu Descheneaux. "This strategic investment enables us to acquire high–quality companies like SCI to expand the range and depth of supply chain solutions we can offer."
Together, Metro Supply Chain and SCI anticipate a bright future, delivering innovative supply chain solutions that meet the most challenging needs of their customers.
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Operations, Sustainability, Transportation
PR Newswire | February 01, 2024
<p>Revoy, a simple and truly viable solution to decarbonize the trucking industry, today announces the launch of the Revoy EV, a simple add-on for fleets that enables an easy transition to full EV without alterations to trucks or trailers. Pioneering a new sector of commercial trucking EV solutions, Revoy's technology improves fuel efficiency from 6 - 8 mpg to 20 - 35+ mpg, representing a 70 - 90%+ reduction in emissions. Economically, adding a Revoy EV to a tractor enables companies to save thousands of dollars in fuel per truck annually, inclusive of Revoy fees.</p><p>Currently, commercial trucks and fleets account for 6.7%¹ of all of the United States' GHG emissions. Revoy is helping reduce this and propel businesses towards net zero goals. Revoy EVs are on the road today actively decarbonizing trucks, and are expanding to more areas this year.</p<p>"Trucking contributes 6.7% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US. The current approach of wholly replacing diesel engines with batteries and electric motors is too abrupt of a transition for such a critical and underappreciated part of our economy," said Ian Rust, CEO and founder of Revoy. "EV tractors are more expensive to purchase and recharge compared to diesel, and no driver can spare the time to stop and charge for hours. Luxury passenger vehicles are not engineered to generate ROI and depreciate quickly. Making commercial vehicles the same way poses a risk to any fleet that adopts them. Revoy has engineered an electric commercial vehicle that is built as an asset first. The entire vehicle is swappable in under five minutes, so no waiting on a charge, and can operate on any trucker's existing vehicle with no modifications."</p><p>Revoy handles all infrastructure and charging, and its adaptable technology offers ease of use, saved time, low upfront costs, and ongoing fuel benefits. Revoy allows truckers to drive up to 235 miles on electric power using a 525kWh LFP battery pack.</p<p>Solving for sustainability in the trucking industry is complex, but simplicity is at the core of Revoy's innovation. Revoy's EV technology is adaptable and easy to apply to existing fleets, with the option to use as needed. The process is simple: trucks visit a Revoy swap station, where an attendant swaps the Revoy EV while the driver relaxes in the truck or shops inside.</p><p>Revoy's EV technology addresses the sustainability and competitive business needs of trucking fleets and companies committed to net zero goals through the following</p>
Dramatic MPG Improvement: At 235 miles of range, Revoy can take a 6 - 8 mpg truck to 20 - 35+ mpg. At a shorter range, for example 150 miles, mpg can exceed 30 - 40 mpg. This is a transformational step change in fuel efficiency.
Electric Range Extension on Electric Trucks: Revoy allows truckers to drive up to 235 miles on electric power using a 525kWh LFP battery pack, and can be "recharged" nearly instantly with a Revoy swap. Long charges or battery-destroying fast charges are no longer necessary. An 800kWh long-range version will be coming out in May 2024.
No Time Wasted On The Road: Revoy electric vehicles instantly convert any diesel truck into a hybrid, easily attaching to the fifth wheel automatically. Truckers can swap at an available station for a fresh battery in less than five minutes, which is 90% faster than traditional EV charging. Fleets can share Revoy EVs based on subscription tier for immediate savings, without the risk.
Zero Payload Impact: The Revoy EV has no impact on payload. Trucks encountering loads that are too heavy to accept the extra battery weight can revert to diesel in minutes by dropping the Revoy EV.
Compliant with Length Laws: The Revoy EV requires no additional CDL endorsements and is compliant with all length restrictions on the national highway network.
Safety Features Built Into Every Vehicle: Revoy offers intelligent auto-correction to prevent rollovers, flipping and jackknifing. The Revoy EV has an extra set of brakes to automatically engage more stopping power when driving down mountains, blind spot detection and automatic reversing with intelligent computing from a series of sensors with notifications through Revoy's mobile app.
<p>Revoy was founded by Ian Rust, an innovator, founder and mechanical engineer with over 12 years of experience in clean transportation and sustainability, and is backed by YCombinator, Transition Global, and Liquid2 Ventures. The team includes over 100 years of experience from GM, Tesla, Embark Trucks, Waymo, and the European Space Agency, among others. Revoy's technology is made in the USA, FMVSS compliant, and compliant with all length and weight (bridge and GVW) regulations.</p>
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Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation
Business Wire | February 05, 2024
AIT Worldwide Logistics, one of the world’s leaders in global supply chain solutions, has acquired Global Transport Solutions Group (GTS), a prominent international freight forwarder specializing in time-critical marine spare parts logistics.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, GTS and its more than 600 teammates across 16 locations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, serve over 2,000 ports around the world. The GTS network also includes nine consolidation hubs totaling more than 45,000 square meters of warehouse space.
AIT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Vaughn Moore, said, “I’d like to welcome our new GTS teammates to the global AIT network. This is the largest acquisition in our company’s history and GTS’ marine spare parts business is an excellent complement to AIT’s time-critical supply chain solutions.”
The company’s business is divided into two sub-brands: Marinetrans (founded in 1991), excelling in “door-to-deck” spare parts logistics for ship owners and managers, and Best Global Logistics (founded in 2007), providing time-critical solutions and general forwarding for other industries, including life sciences shippers.
According to AIT’s Chief Business Officer, Greg Weigel, the acquisition provides the company with new geographic presence in Greece, Japan and the Nordic region while adding significant capacity and subject matter expertise to existing AIT networks in China, the Netherlands and Singapore. The deal also provides a strong foundation to expand GTS’ world-class marine spare parts solutions via AIT’s expansive global freight network.
“The acquisition of GTS creates an incredible portfolio of solutions serving the maritime industry with delivery of time-critical spare parts across all geographies. This is a perfect complement to AIT’s vertical strategies focused on expedited mission-critical services like our Critical Solutions Group, government and AOG team, and Life Sciences Division,” Weigel said. “We plan to rapidly invest and expand GTS’ North American operations by capitalizing on AIT’s robust salesforce in the United States and offering maritime customers a world-class spare parts logistics solution in every port.”
AIT President and Chief Operating Officer, Keith Tholan, noted that the GTS core values – customer first, operational excellence, and partnership and collaboration – closely mirror AIT’s core values.
“We are delighted to welcome GTS teammates to AIT,” Tholan said. “Their deep marine logistics expertise and three decades of proven on-time performance in a very demanding segment will complement the diverse solutions we offer across our vertical sector strategy. We also expect our best-in-class global air freight procurement will instantly benefit their time-critical operations.”
According to GTS co-CEO John Burgstra, the acquisition is an opportunity for GTS to further expand their worldwide operations.
“We aim to provide our clients an unrivaled experience when it comes to global visibility, transparency and on-time performance, fully unburdening them of the required logistical handling of their vessels’ spare parts,” he said. “We are excited about becoming part of a larger group and the global development opportunities this acquisition will provide for our teammates.”
“Because of the highly fragmented and international nature of our clients’ requirements, they need a trusted partner with a vetted and effective global network,” added GTS co-CEO Vegard Prytz. “GTS will gain enormous benefits from leveraging the global AIT infrastructure, creating an even more integrated and seamless solution for clients around the world.”
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Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation
USPack | January 05, 2024
USPack, a national leader in same-day, final-mile delivery solutions, and a NewSpring Holdings platform company, today unveils new branding and launches USPack Healthcare. These moves mark a significant milestone in USPack's evolution and position the company at the forefront of innovation and customized final mile solutions, catering to the growing needs of healthcare, retail, and big & bulky customers in the modern logistics landscape.
For over 30 years USPack has led the way in building tailored logistics solutions for some of the most prestigious names in healthcare including pharmacies, major hospital systems, and labs. More recently, USPack has quickly expanded into providing more complex and critical solutions supporting clinical trials, nuclear medicine, medical devices, and long-term care facilities, ultimately contributing to improved patient care and outcomes. In response to the ever-evolving landscape of the healthcare industry, USPack is committed to enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring the timely delivery of critical supplies by formalizing USPack Healthcare. Existing customers will continue to have the same high-touch service levels and benefit from increased supply chain visibility.
As the final mile logistics industry undergoes transformative changes driven by technological advancements and customer demands, USPack has built a nationwide reputation for customizable logistics solutions encompassing speed, efficiency, and accuracy. The new branding, which includes a new logo, website, and updated color palette for USPack Healthcare, uses a mile marker to reflect the company's commitment to final mile precision.
"Macro-economic tailwinds including the aging population, the growing life-sciences market, and the rise of in-home healthcare solutions combined with customer demand have us doubling down on our capabilities. We will build on our already robust service-centric solutions for routed and STAT final-mile solutions with the launch of USPack Healthcare," says Mike Clark, USPack CEO. "We're proud of our tech-forward approach, problem-solving mindset, and decades of experience serving the final mile. Our new USPack branding and the rollout of USPack Healthcare underscore the deliberate evolution of USPack as we look to expand our trusted customer relationships across all market sectors."
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