And into the final third of the year we go...I'm somewhat in a state of disbelief when I sit down to write this in about another month or so that the baseball playoffs will be upon us. I mean, weren't they just reporting for Spring Training?
There are a wide variety of issues that I wanted to mention in this issue, many of which require linking out to the source material. If you or your company do not subscribe to some of these publications, I encourage you to do so because you'll be well read and ready to discuss the current issues that face logistics and supply chain today and into the future.
Peak Season: Flat.
Both the Journal of Commerce and the Wall Street Journal have opined that flat is the new peak. If that's the case, then logistics companies are going to have to change their business models to support year-round revenue generation rather than counting on a bump between now and the holiday season.
Amazon is coming to town...
They're all around us now, actually. In Crain's, it was announced this week that a third Amazon facility is planned for south suburban Monee, joining two facilities they've got under construction in Joliet and Romeoville. And congrats are in order to Ken Ryan and his team at Rockford Airport who've landed a daily Amazon freighter that could balloon to as many as five flights per day.
September events: Dan Gadow and the Airforwarders Association
We'll have more details on Dan's featured presentation at our monthly luncheon which will be held on Tuesday, September 13th, in the coming days. Just get your calendar marked for it. The big event, though, surrounds the quarterly Airforwarders Assocation board meeting that will be held in Chicago on September 20th followed by a night of discussion about air cargo issues in the Chicago market. In what can only be termed a coup, the AfA have landed Ginger Evans, Chicago's Aviation Commissioner, as a speaker and participant. If you're interested in sponsoring the event which is targeted at freight forwarders, or you want to attend, check out more on our website.
Calling all scholars...
September is also the month when we will open for nominations and applications for our annual IACAC Scholarship. Last year three worthy recipients shared several thousand dollars for their education. As a reminder, the scholarship is open to immediate family members of IACAC individual and corporate members. Got a kid going to college? Spend $50 or $100 on a membership for a chance to get them money for school.
"It's cold in Chicago" isn't a valid excuse.
You'd have to be blind or not spend any time driving around any part of O'Hare to notice the construction that seems to be happening at every turn. IDOT and the Illinois Tollway's plan for western access to O'Hare (and a western bypass around said airport) are under siege because the Canadian Pacific Railroad have backed out of an agreement to sell a portion of their yard to the Tollway Authority for the western access project. Greg Hinz has been covering it beautifully for Crain's and you should read what is happening and hope that both sides can come to their senses and the bargaining table because the delays and additional costs would dwarf whatever price the railroad sets for the property.
October events include an Oktoberfest!
For certain we're going to have the inimitable Brandon Fried and his traveling road show from the Airforwarders Association in to talk about what is happening with regulators in DC. There are all kinds of things to talk about like IACSSP Change 6, canines, ACAS and more. Brandon's event is usually one of the more well-attended we put on each year, so don't forget to mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 11th.
We're also finalizing the details on an Oktoberfest back over at Church Street Brewing Company, the site of our successful July social event. The tentative date is Thursday, October 20th at Church Street in Itasca. Watch this space for the full details when they're announced.