Registration is continuing for the 66th Annual Food Shippers of America Conference to be held February 28 - March 2, 2021 at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, California

We are close to completing the staggered voucher invitation release schedule and will be releasing the balance of the invites over the next six weeks. To date, shippers, receivers, food service, motor carrier, warehouse, railroad and sponsor invites have been released.

Please note that attendance will initially be limited (anticipating 800-900 attendees) due to State of California COVID-19 related requirements, and each category of attendee will be proportionally capped. As we get closer to the actual conference date, and if the State relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions, we will add additional registration openings for each attendee type.

Please contact Paul Newbourne, Executive Director, if you have any questions at ExecutiveDirector@FoodShippersofAmerica.org or 847-302-1496.

Food Shippers of America has implemented the following change to its membership dues structure effective July 1, 2020.

Membership in the Food Shippers of America trade association is limited to individuals engaged in the business of shipping or receiving food and related productions in the Food and Beverage industry where an individual is someone who conducts business on behalf of a company who has, or maintains, physical ownership of these products within the supply chain.

Thank you to all our members for your continued support!

 
The 2021 John J. Murphy Scholarship program is again available for a child or dependent of a Supply Chain Logistics department employee of a Food Shippers of America member company or individual member whose membership has been paid for in full. 

Total of $22,500 will be awarded.

With profound sadness and shock, The Shippers Group announces that Ken Johnson, Owner and CEO, passed away October 14. Ken’s sudden death is the result of unexpected complications following a recent illness. The entire Shippers Group family mourns his loss, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to Ken’s family during this very difficult time.

Global Newswire
Retail giant Albertsons has been named "Retailer of the Year" for 2020 by Supermarket News. The annual honor recognizes Albertsons spirit of innovation and excellence. Company CEO Vivek Sankaran accepted the honor saying, "It is our pleasure to be able to continue to serve our communities while our team works hard to promote the safety of our associates and customers and keep America fed. We are proud to have been recognized for our efforts.”

Food Business News
Keith Neumann has joined the team at Continental Mills as the chief growth officers responsible for sales, marketing and R&D. Neumann brings a wealth of experience from a career spent working with top food and beverage innovators, including PepsiCo, Quaker Oats and GfK Strategic Innovation/Arbor Strategy Group.

Food Shippers of America is looking for FSA Member Companies to profile in upcoming issues of the bi-annual Food Shippers of America magazine.

Tell us what your New Normal looks like. Perhaps how your company jump-started its own recovery in the wake of the pandemic or the best practices your team has developed to ensure continued resilience and adaptability moving forward. We offer a unique opportunity for FSA Member Companies to share with our readers their company's goals and successes, visions and innovations. 

If you would like your FSA Member Company profile to appear in our print and digital publications, please contact Food Shippers at media_advisor@foodshippersofamerica.org.

Who Is Eligible for FSA Membership?

Our Summer 2020 issue of Food Shippers of America magazine is also available in digital format, with a host of articles featuring industry leaders on topics ranging from TMS implementation and cost saving to innovative transformations and strategic planning within the supply chain. In addition, Transport Futures Noël Perry gives an in-depth analysis of the U.S. economic forecast in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click here for immediate access. 

Previous issues of Food Shippers of America may be found in our association website archives, or by clicking here.

Sunset Transportation
A joint report by Sunset Transportation and Stifel Transportation & Logistics Equity Research discusses the current freight market, capacity volumes, and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and what that means for shippers and carriers for Q4 2020 and 2021.

FreightWaves
An recent analysis of the transportation cost landscape for 2021, including daily tender rejection rates – a strong indicator of future contracted rates – and monthly Cass Linehaul and Producer Price Indices signal a rate increase of between 4% and 6% depending on the outcome of Q4 2020, but a double-digit increase seems unlikely.

DC Velocity
In the months since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, business leaders up and down the supply have grappled with the challenges of injecting agility and resilience into their procurement, inventory management and collaboration concerns, all while planning for future disruptions.

Food Logistics
Falling at double the normal rates in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants, cafeterias and food retailers’ purchases have rebounded sharply, rising to about 80% of normal volumes in September.

American Shipper
Focusing on the expanding cold-chain logistics sector, Equity Group Investments has bought a majority stake in Los Angeles-based Able Freight. The international airfreight forwarder specializes in perishable goods including temperature-controlled shipments of meat, produce and seafood for export.

Food Industry Executive
COVID-19 created a shift in the ways that people shopped and even what they buy – trying new brands when favorites ran short, purchasing online and cooking more at home. A new survey by Shorr Packaging reveals that unique design, eco-friendly packaging, and label language were leading factors, respectively, when purchasing.

Food Dive
Despite concerns about the ongoing pandemic, and variances in orders region-to-region and retailer-to-retailer, chocolate and candy makers Ferrero, USA Inc., Mars Wrigley, and Hershey are upbeat about sales for Halloween 2020. "There is a certain amount of normalcy and joy that I think people are seeking now more than ever," said Phil DeConto, vice president of category management and shopper insights at Ferrero USA. “This will not be ordinary circumstances, but I don't think that we should expect underperformance on the part of [our] brands."

The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is making its monthly magazine, 3PL Perspectives, available to all FSA members and suppliers. Please click here for a view of TIA's October issue. 

For more information about any articles appearing in 3PL Perspectives, contact Chris Burroughs at burroughs@tianet.org

American Shipper
Container lines across the board are expected to report solid earnings for larger carriers in Q3 2020 after exceeding expectations in Q2 2020. Shipper Matson reported a 125% spike in its China volumes YoY, attributing the rise to a shift from air freight to premium ocean service, ecommerce and tight inventories in the U.S.

Food Dive
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced this week a $10 million commitment and multi-year partnership with food giant Nestlé to aid in its goal of reaching carbon neutrality and improved water usage by 2050. Nestlé is the first major partner for the Innovation Center, building on the organization's own efforts to improve overall management of the dairy supply chain.

FreightWaves
The earnings season for Class I railroads kicked off with a 2% pick for the week ending October 10, as intermodal traffic increased by 8.4% offsetting a decline of 5.2% in carloads.