Modern Material Handling— As thousands of materials handling and supply chain professionals converged in Tucson, Ariz., for MHI’s annual conference in October, at least a few of them noticed something new and different listed in the event’s conference guide. For the first time in the history of the annual event, MHI featured a separate "executive summit" meant to deliver focused, concise executive education to high-level supply chain professionals.

Reuters— U.S. factory activity accelerated to a five-month high in November amid a pickup in new orders and production, suggesting that the manufacturing sector was regaining its footing after a prolonged slum

Los Angeles Times—When Skechers started building a colossal distribution center in Moreno Valley six years ago, backers promised a wave of new jobs.

Instead, by the time the company moved to the Moreno Valley, it had closed five facilities in Ontario that employed 1,200 people and cut its workforce by more than half. Today, spotting a human on the premises can feel like an accomplishment.

EBN— 3D printing has been the stuff of Geeks and Makers Faires for quite a while. However, the application of 3D printing technology at the business level, particularly in manufacturing, is quickly emerging as the place where the real promise lies at least in the near future.

Forbes— Here’s my 2018 prediction: Sustainability will be the new lean. How do I know? Because the right side of my brain won’t let it go and the left side stopped pushing back. Everything’s pointing in this direction –all the key indicators, including hard, soft, left and right sentiment. And if your economic intuition tends to "follow the money," then the latest trends aren’t hearsay, they’re evidentiary.

Why not sooner –say 2017? Because the middle market needs the big players to lead, and that’s a work still in progress.

Bloomberg— Mexico is overtaking Canada as the No. 2 exporter of goods to the U.S. this year, in a sign of how economic ties have deepened between the two countries even as the relationship is being questioned by President-elect Donald Trump.

Material Handling & Logistics— In 2015 3PL net revenues grew 4.5% in 2015, according to Armstrong and Associates. Comparing 2014 to 2015, overall gross revenues had a small (2.2%) increase due to the reduction in fuel prices and the resulting reduction in fuel surcharge revenue.

JOC— Talk of construction along the US-Mexican border is about more than building a wall. At major border crossing points, industrial developers are eyeing logistics projects, including warehousing and distribution centers, as cross-border trade between the two countries continues to grow, despite the uncertain future of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

EBN—You know who they are... those millennials. They are those unengaged employees who simply show up, do their jobs and then go home, not giving their work a second thought. However, also fairly obvious is that they are fully engaged employees-those who are clearly passionate about what they do, why they do it and, particularly notably, the impact their work is having on the world around them.

CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly— This business-process mapping technique, designed specifically for procurement, can help you identify which relational and economic sourcing models are right for your company.

DC Velocity— For years, the mantra in logistics was "information about the shipment is more important than the shipment itself." That may be a stretch: You don't go to the store for a carton of data. That being said, information technology (IT) has never been more pervasive in this business than it is today. It is no longer about automating manual processes. It is about leveraging data to make everyone's business better. That is a quantum leap.

Material Handling & Logistics—Striving for the "trifecta" of productivity metrics which includes, order accuracy, labor optimization and faster shipping, many businesses are looking to invest in the latest mobile technology.