IAMC News Briefs—Week of April 24, 2023
By John Salustri
UNION PACIFIC NEWSROOM—It’s been christened Falcon Premium, a new intermodal service being launched jointly by Union Pacific, CN and GMXT. It’s also been dubbed transformational, with the intention to be “the fastest, most reliable intermodal rail service between Canada and Mexico,” according to a published statement. To accomplish that, Falcon will merge GMXT’s transit routes between Silao, Guanajuato, and Eagle Pass, TX; UP’s route from Texas to Chicago; and CN’s last-leg routes from the Windy City to “all points in Canada.”
https://www.up.com/media/releases/falcon-premium-intermodal-nr-230424.htm
TRANSPORT DIVE—NFI has acquired SDR Distribution Services in Canada, a move that will grow its Canadian warehouse/distribution footprint to 4.5 million square feet, while forging inroads with its fashion and retail customers. The acquisition extends its service offerings into Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. “The SDR acquisition brings additional blue-chip fashion and retail customers to our portfolio,” said Sidney Brown, CEO of NFI, in a statement. “With the combined expertise of both NFI and SDR, customers can expand in the US with NFI’s existing footprint and access our other service offerings.”
https://www.transportdive.com/news/NFI-buys-SDR-Distribution-Services-Canada/648126/
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY EXECUTIVE—Welcome Venture Park is a 1.3-million-square-foot industrial campus now coming out of the ground in Durham, NC. Owner/developer Welcome Group fashioned the site to accept logistics, warehouses, laboratory, tech and life science tenants. Phase One will come online next year, with Colliers International Raleigh spearheading the leasing, and RW2 Development Co. managing the project.
https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/ground-breaks-for-1-3-msf-research-triangle-business-park/
SUPPLY CHAIN DIVE—The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association have reached a tentative deal that will keep goods flowing through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Both were impacted by a one-day shortfall of workers earlier this month amidst struggling labor negotiations. Details of the new agreement were not revealed, but they build upon previous progress made in the area of health benefits.
https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/ILWU-PMA-reach-deal-key-issues/648185/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-04-20%20Supply%20Chain%20Dive%20%5Bissue:49789%5D&utm_term=Supply%20Chain%20Dive
GLOBEST.COM--Interact Analysis, a UK-based researcher of supply chain automation, predicts a steep slowdown in warehouse construction if economic conditions continue to deteriorate, which is exactly what the firm predicts. “It is expected the US will see a ‘meaningful’ downturn within the next 12 to 18 months,” it reports, forcing “a decline in the rate of warehouse construction. While demand will remain at current levels, the firm says, the supply chain pressures on building will remain through the first half of 2024.
https://www.globest.com/2023/04/20/warehouse-construction-is-poised-to-significantly-decline-in-h2-2023/